Leviticus 24:5-9 (ESV)
Bread for the Tabernacle
“You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD. Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the LORD regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the LORD'S food offerings, a perpetual due.”
Hebrews 9:1-2 (ESV)
The Earthly Holy Place
Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place.
In the Holy Place the priest was to arrange in two rows, six loaves of bread. This Showbread was had several purpose and/or symbols:
1. It was first and foremost to be an offering to God. It is first mentioned in Exodus 25. Like all things Tabernacle, it was to be something that the people brought to God in honor, worship and recognition of His provision for them and glory over them.
2. It was to be a symbol of God’s provision of bread for the people. Jesus would later say the following:
John 6:35 (ESV)
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Since “bread” is often referred to and believed to be one of the essentials of life, we can see the imagery and purpose for us in both the Old Testament Tabernacle and Jesus stating that He would not be their “bread.”
3. It was to provide some sustenance for Aaron and his sons, the priests. God’s people, in worshipping God, provided also food for the priest. The same is true today as we provide tithes and offerings, that is meant to provide for the families of those we call to minister to us and among us.
4. The New Testament Church, in celebrating the Holy Communion uses bread to signify Christ’s broken body on the Christ. We are to rejoice that He gave His life for us and continues to be before God to represent us (like the Showbread was continually before God).
Jesus is the Bread of Life.
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