ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Monite ‘Epeleli 3, 2023

לחם פנים Bread of the Face

Ko e Mā ‘i hono ‘Ao (ke Fofonga ki ai)

EXODUS 25:23, 30

"YOU SHALL MAKE A TABLE OF ACACIA WOOD. TWO CUBITS SHALL BE ITS LENGTH, A CUBIT ITS BREADTH, AND A CUBIT AND A HALF ITS HEIGHT AND YOU SHALL SET THE BREAD OF THE PRESENCE ON THE TABLE BEFORE ME REGULARLY."

‘EKISOTO 25:23, 30

23 Pea te ke ngaohi ha tēpile ‘aki ‘a e papa sitimi: ko e kiupite ‘e ua hono lōloa, ko e kiupite ‘e taha hono māukupu, pea ko e kiupite ‘e taha mo e haafe hono mā‘olunga.

30 Pea te ke hili ki he tēpile ‘a e mā fono ke ‘i hoku ‘ao ma‘u pē.

Bread, lechem, is the elemental food staple of the Hebrews. Israelites would have found the petition "Give us this day our daily bread" perfectly fitting to their needs and lifestyle. As his people had bread in their tents, so God had bread on his table inside his tent. Older translations called this "showbread." It's the lechem panim: literally, "bread of the face." When we're in front of someone's face, we are in their presence-so panim means presence. This bread, being in front of God's face, was holy. Every Sabbath, the twelve loaves were eaten by the priests (as representatives of the twelve tribes) and replaced with a dozen more. They consumed bread suffused with the holy presence of God. They ingested sanctification.

The Lord used many meals in Israel's history as the backdrop (hors d'oeuvres, if you will) for the meal of meals that he has given his church. We now gather around God's table to eat the bread filled with the presence of Christ. "Take, eat; this is my body," the Messiah says (Matt. 26:26). We ingest his holiness.

Heavenly Father, give us this day, and every day, the Bread of life, Jesus our Savior.