Scripture: “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD. Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the LORD regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the LORD’S food offerings, a perpetual due.”
Leviticus 24:5-9 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Friday’s Daily Focus, the Feast of Booths provided an upbeat celebration and thanksgiving offering to the Lord for year-end crop production. It required all men throughout Israel to travel to the tabernacle to celebrate its occasion. The whole family would often accompany the household men. The first day is a solemn assembly of Shabbat rest, and because it extends to the eighth day, the last is also a Sabbath. Unlike the other feasts, on the first day, the offerer submits thirteen bulls to the priest—one offered each of the first six days and seven on the seventh day (Numbers 29:13–32). Its other food offerings (fruits and grains) stayed the same in number every day.
Today’s reading skips the first four verses that review the Lord’s directions for placing and operating the sacred lampstand and lamp since Exodus 25:31-40 and Exodus 37:17-24 cover their construction, placement, and ceremonial use (as addressed in prior Daily Focus devotions).
Regarding the above verses covering the bread of Presence, it is briefly mentioned in Exodus (25:30; 40:23). Here, we only read the details of its purpose, protocol, and consumption, which are as follows:
- It served as the priests’ grain offering.
- The high priest set it on the table before the Lord every Sabbath.
- The priests ate it at the end of the week.
- Each loaf (twelve in total) consisted of two-tenths of an ephah (about four quarts) of flour.
- The priest adds frankincense as a memorial portion and food offering.
- All the priests shall eat in the Holy Place since it is a “most holy portion” of Yahweh’s food offering into perpetuity.
Historical note: Because frankincense is not edible, the priest would pour it upon each row and burn it with the memorial portion of the bread.
Takeaway: Like the ordinary grain offering, this sacred ceremony of bread consumption before the Lord in the Holy Place finds its fulfillment in Christ, the Bread of Life (John 6:35), who invites his followers to eat of his flesh, which is bread from heaven that brings eternal life (John 6:56-58). While Jesus’ words appalled the religious leaders and most of those listening, Jesus likens consuming his flesh to abiding in him, which he elaborates on with greater detail to his disciples before his arrest (John 15:4-11).
Our takeaway? While the law required this sacred ceremony to be observed in perpetuity, it was nevertheless interrupted due to future generations of priests straying from their sacerdotal duties and the nation turning its back on God, incurring exile. But in Christ, who became our Bread of Presence, we, his disciples, continue to observe this sacrament (i.e., the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, depending on your denomination) until his return (confer 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Regarding this high sacrament, as mentioned periodically in our devotions, church denominations vary on the elements’ meaning and substance, ranging from a memorial of his sacrificial death to his “real presence” with the elements (consubstantiation) to a metabolical transformation of the bread and wine into his body and blood (transubstantiation).
Our part? Regardless of where we stand with observance of the Lord’s supper, we come to his table by faith and receive the bread (and the wine) to feast on his grace and goodness and refresh our hearts and minds in the knowledge that he has paid the price for our sins (past, present, and future) to reconcile us to our Father and that he will be with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). And our observance of the sacrament reminds us to abide in him through our love for him that motivates us to obey his commands (John 14:15-27).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son who became our Bread of Presence through his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, where he continues to invite us to his table and feast on him by faith. Still, we sometimes struggle to believe his sacrifice fully atoned for our sins. So, please help us to abide in your Son, nurturing our love for him that leads to obedience to his and your commands. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling