The Tabernacle Shew-Bread as a type of Christ

Recently I was given 3 volumes from Henry Law’s "Christ is All: The Gospel in the Pentateuch" series. These little gems were published in the 1860’s and they survey typologies of Christ in the first five books of the Bible. Currently I am reading his volume on Exodus.

Today I started reading his chapter on Exodus 25:23, thou shalt also make a table, where Law discusses the typology of Christ as shown in the shewbread. The role of the OT priest was to ensure  “that Shew-Bread be before me always”, Exodus 25:30. As Law himself writes, who cannot read these words in Exodus and not recall Christ’s own words, I Am the bread of life? Here in Exodus, it was the priest’s sacred duty to ensure God’s salvation of His people was forever before the people.

What follows is directly taken from Henry Law’s own words:

           “Believer, whatever be your need, your misery, your sense of sin, your loathing of vile self, turn to the Table of Shew-Bread. Your image there is comely. Christ lives to represent you. While God delights in Him, He must delight in you. He ever sees you wrapt up in His Son.

            On the return of every Sabbath morn, the Priests brought fresh supplies. At no moment was the Table void. Ye ministers of Christ, mark well this fact. It is a sign, which teaches you, how you must teach your flocks.

            The Sabbath hours are golden time. The Pulpit opens to you. Assembled crowds hang on your lips. The hungry press round you to be fed. What bread do you produce? No food can satisfy, which is not of Christ. This must be gathered in the fair fields of Scripture, where nothing grows, but holiest grain. It must be sifted with most anxious search. It must be worked upon the knees. It must be turned with agonizing prayer. It must be always new: but always one. Its savour must be fresh, as morning dew. But still its savour must be only Christ.”

Henry Law was not advocating the modern Jesusology type of preaching, where Christ is preached from every passage in isolation, rather than as the Son sent by the Father and working by the Spirit. Even though these devotions are “Christ is All”, Law is presenting a Triune work in Exodus. As he has been discussing the Tabernacle, it has also been refreshing to read of Christ’s presence with His people in the wilderness.

If you ever come across Henry Law’s works, may I recommend them to you. This volume on Exodus has been my introduction to him, and I am looking forward to reading the other volumes.