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Chapter 2
The Bread of Life
Let us continue our consideration of manna and viewing the manna as a type of the written Word of God. Thus far, we have studied the manna as a type of the living Word, Jesus Christ, for the manna was a type of the food god has provided for our soul.
The manna was a literal food that the Israelites had to gather in the wilderness. As we have learned, the word “manna” means “it is a portion.” It also means, “what is it?” Moses said, “This is the bread which the LORD hath given thee to eat” (Ex. 16:15). Exodus 16 and Numbers 11 are the two chapters that deal with the manna. You were shown how this manna speaks of the Lord. He is the Bread of Life and we need to feed on Him. But the Bible also tells us:
“…That man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
Deuteronomy 8:3 (Matthew 4:4)
The written word is our spiritual food. Therefore, we shall consider some points with reference to the written Word as a fulfillment of the manna.
First of all, the manna was a supernatural gift. It was not a product of the earth. Manna was not grown in the wilderness. Manna was not found in Egypt. From one perspective, that is a picture of the Lord Who came from above. But viewing the manna as a type of the Scriptures, we can say that the Scriptures did not originate with man or with the human mind. All Scripture is given of God and is inspired of God. It is profitable for doctrine, for correction and for reproof. Scripture came from God, and is God’s gift to man.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
II Timothy 3:16-17
As you reflect on Exodus 16, you will discover that the Israelites were to gather an omer for each man. An omer was roughly 6 pints. That was a lot of manna to gather because manna was a small, round thing. To gather 6 pints for a man was quite a job. In verse 16 we read:
”This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons ….”
Now if we were to assume that the Israelites were about two million people at that time, and we were to find out how much God sent, it would amount to over a million tons per year. That is a fantastic amount of food gathered by the Israelites. Remember, they were sustained by this miraculous food for 40 years! God was faithful in sending them the manna.
As the manna was miraculous and it benefited the Israelites, so is this a picture of the Word of God, the written Word. It is miraculous. All that we need to sustain us here in the wilderness of this world, God has seen fit to give unto us in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are food to sustain us. Man must live "
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Deut. 8:3: Matt. 4:4). And in the words we have in the Bible, God has given us adequate manna so that we can go and gather it. Just as that manna was miraculous in the way it was inspired; the way the holy men of God wrote the Bible as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit at different intervals in history. Different classes of men wrote at different periods of time. It is a miracle how God has brought it all together. Praise His Holy Name!
Moreover, the manna came right where the people were. They didn't have to go a far distance to gather it. It was outside their tent doors. That's a picture of how God has made the Word easily accessible to us, especially here in America. It is not difficult to obtain a Bible: it's almost at our doorstep. Yet we can become so negligent of it. When the manna came, the people could have trampled upon it rather than gather it. And either we gather the Word of God or we trample it under foot. Either we will gather it into our soul or we will despise it. We know there are some countries today where the Scriptures are forbidden, but I'm referring to the availability of the Scriptures to us in the Western world. It is not so difficult to receive, and yet, now many people really do make use of the written Word? I'm sure you know of many who have Bibles in their homes, but it's often as a souvenir rather than as a book that is to be read and a book that is to be studied so that the Lord may open that book up unto us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The manna was small and round(verse 14). And God's revelation to man is found in a small volume. If God had given us too much, then we would not have been able to carry the Bible around. Although it is one small volume, yet consider how much God has included therein for us.
Again, the manna was round. this speaks of a circle which is a complete figure. There are no angles in a circle. This is a symbol for us of the beautiful harmony and completeness of the Word of god. There are no rough edges. The Scriptures are a complete whole. In verse 14 of chapter 16, we also read that the manna "was as small as the hoar frost on the ground." In Numbers 11 it states that it was a bdellium or as a pearl which is white in color. Now, that speaks of the purity of the Word of God, since God's words are pure. For example, turn to Psalm 12 and verse 6, wherein we read,
"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."
That's a very beautiful verse. God's words are pure; words that have gone through the fire of testing and they will always remain pure and true words. Psalm 119, verse 140 states,
"Thy word is very pure: therefore Thy servant loveth it."
And in Provers 30, verse 5 we read:
"Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him."
So again, we see the purity of the Word of God - the whiteness of the manna. God is saying, "My words have no contradiction; they are not erroneous; they are sure words. They are true words; you can count on My words."
We must love the Word even as God intended the Israelites to love the food that He gave them to eat. That was good food; it didn't make them sick. It had the best nutrition available to them. They had no need of hospitals. They didn't need to get sick by eating of that food from heaven. Likewise, the Word of god is a tonic for us, and God would have us to feed on His Word and realize that His words are pure and His words are sure and true.
The manna was to be eaten. How do we eat in the natural? There are three things involved in eating. first, appropriation; second, mastication, and third, assimilation. To appropriate means to make one's own, to take a portion for ourselves. As we read the word, we should gather a certain portion from it and appropriate the promises from it by faith that God gives unto us. Then comes mastication or chewing. In the natural we must chew our food. We don't swallow everything all at once. We take time to chew the food, and likewise it should be with the spiritual food. We need to meditate on the word of God, masticate and ponder it. "...Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (Lk. 2:19).
In Leviticus 11, we read that a clean animal had to be cud-chewing and cloven-footed (verse 3). The Scriptures liken the Christian to a clean animal, and particularly, sheep. The sheep has both qualifications: it is cud-chewing and cloven-footed. The sheep feed on the grass in the fields and are brought back into the fold in the evening time where they chew their cud. They bring their food up again that they had fed upon and extract the vitamins from it at the close of the day. This is a picture of the Christians who go into the field of the world. We get our experiences from each day and as we come to the close of the day we reflect on the events of the day and we say, "Lord, help me to profit from the events of the day, and Lord, thank you for causing me to feast on your Word and to think on Your Word and to receive the blessings of Your Word."
God teaches us through the natural first. As the sheep regurgitate that food, chew upon it and extract the vitamins, so God would also have us to profit from the experiences of life as well as from the Scriptures He has given us, when we, too, learn to think on His Word and to apply that Word to the daily problems that we face. The man who meditates in the Law of the Lord day and night is blessed, according to Psalm 1, verse 2. And the Psalmist says,
"My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."
Psalm 104:34
After the chewing comes the third aspect, which is assimilating. To assimilate food means that we receive the strength from that food which we partake of. We need strength for our bodies and natural food is to be assimilated so that we receive strength in our physical bodies. We also need food in our inner being and the more we feed on that Word of God, the more God wants that Word to work in us to make our inner man strong. Then we can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Psalm 119, verse 11 states,
"thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."
That word hidden in our hearts is like food that has been assimilated. It is working. the Word of god that "effectually worketh," the Bible states, "in you that believe" (1 Thess. 2:13). That is the assimilating of the Word.
Now, the Lord wants us to be governed by that Word in our walk. It's not good enough that we only chew on the Word. We need also to walk in the Word as we go through the wilderness. That speaks of the cloven foot, and for us to walk in the word we need the strength of the Holy Spirit. We cannot walk in the Word in our own strength. the word is important but the spirit is given to make the Word alive. And through the power of the spirit we can be quickened to walk in the light of the word so we can experience the full blessings of the Word of God in our entire being: spirit, soul and body (I Thess. 5:23).
The manna was to be gathered daily, except on the 7th day (see Ex. 16:22,26). We are to feed on the Word of God regularly. We are to take time to study the Word of God.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
II Timothy 2:15
The manna was gathered early in the morning because when the sun arose, the manna melted (Ex. 16:21). Beloved, it is good for us to begin the day in prayer and in reading the Word of god. If we neglect prayer and the word, our Christian life will not be a victorious life. Without prayer and the Word we cannot be strong in the Lord, and we need to seek Him in the morning. When the sun arises and the pressures of life come upon us, then we hardly have any time to communicate with the Lord and to get into His Word. Consequently, we miss the blessings that the Lord would give unto us. Hence, it is a good thing to seek the Lord in the morning; to have a quiet time with Him when there is not so much hustle and bustle.
