A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 10

The Golden Lamp Stand (Part Two)

Are you having trouble “seeing” God? How do we help someone open their eyes to the truth of God and see His love and activity all around them? Interestingly, with all the miracles that take place in the Old Testament, healing someone who was blind is a rare occurrence. The only situation relatively close is when Elisha prays for the eyes of his servant to be opened so he can see the armies of God surrounding the armies of the Arameans (II Kings 6:17). He then prays for the eyes of the Arameans to be blind and leads them to Samaria, where he prays for their eyes to be opened again (V. 18, 20). That’s it! There are no other accounts of the blind receiving sight!

It is not as if people weren’t blind during the Old Testament times. Isaiah taught over and over again that when the Messiah came, He would open the eyes of the blind! (29:18; 32:3; 35:5; 42:7) As far as the Israelites understood, there was no remedy for those who were blind. This is why the man born blind in John 9 speaks with such boldness before the Pharisees and Sadducees when they question his healing, even though he knows it will wind up with his being excommunicated from worship at the synagogue. He says, “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing” (V. 32-33).

Is it any wonder that the giving of light to the eyes and the restoring of life are easily the most common miraculous works that Jesus performed? (Remember the article last week which showed the connection of the Golden Lamp Stand to the Tree of Life. Life and Light are brought together in One place—Jesus!) Jesus came to explain the ways of God (See John 1:18)—to shed light on the mysteries of God and His ways. He is the light of the world and He wants to remove the scales from our eyes like He did with Saul in order to help us direct our passions and energy in the right direction.

So, let me ask you again, “Are you having trouble seeing God?” Does it feel like you are fumbling around in the darkness, trying to figure out how to live in a way that pleases God? What is the problem? Could it be the choices you are making? You see, the Golden Lamp Stand (an image of Jesus and His ministry) was to be lit continually in the Tabernacle, which means you could not come into the presence of God and remain in darkness! Consider John’s statement in I John 1:6 in this context: “If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” YOU CANNOT BE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND BE IN DARKNESS!!! Yet, how many of us are trying to walk with one foot in light and one foot in darkness?

Come completely to the Light of Life and enjoy sweet fellowship with God!

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-Scott