Time: March 1406 BC, 40 years after the Exodus.
Setting: The nation of Israel is encamped on the Plains of Moab, awaiting the order to enter the Promised Land.
Characters: Priest Elnathan, Trainee Priest Rueben, 10-year-old Jerusha, and her two parents, Baruch and Deborah.
Previous Episodes: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.
“Darkness, darkness, darkness. Death, death, death.”
Reuben didn’t know what to say or do. For six weeks, his beloved fellow-priest and mentor, Elnathan, had been sinking deeper and deeper into depression. He had tried praying for him and with him. He had tried encouraging him with Messianic prophecies. He had even risked trying a mild rebuke. He had tried to relieve him of stressful duties. He had tried everything, and still Elnathan moped around, muttering over and over, “Darkness, darkness, darkness. Death, death, death.”
Reuben was doubly worried today because it was Elnathan’s turn on the Golden Lamp rota. The Golden Lamp was the second of three pieces of furniture behind the curtain in the Tabernacle’s Holy Place — the other items being the Table of Shewbread and the Golden Altar of Incense. The Golden Lamp had to be kept burning before the Lord continually, and this was what was stressing Reuben. It was Elnathan’s turn to refill the oil to keep the lamp burning, and yet Elnathan could hardly look at the Holy Place, never mind enter it and perform his duties. And if Elnathan didn’t replenish the oil, and the Golden Lamp went out, what would happen? Would God’s judgment fall? Would God’s presence withdraw from the Tabernacle? Would Elnathan be punished?
Deep Darkness
Reuben approached Elnathan’s study-tent, hoping he might find his old friend in a better frame of mind today. Surely God would give enabling grace today. But, as he opened the tent door, the sobbing sound sank his heart. Then the familiar lament: “When, oh when will the light shine again? When, oh when will life return? As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?”[i]
Reuben fell to the floor and lay beside his broken-souled mentor. “Elnathan, sir, please come to the Tabernacle. It’s your turn to re-fill the oil of the Golden Lamp.”
“No. I can’t do that,” answered Elnathan. “I’m not fit to do that. I am so dark inside. It’s me that needs to be re-filled and re-lit.”
“But, sir,” pled Reuben, “perhaps God will shine into your heart through the Golden Lamp. Is it not worth a try?”
“Oh Reuben, you are a godly young man. Why do you bother with such an old, unworthy sinner like me? I should be teaching and encouraging you in the faith, and instead you are teaching and encouraging me in the faith. What a state I’m in! But, you’re right. I’m not going to get light and life lying here, am I? I should do my duty. Help me up, and bring me the horn of oil.”
Two hours later…
At last, Reuben sensed some movement. It had been ages since he had pushed Elnathan beyond the curtain and into the Holy Place to refill the Golden Lamp with oil. Little Jerusha had joined Rueben outside the curtain; she too was worried about her beloved priest, and had come to see if he was any better. Suddenly, the curtain was swept aside, and out bounded Elnathan — a changed man!
“Light, light, light! Life, life, life!” he exclaimed.
“Reuben, Reuben. Wait until I tell you what I’ve just experienced. You were right. The Lord shone into my dark heart through the Golden Lamp. Oh, hello Jerusha. You’ve come again to see if I’m better have you. I’m so glad you are here to see the Lord’s work in me. But of course, you’ve never seen the Lamp, have you. Let me describe it and then I’ll tell you what happened.
The Lightgiver
“The Golden Lamp is about the size of a small child and is made of fine gold — about seventy-five pounds in weight. The golden base has one main stem. Halfway up this main stem, six other stems branch out, making seven stems in all. On the end of each stem are small oil bowls each filled with high-quality oil and a burning wick. Our fathers taught us that the use of fine gold in the Tabernacle usually symbolizes deity. The fact that there are seven stems and seven lights supports this, as God often uses the number ‘seven’ to depict perfection and completeness. This perfection and wholeness is underlined by the gold being of one piece. So, we’ve always believed that the Golden Lamp was a picture sermon about God, the divine Lightgiver.
“However, our gracious God revealed something more to me today. As I re-filled the oil in each cup, and the Holy Place began filling with light, I prayed, ‘Lord, lift up the light of your countenance upon me. Shine your light into my dark soul. Show me your salvation.’ Then, while gazing at the Lamp, God revealed the Messiah to my soul. He showed me that one day the Golden Lamp will come alive. The divine Lightgiver will come to this earth. And He will not only enlighten the Holy Place; He will be the inextinguishable light of the whole world! Those who follow Him will not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.[ii] He will dispel the darkness of ignorance, error, and impurity, and replace it with the light of knowledge, truth, and purity. Oh Reuben, Oh Jerusha: light, light, light!
The Lifegiver
“But that’s not all. As the Holy Place and my own soul brightened, I examined the Lamp more closely than ever before. And I saw that the seven branches of the Golden Lamp were decorated with intricate patterns and shapes resembling the three stages of tree-life — bud, blossom, and fruit. The main trunk (three to four feet high), the six branches, and the ornamentation all together gave the impression of a beautiful, fruit-bearing tree. Of course, my memory went back to the Tree of Life, sadly forfeited by our first parents’ sin. But before I plunged into despair again, the Lord showed me that this Golden Tree also looked forward and depicted the Messiah. Reuben, the Golden Tree will come alive when the Messiah comes. Jerusha, He will be heavy with the bud, blossom, and fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control, and more. He will be a Tree of Life whose leaves will be for the healing of the nations.[iii] Reuben and Jerusha, He is life, life, life!”
A New Song
Reuben and Jerusha could hardly believe the transformation in their dear friend. God had graciously blessed Priest Elnathan with two marvellous insights into the person and work of the Messiah, revealing Him as the Lightgiver and the Lifegiver. In doing so, He had replaced Elnathan’s darkness and death with light and life. The two friends embraced, linked hands with little Jerusha and they all walked home praising God with a new song in their mouths: “Oh, send out your light and your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to your holy hill and to your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise you, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”[iv]
