“You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn” (Exodus 27:20 ESV).
Moses recorded that the LORD instructed him to command the people of Israel to bring pure beaten olive oil for the tabernacle lamp. The Hebrew term translated “beaten” referred to oil produced from the earliest and gentlest crushing, oil that was exceptionally clean and clear. In everyday ancient life, such first-quality oil was normally reserved for food, while lower-grade oil from later pressings was commonly used for lamps. Yet Exodus 27:20 did not describe what was normal; it prescribed what was holy. God required the best oil to fuel the lampstand (menorah) in the Holy Place, where the light was kept burning continually from evening to morning. This instruction emphasized God’s holiness and His nearness. A holy God called for pure offerings, and a continually burning light testified to His abiding presence among His people. The command also reinforced communal responsibility: the people supplied the oil, while the priests faithfully tended the light.
We learn that God is worthy of our first and our best offerings. He desires holy worship, offered with reverence and purity. The continually burning lamp reminds us that the Lord is always present, sustaining His people day and night. We also see Christ foreshadowed here. Jesus is the Light of the world, and the lamp’s light shone upon the table of the bread of the Presence, pointing us to Him as the Bread of Life. Our light, therefore, is not meant to draw attention to ourselves but to illuminate Jesus. Yet this kind of worship is only possible when we are born again by the Spirit of Christ. As Jesus said, “the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Together, as God’s people, we offer ourselves to Him and depend on His Spirit to keep the light burning. So we must ask ourselves: Do we worship God in spirit and truth?
PRAYER: Dear Father, You are holy and worthy of our best devotion. Thank You for Your constant presence and for sending Jesus, the true Light and Bread of Life. Renew us by Your Spirit so that we may worship You in spirit and truth. Strengthen our lives together to shine in a way that points only to Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.