The people had to gather the manna. Labor was required to gather 6 pints of manna. Jesus said on one occasion,
"Labour not for the meat with perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life...."
John 6:27
Now it is true we have to earn our daily bread but the Lord is showing here that we can get too absorded in that. We need to put Him first, and for us to receive of that spiritual bread involves labor. In other words, we have to apply ourselves.We have to be diligent. Sometimes we don’t feel like reading the Word of God and sometimes in the natural you do not feel like going to work, but you go anyhow. We must learn to be diligent where the Word of God is concerned, and for us to gather our daily portion involves labor. It involves giving diligence to make our “calling and election sure” (II Pet. 1:10). Proverbs 2:1-5 states,
“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasure; then…”
What will happen? –
“…then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”
On our part we must be diligent, and as we seek, we shall find – when we seek Him with all of our hearts (Deut. 4:29; Jer. 29:13). So, they had to exert effort in order to gather the manna, and that would have involved stooping. This shows that we have to depend on God.
“…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
James 4:6
God is showing us that without His help we can’t get that manna. As we humble ourselves before Him and pray, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Ps. 119:18), then we are depending on Him. We are showing Him we need His help in opening that Word to us by His Spirit. And He will give us that portion that we need. For if earthly fathers will give their children what they need, how much more will our Heavenly Father give His children their daily bread?! (See Matt. 7:11)
In Exodus 16:17, some gathered more and some gathered less. And in verse 18 it states:
“…When they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.”
In other words, some gathered a little more than others, but each had enough to sustain him. It is true that that same thing applies where the Scriptures are concerned. Some gather more because they are willing to go into other aspects of the Word. Some gather little and it blesses them according to their level and according to their spiritual status. God has a portion for all of us, but some may gather more in the sense that they are willing to apply themselves more into studying the word of God. If we want greater blessings, then we’ll have to have a bigger appetite and so we must say, “On, my Lord, create in me a deeper hunger and a deeper thirst for Your Word and for Your Spirit.” Did not Jesus say, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6)? This principle is true and the Lord would have us then to be open, not just for a little portion, but for a greater appetite. And as we grow more and more, He will open that appetite for more of His Word and we will see more and more of His Will and of His ways.
What the people gathered had to be used, for they could not allow the manna to remain over night. When god gives us our daily bread He gives us that daily portion that we stand in need of. He expects us to use it. He does not want us to hoard up the truth and just keep it to ourselves. The best way for us to receive more truth from God is to learn to share with others what He has given us. As we give out He will give back to us. We need to have that daily fellowship with God; we need that daily portion and He wants to give us fresh manna – fresh experiences of the truth of His Word. As we discover that truth and as we begin to experience it and share what the Lord has given us, we’ll be moving in His Plan. So often we depend only on what the Lord did maybe a year or two ago. But the Lord wants to do some fresh things for us. The Bible states,
“…The LORD’S mercies…are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23
The Israelites did not know what manna was: “…they wist not what it was” (Ex. 16:15). And the Bible states in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural man understands not the tings of God, for they are spiritually discerned. So, the natural man does not fully realize the value of the Word of God, bu thte Word of God is essential to us in the wilderness. God wants to make known that Word unto us as He did late to the Israelites. Matthew 11:25 shows the ones who understand.
“I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight.”
Luke 10:21
Babes are those who are dependent on their parents. So, too must we always be dependent on our Heavenly Father.
The manna was despised by the mixed multitude (Num. 11:4-6). Who are the “mixt multitude”)? Those who came out with the Israelites from Egypt, but they were always grumbling and complaining. They represent those today who profess to be Christians: they have only a form of godliness but don’t know the power of god in their lives. (See 2 Timothy 3:5).
They may have the written word but it doesn’t profit them and they do not receive the blessings of the Word. They may claim to be Christians but in reality they are grumbling against God’s ways because they are not willing to be corrected and instructed by the Scriptures even as that mixed multitude which came up with the Israelites out of Egypt.
The manna was preserved in a golden pot and placed in the Ark (Ex. 16:33-34). It was not to perish. In the New Testament we read that the pot was made of gold (Heb. 9:3-4). It’s interesting to note that that is not mentioned in the Old Testament. The fact that the pot was of gold shows that God places a high value on His Word. The manna was in the pot – for God has preserved His Word. The manna in the pot did not spoil, for it was to be a sign to future generations concerning the food that God fed the Israelites. Likewise, God has preserved His Word through the ages. The truths that He gave to the Patriarchs, to Moses, and the Prophets have been preserved so that we can see and become aware of God’s revelations. Isn’t that beautiful? Praise His wonderful Name!
The manna lasted until they reached Canaan and when they got into Canaan’s land God even gave them an overlapping time of manna (Josh. 5:12). But after they did eat of the old corn of the land, that was the end of the manna. The Scriptures are sufficient to build us up until we reach the heavenly kingdom and then we will feast on old corn. Manna is primarily for the wilderness, but God is showing us that while we are in the wilderness of this world, we have enough of His truth to guide us and to direct our walk to make us strong in Him. He has given us a complete revelation of Himself, and in the glory we shall know more than we know now. But He has seen fit to give us the Scriptures to guide us and to lead us in the way, in the right paths, and we need to avail ourselves of what He has given us. God has a great supply for us and we must eat.
Now I want to consider three Scriptures wherein we are told about eating the Word. Jeremiah chapter 15, verse 16 states:
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and
Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine
heart...."
In Ezekiel, chapter 2, verses 9-10 and Ezekiel 3:1-3 we are told that the Prophet was shown a roll and judgments written therein, and that he was told by God to take the roll and eat it. It was sweet to his taste but then he had to go and declare the bitter judgments of the contents of that roll. A similar experience was seen in the life of John in Revelation 10:10-11 where he was told to eat the little book that was open in the hand of the messenger who came from heaven. And when he did eat, it was sweet in his mouth as honey but bitter in his belly. This is a picture of what God wants to do with us as we partake of the manna of His Word. The Word of God will be sweet as we experience that revelation of the Spirit. When the Spirit quickens the Word it is sweet to our taste, but then when that word has to be worked into our ex¬perience we go through bitterness. God knows how to mingle the sweet with the bitter. It is for our own good. Sometimes we only want the sweet, but we don't want the bitterness. Yet God is so good to plant both the sweet and bitter into our experience.
The manna was prepared in a variety of ways. In Exodus 16:23 we see a reference to baking and seething, and in Numbers 11:8 we are told that it was to be ground or beaten with a mortar. That speaks of the Scripture as satisfying different groups or levels of faith. The baking of the manna speaks of strong meat. Then it was seethed. That is for the weaker ones. Then it was ground or beaten for the simple and the aged. And, it was made into cakes for those who are little children. This speaks of various ways of studying the Word of God. We don't give strong meat to those who are just young in the faith. They must first take "the sincere milk of the Word" of God (I Pet. 2:2). And then, as they grow, they can take other portions. They develop teeth to chew and then God has more to give unto them. The Word of God is very rich and it can cater to the taste of all His children. All, young and old, small and great, can enjoy the manna. God has enough for all of us, to meet all our needs. Again, there are many ways of studying the Word of God, and we can all reap the blessings He wants to give unto us. The more we study, the more we realize that we can't exhaust the Word of God. It is an ocean. There is so much there; and the more we think we know, the more we realize how little we know. So God sees fit to keep us in line that we do not get too high-minded and think we know so much.
I mentioned earlier that only in the New Testament is manna referred to as being placed in a golden pot. Gold in the Scriptures is connected with the glory of God, and speaks of the Divine nature. The manna was the food that God gave the Israelites to live on, and a portion of that manna was placed and kept intact in a golden vessel. Jesus Christ is the One Who left heaven and took upon Himself a human body; and that golden pot is a picture of the God-man or Jesus Christ. The manna in the golden pot speaks of Christ as the food of God's people. Only He could contain in Himself what we needed. He had in Himself that which would feed us and that's why, when He went to the Cross, He was beaten for us. The manna had to be beaten and it's a picture of how in Him God has given us all that we need. He is the answer to our sin problem. He is the one to give us life and life more abundant. And as the manna proved to be sufficient, so He is our all-sufficiency in all things.
