(243) May 9/2016 – The Shewbread

Monday Meditation
May 09, 2016
From the desk of A.J. Higgins

Shewbread

“And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before Me alway.”

Exodus 25:30

Bread was placed on the table before the Lord as the source of the fellowship that the priestly family had with God. All the Israelites had the privilege of eating the manna; but only priestly men ate the shewbread. The manna sustained pilgrims for the wilderness; the shewbread sustained priests in the sanctuary. The shewbread is a picture to us of the Lord Jesus as the Bread of God. As believers in this dispensation, we are both pilgrims and priests and need Christ for both the wilderness sphere and our Sanctuary service.

The shewbread was kept for six days on the table and then on the Sabbath, it was given to the priestly family to enjoy. The truth we are taught is that God was enjoying it for the six days before the family of Aaron were able to enjoy it. God always enjoys far more of Christ than we could possibly enjoy. It is significant that the bread was to be “before Me” (v 30) always. God was gazing upon, and enjoying the Bread continuously. And yet, He has allowed us to enjoy the same “bread” even if we cannot appreciate Him as He does.

Every Sabbath day, the bread was eaten and fresh shewbread was brought into the Sanctuary. The bread was never allowed to grow stale. God will not allow any picture of Christ to have the slightest hint of imperfection. There is a freshness to Christ that eternal ages will never exhaust; there is a freshness to Christ that even the infinite heart of God will never find stale or routine.

The shewbread was arranged in two groups of six on the table. The number twelve would remind us that there was sufficient for all the nation in Christ. There is never any scarcity in Him. While the entire nation did not feed upon the shewbread, those who represented them did have that privilege.

Instructions for preparing the bread are given in Leviticus 24:5-9. It was fine flour without any roughness or impurity. Everything of Christ is “fine flour.” There was never any imbalance in His life; never was there a virtue that needed to be compromised. He was always “full of grace and truth.” Frankincense was poured upon it and the shewbread became Bread of Remembrance (Lev 24:7 Darby). His life was a sweet fragrance to God; every believer should know something of enjoying that fragrance as we move in the sanctuary. Is it possible that priestly men would have carried the fragrance of the frankincense with them after enjoying the shewbread each Sabbath?

The daily burnt offering was accompanied by a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour (Num 28:5). But these loaves had double that amount, being two tenth deals of fine flour. The flour had to know the heat of the oven before it could be placed on the table. Likewise, Christ knew the trials and afflictions of being a holy Man in an unholy world.

Consider:

1. There are at least five different names used for the shewbread: the Bread of faces, the continual bread (Num 4:7), pierced cakes (Lev 24:5), Bread of Remembrance (Lev 24:7), and hallowed bread (1 Sam 21:4). Think of the significance of all these titles.

2. Think of the various foods that Israel ate and the specific aspects of Christ of which they speak. They ate the Passover lamb, manna, and portions of the peace offering. Priestly men ate the shewbread, portions of the meal offering, peace offering, and certain sin offerings.

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