“For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place” (Hebrews 9:2).
As we continue our guided tour through the Old Testament Tabernacle here in Hebrews 9:2, we now come to some additional items that resided within the area known as “the Holy Place.” The Holy Place comprised a section that encompassed the outer portion of the Tabernacle interior. The table mentioned in this passage was constructed from acacia wood and overlaid with gold according to instructions given to Moses in the Biblical book of Exodus…
“You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around” (Exodus 25:23-24).
A “cubit” represented an ancient unit of measurement that was roughly equal to the distance from a person’s elbow to the tip of his or her middle finger. The exact measurement varied throughout the Biblical era but likely represented an equivalent length of 18-24 inches (or 46-61 cm). Therefore, we can calculate the dimensions of this table to an approximate length of 3-4 feet (92-122 cm), a width of 1.5-2 feet (46-122 cm), and a height of 2.5-3 feet (69-91 cm).
The primary object residing on that table was known as the “Showbread” or the “Bread of the Presence” according to Exodus 25:30. We find a description of that bread in the Biblical book of Leviticus…
“Take fine flour and bake it into twelve loaves; each loaf is to be made with four quarts. Arrange them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. Place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread and a food offering to the Lord.
The bread is to be set out before the Lord every Sabbath day as a permanent covenant obligation on the part of the Israelites. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, for it is the holiest portion for him from the food offerings to the Lord; this is a permanent rule” (Leviticus 24:5-9 CSB).
This bread was significant for several reasons. We’ll examine what the Showbread meant for Old Testament Israel and see how Jesus used it as an object lesson in our next study.