Exodus chapter 27

Main verses:

20 Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.

21 In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.

How these verses spoke to me:

In Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, it says:

The pure oil signified the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which all believers receive from Christ, the good Olive, and without which our light cannot shine before men. The priests were to light the lamps, and tend them. It is the work of ministers, by preaching and expounding the Scriptures, which are as a lamp, to enlighten the church, God's tabernacle upon earth. Blessed be God, this light is not now confined to the Jewish tabernacle, but is a light to lighten the gentiles, and for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Moses was instructed that the lamps were to be continually lit, a permanent symbol of the Holy Spirit who lives in each believer. But we can't just have our lamps lit and then carry on doing what we have always done.

We need to continually refill our oil, to go back and ask to be filled anew each day with the Holy Spirit. We need to be fed with the word of God, through reading the bib le for ourselves, learning from our ministers, those who preach. This is why it is so important that we keep alert, watch out for any false teachings as is a lot of that about today. We need to continually check what we are taught on a Sunday with the bible.

The lamps here also remind me of Revelation chapter 1:

12 I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest.

The lampstands were symbolic of the seven churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Jesus had a message for each of the churches, there was good news, hope, praise and also concern, and care. Some of the churches had let their lamp grow dim as they became embroiled in the things of this world. Instead of the priests keeping the lamps burning brightly, they had allowed the world to come in and weaken their message, dilute their light. They had begun to tolerate the things of this world, the "alternative lifestyles", the "personal choices" and had lowered their standards accordingly, so watering down God's message.

The world today is so sinful there is the breakdown of the family unit, homosexuality is actively promoted as an alternative life style or choice, going out and getting drunk is seen as a normal part of life, something that has to be done if you are to have a "good time." Knives and guns are routinely carried by many people, even youngsters, and a lot of the youth today have a very hedonistic view of life.

We need to let our lamps shine brightly in this world, to show people that there is an answer, there is another way and that God does exist. The enemy is all around us, seeking to turn as many away from God as possible, and time is running short. You only have to look around and see the signs of the End Times everywhere. The enemy's time is short, he is trying to make the most of it and it is up to us to stop him. How can we do this if we do not have faith? If we do not continually turn to God, seek His guidance, read His word, spend time in prayer and seek the Holy Spirit?

We are the foot soldiers in a war which has already been won, but there are plenty of skirmishes going on all around us. We need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, and to make sure we put on our spiritual armour each and every day so that our lamps may shine brightly to draw others to the light of Jesus.