We are in chapter twenty-five of Exodus with our word for today used for the first time in the Bible. מְנוֹרָה lampstand. It is used 42 times in the Old Testament, 7 times in our chapter for today. Let’s start with our chapter since it is the first time it is used in the Bible. Exodus 25:31-36 You shall make a מְנֹרַ֖ת lampstand of pure gold. הַמְּנוֹרָה֙ The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the מְנֹרָ֗ה lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the מְנֹרָ֔ה lampstand out of the other side of it; three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of הַמְּנֹרָֽה the lampstand. וּבַמְּנֹרָ֖ה And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from הַמְּנֹרָֽה the lampstand. Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. When the lampstand was actually made we find our word used six times in Exodus chapter 37. There is an interesting reference to our word in Chapter 31. God is instructing Moses that Bezalel and others were to do the work of making everything for the early temple worship which included our word. Exodus 31:8 and הַמְּנֹרָ֥ה הַטְּהֹרָ֖ה the pure lampstand with all its utensils. The lampstand was qualified as the pure lampstand which is what this literally says “the lampstand the pure”. We find this reference in two other places Exodus 39:37 and Leviticus 24:4. But notice in both of these an additional word is supplied that is not in the original. The word gold is supplied because of other references to our word along with this qualifier using the actual word for gold. Exodus 37:17 They made הַמְּנֹרָ֖ה זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר the lampstand of pure gold. Numbers 8:4 And this was the workmanship of הַמְּנֹרָה֙ the lampstand, hammered work of זָהָ֔ב gold. So the material that the lampstand was made out of was gold. This is a good example of how translators use other references of bible passages to make sense of the one’s that are just summarizing or not as clear. The point of a lampstand is to hold light so that one can see. We will look more into this concept when we look at our word tomorrow for lamp. But for now I find it interesting that you could make a lampstand out of any material but God chooses to make it out of the most expensive precious material there was. This points to God’s holiness and special importance. When you think about it the place where God meets his people is the most precious and special place there is. Which leads us to how it is used in the beginning of the book of Revelation that ties this idea of meeting with God with the church. Revelation 1:12-13, 20 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man … the seven lampstands are the seven churches. I think God is using the lampstand symbolically to show the churches role of sharing the light of Christ by holding up the light which is what a lampstand does. It is not itself the light but it holds up the light for others to see it. I’ll close with this reference to all the gold these lampstands were made out of which again shows us just how precious this whole concept of people being able to meet with God which is priceless. 1 Chronicles 28:11-12, 15 Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple … the weight of the לִמְנֹר֣וֹת הַזָּהָ֗ב golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each מְנוֹרָ֥ה lampstand and its lamps.