Ex 37:17, Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it.
Our reading this morning details how the skilled artisan created all that the Lord directed. Everything was done to the best of human endeavor in accordance with what was prescribed in detail by God. Every element was performed to the smallest detail with the thought that it had to be as perfect as humanly possible for the honor of the Lord God Almighty. Everything was an earthly type of the spiritual truth that it manifested within the plan and purpose of God. 
The focal point of our consideration today is the lampstand as it represented to the people the presence of God in their midst. God is the Light of the World that He created and the light of the lamp represented that throughout the dark hours. In the tabernacle, there was always to be a burning light indicating that the presence of God was continually with His people. During the day, the sun would shine and the tent of meeting would have no need of an artificial light source. However, during the times of darkness, God had ordained the use of the lampstand and the oil in order to illumine the tent of meeting, indicating His presence at all hours of the day or night.
This was further prescribed for the nation in Lev 24:2-4. The people were to bring the oil to keep the lamp burning continually from evening to morning. Lev 24:2-4, "Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. Outside the veil of testimony in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations. He shall keep the lamps in order on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord continually. 
	The desire for the presence of the Lord to always be with them caused the tribe of Judah to continue in all the necessary preparation of maintaining that testimony even after the nation of Israel split asunder and began to war with itself. The priests in the temple in Jerusalem did according to the commandment of God in order to show to the whole region that they cherished and counted on the presence of God to be with them. They were not perfect in this by any means, but they did persist in trusting God to be with them and to fight their battles for them, even when they were outnumbered and attacked by their northern kinsmen. This is recounted for us in 2 Chron 13:10-12, as they were faced with the devastating possibility of being overrun by their cousins from the north. 
	2 Chron 13:10-12 details the stand that Judah took in the Lord. But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the Lord as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. And every morning and evening they burn to the Lord burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed." 
	The Lord gave the victory to Judah and the testimony of His presence continued to be represented in the light of the lamp burning from evening until morning. That temple flame did not go out until the years of captivity when the temple practices were not in place during that time of decay and desolation. However, it was kept alive in the hearts of those remnants both in Jerusalem and in Babylon, such as Daniel and his cohorts. It was in this period that the Lord appeared to the Prophet Zechariah and showed him the vision as recounted in Zech Chapter 4, verses 1-7, if you would please turn to it and follow along as we read it together. 
	Zech 4:1-7, Then the angel who was speaking with me returned, and roused me as a man who is awakened from his sleep. And he said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side." Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, "What are these, my lord?" So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." Then he answered and said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. 'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'" 
	There are several aspects to this vision which express the full measure of God in His dealings with humanity. First is the fact that the Holy Spirit is actively working on behalf of those who belong to God. No matter what the situation may seem, nothing is too difficult or too far beyond the scope of God’s effective working power and grace. Even when the people of God were in exile, God was with them and showing Himself over and over again as their protector and their provider. Zechariah was shown that he and the others could count on the Lord to manifest Himself in their midst through His divine presence. The light of God is not contained in the burning of the oil in a lampstand, it is in the power of His Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent Holy Spirit.
	The second aspect of this vision was that the presence of God would be fully incorporated in His grace manifested for all to see. Everything would be shown to His people by the dealing of God’s gracious work. All the ills and all the sufferings and all the disappointments and all the frustrations and all the devastation would be set aside in the revealed presence of His grace incarnate, His Only Begotten Son, the Messiah, the Christ. He would be the light of the immediate presence of God within those who would seek Him. This was under the all encompassing umbrella of 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. 
	This, then, brings us into the New Testament as the light of the presence of God came into fruition at the birth of Jesus Christ. Please turn to John Chapter 1, verses 1-13, as we want to revel in the full measure of this glorious truth. John 1:1-13, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
	Jesus, the Son of God is the light of God’s presence. In Him, the full intensity of the grace and the mercy and the love of God was manifested for all of eternity. He showed the humanity that He created that the presence of God was not a custom or a tradition or the temple practices which were the earthly type that was representative of His immediate presence. He fulfilled all that was part of the instructions to Moses for the maintaining of the light in the darkness. Jesus Christ shown forth and will eternally reveal that God is with His chosen people forever and forever.
	Not only this, but because Jesus indwells our hearts, He told His disciples, and us, in Matt 5:14-16, that we are now made the bearers of His light to the world. Matt 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 
    	We are the living lampstands through whom His light shines forth unto others. Every where we go, we take Him there in the course of our actions and interactions with others. That is why it is so important that we continually recognize and remind ourselves of the witness that we are to be unto others. There is no manner in which we are to be other than faithful and true light bearers in the darkness that surrounds us. As He is in us, so does He shine forth to reveal the true source of light and life.
	Because this is such a vital reality in the course of our lives, Jesus knew that we would never be able on our power and strength and stamina to be perfectly effective witnesses to those in such crucial and desperate need of His light. Therefore, as foreshadowed by Zachariah’s vision, the Holy Spirit was given by Christ to His own as the means of being the living vessels through whom the light would brilliantly shine forth. Acts 2:1-4, And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. 
	As those who know the Lord Jesus Christ in a living reality, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. As such, we know the immediate and eternal presence of God through the light that we are given as the Holy Spirit makes His Word to be alive in our hearts, in our minds, and in our lives. All the truth and grace and mercy and love of God incarnate, Jesus Christ, works livingly in our beings, by The Holy Spirit, to manifest His resurrection power and glory.
	Accordingly, as His Word encourages us, such as in Phil 2:14-16, we live as those whose light is neither hidden nor dimmed, but shines forth radiantly and magnificently to His splendor. Phil 2:14-16, Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. 
	This is finalized for us in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as we will bring this morning’s consideration to a conclusion. We begin with Rev 1:12-20. Here we have the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, detailing how the light of the presence of God has been given to the members of the Church represented in the lampstands which indicate His testimony. Rev 1:12-20, And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. "Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things. "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 
	The witness of Christ by His people, representing the knowledge of the presence of the Lord is so important that it can be removed. This was true of the testimony of the Nation of Israel of old, when God had them dispersed throughout the world. He guards His name in the manner in which His people present Him to the nations. Therefore, He will not put up with less than the fully burning and radiant light of His honor and His glory in His Church so declared in the warnings to the churches, as in Rev 2:1-5. 
Rev 2:1-5, "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. 'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 'Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent. 
	On this basis, we must always guard and cherish the light that we have been given in Christ. Just as the lampstand was made to the perfect specifications of God, because of the required service that it was to render within the temple, so too are we to be those lights within our families and community who show forth the wondrous magnificence of Jesus Christ, in our perfect obedience to the Holy Spirit. So be it. 
Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it. Amen. 

This morning’s benediction is 1 Chron 16:36. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, "Amen," and praised the Lord. Amen.