TABLE OF SHOWBREAD

(Fellowship)

In the Holy Place there were seven pieces of furniture. Seven is the number of completeness. God (three) + world (four) = complete. The Table of Showbread speaks of supply and fellowship. Friends break bread.

You must have been by the Brazen Altar and the Laver before going to the Holy Place. An unsaved person cannot enter the Holy Place, only priests could enter. They saw the light from the Lampstand, smelled the incense and tasted the bread. All of these things were for God first - God coming to meet man first. It was God who allowed man to approach Him first.

Exodus 25:23 (NASB) "And you shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high.

24 "And you shall overlay it with pure gold and make a gold border around it.

25 "And you shall make for it a rim of a handbreadth around it; and you shall make a gold border for the rim around it.

26 "And you shall make four gold rings for it and put rings on the four corners which are on its four feet.

27 "The rings shall be close to the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table.

28 "And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that with them the table may be carried.

29 "And you shall make its dishes and its pans and its jars and its bowls, with which to pour libations; you shall make them of pure gold.

30 "And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.

John 10:28 (NASB) and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.

He keeps us just like the crown kept the bread.

Man has broken fellowship and communion with God by choosing to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They said that they didn't need God for a covering.

One way we learn about each other is to share a meal and so God has invited us to join Him in meal with Him in His home.

Show bread means presence bread or bread of faces.

The Table of Showbread was a place of fellowship - both with God and man. The act of eating was an act of fellowship - man with man and it was an act of worship before God. God has provided a table where His redeemed Bride, the Church can fellowship with Him.

We have been called unto the fellowship of the Father and of the Son, and it is our privilege to enjoy that fellowship from day to day. Communion with God is what we have here expressed in type. The priest was called to be a partaker with His God, and this is communion.

A covenant was always ended with a meal, shared by the representatives. The priest ate the bread and drank the wine every week. This is a shadow of the Lord's supper.

The Table of Showbread was just opposite the Golden Lampstand. You need the illumination of the Spirit (the Golden Lampstand) of God to have fellowship with God. Without the light of the Holy Spirit, you can't really see what you are eating. People who read the Bible and don't get anything out of it, do not have the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, it is simply dead letter.

There are several names for the Table of Showbread. One of them was the Pure Table:

Leviticus 24:6 (NASB) "And you shall set them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the LORD.

2 Chronicles 13:11 (NASB) "And every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him.

Bread of faces is a literal translation of the Hebrew. Only when you see one's face do you actually see him. These loaves were in the Face of God

The 12 loaves represented the 12 tribes in God's Holy Place. Bread represents Jesus. The 12 tribes present Jesus in imperfect humanity. There was also wine.

If you use the measure of one cubit = 18", the Table of Showbread was 36" long x 18" wide x 27" high. It was a small table, only accessible by bending or kneeling. Only a humble heart can approach this table. It is the same height as the grate in the Brazen Altar and the Ark of the Covenant. It had a crown just like the Ark. On top of it, was the Bread of Life and the on top of the Mercy Seat was the sprinkled blood. The blood gave you the right to eat the bread.

It was large enough to receive all that were worthy to come. To be worthy, you had to be born of the right household. Only those who are born-again of the Spirit of God can have fellowship with God.

Jesus is the Word (gold), made flesh (wood). He is mediator and for this, He must be both man and God.

There was a crown or border around the top of the Table which was made of gold. Out from this was a rim, a handbreadth wide and around this rim was another border. The crown was to keep the bread from falling off the Table. It was protection. The rim was where they sat the utensils. Then there was another crown.

The Table was supported by four legs. Jesus is revealed in four Gospels. In Matthew, He is portrayed as the King. In Mark, He is the servant. In Luke, He is a real man. In John, He is the Son of God.

The crown separated the bread from the utensils. Too many people try to eat the things used to serve God. Don't worship the vessels - they will not satisfy spiritual hunger.

Three pieces of furniture had crowns. The Altar of Incense, the Table of Showbread, and the Ark of Covenant. The Altar of Incense speaks to praise, the Table of Showbread speaks to fellowship, and the Ark of the Covenant speaks to the broken law and the One who took the punishment for it.

At His first coming, Jesus was crowned first with the thorns (the curse of the earth), at His second coming, He will come the crowned King. He was crowned on the day of His resurrection.

This Table has rings and staves. The four rings speak of the world wide ministry ( four season, four directions). The four feet speak to Jesus's earth walk. Gold speaks to the divine nature. The staves were long poles used to move the table. The food went where ever you went.

The Christian walk is a relationship with the Father through Jesus. This relationship expresses itself in relationships with the people around you. This relationship is what controls the out-come of most of what you do and yet it suffers most because people want possessions. Things and not relationships are what most people want. People look for satisfaction in things. If I could only get that new car, house, husband, job, etc.

Satisfaction only comes when you fulfill the purpose for which you were created - fellowship with the Father for His good pleasure. Christians need to be reminded that the world is temporary and we should not spend much time worrying about material things. Life in this world is like a camping trip. Don't weigh yourself down with so many things that you cannot move about as the Father instructs you. Don't spend much time on your tent.

When this Table was moved, it was covered with blue linen. Blue speaks of heaven. The utensils were covered with scarlet which speak of sacrifice.

You can't eat from the world without having your appetite for the Lord's word dulled. Smokers who have quit smoking say that after a while their taste buds return to normal and they taste things that they have never tasted before. As you quit the things of the world, your taste for the things of God return and you see things that you never saw before.

The main thing about the Table was the bread on it. The Bread is a type of Jesus. Only in Jesus can we have fellowship with the Father.

