1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
I. Man’s sinful state is darkness.
A. Matt 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
B. Spiritual darkness describes several things about the sinful state of man.
- 1. Ignorance. Jesus is the light of the world.
- 2. Superstition. Without light, there is a false and exaggerated views of things. Acts 17:16-30
- 3. Danger. Darkness and death share the same shadow.
- 4. Helplessness. The people sat in darkness. They had no knowledge of where to go or what to do.
II. God’s eternal plan is light.
A. Genesis 1:1-3.
- 1. His first words addressed the darkness.
- 2. God despises darkness. I Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
B. If we are walk in fellowship with God, it must be in light.
I John 1:6-7 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
C. Light effects everything within range. So it is with God.
- 1. Doctrinal light.
- 2. Spiritual light.
- 3. Moral light.
- 4. Relationship light.
III. The tabernacle in the wilderness is our greatest illustration of light.
A. Exodus 25:31-40; Lev. 24:1-4; Rev. 1:12-20
B. The imagery of the true vine and branches was fashioned after this.
C. How was the lampstand formed?
1. Pure gold of beaten work.
- a. Wrought from one solid piece of Gold. (Oneness)
- b. Formed by the process of beating. (Suffering) (Many desire the gold but despise the suffering.)
- c. Light comes from incandescent or luminescent sources. Without the proper material, there is no light.
- d. When the material gets hot enough, light is produced. (You need fervency and sacrifice to shine for God!)
D. How big was the lampstand to be?
- 1. No measurement was given.
- 2. The lampstand was a type of the church. (Rev. 1)
- 3. Who can measure the mystical body of Christ?
- 4. A certain group limits the inhabitants of heaven to 144,000.
- 5. We have no right to limit the size of the church. (Acts 2:47)
- 6. Neither can we limit how much of the Holy Spirit one can have.
- 7. Neither can we limit how much grace one can have.
E. Where was the lampstand to be positioned?
- 1. Exodus 26:35.
- 2. All the vessels in a straight line toward the Holiest of Holies show the way to salvation.
- 3. All the vessels which stood by the way represent the privileges and responsibilities.
- 4. The only light in the holy place was from the lampstand. There were no windows, no natural light. The priest did all the work of offering incense and replenishing the table of shewbread in this light alone. This world adds nothing to the truths of the word of God. (I Cor. 1:20-21)
- 5. Don’t take your counsel from the world. (II Sam. 22:29)
F. The shaft and branches.
- 1. The center shaft was called the candlestick.
- The shaft is Jesus.
- The branches on either side are his people.
- 2. The branches were beaten out of the candlestick. (Eve was taken out of the side of Adam.) Eph. 5:30
- 3. The strength of the branch lay in the shaft. “Without me, ye can do nothing.” John 15:5.
- 4. The beauty of the candlestick was to be upon the branches.
- 5. The branches enjoy the same position and privileges as the main shaft. (Ephesians 1:3; 2:4-7)
G. The light of the lampstand.
- 1. The light of the lampstand was something different from the lamp itself. We cannot have outward Christianity alone. II Timothy 3:1-5. (Having a form of godliness…)
- 2. Unless the fire was lit in the lamps, no light could shine forth. Conversely, if the fire was lit, the shining forth was automatic.
- 3. The light was never to go out. If the light went out, true ministering stopped because the priest could not see what he was doing.
- 4. What is the source of the light? It is the life of God. John 1:1-5. The secret of a powerful testimony is not in the abundance of knowledge, but in the abundance of life!
5. The light shined from the lampstand for four reasons:
- a. To shine before the Lord We glorify him.
- b. To shine on the table. We reveal the bread to men.
- c. To shine upon the altar. We show the need of prayer.
- d. To shine upon itself. We display the beauty to the world.
6. The substance that produces the light is the oil.
The oil that burns in our lampstand is the Holy Ghost.