God's Church, precious and heaveny light bearer

Text Numbers 8:1-4 Time 29/04/12 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

In Revelation 1 we have wonderful description of the risen and glorified Lord Jesus. Before John sees the Lord he hears a voice and turns to see who it is coming from. He tells us (1:12, 13) I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 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 around his chest. By lampstand is meant the article of furniture that was found in the Temple, where there were several, and in the tabernacle, where there was just one, and that we read about here in Numbers 8:1-4, the menorah.

We looked at a whole long chapter last week but this week I just want us to focus on these four verses.

The lampstand is described most fully in Exodus, in chapters 25 and 37. In Chapter 25 Moses is told to make it and in Chapter 37 we read that

They made a lampstand of pure gold. They hammered out its base and shaft, and made its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand - three on one side and three on the other. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair – six branches in all. The buds and branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. They made its seven lamps (which were to be set up on it so that they would light the space in front of it) as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent of pure gold (75 lbs or 34 k – worth over a million pounds at today's prices). We do not know the size of the lampstand though the rabbis thought it was 5' tall and 3.5' wide. They also say that seven lamps were lit in the night and three in the day.

Back in Revelation 1 we read that John is told to write down what he saw. He is also told that The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The menorah or lampstand has become a well known symbol of Judaism but when we read of the lampstand here it is right that we should think of the church of God. This lampstand is a picture of the church – and of a church like this one. It is not the only thing the lampstand points too. It can also stand for life – life and light are often mentioned together. It can also stand for God's Word, which the Psalmist in Psalm 119:105 says is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

What I want us to do this evening then is to consider the local church as pictured here and I want to say two main things.

1. Consider the church of God and its precious and heavenly nature

Perhaps we can begin at the end and look first at verse 4. There we read This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold - from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.

There are two things to note here then. This lampstand, like the church was to be

1. Precious - made of hammered gold. Everything in the holiest parts of the tabernacle was gold. Some things were made of wood covered with gold (like the table and the ark). Other things (like the mercy seat or atonement cover over the ark and the lampstand) were made of pure gold. There are more expensive metals than gold but it is generally agreed that gold is the most attractive. Even today in the Olympics for example you have the order of the medals – gold, silver, bronze. God was also often connected to sacred places as here but the main thing about it is how precious it.

Now given that the lampstand mentioned here is later connected with the New Testament churches it is wise that we ask whether there is any significance in the fact that it is made of gold, hammered gold. Surely that suggests the preciousness of the church to God. The fact that it is hammered gold may be hint to us that the church is often a suffering church but the main thing is the preciousness to God of his church.

In 1 Peter 1:9 Peter says to believers But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. This goes back to Exodus 19:5, 6 where God says Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation and Malachi 3:17 On the day when I act, says the LORD Almighty, they will be my treasured possession.

It is the church that Christ loved and gave himself up for … to make her holy …. Hence some of the seemingly extravagant language in Song of Songs. It is called in Acts 20:28 the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

This is a reminder that we must always have a high view of the church and remember how precious each individual in it is.

2. Heavenly - made exactly like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses. The lampstand in the tabernacle was not the result an idea that a man had. No, like other items in the Holy Places of the tabernacle it was made exactly like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses. Its design was God given. In Hebrews 8:5 that point is taken up when he say that earthly priests served at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." The tabernacle was designed to teach us things that are found only in heaven.

Something similar could be said of the church. The church is not a human institution. It is a God appointed assembly made up only of those who he chose in eternity. It is the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. Although some are in heaven already while others remain on earth it is sill a heavenly grouping, heaven wrought and heaven bound. This is why the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

So another thing here is to remember the God given design of the church. The blue print is in heaven as it were.

2. Consider the church of God and the call for it to shine

If we go back to verses 1-3 we see that there are two parts to what is said there.

1. There is the command

1, 2 The LORD said to Moses, Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand. The lampstand we know was on the south side of the Holy Place and the table on the north side. There were no windows and so the lampstand did the job of lighting up the area where the table was. Aaron is given the responsibility for doing this.

He is to light all seven lamps. The lampstand appears to have had one central stick and three coming out on either side, making seven in all, the number of perfection. Whether the six branches were rounded or straight we do not know you see both designs.

2. The obedience

We read in verse 3 that Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the LORD commanded Moses. That very first time it was Aaron himself who did it. At other times no doubt there were other priests involved. Aaron did, however, just as he was commanded and set up the lampstand so that it would do exactly what it was intended to do – to shed light. God had already spoken (7:89) from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law and the sacrifices were soon to begin. It was right then that the lampstand shed its light so that the bread could be put on the table and the incense on the golden altar.

Jesus himself is the Light of the world but his people are also to be lights in the world. Perhaps in terms of the lampstand we can think of the central stick as pointing to Christ and the others as sharing with him in this work. Certainly the lampstand bears light where as the lights are lights kept alight by the olive oil in them, which speaks of the work of the Spirit.

Remember Jesus's words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13-15) You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. We are to live as children of light For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. In Ephesians 5:9-13 Paul says Live as children of light.(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible - and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

This is an important part of Christian teaching that some are taught very young. I remember singing when I was very young “Jesus us bids us shine with a pure clear light like a little candle burning in the night”. I never quite got it as I thought the words were “Jesus bits of shine”.

Rather it is

Jesus bids us shine With a pure, clear light,

Like a little candle Burning in the night.

In this world of darkness So let us shine -

You in your small corner, And I in mine.

This is what the often mocked children's song “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam” is all about.

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, To shine for Him each day;

In every way try to please Him, At home, at school, at play.

When I was a bit older they used to have us sing

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning

Give me oil in my lamp, I pray

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning

Keep me burning 'til the break of day

There was also a modern version of it

Give me batteries in my torch, keep me shining

Give me batteries in my torch, I pray

Give me batteries in my torch, keep me shining

Keep me shining 'til the break of day

(There was even a slightly irreverent chorus Ever ready, ever ready)

I used to refuse to sing it because I didn't see what it had to do with anything. I now understand that it is a reference to lamps as on this lampstand and shining for the Lord.

Spurgeon once said in a sermon

“I would not give much for your religion unless it can be seen. I know some people's religion is heard of, but give me the man whose religion is seen. Lamps do not talk, but shine; a lighthouse sounds no drum, it beats no gong, and yet far over the waters its friendly spark is seen by the mariner. So let your actions shine out your religion. Let your conduct talk out your soul. Let the main sermon of your life be illustrated by all your conduct, and it shall not fail to be illustrious. Have I not told you before that the only bit of ecclesiastical history we have in the whole New Testament is—what? The sermons of the Apostles? No, no, the "Acts of the Apostles." So let your history be written, so that it may have this title - 'The acts of such-and-such a man'. This will furnish the best proof that you have been with Jesus.”

Perhaps we can say from this passage in Numbers that Christian leaders have a responsibility to keep the lamps lit, as it were, but it is important that we all shine and that is the main thing to see here. As a church we are to be a lampstand, holding Jesus high that all may benefit from seeing him. We too must lead holy lives that point to him and that show the way from darkness and sin into his Kingdom of Light. This is what we must increasingly do as individuals and together.

This is what we are designed to do. This is what all our precious privileges should lead to – shining out. In Philippians 2 Paul calls on believers to Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then he says you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold out/hold firmly to the word of life. $ The footprint of the menorah must have been quite small but it could send out light quite a way. We must be the same. Think of a lighthouse sending out its light far and wide.