"...An omer for every man..." is mentioned in Exodus 16:16. I think of the man Jesus Christ. He had that measure that we needed. He had the right amount. He had within Him the potential to set us free, and He did when He went to Calvary. But now He is in the glory. As the manna was put in the golden pot and stored up in the Holy of Holies, so too we know that Jesus is the Holy of Holies in the heavens and He is with the Father in heaven. That is, if we view the manna there as a type of the Lord. He had no sin, so the manna is in Him. He said,
"Search the Scriptures; for... they are they which testify of Me."
John 5:39
If you read the Word and don't find Him, then somewhere you've gone astray. But oh, He is seen all over the Word. In every book in the Bible He is the preeminent theme.
In the Book of Revelation, promises are given to the over-comer, not the believer. These promises in Revelation 2 and 3 are not "to him that believeth"(Mk. 9:23) but "to him that overcometh" (Rev. 2:7, 17; 3:12, 21). And the overcomers are those who overcome the obstacles in the way; and the overcomer, Himself, is the Lord. He is the model overcomer and He wants an overcoming church. He gives encourage¬ment to His churches and He says in Revelation 2:17:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna...."
Now, what is the hidden manna? The daily manna had to be gathered daily. The manna that came on the 6th day was given in a double portion and it lasted for the 7th day and did not spoil. The manna that was gathered in the golden pot was stored up in the Ark and did not spoil but was to be preserved for future generations to see that food which God fed the Israelites. The "overcomer" shall eat of the hidden manna.
The difference between the hidden manna and the daily manna was that the daily manna was subject to spoilage, but the hidden manna did not spoil. For one to partake of this hidden manna, one had to leave the realm of the Outer Court of the wilderness Tabernacle. The bulk of the people met in the Outer Court. But the hidden manna was in the Holy of Holies! We cannot eat of the hidden manna if we are in the Outer Court. We have to go beyond the veil.
I believe that while we are here in this physical body we can enter the veil through the power of the Spirit. I believe there is a literal entering into the veil, but prior to that time when we will receive a changed body to enter into the heavenly realm, God would have us now to come into that Holy of Holies through the Blood of the Lamb. We come in now through the blood-sprinkled way. We come though the fact that the veil of His flesh was rent at Calvary and through His blood we can approach the Father. We have access to Him. The way has been opened. When we receive of the power of His Spirit we have a greater access to the Father and to His Throne, and can receive a measure of the blessings in that realm while we are still here. We can begin to take part in that which He has already provided for us. We can begin to possess some of our possessions while we are here on earth. We will not enter into all until we are clothed upon with our house from above, but through the power of the Spirit we can receive blessings of the manna and of the rod and of the tablets of stone.
For us, however, to go into that realm, we have to realize that God will make the way more narrow. There are some who only want daily manna but they are not willing to search for hidden manna. To receive hidden manna would involve our going deeper with the Lord. The more we follow on to know the Lord, the narrower the way becomes. But as we grow in grace, as we progress in the Lord, we will come to know Him in a deeper measure than in the Outer Court realm or in the Holy place realm. There are stages of growth. There are degrees of understanding and God is not forcing us to go this way, for it all depends on our goal. The High Priest alone could enter the Holy of Holies, and there is a people who are not settling for less than "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14). Anything that is high is costly. That high calling is to come into that "high and holy place." And for us to get there, we have to run the race. We have to forget the things that are behind and look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2).
Those words are important for us to ponder. It's a realm in which God would require purity of heart.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
Matthew 5:8
I believe that is true literally, but I believe it is also true spiri¬tually in the sense that the more pure our heart is, the more we can see into the things of God and into the ways of God and into the purposes of God. And purity of heart is what God wants from us. We can't see unless He opens our eyes; and He wants our inner man to be made pure so that we can see - that the eyes of our understanding can be enlightened, that we may know the hope of our calling. And this is a process as God works in and with which He stirs our inner being to follow on to know Him. As we enter into a deeper relationship with Him, then the Lord will give unto us that which we need. He will make known to us His hidden purposes, His hidden secrets.
"The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him; and He will shew them His covenant."
Psalm 25:14
The secret of the Lord is not with everybody. There are some things the Lord doesn't see fit to share with all, but there are some things He gives to those who are ready. Much depends on our heart condition.
Now the wonderful thing about this hidden manna is that it was hidden in the pot of gold and placed in the Ark. Let me put it this way: overcomers are privileged to eat of that which is not available to many because they draw more of God's grace to rise up above carnal tendencies and because they are following on to know God. God leads them into a deeper knowledge of Him and His ways. The manna was in the Ark, and the Ark represents Jesus Christ in His life here on earth and in His glorified body. But the manna too was in the Ark and it was hidden in the Ark. In Colossians 2:3 we read:
"In Whom are hid...”
Hid what?
"...all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
The hidden truths, the mysteries of God, the knowledge of God, the wisdom of God, are hidden in Christ Jesus. And it is only as we are willing to go beyond the veil, to press forward in Him by His grace, that He can reveal more of Himself unto us, and more of these hidden things unto us.
In Matthew 13:11 we see the Lord speaking to His dis¬ciples,
"...It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."
Only those who are hungry and ready will receive the precious truths that God has. And I believe there is a portion that God wants to give this end-time church. That is symbolized in Revelation 10 by that little book the angel had in his hand, and of which John was told to eat. John is showing us what will happen in this end-time. He is portraying what will happen to those in our day who will receive of that little book. The book was open; it was not closed. I believe that is a picture of the hidden mysteries of God about to be revealed in this time. Mysteries, not in the sense that God doesn't want us to understand, but because they are what we call the hidden secrets of God. And when the time is right, God lifts the veil from those mysteries. He told Daniel to seal the book till the time of the end.
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased,"
Daniel 12:4
God wants to bring us into that unity of the faith where we speak as one voice. Hallelujah! He will do it and He will remove the confusion and bring His people there. We ought to pray toward that end. And so the overcomer eats of the hidden manna. God desires that we receive of that hidden portion that He is bringing to our attention in this day, in or¬der that we can be made ready. We can know our God and "the wise shall understand," Daniel declares, but "none of the wicked shall understand" (Dan. 12:10).
Finally, the manna was not given on the 7th day. Manna speaks of the experiences God wants to give us. It's of the Scriptures and it's a type of the hidden truths that are found in the Ark, Jesus Christ. But the manna is also called out portion; it is called our bread, and part of our daily bread is the experiences that God gives us as the truths of the Word are worked out in our daily experiences. For 6 days God gave the manna, but on the 7th day no manna fell. The 6th day they received a double portion. I believe God is saying to us that while we are in the wilderness of this world for 6,000 years (a day with the Lord is 1,000 years [Ps. 90:4; II Pet. 3:8]) He is getting us ready, He is conditioning us here on earth for the 7th day which will be the millennial Sabbath, which is called the 1,000 year reign of peace. And for us to rule and reign with Christ we must get our manna now. He wants to give us a double portion of the manna.
We are fortunate to be living at this time in history. Ap¬proximately 6,000 years since the fall of Adam have come on the earth, and God is about to give us a double portion of His Spirit. The double portion will involve double testing and integration of the Word into our experiences. Then we will be qualified for the 7th day which will mean rulership with Christ. For us to rule and reign with Christ we must get our manna; we must learn our lessons; we must get our experi¬ences on earth. We must walk in obedience to the written Word and to the living Word, and having gathered enough manna and having received enough experiences, then God can lift us higher. In the millennial reign there will be no manna given. Why? Because it is the time of rest. They that have entered into rest have ceased from their labors (Heb. 4:11), even as God did from His labors. And only those who have secured the manna and laid it up and have allowed the Lord to work in them and through them will be privileged to enter into His rest.
