Showbread

According to divine instruction, twelve loaves of bread (also referred to as cakes in Lev 24:5) were to be placed on the table in the sanctuary, God's dwelling place. In other biblical passages, these loaves are referred to as 'showbread' (Exodus 25:30; 1 Kings 7:48; Matt 12:4). According to Lev 24:8 (also 1 Sam 21:7), these twelve loaves were exchanged week by week for freshly baked loaves. The term 'shewbread' (literally: bread of the face) conveys the impression that God in heaven constantly had His earthly people, the twelve tribes of Israel, before His eyes (Ex 25:30).