How does Exodus 40:4 connect to Jesus as the Bread of Life? Setting the scene Exodus 40 closes the book with Moses assembling the tabernacle for the very first time. Verse 4 records one of his first actions inside: “Bring in the table and set out its arrangement; then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.” (Ex-40:4) The table and its bread • The “table” is the Table of the Presence (Exodus 25:23-30). • Its “arrangement” is the twelve loaves of the Bread of the Presence, symbolically set “before the LORD continually” (Leviticus 24:5-8). • Every Sabbath the priests ate this bread in the Holy Place, sharing covenant fellowship with God (Leviticus 24:9). • So, right at the start of Israel’s worship life, God made sure bread—lifegiving, ever-present, covenantal bread—was in place. Jesus steps into the picture • “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” • “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me will never hunger.” • “The bread I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” Connections: 1. Continual Presence → Jesus is Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). 2. Covenant Fellowship → His broken body opens the way for intimate communion with God (Hebrews 10:19-22). 3. Sustaining Life → Just as Israel’s priests ate the showbread, believers feed on Christ by faith and live forever (John 6:57-58). Foreshadowing fulfilled • Exodus 40:4 shows that before the lampstand could shine, the bread had to be set out. Likewise, before the light of the gospel could go to the nations, the Bread of Life had to be given. • The table stood on the north side of the Holy Place (Exodus 26:35). Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, lay to the north of Jerusalem’s temple mount—another subtle echo of the true bread being offered. • At the Last Supper Jesus took bread, “gave thanks, and broke it” (Mark 14:22), directly linking the Passover meal, the showbread, and His own body. Practical takeaways • God planned our nourishment long before we felt our hunger. • Fellowship with Him is always centered on His provided bread, never on our achievements. • Regular, reverent communion keeps us mindful that life is sustained by Christ alone (1 Corinthians 10:16). |
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