So, beloved, now is the time for us to gather the manna. Now is the time for us to seek the Lord with all our hearts Now is the time for us to apply ourselves diligently to His word and to look to Him to enlighten us by His Holy Spirit because there will be no manna given on the 7th day.
May the Lord bless these thoughts on the manna and show us that God is in the wilderness of this world. He is our provision, He is all that we need. He has given us of His Word and He has given us of His Spirit. Let us daily avail ourselves of these blessings. Let us thank Him for His goodness and may He cause us to eat of the hidden manna. Amen!
EPILOGUE
THE HIDDEN MANNA
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."
Revelation 2:17
The outer world does not understand the secret of the Christian's joy, for it is hidden from the carnally-minded. Those who are Christ's are fed with "angels' food" (Ps. 78:24-25). Their life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3) and even now they can partake, in some measure, of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in Christ (Col. 2:3).
The "hidden manna" is referred to in Exodus 16:32-36 and Hebrews 9:4. The daily manna ceased after Israel's entry into the Promised Land and their partaking of the "old corn" of the land (Josh. 5:11-12). Manna in the wilderness is Christ on earth in humiliation; the old corn of the land is Christ in glory and exaltation. We can partake of daily manna now on the earth plane - share in the riches of His grace - in preparation for sharings in the riches of His glory (Ps. 84:11) on the heavenly plane.
You have heard the proverbial expression "the pot of gold at the rainbow's end." The pot of gold links with "the golden pot of manna" and the rainbow links with the new covenant (Gen. 9:9-17; Heb. 8:8-11). All who partake of the full bless¬ings of the new covenant will eat of the hidden manna and will have Christ fully formed and glorified in them (Gal. 4:19; II Thess. 1:10, 2:13-14; Rom. 8:17).
In Solomon's reign, the Ark, the only piece of furniture from the Tabernacle of Moses, was placed in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Solomon's reign is a type of the Mil¬lennial Age during which no wars will be fought and "the kingdoms of this world" will become "the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ" (Rev. 11:15).
I Kings 8:9 mentions the two tables of stone in the Ark. but not the pot of manna or the rod of Aaron that budded, blossomed and yielded almonds. Christ will be openly revealed (Rev. 19:11, 17:14) to usher in the Millennium and there are those who will accompany Him - the called, the chosen and the faithful.
He Who fulfilled the Law corresponds to the tablets pre¬served in the Ark, and is now to be publicly seen as the Liv¬ing One (Lk. 24:5). This corresponds to the Hidden Manna which is preserved and Who, as the Resurrection and the Life, links with Aaron's rod (Life conquering death). The over-comers who join Him will eat of the "hidden manna" and will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:17, 27). In the Kingdom, the righteous principles of the Law will govern the nations.
As the hidden manna was one omer - the tenth part of an ephah - we have a picture of the holy seed of Isaiah 6:13. An omer was the measure of a man (Ex. 16:16). The hidden Manna in the golden pot is the Man in Glory, our wonderful Lord. In Colossians 3:4, we read:
"When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”
These are the ones who constitute the glorious Chruch who have attained the goal of the Lord for this age as seen in Ephesians 4:13
“…Unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ….”
A further thought for consideration is that the hidden manna that never spoiled represents those who are alive at His Coming (I Thess. 4:15). The rod of Aaron that was dead and manifested signs of life represents “the dead in Christ” who share in the First Resurrection. In both groups, the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled (Rom 8:4) and summarized in two commandments – love for God and love for man (Mk. 12:29-31), corresponding to the two tablets of stone in the Ark.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
"'Manna' - Bread from Heaven" , Chapter 1
MANNA – Bread from Heaven
Deoram Bolan
Contents
Chapter 1 (contained in this blog post)
Manna: What is it?............................5
Chapter 2 (to be posted later)
The Bread of Life ……………………………..12
Epilogue (to be posted later)
Hidden Manna …………………………………..42
“And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, this is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”
Exodus 16:14-15
Chapter 1
Manna: What is it?
Manna was a token of God’s grace towards the Israelites. Therefore, I would like for us to explore some of the meanings of this Divine food which God fed the Israelites for 40 years.
First, there are some basic Scriptures which we should consider in the study of manna. We will refer to Exodus, chapter 16:11-31, the book of Numbers, chapter 11:1-9, and in the New Testament, the Gospel of John 6:31-38. Jesus spoke to the Jews about the manna that God fed them and how He was the true bread that came down from heaven.
When the Israelites first beheld the manna that God sent from heaven, they were perplexed and did not know what this object was. Verse 15 in Exodus 16 states,
“And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”
In Hebrew, the word manna means: “what is it?” In the Chaldean tongue it means: “it is a portion.” In English, manna means “bread.” Jesus is referred to in the Gospel of John as the “bread of life” (Jn. 6:48), and as “the true bread which came down) from heaven” (Jn. 6:32). The people of the world who do not know the relevance of Christ and the revelation of truth which is in the Holy Scriptures have this reaction, “what is it?” “Who is this Jesus Christ?” “What is the man all about?” The true believer can say, “Christ is my portion.” For us, He is all that we need: but for those who do not know Him, there is always the question: Who is He? What is this salvation that He came to offer?
The manna proved to be a sufficient portion as stated in Exodus, chapter 16. It was sufficient for all the Israelites and there was no lack: no one had to go impoverished. Each individual, each family, had a sufficient portion. Secondly, the manna was a suitable portion. It suited the taste of old and young alike and it was to benefit old and young alike. Thirdly, it was a satisfying portion; no one went hungry. Fourthly, it was a strengthening portion that made strong people out of the Israelites. They were able to journey in the desert, to work and to fight. That food gave them strength for the wilderness and for the perils in the wilderness. Fifthly, the manna was a sustaining portion. They were sustained by this Divine food for 40 years. The Israelites could count on the fact that God would not leave them hungry in the wilderness. He sent them manna day by day, except on the 6th day when they gathered twice as much and rested on the 7th day.
From these facts we can safely say that Jesus Christ, Whom the manna typifies, is our all-sufficiency in all things. Paul referred to that in one of the Epistles. He said,
“…Our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers…of the spirit….” II Corinthians 3:5-6
Jesus Christ suits all classes, all nations, all ages, and all men everywhere.
After the Israelites crossed the wilderness and had entered into the land of Canaan, God provided for them to receive an overlapping of the manna. This is found in the book of Joshua in Chapter 5, verse 12:
"And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year."
Notice, the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land. So God sustained them until they were brought into the Promised Land. It is a picture of how Jesus Christ will sustain His children in the wilderness of this world until we are privileged to enter into the Heavenly Canaan.
Now, as we get into the description of the manna, we need to consider Exodus 16 and Numbers 11. Exodus 16:14 reads,
"And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoarfrost on the ground."
The manna is described as "small." The manna is a type of the Lord Jesus and the smallness of the manna speaks of His humility. He humbled Himself; He took a lowly position, but it was God who exalted Him after He finished the work the Father gave Him to do. The manna was "round," and the roundness speaks of the perfection of His life. A circle speaks of a figure that is complete. The Bible says He was made perfect, complete through the things He suffered (Heb. 5:8-9). It also says that manna was as "hoarfrost," and is described in Exodus 16:31 as "white." In the same verse, it is likened unto "coriander seed." This typifies the purity of His life. White is the color of purity and holiness, t1he purity of His life, that Divine life that He wants to impart within the soul of man. For the Bible says when we are born again, we are born not of the corruptible but of the incorruptible seed, by the Word of God that lives and abides for the ages. This seed speaks of the life that comes from the Lord Himself, that incorruptible life that He only can impart (1 Pet. 1:23; Jn. 3:5; Jn. 16:14-15).
In Numbers, chapter 11, you will read where the manna tasted as fresh oil and as wafers made with honey. Now, fresh oil speaks of the anointing of the Spirit that was upon the Lord. Honey speaks of the sweetness that is in the Lord. The manna was "as the color of bdellium" (Num. 11:7). This word is synonymous with the pearl and this in one sense speaks of the sufferings the Lord had to go through so that His glorious church could come forth.
