Leviticus 24:5-9

b. THE SHOWBREAD 24:5-9
TEXT 24:5-9

5

And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake.

6

And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before Jehovah.

7

And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.

8

Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before Jehovah continually; it is on the behalf of the children of Israel, an everlasting covenant.

9

And it shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire by a perpetual statute.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 24:5-9

567.

How much flour was in each cake by our measurement? Were these cakes unleavened or leavened?

568.

Were these cakes in piles or rows?

569.

What is meant by calling the table pure?

570.

Where was the frankincense? Why use it?

571.

How often were the cakes to be changed?

572.

In what sense was the observance an everlasting covenant on behalf of the children of Israel?

573.

Who was to eat of this showbread? Where?

PARAPHRASE 24:5-9

Every Sabbath day the High Priest shall place twelve loaves of bread in two rows upon the golden table that stands before the Lord. These loaves shall be baked from finely ground flour, using a fifth of a bushel for each. Pure frankincense shall be sprinkled along each row. This will be a memorial offering made by fire to the Lord, in memory of His everlasting covenant with the people of Israel. The bread shall be eaten by Aaron and his sons, in a place set apart for the purpose. For these are offerings made by fire to the Lord under a permanent law of God, and most holy.

COMMENT 24:5-9

Leviticus 24:5-6 We must read Exodus 25:23-30; Exodus 37:10-16 for comparative descriptions. The amount of flour used to produce one loaf, i.e. about one-half peck (or six quarts) would present a very large loaf. The top of the table of showbread was 18 inches wide and 36 inches long. If these loaves were placed in rows they probably covered the top of the table, or if they were piled on top of each other, they made sizeable piles.

The term showbread means presence bread or bread of faces. This refers either to the fact that the bread was baked in square or six-sided pans to provide several faces on the bread, or because the bread was placed in the presence of God (or before the face of God) in the Holy Place. We prefer the latter interpretation.
The number twelve indicates the priest would be eating this sacrifice on behalf of the united nation. It is probably true that these loaves were unleavened since no leaven was allowed on the altar. However no direct statement is made. The table is called pure because it was cleansed by the sprinkling of blood. The total concept of these twelve loaves that were kept continually before Jehovah in the Holy Place was of a perpetual cereal offering. The whole nation of Israel were saying by these loaves that they were daily grateful before God for all His benefits. Here is a continual consecration sacrifice.

Leviticus 24:7 The location of the frankincense has been a question. Was it sprinkled on the bread and burned there? Or was it placed in containers beside the bread: Josephus tells us that the incense was placed in golden saucers with each row of bread. He also indicates that the incense was burned upon the altar on the Sabbath at the time the bread was changed. Cf. Exodus 37:16; Exodus 25:30; Exodus 35:13; Exodus 39:36; Numbers 4:7; 1 Chronicles 9:32; 1 Chronicles 23:29; 2 Chronicles 13:11; Nehemiah 10:33; 2 Chronicles 29:18.

Leviticus 24:8 Aaron was to carry out this instruction as indicated in Leviticus 24:3. The priests were to attend to this duty every sabbath throughout the year. Four priests according to Jewish tradition enter, two of them carrying the piles of bread, and two of them the cups of incense. Four priests had gone in before them, two to take off the two old piles of showbread, and two to take off the cups of incense. Those who brought in the new stood at the north side facing southward; those who took away the old, at the south side, facing northwards. One party lifted off and the other put on, the hands of one being over against the hands of the other, as it is written, -Thou shalt set upon the table bread of the Passover always before Me.-' The loaves that were removed were delivered to the priests for their consumption within the tabernacle, the whole quantity amounting to seventy-five pounds per week. (Meyrick)

Leviticus 24:9 From what has been said it becomes apparent that this bread could have provided a substantial part of the food for several priests. Ginsburg observes: Of the many things connected with the national service which became prerequisites of the priests, there were eight only that had to be consumed within the precincts of the sanctuary, and the showbread was one of them. The others were: (1) the remnant of the meal offeringLeviticus 2:3; (2) the flesh of the sin offeringLeviticus 6:26; (3) the flesh of the trespass offeringLeviticus 7:6; (4) the leper's log of oilLeviticus 14:10; (5) the remainder of the omerLeviticus 23:10-11; (6) the peace offering of the congregation; (7) the two loavesLeviticus 23:19-20.

FACT QUESTIONS 24:5-9

583.

How much flour for each loaf? Why such large loaves?

584.

Was the table large enough to hold the bread?

585.

What is the meaning of the term showbread?

586.

Why twelve loaves? Were they leavened?

587.

What is the basic teaching of this table?

588.

Where was the frankincense? When burned?

589.

In what manner was the bread changed? Why? How often?

590.

Where was the bread to be eaten? Name five other items to be eaten in the Holy Place.