Outline
Oil for the lamps, The shew-bread. (Verse 1-9.)
The law of blasphemy, blasphemer is stoned. (Verse 10-23.)
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
3 Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.
4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.
An eternal light that is supplied with olive oil but not just any olive oil but olive oil that has been beaten or pressed. Oil that comes from an olive that has not been pressed is nowhere as flammable as oil that has been pressed.
Here we have oil (a type of the Holy Spirit) being used to light the Tabernacle so that the Priest can clearly see as they offer sacrifices for the people’s sin to atone for the people.
Notice also that the candlestick was of pure gold which represents deity and royalty. This was to be a continual offering with Israel until the Light of the world gave himself as an offering and was risen by the power of the Holy Spirit.
5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
[Exod 25:30, Matt 12:4]
6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.
7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
9 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.
[Exod 29:32, Lev 8:31, Matt 12:4]
Two rows of six cakes equaling twelve, one for each tribe. This I believe signified that the LORD is always concerned with the apple of his eye, Israel.
If you will notice this offering was to be on the Sabbath day and it was to be done on the pure table and pure frankincense was to be used to denote that Israel is to be set apart from all the nations by the LORD and they are to be an holy people unto the LORD.
They are to be a sacrificial people not living like the heathen do and enjoying the sinful practices of the heathen.
10 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
11 And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)
12 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.
Here we have a person who is the son of an Israelitish woman who blasphemed the name of the LORD who was brought unto Moses and put in ward (prison) until they knew what the LORD wanted to do to a person for such a sin as this.
There was no question as to whether this was a sin or not, for they had just recently received the Ten Commandments which taught them that they should not take the name of the LORD in vain.
It went on to say that the LORD would not hold him guiltless that took his name in vain, but it did not clarify what punishment he would receive.
whenever the Christian is in the position of having to judge a matter, he or she should always seek the mind of the Lord. Some Christians think that it is wrong to “judge” others, but exercising discernment is a daily exercise of the Christian life.
Study Question
What does I Cor. 2:15 state?
13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.
[Matt 26:66, John 19:7]
17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
[Gen 9:6, Exod 21:12, Matt 26:52, Rev 13:10]
Notice that it was the LORD that declared unto Moses the penalty for blasphemy was death and the persons that carried out the sentence were the ones who had witnessed the sin take place.
This may seem harsh today by our standards, but we are corrupt today because we do not enforce stricter laws to prevent the moral decay of our nation.
Murderers should be put to death for their crimes, they should not sit around the rest of their life enjoying life at the expense of someone they killed.
18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.
19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
[Exod 21:24, Deut 19:21, Matt 5:38]
21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.
“Ye shall have ONE manner of law…” – there should only be one authority in the believer’s life – the written word of God! All other experiences, prophesies, opinions, ideas, etc. must be judged in the light of this one authority. The devil knows that the only way to combat the word of God is to discredit its authority or to create multiple authorities thereby making the Bible no longer the absolute, final authority in the believer’s life. Thus today we see the devil attacking the Bible by the round about method of creating competing authorities – multiple “bible” versions that all differ, visions, dreams, new prophecies, supposed words of knowledge, etc. all have the eventual result of adding to or taking from the words of God as recorded in the Bible. The wise Christian will always judge these “new revelations” by the light of God’s infallible word rather than yielding to the temptation to add “new light” to God’s completed word.
n eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. That would stop a lot of violence in the world if the person knew in advance that he would receive the same punishment he was dishing out to another person.
This of course did not account for accidents or self-defense that ended in the death of an individual. The key thing to notice is that a trial with witnesses determined the guilt of an individual but the LORD determined the sentence for the sin.
23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Notice that the sentence was carried out immediately upon the determination of guilt. No years of appeals for something that was cut and dry.
No lawyers who for a large sum of money would get their client off. Any lawyer who practices such “Law” should be arrested and imprisoned as the corrupt person he is and made to work to restore what he has stolen from the people through the manipulation of the Law.
Most lawyers do not uphold the Law they instead seek loopholes in it that will line their pockets. Shame on them. Jesus had a lot to say about evil lawyers (Please keep in mind there are many good lawyers) but it is a field that because of corrupt system it entices its practitioners to compromise on truth.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.
Verse 1-9 – The loaves of bread typify Christ as the Bread of life, and the food of the souls of his people. He is the Light of his church, the Light of the world; in and through his word this light shines. By this light we discern the food prepared for our souls; and we should daily, but especially from sabbath to sabbath, feed thereon in our hearts with thanksgiving. And as the loaves were left in the sanctuary, so should we abide with God till he dismiss us.
Verse 10-23 – This offender was the son of an Egyptian father, and an Israelitish mother. The notice of his parents shows the common ill effect of mixed marriages. A standing law for the stoning of blasphemers was made upon this occasion. Great stress is laid upon this law. It extends to the strangers among them, as well as to those born in the land. Strangers, as well as native Israelites, should be entitled to the benefit of the law, so as not to suffer wrong; and should be liable to the penalty of this law, in case they did wrong. If those who profane the name of God escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgments. What enmity against God must be in the heart of man, when blasphemies against God proceed out of his mouth. If he that despised Moses’ law, died without mercy, of what punishment will they be worthy, who despise and abuse the gospel of the Son of God! Let us watch against anger, do no evil, avoid all connexions with wicked people, and reverence that holy name which sinners blaspheme.