The specially ground and sifted fine flour speaks of Christ and His sufferings. To make the flour into bread, you have to have the oil (the Spirit of God), which was given to Him without measure. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means house of Bread. The Bread of Life was born in the house of bread. He was immediately placed in a manger - a dinner table for animals.

John 6:58 (NASB) "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever."

John 6:32 (NASB) Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.

33 "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world."

John 6:50 (NASB) "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

51 "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh."

Before oil and flour become bread, they must go through the fire. It was only after the fire that Jesus was ready for us to eat. The loaves had to be prepared before they could be presented. The Bread of Life also was ground, kneaded and put through the fire before we could partake of Him.

There were 12 cakes - one for each tribe of Israel. The loaves were all the same size even though some tribes were larger than others. We are all presented equally in the kingdom of heaven, even though you were born-again on yesterday. We are all one in Christ. The twelve loaves were in two rows of six. They were circular and perforated. Jesus was the Bread of Life that was pierced for you and I. The bread must be broken before it can be passed out. Jesus breaks us and then passes us to a hungry world.

Frankincense was sprinkled on the two piles of six loaves. Frankincense has a pleasing fragrance which speaks of the life of Christ which was pleasing to God. The priest ate of the Bread as a memorial to the Lord God. The Bread was left out in the Holy Place for seven days. Seven is the number of divine perfection.

They remembered the God Who brought them out of Egypt, brought them through the red sea, gave them the ten words, and was a protective cloud and fed them in the wilderness. He feeds us today in this barren world on the Living Bread. He said that it was an offering by fire. Without fire, there is no offering because there is no acceptance. When God accepts something, He burn it up. Remember the fire from heaven burned the offering on the Brazen Altar. The fact that you are walking through the fiery trials of life of a Christian show that you have laid aside your will and life to follow Him. All of the fires which you walk through, burn the chaff and this shows that you have been accepted by God. This is a fragrance to God. Beware when all men approve of you. The priest gathered every seventh day and ate the bread. They had fellowship and ate. There was enough for all to be filled.

Remember David and Jonathan and how David, he became king looked for descendants of Jonathan, because he and Jonathan were in covenant. He found Mephibosheth and treated him like a son. Mephibosheth of old ate bread as one of the King's sons. That's how it is with us. We eat at the kings table (have fellowship with the Father) like one of His Sons.

Psalms 23:5 (NASB) Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

This speaks of the Table of Showbread.

Christians gather for fellowship, break bread and are all filled like when the priests gathered. They broke bread and fed one and other with what God has revealed to them since last they met. When someone does this, you know that you have a participating active priest. Priests feed each other. It is not pie in the sky, it is fish in the dish.

We sit around and eat on the day of rest, but they stood. They ate bread alone. People look for feelings, signs, etc. instead of the word. They want entertainment.

Luke 23:4 (NASB) And Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no guilt in this man."

Matthew 27:19 (NASB) And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him."

The Bread was made of fine flour (dead seeds). Remember Pilate said I find no fault with the man. His wife said to have nothing to do with this just man. Fine flour represents Jesus. Judas said - I have betrayed innocent blood (no lumps).

The fine Bread has been made consumable, but we have to take it. It can be eaten by priests only. There should be enough food for all the priests. Milk for babies, meat for mature, but we are all priests. Only priests could east and then only in the Holy Place. The place you are is not your physical location, but where you are spiritually. It is a spiritual position. God is spirit and wants to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth. Some priests cannot eat because of sin. They have not been by the Laver to wash before entering the Holy Place. Sin will keep you from the word or the word will keep you from sin.

Jeremiah 6:10 (NASB) To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed, And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.

These people want their ears tickled. They do not want to hear the word. The veil has not been removed. They had to stand, but when Jesus rose, He made it possible to rest in the presence of the Father.

How do you feed on Jesus? You are occupied with Him. He is Paramount. You take what you have learned and apply it to your life.

Psalms 1:1 (NASB) How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

Meditation is like a cow chewing her cud. You remember a verse or something someone said and rehash it. Compare it to the Word. See where it fits. Take it apart.

Jesus is the Bread of Life Eat of Him and you will never go hungry again. Only He satisfies. Once you've tasted of the Bread, you will not be fooled by imitations.

Bread is not what it used to be. It used to be home made of home grown wheat. It supplied all the nutrients you needed. There were no sauces and spices and pickles and olives and fancy salads or pie alamode; just bread.

The Word has been pushed aside into a secondary place. Instead, we have an hour and a half of preliminaries, with singing of choruses and empty spirituals, and joking and laughing and horseplay. Entertainment has take the place of worship, singing and music instead of preaching; and then a fifteen minute sermonette, highly spiced and sensational, in order to keep people awake after all of the wearying entertainment. And then we wonder at the worldliness and the shallowness of Christians today. We have substituted or added pickles, olives, radishes, and highly seasoned extras, and have relegated the Word of Life to a side dish, which few will touch.

It is a sad thing indeed when a Bible-teaching service or a prayer meeting is attended by only a handful of worshipers, while a high-powered entertainer, a musical night, or motion picture will draw a packed house.

We noted how the priests were to eat at this Table. They must eat "standing up". There were no chairs for them to sit down. There was not a single chair in the tabernacle, for the house of God is not a place of ease and entertainment, but the place of work and service.

1 Corinthians 1:9 (NASB) God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The priests gathered around the Table of Showbread every Sabbath to have fellowship with the Lord and each other. It is by getting together and discussing the word of God that we get to know Him. Amen.