It is indeed amazing that we can see these attributes of the Lord in the manna that was given to the Israelites. Just as the Israelites were sustained in the wilderness on the manna, it is a picture of how the Lord wants to sustain us in the wilderness of this world as we go through life's journey. He is the One that we need. We need Him day by day as they needed the manna. The Lord wants to become more and more alive unto us. He wants us to discover Him in a new and in a living way, day by day.
As we consider the manna, we shall limit our study just to the aspect of the manna representing the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. In a secondary sense, the manna is also a type of the Word of God. We shall not go into the aspect of the manna now as the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ. Having gone into these preliminary details, I would like to bring to your attention some more references with regard to the manna.
It is always good for us to see the background for a subject whenever we consider that subject in the light of Scripture. What was the occasion of the giving of the manna? If you go to Exodus 16, you will see that the Israelites were grumbling in the wilderness. In verse 3, they said,
"... Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
Now the Israelites, we see in verse 1, had completed 30 days since they had departed from Egypt. The manna came on the 31st day. Thirty days speak of one period. After 30 days, we see another period that leads to their going to Mount Sinai. They reached that Mount on the 60th day after their departure from Egypt. So the manna coming on the 31st day is to bring them to the foot of the Mount. They did not have manna previously. The manna did not come in the first 30 days. It was after that period was over that manna was sent from Heaven. That manna was to sustain them so that they would come to the foot of the Mount and encamp at the foot of the Mount.
Now there are depths of meaning in all these things in the Scripture. I'm sure there is a meaning to God sending the manna on the 31st day. The manna was given in spite of the murmurings and the complaints of the Israelites. God should have acted in harmony with their behavior if He were that rigid. But, instead of being rigid with them, He showed them mercy. His reaction was grace instead of judgment. That does not mean He didn't send judgment upon them when they continued to rebel, but He tempered mercy with judgment. In spite of their murmurings, God sent the manna. The murmuring of the Israelites is a type of the murmuring or rebellion of sinful man.
Although man rebelled against God, God in mercy saw fit to send a Redeemer, the manna came from Heaven. In spite of man's rebellion, God sent His Son to be the Life of the world and to be the Light of the world.
The next thing we can ponder also is the place where the manna fell. The Lord Jesus Christ, as you will recall, did not come to the earth until 4000 years had lapsed. That is from the fall of Adam, and man was becoming more and more entrenched in the ways of sin and rebellion. Yet, God sent His Son in the fullness of time. Just as there was a time for the manna to come to the Israelites, there was a time known by God when the Son was to come to earth, in spite of man's rebellion and sin. The place where the manna fell is given in Exodus 16:1.
"And they took their journey front Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt."
So when the manna came it fell in the wilderness of Sin. How important that is, for the wilderness is a picture of the world in which we live. What kind of world is this? It is a sinful world. Yet, it was into this wilderness of Sin, this world of sin, that the manna came. A wilderness is not a place, normally, for someone to dwell in; and it is a type of the fact that when Jesus Christ came into the world there was no place for Him in the inn (Lk. 2:7). There was no place for Him to lay His head as He journeyed (Lk. 9:58). Even when He went to the Cross and He laid down His life, His body was placed in a borrowed tomb (Matt. 27:57-60). So, this world was a wilderness to the Lord, and yet it was into this world He came.
"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not...."
John 1:10
Yet, He came into this wilderness of sin, but there was one place that He found lodging. He stayed in Bethany in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Beyond that, He found a place of abode: the heart of the Father. That's why He spent much time with the Fame.
The next point I would like to consider is that the Glory of God is linked with the giving of the manna. Let's consider the 10th verse of Exodus 16:
"And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud."
This is the first occurrence of the expression, "The Glory of the Lord." It was not long after that we read of the coming of the manna. The glory of the Lord is specifically connected with the giving of the manna. When we think of the glory of the Lord, the Scripture that is given in John's Gospel, 1st chapter, verse 14 comes to mind. It's a Scripture that talks about that glory.
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
The glory and the manna are connected. In II Corinthians 4:6, it says:
"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
Then we should keep in mind that the manna came down from heaven. God said that He would send them bread. This bread came from heaven. It was not a product of the earth; it was not a product of the wilderness; and, it was not a product of Egypt. This manna was not grown in the field of the world. The origin was from heaven. It descended from God. It was a gift from heaven to earth and what does that tell us? Jesus Christ is the Lord from heaven (I Cor. 15:47-49). Adam, the first man is of the earth, earthly. Jesus Christ, the second man, the last Adam, is from above. He is from Heaven. He told the Pharisees that they were of the earth, from below. He said that He was from above. “I am not of this world” (Jn. 8:23). This show conclusively His Heavenly origin. Just as the manna came from heaven, Jesus Christ who lived in heaven came from Heaven down to earth. How beautiful a relationship is seen in the manna the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The manna was a free gift from God. Ho charge was made for it. No price was stipulated for the manna. Can you imagine the Israelites receiving this food without having to pay any grocery bills? All they had to do was to go and gather it. It was free. It was the best food they could ever get to sustain them. In Exodus 16:15 we read:
“…And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”
When God gives something, it is a gift. The manna was free. In II Corinthians 9:15, it states: “thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”
Who is that unspeakable gift? Jesus Christ. John 3:16 states: “For god so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
He gave His only begotten Son. We need to consider another fact, the manna was sent to Israel, not to the other nations, the one nation, the nation of Israel.
"He came unto His own...."
John 1:11
“.. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Matthew 15:24
Jesus Christ, the Manna, is God's provision for all who acknowledge Him as their Savior and their Lord. "Salvation" the Bible says, "is of the Jews" (Jn. 4:22). The manna came to the nation of Israel. The manna came down to where the Israelites were. It fell around their camps. In Exodus 16:13-14 you will see this.
God is not far away from us. He is ready to help us. He is not so far that we cannot reach Him; He is closer than we realize. Just as the manna was right where the Israelites were in their camp, it is a type of the Lord coming to them in human flesh, tabernacling with them in a human body. It is a type of how the Lord is still showing grace to man as man recognizes his need. Man does not need to go to the Holy Land to find the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a time when He was limited to one place and one people, but He said:
"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
John 12:24
That was the answer to the Greeks who came to seek an interview with Him. He told Philip in the parable just quoted that without going to the Cross, He could not help the Greeks. His mission was primarily to the Jewish people. After His death and resurrection His salvation would not be confined
to the Jews, but become available to the Greeks and all other nations. In Romans 10, it tells us that God is not so far away that we cannot get in touch with Him. In the latter half of Romans 10:6-9 we read:
"Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
In verse 12 -13 it says,
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved."
The Lord is ready to help us if we realize our need and are convicted by the Holy Spirit. Just as the Israelites had access to the manna, we can have access to God through the Lord Jesus Who is our help in time of need. We can find Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. There is no need to travel anywhere; call upon the Name of the Lord and the Lord will save. Salvation is available to man even as the manna was available to the Israelites. They had to go and gather the manna; and appropriate it for themselves. Likewise, man without the Lord has to come to the place where he sees his need and comes in repentance to the Lord and receives cleansing, healing, and infusion of Divine life. The gathering of manna by the individual corresponds to the incorruptible seed of Christ being planted into the soul by the Holy Spirit. [See I Pet. 1:23; Jn. 16:14-15.]
The manna met a daily need. They had to go and gather manna every day except on the 7th day. Just as the manna proved to be very helpful and nutritious and had to be gathered daily, so this is a type of the fact that we must feed on Christ every day. We must commune with Christ; we must live in fellowship with Him day by day. We dare not allow a day to go by without praying to Him, worshipping Him and drawing our life from Him. We can eat of Him, feed on Him, absorb His life and approach Him in adoration, prayer, and in worship. Daily we need to keep that relationship with the Lord up-to-date. The Psalmist says,
"...Teach us to
number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom."
Psalm 90:12
"...As thy days, so shall thy strength be."
Deuteronomy 33:25
Each day the Lord wants to be our strength. Each day the Lord wants to help us in the wilderness of the world.
