The Light Of God!
by Danny Taylor | October 17, 2009
In Exodus 27:20 God spoke to Moses saying, "And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always."
A Levite priest would leave his dwelling place and travel through the cold desert night until he came to the tent of the meeting place where a burning lamp illuminated the entrance. He always carries with him a container of oil. When he arrives at the tent, he refills the lamp's dwindling oil supply and takes the place of another priest sitting beside the lampstand. He stays there throughout the night watching and guarding the light - lest it go out! This was a familiar scene in the Old Testament. Keeping the fire burning was an important function of the Levite priests. God had commanded Moses to assign them the duty of watching over the lamps, so they would not burn out and bring darkness into the dwelling place of God.
Why did God insist on such a routine task? Jesus shed light on the significance of the oil in a parable about ten virgins in Matthew 25:5-6. Ten virgins eagerly awaited their bridegroom with their lamps burning. But the bridegroom tarried! A long night of waiting and anticipation followed in which the girls grew tired and fell asleep. Five of them were foolish, (Churchianity) and had not brought enough oil. Their lanterns burned out and they had to go home for more. The bridegroom arrived unexpectantly just after they left. The other five girls, who were wise, (Christianity) had brought enough oil and because they were not found unprepared, joined the bridegroom in His feast!
Like the five foolish bridesmaids, many of us today have given in to a general spirit of lethargy. Others among us are tired, simply bored, disappointed, afraid or even resentful. Still others remain actively involved in the church activities but live more for themselves than for the cause of Christ. It is not enough to merely profess Christianity. We must truly surrender our wills, trust Him and obey Him. Jesus ended this parable with a warning to watch, which simply means to stay awake and be alert, lest we be caught off guard when He comes! My prayer today is that we will be awake, alert and enthusiastic as we serve the Lord on a daily basis. May the Lord truly bless you and yours today!
Bro. Danny