We started uncovering the treasures of the Lampstand several weeks ago. Exodus 25:31-40 are the instructions God gave Moses. Last week we discussed our need as believers and members of God’s family to walk and live in the Light. Today we consider the central Branch of the Lampstand/Candlestick. Six branches come out of this branch.

Isaiah 11:1-2 calls this central branch the Spirit of God or the Spirit of the LORD, depending on which version of the Bible you are reading. 

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

The Spirit of God is the most significant piece in the Lampstand. Let’s take a look at John 15:4-8.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

While these verses are about the vine and branches, we can also apply them to the Lampstand. As the branches must be attached to produce fruit, the branches of the Lampstand must connect to the central branch to burn. These verses can also apply to us and the Church as a whole. 

Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

For us to be His light in the world, we must be at one with the Spirit of God. 

The first mention of the Spirit of God in the Bible is Genesis 1:2. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Then, God spoke His first command, “Let there be light, and there was light.” Genesis 1:3 God spoke, and the Spirit of God responded, releasing the light and life of Yeshua on the earth. Yeshua reveals the Spirit of God and His glory. 

In 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Yeshua, Jesus, is the Light of the world. And in John 1:1-5, 14 we see that He came to reveal the glory of God. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it…14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Psalm 119:105 is an often-quoted verse. But let’s consider it alongside John 1:1 about Yeshua being the Word and in John 8:12 about Him being the Light of the world. If we are looking to Him to lead us, we are walking in unity with the Spirit of God, shining His light and feeding on Him. 

Now, let’s look at what people often call Yeshua’s Missional Statement. 

Isaiah 61:1-3

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,  Because the LORD has anointed Me  To preach good tidings to the poor;  He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,  To proclaim liberty to the captives,  And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,  And the day of vengeance of our God;  To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion,  To give them beauty for ashes,  The oil of joy for mourning,  The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;  That they may be called trees of righteousness,  The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Notice the Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Him. It enables Him to do His mission. He needed to be in union with the Spirit of God to do it. Human striving and methods fail. While He is the Son of God, He came to this earth as a human needing the Spirit of God to help Him as we do.

Psalm 91:1-2 is another clue about this central branch. 

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High  Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;  My God, in Him I will trust.”

To dwell and abide mean to move in and stay–in God’s will, in God’s ways, connected and blessed with God’s protection and His power. We often quote Psalm 91 over our lives and others God’s covenant help. As we continue through each branch of the Lampstand, we will see that wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the LORD are not possible without abiding in Him. He is the source of all we need. Unity with the Spirit of God is our number one priority.

God told Moses in Exodus 31:1-5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

Bezaelel needed the Spirit of God to create these sacred pieces for the Tabernacle. 

In Genesis 41:38, God gave Pharoah a dream about seven years of famine coming to Egypt. Here is what he asked for after Joseph interpreted his dream. 

And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this (like Joseph), a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

He recognized his servants could not do what Joseph did. Joseph had supernatural insight that could only come from God. 

Daniel had a similar experience with King Nebuchadnezzar. The king had a dream and called for Daniel. Here is what the king said to Daniel.

“Belteshazzar (the Babylonian name given to Daniel), chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.”  Daniel 4:9b

God gave these men and each of us so much when He gave us His Spirit. Pick up your concordance and look up every scripture about Holy Spirit. It is food for your faith. 

Yeshua told His disciples– “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17

John 14:26 AMPC

But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

Romans 8:9 & 14 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 

We are sons and daughters of God. The Spirit of God is in us, and we have complete access to all the attributes in the Lampstand. It is time to shine and walk in complete unity with God—His ways, His will, His timing. His wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the LORD will transform our world, and we are the carriers. 

Shalom ♥

Photo by frame harirak on Unsplash