Reenacted Exodus

Leigh Trevaskis tries to suss out the rationale for sticking Leviticus 24 (menorah, showbread, blasphemy) between Leviticus 23 (Israel’s festival calendar) and Leviticus 25 (Jubilee). He proposes a symbolic solution to the puzzle.

He observes that chapter 24 begins with a reverence to “light” (v. 2), alluding back to the creation of heavenly lights in Genesis 1, lights that not only shine and rule, but mark out the seasons. Thus Leviticus 24 is, like the surrounding chapters, concerned with marking time, with calendrical time. 

He suggests further that the mention of light hints at the presence of Yahweh himself. By emphasizing light, Leviticus 24 “symbolises the need for Israel to continue living under YHWH’s sovereign rule,” which is a theme of both chapters 23 and 25 (302).

This idea is reinforced by the fact that the priestly care of the lights of the menorah (vv. 1-4) is linked with the preparation and consumption of showbread (vv. 5-9). He highlights the singular verb of verse 5, which tells Moses to bring the showbread to the table: “if the twelve loaves of bread represent the tribes of Israel, it would seem fitting that Moses is responsible for placing the latter in the symbolic presence of YHWH” (303). 

And that fits with the requirement that frankincense be placed on each of the twelve loaves. On the “pure table,” we not only have a symbol of Israel, but a symbol of Israel at prayer. (Trevaskis suggest that the frankincense symbolizes “covenant faithfulness,” which is true but too general.)

Trevaskis doesn’t go here, but he has given us all the bricks we need: When the holy place is set up, here’s what we have: A pure table standing before a lampstand that represents (among other things) Yahweh’s light; on that table-land are twelve loaves, Israel as grain from the land, baked into food for Yahweh; Moses brings those loaves to the presence of God, and places frankincense. 

It’s a ritual reenactment of exodus: Moses brings the loaves of Israel to stand in the presence of Yahweh at Sinai, to offer prayer, finally to be grain and bread in a pure land. The holy place is a permanent portrait of Israel’s position at Sinai. They are loaves placed to be scrutinized under Yahweh’s burning eyes, their secrets “in the light of your presence” (Psalm 90:8, a Psalm of Moses!).

One of the remarkable things about this ritual re-enactment is the role of the priests. They, not Yahweh, keep the lights going. They, not Yahweh, eat the bridal food (ishshah) each Sabbath (24:9; this is the last of 50+ uses of ishshah in Leviticus), in a Sabbatical celebration of the marriage covenant. Each Sabbath, Israel is incorporated into Yahweh by being, literally, incorporated into the priests.

(Leigh M. Trevaskis, “The Purpose of Leviticus 24 within its Literary Context,” Vetus Testamentum 59 [2009] 295-312.)