The Priestly Worship of the Holy Place & The New Priesthood of Believers

The Mosaic priesthood was made up of men from the tribe of Levi. (Initially, men from the entire nation were supposed to be priests, but the situation with the golden calf rendered them unqualified for priestly service. Only the Levites, who remained faithful to God, were allowed to serve in this way.) When instituted, Aaron was the high priest and his four sons were priests. These positions came with specific duties for service in the Holy Place (the inner portion of the Tabernacle). Each duty symbolized fellowship with the divine Family, represented by the furniture pieces of the Holy Place. Jesus’ resurrection instituted The New Covenant, which extended the Mosaic priesthood to all believers and allows them to enjoy this same fellowship with the divine Family (1 Pet. 2:5). 

Maintaining The Lampstand

The priests were required to maintain the lampstand, as God commanded its light was to burn continually throughout the night. Every morning he was required to maintain the lamps, which included putting out the flames, trimming the wicks, and discarding the burned pieces. 

The New Covenant priest (the believer) does this by maintaining their relationship with the Father, who is represented by the lampstand. God is light (1 John 1:5) and has called the believer out of darkness and into His light (1 Pet. 2:9). When the believer lives in light (i.e. lives in truth, love, and forgiveness) they maintain their fellowship with Him. Their godly life is their worship unto Him. 

Burning Incense 

Incense was to be burned on the incense altar (representing Holy Spirit Mother) twice a day: once in the morning when the lampstand was maintained, and again in the evening when it was relit (Ex. 30:7-8). The incense was a special blend of spices mixed with frankincense, and could only be used in the Tabernacle on the incense altar. It was holy, and using it or a blend of incense like it for personal use would result in the offender being removed from the covenant community (Ex. 30:37-38). When burned it produced a sweet-smelling fragrance that pleased the Lord. 

For the New Covenant priest (the believer), incense is prayer (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8; 8:3-4). Just as God delighted in the incense burned before Him, He delights in the prayers of His people (Prov. 15:8), and is ready to hear those who do His will and worship Him (John 9:31). Constant communication with God gives the believer the joy, comfort, teaching, and correction they need to continue living for Him. 

Displaying & Eating The Bread of the Presence 

The bread of the presence was placed on the gold table (representing Jesus Christ) across from the lampstand in the Holy Place. It was arranged in two rows (or possibly stacks) of six loaves each, and frankincense was placed beside it as a representative offering (special gift). These loaves of bread represented the 12 tribes of Israel, and were presented to the Lord as a gift from the nation. Every Sabbath day fresh loaves were laid out while the bread from the previous week was eaten by the priests. This was their portion. As the Sabbath day was a day of rest when no one was allowed to work, the bread was baked on the day before (Rooker, 2000). Because the bread was eaten by the priests in a sacred space, it was considered their grain offering (Harris, 1990). 

For the New Covenant priest (the believer), the displaying and partaking of the bread of the presence is the acceptance of salvation through Jesus Christ. He is the bread of life (John 6:35), as his body is the bread that was presented (Luke 9:10-17) and His blood poured out so that the new priests (believers) could have access to and fellowship with the Father.  

This fellowship with God is expressed in the Lord’s Supper, which Jesus taught His disciples to do in remembrance of Him (1 Cor. 11:23-26). The meal shared with believers is the former meal of the priests, done before the Lord as a memorial (representing the frankincense.) 

In conclusion, the worship that took place in the Holy Place (inner portion) of the Tabernacle was fellowship with the Divine Family. The priests of the Mosaic Covenant are able to fellowship with the divine family in the same manner, only now their sacrifices and offerings are spiritual. 

REFERENCES

Harris, R. L. (1990). Leviticus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 630). Zondervan Publishing House.

Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (Vol. 3A, p. 294). Broadman & Holman Publishers.