Praise His Holy Name!
The manna had to be gathered by every individual.
". . . Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents."
Exodus 16:16
Again, we see an important point to receive the Lord involves a personal matter. Salvation is available through a personal contact with the Lord. John 1:12:
"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons [children] of God…”.
In Romans 1:16 it says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Salvation has to be a personal matter. Our parents can not answer for us. It is true that our parents are responsible for us while we are still very young in years, but as we grow up we have to make our personal decision for the Lord. While children are still in their minor years, their parents have to teach them and lead them and guide them. They are under the care of their parents and they are blessed. But as they come to the age of responsibility, they too have to come to that place where they acknowledge the Lord for themselves. Go and gather every man of the manna (“Gather of it every man…”) and this shows us how important god views the individual and that salvation involves the individual. We have to decide for ourselves. We cannot accept Him by proxy. We have to come to Him on an individual basis.
“And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.” Exodus 16:17
The appetite determines the amount gathered. Some gathered more and some gathered less. Some want a little of Christ; others want more of Christ. It all depends on how much we are reaching out for the Lord. The Lord wants to enlarge our appetite. He wants us to have more of Him, but for us to have more of Him, we must hunger and thirst for it.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
It all depends on how much of the Lord we want as we go through the wilderness of the world.
As you will recall when Israel left the land of Egypt, a “mixt multitude” went with them. In the book of Numbers, chapter 11, verses 4-6, we read that it was this mixed multitude who began to grumble and complain and discourage the people in the way. They were the ones who said, “…Our soul loatheth this light bread” [“worthless food”] (Num. 21:5). The mixed multitude represents the unregenerate; those who may profess to know the Lord, but in reality they only put on an act. They profess but do not possess His life, and for these the manna is despised. Again this reminds me of the natural man. The Bible says the natural man does not discern the things of God, for the tings of God are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14). Many are trying to figure out the Lord with their natural mind, and they are trying to reconcile in their mind the thought that Christ is the Savior and that He is the answer to man’s problem. The more they try to figure it out, the more the answer eludes them. We can only know Him by revelation. The mixed multitude loathed the manna. The natural man does not have an appetite for the Lord. He does not see the value of Christ. His spiritual eyes are blinded. Until his eyes are opened, he cannot see.
The manna fell on the dew, not on the dust of the ground.
“And when the dew fell upon the comp in the night, the manna fell upon it.” Numbers 11:9
The dew and the manna are closely associated. The manna did not come to the ground; it fell on the dew that was on the ground. What is the meaning of this? The dust of the ground speaks of fallen man, man who has become a victim of the Enemy. Remember what the Lord told the serpent:
“…Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of they life…” Genesis 3:14
Now the serpent, as a type of Satan, is a picture of how Satan feeds on the carnal nature of man. What is the hidden prophecy there? When God says “dust shall be thy meat,” the dust speaks of fallen man. Because of his sinful nature, Satan takes advantage of the fallen nature of man to deceive him, to lead him astray; but, when the manna came, the manna fell on the dew, not on the ground. And there is a reason for that. Not on the dust of the ground but on the dew. This shows us the Jesus Christ, though He came into the world, was not connected with the dust of the ground in the sense that He was infected with sin. The dew speaks of the vigor of the Holy Spirit. Before He was born, Mary conceived through the power of the spirit. In other words, he came without sin and later on He proved Himself obedient to the Father. There was no corruption in Him. Amen! He is not connected with fallen humanity; He has no sin. He was tempted but He overcame in all points. Praise His Wonderful Name!
I mentioned that the manna was white in color, which speaks of His purity. In I Peter 1:19, He is called the Lamb without blemish and without spot. Without spot means that He had no outward pollution. Without blemish means He had no inward defects. He was pure within and without. He could touch a leper and not be infected with leprosy. The leper speaks of man in his sin. He could touch the sinner and yet not be defiled with sin. He knew no sin. “Which of you,” He said, “convinceth Me of sin?” (Jn. 8:46). So it is beautiful to see the whiteness of the color of the manna speaking of the spotless purity of the Master.
The manna “was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Ex. 16:31). Song of Solomon 2:3 speaks of the sweetness of the Lord. Indeed, He is sweeter than the honey, isn't He?! Yes, He is sweeter than the honey and the honey comb.
".. .I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste."
Song of Solomon 2:3
"My meditation of Him shall be sweet...."
Psalm 104:34
May the Lord enable us to find sweetness in Him as we meditate on Him. As we worship Him, we find delight in Him and we will find Him to be sweeter than all the pleasures of this world.
The manna was ground and baked. In Numbers 11:8 this bespeaks the sufferings of the Lord. The Bible speaks of the fact that He groaned and sighed and wept. This is a picture of the grinding of the manna. He was ill-treated by the Jews and spat upon. He was beaten by the soldiers and this speaks of the beating of the manna and of the Christ. On the Cross He faced the fire of God's judgment. The fire is used for baking. He faced the wrath of God's judgment against sin in His own person. We are told that the manna was ground and baked in order to become their food. We should always be grateful for Calvary, for the Lord and for His work of redemption. Think of how much He suffered for us so that we can receive so great a salvation.
The manna was preserved on the Sabbath. Remember, when it came on the 6th day it came in a double portion, and it did not spoil on the 7th day (Ex. 16:5, 22-27). What does this speak of? The physical body of Jesus, after it was laid in the tomb on Friday, was also in the grave on Saturday. He rose again on the next day, Sunday, the first day of the week. His body saw no corruption. Hallelujah! Just as the manna did not spoil on the 7th day, in like manner Jesus' body did not decay. How wonderful that God can give us these details.
"For thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption."
Psalm 16:10
Therefore, the manna did not spoil on the 7th day.
It was also laid up before the Lord. Aaron gathered an omer and put it in a golden pot of manna which was placed in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle (Ex. 16:33-34). In Hebrews 9:24 we see where Jesus represents us in the Holy of Holies in Heaven. He is in the very Presence of the Father and is functioning as our High Priest. The golden pot of manna speaks of the glorified body of Christ. Gold is connected with the glory of God and the life of Jesus is in a glorified body. His humanity is glorified and He is laid up, for He is seated with the Father in the Heavenlies.
The manna was called "angels' food" in Psalm 78:25. Even the holy angels feed on Christ and worship and adore Him. Furthermore, the manna was given in the night. We were in the night of sin and darkness before we came in contact with the Lord. The world was facing a night time when Jesus came, but when He came He said, "I am the light of the world" (Jn. 9:5). As the manna came secretly and silently, that was how He came the first time, and yet He is available to all who would call upon His Name while the age of grace is still in existence.
Lastly, the manna was hidden. That golden pot of manna was stored up and did not spoil. And it was hidden from the view of the Israelites after they had entered the land. But it was preserved, which is a picture of how Jesus is now hidden from the view of man, but one day He will come out of hiding. He shall return and “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ" (see Rev. 11:15). Now He is functioning as our High Priest, but when He comes to earth, He comes as "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. 19:16).
There is much revealed about manna which we can apply to our daily lives. May we come to appreciate the Lord Jesus more and more. May we see Him as the Manna and see Him as our food as we journey here on earth. We need to keep our eyes upon Him. We need to live in fellowship with Him. The First Commandment is to "love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deut. 6:5). And as truly as we love the Lord with that kind of love, which only the Holy Spirit can put into our heart, then we are going to feed on Him. We will find Him to be sweet to our taste. We will discover Him to be the fairest of ten thousand. We will discover Him more and more as the answer to all our needs. He is our portion; He is our bread; He is all that you and I need. May the Lord then give us that strength that we can only receive by coming to Him day by day, so that we can go through the wilderness of this world strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man so that when the wilderness days are over we will enter into our Heavenly inheritance. Amen!
Deoram Bolan
Contents
Chapter 1 (contained in this blog post)
Manna: What is it?............................5
Chapter 2 (to be posted later)
The Bread of Life ……………………………..12
Epilogue (to be posted later)
Hidden Manna …………………………………..42
“And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, this is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”
Exodus 16:14-15
Chapter 1
Manna: What is it?
