Crushed to Shine: Living as God’s Light and Priests

Priests maintained the menorah

This week’s Torah portion is called Tetzaveh and can be found in Exodus 27:20-30:10. As I read and pondered over those scriptures I found myself wondering as to what I could possibly find to write about this week. Sometimes it is hard. Then it came to me -

Before a priest could minister in the sanctuary, he was not merely appointed, he was consecrated or separated. Blood was placed on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe. Then blood was sprinkled upon him. Nothing about that was random. It was a picture of total devotion: hearing, doing, and walking set apart for the service of a holy God.

The ear was sanctified so that the priest could hear God’s voice. In Hebrew thought, hearing is different than what we think of in English. The word shema means to hear with the intention to obey. The priest’s hearing was no longer common; it was consecrated or set-apart. This should also apply to us. What we allow into our ears shapes our inner sanctuary. True ministry, true spiritual life, begins with disciplined listening.

The thumb, representing action and work, was next. The hand’s power is enabled by the thumb, and so the priest’s service was purified. Ministry is not just activity; it is obedience expressed through holy action. Our gifts and efforts must be placed under the covering of Yeshua’s blood, surrendered to His purpose and not our own.

Finally, the blood on the big toe marked the priest’s walk. Holiness was not confined to the sanctuary. Every step he took was to reflect his complete devotion to God who had set him apart. Hearing, doing (actions), walking — the whole person set apart. The ordination did not end with that single ceremony. His daily service in the temple maintained the consecration, teaching that holiness/being set-apart is a life-style. The cost of approaching a holy God is continuous devotion, obedience, vigilance, and surrender. It is a life-journey until the end, not a one time experience.

This principle flows naturally into the concept of light in the sanctuary. The lamp (menorah) was to be fueled with pure olive oil, beaten and pressed until it was fit to burn. No crushing, no oil; no oil, no light. Pressure produces purpose. The olive could not release its oil without being pressed, and in the same way, we are refined by the pressures of life. Trials and challenges do not come to break us, but to release God’s light through us. What feels crushing is often the very process that enables us to shine.

But pressure alone is not enough. The oil had to be pure. Bitterness, pride, and self-interest must be removed so that God’s light can flow through us unclouded. Spiritual refinement is always a combination of pressure and purity. The lamp was commanded to burn continually as a sign of God’s presence. Light that shines brightly only once and fades is of little use. God calls for endurance and faithfulness. Our spiritual oil must feed a flame that reflects His presence consistently, day by day, in every season.

All of this finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Newer Covenant. Yeshua declared that we are the light of the world. He did not call us to occasional flickers of devotion, but to a continual radiance that draws others toward Him. The light He placed in us is meant to shine in the darkness, not for self-glory, but to reveal the glory of God through lives surrendered and refined.

This calling is not just individual. Scripture declares that we are a kingdom of priests, a holy people set apart to serve God and represent His presence on the earth (1 Peter 2:9). Our consecration is corporate as well as personal. Every believer is called to hear God, act in obedience, and walk faithfully. Together, we shine as a kingdom of priests, bearing His light into every corner of the world.

Being God’s priests and light costs something. It requires attention, obedience, and wholehearted surrender. Like the lamp, our lives must be prepared, purified, and carefully tended to let His presence shine clearly.

Ask yourself: Where is God pressing you today? Are you resisting His refining touch, or are you allowing it to produce His light through you? Is your spiritual oil pure enough to fuel a flame that draws others toward Him?

The blood on the ear, thumb, and toe reminds us of consecration/separation. The crushed olive teaches us that pressure produces light. Together, they reveal a life set apart, refined, and surrendered. Hearing, doing, walking, shining — this is the life God calls us to. Let the pressing become your refining, and let His light flow through you, steadily, visibly, and beautifully, for the world to see, as part of a kingdom of priests called to bear His glory.

Blessings,

Leisa