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Alfred Edersheim said the
table of the "shewbread"
had feet like animal's feet.
He also said it had a shelf
half way between the top
and the bottom, and that
the shelf had a "crown"
around it. The dishes for
the bread were made of
gold. Other than that it
probably looked like the
artist's painting at left.
The Lord spoke to Moses saying...
You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding (crown) of gold all around. You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding (crown) for the frame all around. And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs. The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold. And you shall set the bread of the face on the table before Me always. Exodus 25:23-30
We know that Moses made the furniture for the tabernacle after a pattern (or vision) God had shown him.
And see to it that you make them according to the pattern that was shown you on the mount." Exodus 25:40
We also know that the pattern served as a "shadow" of heavenly things.
...there are priests ...who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, 'See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.'
Hebrews 8:4a-5What heavenly things could the table of the shewbread be a shadow of? There is some guessing here, but the guessing is pretty good.
The acacia wood from which the table was made is symbolic of humanity. Gold is symbolic of God. So the table is Jesus who was both God and man. The crowns on the table are symbolic of His finished work of redemption. Double crowns represent His kingship as the Son of God and The Son of Man
Concerning the Bread of the Face God said,
And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it, Two-tenths of an ephah (about five quarts) shall be in each cake.
And you shall set them in two rows (stacks), six in a row (stack), on the pure gold table before the Lord.
And you shall put pure frankincense on each row (stack), that it may be on the bread for a memorial, an offering made by fire to the Lord.Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place: for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the Lord made by fire, by a perpetual statute. Leviticus 24:5-9Once again there is symbolism here. Alfred Edersheim said the Jews believed the bread represented life itself, because bread was the main food of their lives. Since bread represented life itself, the "Bread of the Face" meant that we cannot live apart from God's presence -- His presence is our daily bread because it is needed for life.
The Jews also believed that this "Bread of the Face" ratified God's covenant with Israel every week when it was eaten by the priests. There were twelve loaves of bread -- one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The wheat for making the bread was gathered equally from each tribe so that each tribe was represented in the bread.
The wheat for the bread was sifted eleven times through smaller and smaller sieves. There were eleven ingredients in the bread. It was leavened with wine, then baked in golden pans. When the loaves were finished baking, olive oil was poured in the center of each one in the shape of a cross. Two stacks of six loaves each were then placed on the table of the shewbread (Bread of the Face). During the stacking process (I presume), each loaf was sprinkled with frankincense.
Since twelve is the number of perfection I wondered why the wheat was only sifted eleven times. Does that mean that our sanctification cannot be completed here on earth? And why were there only eleven ingredients? Then I remembered there was indeed a twelfth ingredient! The oil poured in the shape of the cross would sink down into the bread. Of course! We are complete in Christ! The bread was also sprinkled with frankincense which the ancient Jews said represented our thankfulness and praise. In the Christian context that would be thankfulness and praise -- for our salvation!
Twice in the passage of Leviticus God said the Bread of the Face was a sacrifice made by fire. But the bread was not burned! It was baked. Here is the sanctification of the believers! For God has promised...
But now says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God." Isaiah 43:1-3a
The stacks of bread completely covered the top of the table except for a six inch width in the middle. Two containers of incense were put there, whose incense was then burned to symbolize the burning of the bread. This is a picture of the believers presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice to God
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2
Some people say two cups of wine were also placed between the stacks of bread. If that is true, then I have to conclude that the showbread represents our communion with God. But I think it's more than that. It has to be the communion within the communion.
All in all this is a good picture of the communion between God and His people: The table (representing Jesus and His finished work), carried the bread (the people of Israel) into the presence of God. (Jesus carrries us into the presence of God!) There He met with them face to face all week long. This was their life. The priests were told to eat the bread to ratify the covenant week by week. The bread was leavened with wine, which represents the blood of Christ. The bread was anointed with pure olive oil in the shape of a cross. The oil sank into the bread. The Holy Spirit witnesses Christ to us. The witness of Christ sinks down into our hearts. And we have Christ in us, our hope of glory. But that means we have His anointing for life and service, since the oil represents anointing. There is anointing and empowerment (grace) for service.
It all reminds me of the Aaronic (Aaron the brother of Moses') blessing in the book of Numbers...
The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26
There are other symbolisms I am sure. It will take time to dig them all out.
One significant fact is that the golden pans used for baking the bread stayed warm throughout the week until the next batch of twelve loaves was baked. This was one of the "miracles of the temple."* The pans were displayed for pilgrims to touch when they came to the temple. The shekinah glory cloud was not present in the second temple (because the ark of the covenant was missing), but these miracles took place anyway to show the people that God was still there. According to the Talmud all the miracles ended 40 years before the destruction of the second temple in 70 AD.
note: * One of the other "miracles of the temple" was that the center lamp of the mennorah (the "shamash" or "servant" lamp -- also called the "Lamp of God"), would stay lit for at least a two days (and once for eight days) on only one day's supply of oil.
note: Another miracle of the temple was that the red yarn tied between the scapegoat's horns would become white as the goat was led away into the wilderness. This happened on the day of atonement to let the people of Israel know their sins were covered.
Discussion:
Memory Verse:
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