Manna was a token of God’s grace towards the Israelites. Therefore, I would like for us to explore some of the meanings of this Divine food which God fed the Israelites for 40 years.
First, there are some basic Scriptures which we should consider in the study of manna. We will refer to Exodus, chapter 16:11-31, the book of Numbers, chapter 11:1-9, and in the New Testament, the Gospel of John 6:31-38. Jesus spoke to the Jews about the manna that God fed them and how He was the true bread that came down from heaven.
When the Israelites first beheld the manna that God sent from heaven, they were perplexed and did not know what this object was. Verse 15 in Exodus 16 states,
“And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”
In Hebrew, the word manna means: “what is it?” In the Chaldean tongue it means: “it is a portion.” In English, manna means “bread.” Jesus is referred to in the Gospel of John as the “bread of life” (Jn. 6:48), and as “the true bread which came down) from heaven” (Jn. 6:32). The people of the world who do not know the relevance of Christ and the revelation of truth which is in the Holy Scriptures have this reaction, “what is it?” “Who is this Jesus Christ?” “What is the man all about?” The true believer can say, “Christ is my portion.” For us, He is all that we need: but for those who do not know Him, there is always the question: Who is He? What is this salvation that He came to offer?
The manna proved to be a sufficient portion as stated in Exodus, chapter 16. It was sufficient for all the Israelites and there was no lack: no one had to go impoverished. Each individual, each family, had a sufficient portion. Secondly, the manna was a suitable portion. It suited the taste of old and young alike and it was to benefit old and young alike. Thirdly, it was a satisfying portion; no one went hungry. Fourthly, it was a strengthening portion that made strong people out of the Israelites. They were able to journey in the desert, to work and to fight. That food gave them strength for the wilderness and for the perils in the wilderness. Fifthly, the manna was a sustaining portion. They were sustained by this Divine food for 40 years. The Israelites could count on the fact that God would not leave them hungry in the wilderness. He sent them manna day by day, except on the 6th day when they gathered twice as much and rested on the 7th day.
From these facts we can safely say that Jesus Christ, Whom the manna typifies, is our all-sufficiency in all things. Paul referred to that in one of the Epistles. He said,
“…Our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers…of the spirit….” II Corinthians 3:5-6
Jesus Christ suits all classes, all nations, all ages, and all men everywhere.
After the Israelites crossed the wilderness and had entered into the land of Canaan, God provided for them to receive an overlapping of the manna. This is found in the book of Joshua in Chapter 5, verse 12:
"And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year."
Notice, the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land. So God sustained them until they were brought into the Promised Land. It is a picture of how Jesus Christ will sustain His children in the wilderness of this world until we are privileged to enter into the Heavenly Canaan.
Now, as we get into the description of the manna, we need to consider Exodus 16 and Numbers 11. Exodus 16:14 reads,
"And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoarfrost on the ground."
The manna is described as "small." The manna is a type of the Lord Jesus and the smallness of the manna speaks of His humility. He humbled Himself; He took a lowly position, but it was God who exalted Him after He finished the work the Father gave Him to do. The manna was "round," and the roundness speaks of the perfection of His life. A circle speaks of a figure that is complete. The Bible says He was made perfect, complete through the things He suffered (Heb. 5:8-9). It also says that manna was as "hoarfrost," and is described in Exodus 16:31 as "white." In the same verse, it is likened unto "coriander seed." This typifies the purity of His life. White is the color of purity and holiness, t1he purity of His life, that Divine life that He wants to impart within the soul of man. For the Bible says when we are born again, we are born not of the corruptible but of the incorruptible seed, by the Word of God that lives and abides for the ages. This seed speaks of the life that comes from the Lord Himself, that incorruptible life that He only can impart (1 Pet. 1:23; Jn. 3:5; Jn. 16:14-15).
In Numbers, chapter 11, you will read where the manna tasted as fresh oil and as wafers made with honey. Now, fresh oil speaks of the anointing of the Spirit that was upon the Lord. Honey speaks of the sweetness that is in the Lord. The manna was "as the color of bdellium" (Num. 11:7). This word is synonymous with the pearl and this in one sense speaks of the sufferings the Lord had to go through so that His glorious church could come forth.
It is indeed amazing that we can see these attributes of the Lord in the manna that was given to the Israelites. Just as the Israelites were sustained in the wilderness on the manna, it is a picture of how the Lord wants to sustain us in the wilderness of this world as we go through life's journey. He is the One that we need. We need Him day by day as they needed the manna. The Lord wants to become more and more alive unto us. He wants us to discover Him in a new and in a living way, day by day.
As we consider the manna, we shall limit our study just to the aspect of the manna representing the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. In a secondary sense, the manna is also a type of the Word of God. We shall not go into the aspect of the manna now as the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ. Having gone into these preliminary details, I would like to bring to your attention some more references with regard to the manna.
It is always good for us to see the background for a subject whenever we consider that subject in the light of Scripture. What was the occasion of the giving of the manna? If you go to Exodus 16, you will see that the Israelites were grumbling in the wilderness. In verse 3, they said,
"... Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
Now the Israelites, we see in verse 1, had completed 30 days since they had departed from Egypt. The manna came on the 31st day. Thirty days speak of one period. After 30 days, we see another period that leads to their going to Mount Sinai. They reached that Mount on the 60th day after their departure from Egypt. So the manna coming on the 31st day is to bring them to the foot of the Mount. They did not have manna previously. The manna did not come in the first 30 days. It was after that period was over that manna was sent from Heaven. That manna was to sustain them so that they would come to the foot of the Mount and encamp at the foot of the Mount.
Now there are depths of meaning in all these things in the Scripture. I'm sure there is a meaning to God sending the manna on the 31st day. The manna was given in spite of the murmurings and the complaints of the Israelites. God should have acted in harmony with their behavior if He were that rigid. But, instead of being rigid with them, He showed them mercy. His reaction was grace instead of judgment. That does not mean He didn't send judgment upon them when they continued to rebel, but He tempered mercy with judgment. In spite of their murmurings, God sent the manna. The murmuring of the Israelites is a type of the murmuring or rebellion of sinful man.
Although man rebelled against God, God in mercy saw fit to send a Redeemer, the manna came from Heaven. In spite of man's rebellion, God sent His Son to be the Life of the world and to be the Light of the world.
The next thing we can ponder also is the place where the manna fell. The Lord Jesus Christ, as you will recall, did not come to the earth until 4000 years had lapsed. That is from the fall of Adam, and man was becoming more and more entrenched in the ways of sin and rebellion. Yet, God sent His Son in the fullness of time. Just as there was a time for the manna to come to the Israelites, there was a time known by God when the Son was to come to earth, in spite of man's rebellion and sin. The place where the manna fell is given in Exodus 16:1.
"And they took their journey front Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt."
So when the manna came it fell in the wilderness of Sin. How important that is, for the wilderness is a picture of the world in which we live. What kind of world is this? It is a sinful world. Yet, it was into this wilderness of Sin, this world of sin, that the manna came. A wilderness is not a place, normally, for someone to dwell in; and it is a type of the fact that when Jesus Christ came into the world there was no place for Him in the inn (Lk. 2:7). There was no place for Him to lay His head as He journeyed (Lk. 9:58). Even when He went to the Cross and He laid down His life, His body was placed in a borrowed tomb (Matt. 27:57-60). So, this world was a wilderness to the Lord, and yet it was into this world He came.
"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not...."
John 1:10
Yet, He came into this wilderness of sin, but there was one place that He found lodging. He stayed in Bethany in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Beyond that, He found a place of abode: the heart of the Father. That's why He spent much time with the Fame.
The next point I would like to consider is that the Glory of God is linked with the giving of the manna. Let's consider the 10th verse of Exodus 16:
"And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud."
This is the first occurrence of the expression, "The Glory of the Lord." It was not long after that we read of the coming of the manna. The glory of the Lord is specifically connected with the giving of the manna. When we think of the glory of the Lord, the Scripture that is given in John's Gospel, 1st chapter, verse 14 comes to mind. It's a Scripture that talks about that glory.
