As we make our way through the Tabernacle, my prayer is that we continue to be drawn to worship as we behold the glory of our Savior Jesus in new ways during this season of Lent. Pray before you begin, asking the Lord to open your eyes and enlighten your thoughts and mind to the presence of Jesus today.
Explore …
Read Exodus 25:23-30.
- Table of Shewbread (Table of the Presence or Bread of the Presence) was in the Holy Place. Just as you walked into the Holy Place you would find the Bread of the Presence on the right. There were 12 loaves of unleavened bread on the table and each loaf represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Priest would stand and eat the bread every Sabbath Day and then replace the 12 loaves. The loaves were placed in two stacks with six loaves each.
Read Leviticus 24:5-9 and Hebrews 10:11-14.
The Bread of the Presence not only represented the 12 tribes, but it is also a picture of Jesus, Himself, who said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35
Jesus sustains and satisfies every believer. He is the Shewbread for believers to feed on in order to grow. If we want to grow spiritually, we must feed on Christ. You’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” The more we take in Christ, feed on Him and nurture our souls with His Word and His presence, the more we become more like Him.
How do we nurture our souls with His presence? We commune with Him spiritually. Jesus made it very clear that He wanted to fellowship with us. He came to earth and lived among us. The holy God of the Universe, in the flesh, came and tabernacled (dwelled) among us. He had meals with people (especially sinners) which showed His desire to be in fellowship with them. When we take in Christ (trust Him and believe in Him for our salvation) we are guaranteed continual fellowship with Him both now and in eternity.
Read John 6:51-58.
Our communion with Jesus becomes more and more satisfying as we partake of His Word daily. As we are nourished by His Word, we gain a deeper intimacy with Him, and we begin to take on His nature. We do this not merely by reading and comprehending the Word of God, but also by letting His Word sink into the deepest recesses of our souls, by letting it saturate our being and by allowing it to lead us to worship Him in the glorious splendor of His presence.
There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God; those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it. – Bro. Lawrence
Shewbread literally means, “bread of the face.” The Shewbread was to always be in the face of the priests. Now, we get to experience Jesus' presence daily as we turn to Him and His precious Word. What a delight it is to turn our face to Jesus and take Him in!
Experience … Jesus’ presence as you pray and thank Him for the communion you share with Him. Thank Him for His Word and it’s power to transform, strengthen, sustain, and renew. Thank Jesus for desiring to be intimately connected with those who believe in Him, now and forever.
Exclaim … and proclaim your love for Jesus and His presence in your life. Commune with God today and ask Him to take you to a deeper level of intimacy with Him during this season of Lent if you truly desire for Him to do so.
Reflect and meditate on this verse today …
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. – Philippians 3:10-11
- Do you know Christ?
- Are you in intimate fellowship with Him?
- Do you feel His presence in your daily life?
Pray this prayer to the Lord with all you heart …
O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, ‘Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.’ Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. – A.W. Tozer
Worship Your Savior Jesus through song …
Leave a Reply