Route 66: Day 39-40; Leviticus 22-25

The lamps on the pure gold lamp stand before the Lord must be tended continually. Leviticus 24:4

I love to imagine what the lamp stand must have looked like.  Its golden blossoms and buds with its glowing light in the darkness. Beautiful and captivating.

The idea of the lamp and its light has been with me since I was a very young child. One of the first verses I memorized in Sunday school is "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet; and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105 And I sang songs like--

Give me oil in my lamp,
Keep me burning, burning, burning...

Toward the end of the year when we get to Revelation we will read that the lamp stand represents the church and the light that it together with Christ shines in the darkness of the world we live it.  Just as the tabernacle's lamp stand was the only light found in the holy place, the church with its relationship with Jesus is the only true light to those around us. And I believe just as those priests of old were instructed to continually tend to the light, we are also called to continually keep the fire burning.

But if we are to keep that flame lit, we are going to need a good supply of fuel. The Word of God is the very best source of energy we can find.  If we look how a lamp functions, it needs to be filled in order to bring light and it needs continuous tending or else the flame will eventually go out. The same is true for us. We need to stay filled up with God's Word to do our job as light.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Just a little side note about the stand itself. Remember, there are blossoms AND buds covering the surface. Some flowers are open and on their way to make fruit but when we look to the buds there is a sense that there is still more to come... More to come. More fruit. More light. More beauty as God's Word is ignited in our lives captvating the attention of those trying to make their way out of the darkness.