By Cynthia J. Bourne
30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
Exodus 25:30 (KJV)
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 6:35 (NIV)
Shewbread, literal meaning ‘bread of the face,’ that is bread set out before the face or the presence of God.
In the time of the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness, God not only gave instructions as to how to build the tabernacle, He also gave instructions as to what it should contain and how each item should be used.
On entrance to the tabernacle we first meet the table with the Shewbread. The offering placed before the Lord. The procedure for this Shewbread was for the priests each Sabbath to eat the bread and replace it with fresh Shewbread. This Shewbread represented so much.
Firstly, the Shewbread was a reminder to the children of Israel that their God would always provide for them. God had covenanted that He would be their God and they would be His people, His children and like as a Father provides for His children, thus would God.
In the eating of the Shewbread the priests receive physical strength and nourishment. They also experience a nearness in their relationship with their God. And so it is with us today living under grace. The Word of God is our bread of presence today. In reading God’s Word prayerfully and with an open heart, we come into fellowship with Him, get to know Him and become aware of His presence.
In the reading of the Word, we also become spiritually nourished and sustained to live a life of faith. Just like the nutrients from food is deposited around our bodies to meet the needs and demands of every cell, so the Word, when we feed on it, will rush to every spiritual need for strength, boldness, or encouragement, for peace, goodness or patience.
Let’s eat!
Ask – Why is it significant that the shewbread is present always?
Seek –Are we maintaining a good diet of God’s Word? Without it we will be malnourished and even die. Three meals per day is what is prescribed. Let’s feed on God’s Word and become the fine figure of a child of God He wants us to be.
Knock –Bread of life come to earth from heaven, we thank You for the sustaining power of your Word and the fellowship it brings. Amen
(Upper Photo by Michael Burrows from Pexels)
(Inner Photo by william f. santos on Unsplash)
