![]() ![]() If the showbread was so sacred, why were King David and his men permitted to use it for a different purpose? To gain some perspective on this, let us first consider another experience in David’s life: What is frankincense? In Hebrew, the word means “pure or white,” perhaps because of the milk-colored drops of aromatic resin that flow from the slashed inner wood of the tree Boswellia sacra. When the bread was removed every Sabbath, to be replaced by fresh loaves, the frankincense was burned upon the altar as a memorial before God.” 2 He Himself said, ‘I am the living Bread which came down from heaven’ ( John 6:48–51). Both the manna and the showbread pointed to Christ, the living Bread, who is ever in the presence of God for us. God had fed Israel in the wilderness with bread from heaven, and they were still dependent upon His bounty, both for temporal food and spiritual blessings. It was an acknowledgment of man’s dependence upon God for both temporal and spiritual food, and that it is received only through the mediation of Christ. It was called showbread, or ‘bread of the presence,’ because it was ever before the face of the Lord. Thus it was a part of the daily sacrifice. “The showbread was kept ever before the Lord as a perpetual offering. And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute” ( Leviticus 24:7–9) Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. “Thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord. “The Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above: Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat-offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size” ( 1 Chronicles 23:27–29). ![]() And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath” ( 1 Chronicles 9:26–32). And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans. And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices. Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices. And certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale. And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them. “For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. Specifications were given as to who would be assigned to the duties pertaining to the showbread: ![]()
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