Text: Leviticus 24
Aaron was to keep the lamps on the golden lamp stand outside of the veil of testimony lite with pure olive oil as fuel from evening to morning perpetually. Every sabbath, twelve cakes of bread were to be baked, placed in two rows on the golden table before the Lord and sprinkled with frankincense; an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel but only the priests could eat them and in a holy place.
A man whose father was an Egyptian and whose mother was an Israelite of the tribe of Dan got into a fight with one of the sons of Israel; during the fight he blasphemed, so they brought him to Moses. The Lord commanded Moses to take the man outside the camp and stone him to death and warn that anyone who blasphemes the name shall be put to death. Also, whatever a person does to another person should be done to him, whether he is a stranger or a native son.
The lamps burning perpetually and the bread represent the everlasting covenant. The everlasting covenant is spoken of several times in the prophets: Is 55:3; Jer 32:40; Ezek 37:26 and in the New Testament book of Hebrews 13:20. Two of the seven metaphorical “I Am” statements that Jesus made (John 6:35, 8:12) are related to light and bread. Jesus is the everlasting covenant because the remaining five are related to the everlasting covenant (Jn. 10:9; 10:11,;11:25,26; 14:6; 15:5)
Man is sinful and the Lord is holy; therefore, his name should be revered, yet man blasphemes his name.
“The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” ~Exodus 34:6-7
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love neighbor. (Mt. 22:37-40) Jesus taught that all people are our neighbors. (Lk. 10:30-37)
Throughout Scripture it is attested that the soul who sins shall die, (Ezk. 18:4, Rom. 6:23a) but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23b)
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ~2 Corinthians 5:21
