Leviticus 24
THE FEASTS of the Lord in the last chapter present to us in a wonderful way the whole scope of God’s purposes and their fulfillment, reaching on to the eternal day, the rest of God. But now, in the meantime, since Christ has been rejected, we are passing through the long dark night of this world. And in this chapter we have in a two-fold way how the light of Christ shines in the heavenly sanctuary, without interruption, till dawns the morning without clouds.
The Lord Jesus was the true Light who coming into this world’s darkness was the light of men. He sheds His light on every man. On earth He was “the light of the world,” but now that light shines above in the presence of God for us who as priests have the title to enter there.
The children of Israel had the privilege of bringing pure olive oil for the light, but it shone only in the tabernacle, and Aaron was to order it from evening to morning before the Lord. The oil which caused the light to burn speaks of the Holy Spirit given without measure.
Thus in the candlestick we have Christ as the light now shining in the heavenly places during the long dark night for Israel on earth. They rejected their Messiah, yet they are beloved of God for the fathers’ sake (Rom. 11:28). During this night of their history they are maintained in the light before God, through the priesthood of Christ, by the power of the Spirit. It will truly be the morning for them when they own their guilt in crucifying their Messiah, and then the Spirit will be poured out upon them in blessing.
The twelve loaves of fine flour on the pure table, the bread which Aaron and his sons were to eat in the holy place, speak of Christ as the heavenly food of those who as priests now have access within the veil.
The twelve loaves also speak of the fullness of Christ in His administration on earth. Israel do not see Him as such yet, anymore than they see Him as the light of heaven, but we, whom He has made priests by His grace, love to think of Him in both these characters.
The frankincense put upon the loaves was for a memorial and speaks of our acceptance in all the grace and fragrance of Christ. It speaks too of how Israel is maintained before God by Christ in all that He is to Him. How precious to think of those twelve tribes, so scattered now, yet seen in the loaves as fragrant through the sweet frankincense sprinkled upon them by the priest.
Then we read the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out and blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. God ordered that he should be stoned, and Israel carried out this judgment upon him. Along with the pledge of Israel’s future blessing, we have presented here the coming apostasy. How sad that in the face of the Lord’s goodness there should be those who blaspheme His name! The Jews in their defiance, reviled and cursed their Messiah, the very One who came to suffer upon the cross for their sins. Those who ought to have been the means of blessing to all others have been guilty of rejecting God in the Person of the Lord Jesus and have blasphemed His name. God will have a remnant from among them who will look for Him and be spared, but it says of those who despised His name wrath is come upon them to the uttermost (1 Thess. 2:16).
ML-10/15/1972