How does Exodus 27:20 relate to the instructions in Leviticus 24:1?

Two matching instructions, one continuous purpose

• Exodus 27:20—“Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.”

• Leviticus 24:1-2—“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.’ ”

Both verses carry the identical divine directive. Exodus introduces it while the tabernacle blueprint is being unveiled; Leviticus echoes it when the worship system is being practiced. The same unaltered wording highlights that God’s standards do not shift between planning and daily worship.

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Why the repetition matters

• Confirmation—What God sets in place (Exodus 27) He expects to be maintained (Leviticus 24).

• Continuity—The people are still responsible for supplying oil after Sinai’s initial excitement fades.

• Covenant rhythm—Leviticus turns Exodus’s building plans into lived obedience, weaving sacred routine into Israel’s calendar (cf. Numbers 28:6).

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Pure oil and perpetual light: layers of meaning

• Purity—Only “pure oil” (Hebrew: beaten, clear) underscores holiness (cf. Leviticus 2:1). No mixture, no dregs.

• Perpetual light—A nonstop flame inside the Holy Place testifies that the God who delivered Israel is ever-present (1 Samuel 3:3).

• Anticipation—The constant lamp typifies the coming Servant who is “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 42:6) and culminates in Christ, the “light of the world” (John 8:12).

• Witness—Revelation 1:12-13 shows the exalted Christ walking among seven lampstands—His churches—fed by His Spirit to shine continuously (Philippians 2:15-16).

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Roles spelled out

• The people—bring the oil (Exodus 27:20; Leviticus 24:2). Everyone shares in sustaining worship.

• The priests—tend the lamps “from evening until morning” (Leviticus 24:3-4). Faithful service is required night after night.

• The generations—“a lasting statute” (Leviticus 24:3). Each era inherits the duty to keep God’s light visible.

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Take-home connections

• God speaks once, then again, so His people will not forget (Psalm 62:11).

• Faith that begins with spectacle (Sinai) must settle into steady obedience (tabernacle routine).

• Spiritual light grows dim unless fed with pure, uncompromised devotion (Proverbs 4:18).

• The pattern points forward to the Spirit’s oil empowering believers to shine “continually” until the day dawns and shadows flee (2 Peter 1:19).