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To you I lift up my eyes,

O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

—Psalm 123:1

The Lord said to Moses, “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet.

—Exodus 30:17-19

He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

—Exodus 38:8

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

—1 Corinthians 13:12

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

—Philippians 2:4, 4:8

Some prisoners might see a prison-breaking earthquake as an opportunity for themselves, a chance to escape. Paul and Silas saw it as an opportunity to look out for the interests of others and to serve others, including the jailer who had put their feet in the stocks. And thereby to serve the Lord.

The basin of water allowed the priests to wash before entering the tent or burning a sacrifice on the altar—to be clean before approaching the Lord. The bronze for the basin came from mirrors.

Mirrors can be very useful: removing a speck from one's own eye, combing hair before going out, checking the fit of a coat before buying it, and so on. But mirrors can also represent vanity or obsession with one's own image. So, there's beauty in the idea of mirrors being transformed into a means of cleansing and preparation for worship.

Polished metal mirrors can be surprisingly good, even good enough for use in telescopes. But such mirrors reflect from their front surface, unlike today's typical framed mirror or hand mirror, with the reflection coming from a layer on the back surface that is protected by the glass in front. So, an everyday metal mirror can accumulate scratches and dents and discoloration, leading to a less-than-perfect reflection.

It may be surprising how often references to light and seeing come up in Paul's letter to the believers in Philippi. The first readers of that letter must have known of Paul's experiences there, some of them even eyewitnesses of how Paul and Silas had looked beyond self-interest to the needs of others. Paul had been transformed from his former career as a Pharisee into one who offered the cleansing and healing word of the Lord. And the jailer had been transformed into one who washed the wounds of Paul and Silas.

That must have given extra meaning for them, as he urged them to practice what they had seen in him, and so come to the God of peace.

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

—Psalm 51:1-2

The Lord said to Moses, “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet.

—Exodus 30:17-19

He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

—Exodus 38:8

So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

—Acts 16:40

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

—1 Corinthians 13:12

It would be understandable if Paul had taken his weary and wounded body out of Philippi as quickly as he could.

If Paul had looked into a mirror, he might have seen blood and bruises. That could have motivated him to try for revenge against the magistrates who had ordered the illegal and unjustified beating. Or it could have motivated him to decide that Philippi was a corrupt and evil place not worthy of his presence. Or it could have left him feeling sorry for himself, looking for a place to hide and heal.

But Paul didn't stall out in front of a mirror.

This is the Paul who had learned to stop looking at his own injuries or achievements, who would later write back to the believers in Philippi, urging them not to look out only for themselves, “but also to the interests of others” in humility.

Luke's description of Paul's release from prison and departure from Philippi only mentions one of that town's believers by name—Lydia. But Luke records that they visited and encouraged “the brothers” before leaving. That leaves me curious about one thing.

Did “the brothers” include the jailer and his household? Think of what that would say about Paul's transformation and his example of love not being “irritable or resentful”!

Lord, you have been our dwelling place

in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

—Psalm 90:1-2

“You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it...”

—Exodus 30:18

And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

—Acts 16:13-15

The description of the Sabbath river-side scene in Philippi takes only seconds to read. But it tells us a great deal about Paul's journey of transformation.

It was a Greek city and a Roman colony. Paul and his companions may have been looking for believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Or perhaps they were just looking for a place outside the noise and crowds of a city filled with pagan culture. In any case, they found a group of women gathered there. And Paul taught them.

The text doesn't record anything as dramatically overt as Peter's rooftop vision in Joppa of the “great sheet“ or the demonstration of the Spirit's presence at the house of Cornelius. But Luke recognized that the Lord was present. And the fruit of the Spirit was evident in Lydia's invitation and hospitality. Not to mention her refusal to take "no" for an answer.

This scene, including the acceptance of Lydia's hospitality, emphasizes how far Paul had come—from a violent opponent of the infant church based on his background as a Pharisee to a humble midwife assisting in the birth of new life throughout his journeys. Accepting the hospitality of a Gentile woman.

After being assaulted by a mob, publicly beaten, and spending what had to be a physically miserable night in prison stocks, Paul and Silas were released by the magistrates who had come to understand the seriousness of their own breach of Roman law. Paul's concern for the new believers in Philippi is clearly displayed in the fact that he did not leave town before first visiting with and encouraging those believers.

Beginning with Lydia.

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

—Psalm 141:2

“You shall make an altar on which to burn incense... And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.”

“And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord.”

—Exodus 30:1a, 6-8, 37

...pray without ceasing...

—1 Thessalonians 5:17

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

—Revelation 5:8

An article in Harvard Medicine Magazine quotes Rachel Herz, a neuroscientist at Brown University: “Smell can instantly trigger an emotional response along with a memory, and our emotional states have a very strong effect on our physical well-being,”

The phrase "morning and evening" (or "evening and morning" in the ancient idiom) may be understood as the boundaries of the day, but can also lead us to consider the entirety of the day. Moses instructed Israel to teach and consider the words of the Lord in the morning and evening (“when you lie down and when you rise”) but also throughout all of life, sitting, walking, inscribed on entries and exits, and worn on the body.

