AP

Exodus 27:21 In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning.  This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.

In Hebrews 3:1-6, the inspired author explains the significance of Exodus 25-31 in terms of Christ and his Church.  Moses was faithful in carrying out all the very detailed instructions given to him concerning the Tabernacle and the Congregation’s public worship of God; CHRIST was even more faithful in fulfilling all this for us in the sacrifice of himself, making us – the people of God, his Church – to be the new (LIVING) Temple.

The task God has given to us all today as his ‘royal priesthood’  is to keep the ‘lamp’ of the Gospel burning to shed the light of CHRIST into a dark world.  This is spelt out plainly for us by the Apostle Peter:  “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

How bright, how constant, how reliable is YOUR lamp in the making of this declaration?  As we used to sing in Sunday School, “Give me oil in my lamp, keep it burning, give me oil in my lamp, I pray, give me oil in my lamp keep it burning, burning, burning, keep it burning till the break of day.  Sing Hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of Kings; sing Hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King.”