Leviticus 24:1-3 [The Lamp... A Statute Forever Throughout Your Generations]

[Things to Meditate On]

1. In the passage above, God said that keeping the lamps burning continually before the LORD from evening unto morning was a statute forever throughout the generations of the children of Israel (verse 3). Because He said it was "a statute forever throughout your generations," this statute must continue to be kept even today. Are we keeping this statute now?

[Although we are not the children of Israel according to the flesh, whoever believes in Jesus can become a child of Abraham through that faith (Romans 4:9-16). Therefore, this statute is not only a statute for the children of Israel, but also a statute for us.]

2. When God divided the kingdom of Israel because of King Solomon’s sin, God said this to Solomon.

1 Kings 11:11-13 "11Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon... Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant... 13Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen."

The one tribe here refers to "the tribe of Judah." Even after Solomon, not only the northern kingdom of Israel, but also the kings and people of the southern kingdom of Judah continued to sin against God. Nevertheless, God said that He would not destroy Judah for the sake of His servant David. This was because He had promised to give him and his children a lamp always (2 Kings 8:19). But eventually, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, which forsook God, were destroyed because of their sins. At that time, it looked as though the lamp of David had gone out...

3. After the prophet Malachi, following the 400 years of darkness, the silent period of God, which is the intertestamental period, God sent Jesus into this world through "the tribe of Judah," just as He had spoken long before (Hebrews 7:14). And Jesus said that He Himself is "the light of the world."

John 8:12 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

However, this world did not recognize that true Light and did not receive Him (John 1:4-13). Rather, they despised that Light and crucified Him... Yet the Light of life was not put out. Through the disciples of Jesus, and through many people of faith, that Light spread even more widely to the Gentiles, and it continues to be passed down even to this day.

[Decision and Application]

Now it is time for us to continue shining the lamp of truth. According to the words of Leviticus above, the lamp of God must never go out (verse 2). Therefore, we today also have the duty, the statute forever throughout our generations, to keep the lamp of truth from going out and to keep it shining until morning. Therefore, just as the forefathers of faith before us kept that light shining, we too must now cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light in order to keep the lamp continually burning. We must walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. This is the spiritual meaning of keeping the lamps burning continually from evening until morning, that is, of shining the light.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 "5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

Romans 13:11-14 "11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."

As these words say, now is the time of darkness, and the time when we must shine the light. Jesus also called us "the light of the world," showing us that we must become light in this dark world.

Matthew 5:14-16 "14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Ephesians 5:8-9 "8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth."

Philippians 2:14-16 "14Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."

All these passages teach us that we do not belong to the night, but that, as children of light, we belong to the day. Therefore, in order to shine as lights in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation, we must now "hold forth the word of life." This becomes the way we follow "the statute forever throughout our generations." And if we keep God’s statute to the end by holding forth the word of life in this way, then when the morning comes, that is, when Jesus comes again, those who have kept their lamps burning without letting them go out will enter with Jesus into the marriage feast, and the door will be shut.

Matthew 25:1-13 "...6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut..."

Amen.