The high priest was to burn incense morning and evening in the Holy Place when he tended to the lamps on the lampstand. Therefore we can see an intimate connection between prayer and life and light, a connection that David explored poetically in Psalm 141. Perhaps Paul, well-versed as he was in the Law and Prophets and Psalms, may have had this in the back of his mind when he wrote the instruction to pray unceasingly.

The image of the throne room of the Lord in Revelation also clearly identifies incense and prayer.

And the instructions for the incense altar and incense included another detail that still teaches us. The incense was unique—nothing like it was to be used anywhere else or for any other purpose. When the Lord's people come to Him in prayer—in all its forms, whether thanksgiving or praise or petition—it is unique. It is to stand before the throne of the One—the only One!—who is worthy of praise and who cares for His own.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, you are very great!

You are clothed with splendor and majesty...

—Psalm 104:1

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,

and let your saints shout for joy.

—Psalm 132:9

And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

—Exodus 28:2

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

—Philippians 2 :14-15

“As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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.”

—Revelation 1:20

...on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

—Revelation 22:2b

The Garden and the Most Holy Place pointed to the presence of the Lord, the One who told Abraham and Jacob and Moses and Joshua: “I am with you” and “I will be with you.” The One who told His people through the prophets: “I am with you” and “I will be with you.” The Son who told His disciples: “I am with you” and “I will be with you.”

The shape of the lampstand reminds us of trees with branches, including the Tree of Life at the center of the Garden. Just as its branches were “of one piece with it”, Jesus told His disciples that “you are the branches” that must remain connected with Him to bear fruit.

The function of the lampstand and its lamps reminds us of the One who said, “Let there be light”. Just as the Son came to bring life which was the light for humans. And the glory and beauty of the golden lampstand complemented the glory and beauty of the priestly garments. Garments for humans to wear as they served the Lord, not for their own glory, but to give glory to God.

Jesus told His followers, “You are the light of the world”. Paul taught that the followers of Jesus behold His glory and “are being transformed into the same image”. The followers of Jesus are to reflect His light into the world. His followers are to bear fruit, like the tree planted by a river in Psalm 1.

Revelation begins by describing Jesus as standing among the lampstands that represented the churches to whom John was directed to write. And it ends by describing the Tree of Life by the river of the water of life, always fruitful, always bringing healing to all nations. Illuminated by the Lord, who is light.

One generation shall commend your works to another,

and shall declare your mighty acts.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

—Psalm 145:4, 8

...at the east of the garden of Eden [the Lord] placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

—Genesis 3:24

And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.

—Exodus 26:33

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...”

—Exodus 34:6

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

—Galatians 5:22-23

The old saying expresses that "the acorn doesn't fall from the tree", sometimes with variations on which kind of fruit is used. Although it often refers to children and parents, it also provides a reminder about the Tree of Life: obtaining its fruit means drawing near. The rebellion of humans caused access to the Tree to be blocked and guarded. But the One who created light and life, humans and the Tree, began working in grace to open the way.

The Holy Place offered the priests an opportunity to remember the Tree of Life and the light that its Creator gave—the light that was separated from darkness. And the veil served as a reminder that they had lost free access to the Mercy Seat. Although the Law, Prophets, and Psalms proclaimed and praised His steadfast love and faithfulness, humans were not ready to stand before Him.

They were not yet ready to return His steadfast love; they were not yet faithful, and never would be, if left to their own devices and wisdom and strength. So, the creator of life and light created atonement. His purpose was always for them to bear fruit. But first they had to learn the difference between good and bad, right and evil. And so the Law was given by grace and mercy to teach them.

On the Lord's terms, not on their own.

[The person who delights in the Lord's instruction] is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

—Psalm 1:3

You shall make a lampstand of pure gold...You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.

—Exodus 25:31a, 37

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

—Matthew 5:14-16

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

—James 1:17

One of my prized possessions is my Dad's slide rule, which is roughly 80 years old. I can do simple calculations on it, but with nothing like the skill and speed possessed by post-WW2 engineers like my Dad. In contrast, I can use my computer to crunch numbers with much greater volume, precision, and speed than the fastest slide rule operator of that earlier time. It is absolutely not because I am more skillful than they were, but because I am standing on the shoulders of giants. (That phrase was apparently used by Isaac Newton, but the metaphor has been traced to hundreds of years earlier.)

With only a little exposure to logarithms, trigonometry, and logic, one can recognize that the slide rule and the contemporary digital computer rest on the same fundamental principles of Mathematics.

I want to be careful with that metaphor. I'm not suggesting that twenty-first-century technology has reached a point of divine completeness—far from it! But I believe that it illustrates an important point. The word of the Lord through Malachi was “I the Lord do not change”. The letter of Hebrews teaches that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The Lord desires to be with His people and wants to give them life with Him.

Although disobedience sent humans into exile from the Garden of Eden, imagery of the Garden calls us to remember the lost relationship and prepares us to accept the Lord's offer. Many teachers and scholars have pointed out ways in which the tabernacle and its furnishings resonated with images of the garden, including the connections between the lampstand and the Tree of Life.

Life and light are woven together throughout the Scripture. The lampstand, with its branching, tree-like structure, illuminated the bread of the presence. It gave light to the approach to the mercy seat. Jesus, who came as God's presence among humans is also described as the “bread of heaven” and “the true light” in whom “was life”. John states directly that “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

And James connected those themes to the enduring, consistent nature of the Lord, “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”