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
The glory and the manna are connected. In II Corinthians 4:6, it says:
"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
Then we should keep in mind that the manna came down from heaven. God said that He would send them bread. This bread came from heaven. It was not a product of the earth; it was not a product of the wilderness; and, it was not a product of Egypt. This manna was not grown in the field of the world. The origin was from heaven. It descended from God. It was a gift from heaven to earth and what does that tell us? Jesus Christ is the Lord from heaven (I Cor. 15:47-49). Adam, the first man is of the earth, earthly. Jesus Christ, the second man, the last Adam, is from above. He is from Heaven. He told the Pharisees that they were of the earth, from below. He said that He was from above. “I am not of this world” (Jn. 8:23). This show conclusively His Heavenly origin. Just as the manna came from heaven, Jesus Christ who lived in heaven came from Heaven down to earth. How beautiful a relationship is seen in the manna the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The manna was a free gift from God. Ho charge was made for it. No price was stipulated for the manna. Can you imagine the Israelites receiving this food without having to pay any grocery bills? All they had to do was to go and gather it. It was free. It was the best food they could ever get to sustain them. In Exodus 16:15 we read:
“…And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”
When God gives something, it is a gift. The manna was free. In II Corinthians 9:15, it states: “thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”
Who is that unspeakable gift? Jesus Christ. John 3:16 states: “For god so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
He gave His only begotten Son. We need to consider another fact, the manna was sent to Israel, not to the other nations, the one nation, the nation of Israel.
"He came unto His own...."
John 1:11
“.. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Matthew 15:24
Jesus Christ, the Manna, is God's provision for all who acknowledge Him as their Savior and their Lord. "Salvation" the Bible says, "is of the Jews" (Jn. 4:22). The manna came to the nation of Israel. The manna came down to where the Israelites were. It fell around their camps. In Exodus 16:13-14 you will see this.
God is not far away from us. He is ready to help us. He is not so far that we cannot reach Him; He is closer than we realize. Just as the manna was right where the Israelites were in their camp, it is a type of the Lord coming to them in human flesh, tabernacling with them in a human body. It is a type of how the Lord is still showing grace to man as man recognizes his need. Man does not need to go to the Holy Land to find the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a time when He was limited to one place and one people, but He said:
"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
John 12:24
That was the answer to the Greeks who came to seek an interview with Him. He told Philip in the parable just quoted that without going to the Cross, He could not help the Greeks. His mission was primarily to the Jewish people. After His death and resurrection His salvation would not be confined
to the Jews, but become available to the Greeks and all other nations. In Romans 10, it tells us that God is not so far away that we cannot get in touch with Him. In the latter half of Romans 10:6-9 we read:
"Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
In verse 12 -13 it says,
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved."
The Lord is ready to help us if we realize our need and are convicted by the Holy Spirit. Just as the Israelites had access to the manna, we can have access to God through the Lord Jesus Who is our help in time of need. We can find Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. There is no need to travel anywhere; call upon the Name of the Lord and the Lord will save. Salvation is available to man even as the manna was available to the Israelites. They had to go and gather the manna; and appropriate it for themselves. Likewise, man without the Lord has to come to the place where he sees his need and comes in repentance to the Lord and receives cleansing, healing, and infusion of Divine life. The gathering of manna by the individual corresponds to the incorruptible seed of Christ being planted into the soul by the Holy Spirit. [See I Pet. 1:23; Jn. 16:14-15.]
The manna met a daily need. They had to go and gather manna every day except on the 7th day. Just as the manna proved to be very helpful and nutritious and had to be gathered daily, so this is a type of the fact that we must feed on Christ every day. We must commune with Christ; we must live in fellowship with Him day by day. We dare not allow a day to go by without praying to Him, worshipping Him and drawing our life from Him. We can eat of Him, feed on Him, absorb His life and approach Him in adoration, prayer, and in worship. Daily we need to keep that relationship with the Lord up-to-date. The Psalmist says,
"...Teach us to
number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom."
Psalm 90:12
"...As thy days, so shall thy strength be."
Deuteronomy 33:25
Each day the Lord wants to be our strength. Each day the Lord wants to help us in the wilderness of the world.
Praise His Holy Name!
The manna had to be gathered by every individual.
". . . Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents."
Exodus 16:16
Again, we see an important point to receive the Lord involves a personal matter. Salvation is available through a personal contact with the Lord. John 1:12:
"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons [children] of God…”.
In Romans 1:16 it says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Salvation has to be a personal matter. Our parents can not answer for us. It is true that our parents are responsible for us while we are still very young in years, but as we grow up we have to make our personal decision for the Lord. While children are still in their minor years, their parents have to teach them and lead them and guide them. They are under the care of their parents and they are blessed. But as they come to the age of responsibility, they too have to come to that place where they acknowledge the Lord for themselves. Go and gather every man of the manna (“Gather of it every man…”) and this shows us how important god views the individual and that salvation involves the individual. We have to decide for ourselves. We cannot accept Him by proxy. We have to come to Him on an individual basis.
“And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.” Exodus 16:17
The appetite determines the amount gathered. Some gathered more and some gathered less. Some want a little of Christ; others want more of Christ. It all depends on how much we are reaching out for the Lord. The Lord wants to enlarge our appetite. He wants us to have more of Him, but for us to have more of Him, we must hunger and thirst for it.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
It all depends on how much of the Lord we want as we go through the wilderness of the world.
As you will recall when Israel left the land of Egypt, a “mixt multitude” went with them. In the book of Numbers, chapter 11, verses 4-6, we read that it was this mixed multitude who began to grumble and complain and discourage the people in the way. They were the ones who said, “…Our soul loatheth this light bread” [“worthless food”] (Num. 21:5). The mixed multitude represents the unregenerate; those who may profess to know the Lord, but in reality they only put on an act. They profess but do not possess His life, and for these the manna is despised. Again this reminds me of the natural man. The Bible says the natural man does not discern the things of God, for the tings of God are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14). Many are trying to figure out the Lord with their natural mind, and they are trying to reconcile in their mind the thought that Christ is the Savior and that He is the answer to man’s problem. The more they try to figure it out, the more the answer eludes them. We can only know Him by revelation. The mixed multitude loathed the manna. The natural man does not have an appetite for the Lord. He does not see the value of Christ. His spiritual eyes are blinded. Until his eyes are opened, he cannot see.
The manna fell on the dew, not on the dust of the ground.
“And when the dew fell upon the comp in the night, the manna fell upon it.” Numbers 11:9
The dew and the manna are closely associated. The manna did not come to the ground; it fell on the dew that was on the ground. What is the meaning of this? The dust of the ground speaks of fallen man, man who has become a victim of the Enemy. Remember what the Lord told the serpent:
“…Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of they life…” Genesis 3:14
Now the serpent, as a type of Satan, is a picture of how Satan feeds on the carnal nature of man. What is the hidden prophecy there? When God says “dust shall be thy meat,” the dust speaks of fallen man. Because of his sinful nature, Satan takes advantage of the fallen nature of man to deceive him, to lead him astray; but, when the manna came, the manna fell on the dew, not on the ground. And there is a reason for that. Not on the dust of the ground but on the dew. This shows us the Jesus Christ, though He came into the world, was not connected with the dust of the ground in the sense that He was infected with sin. The dew speaks of the vigor of the Holy Spirit. Before He was born, Mary conceived through the power of the spirit. In other words, he came without sin and later on He proved Himself obedient to the Father. There was no corruption in Him. Amen! He is not connected with fallen humanity; He has no sin. He was tempted but He overcame in all points. Praise His Wonderful Name!
I mentioned that the manna was white in color, which speaks of His purity. In I Peter 1:19, He is called the Lamb without blemish and without spot. Without spot means that He had no outward pollution. Without blemish means He had no inward defects. He was pure within and without. He could touch a leper and not be infected with leprosy. The leper speaks of man in his sin. He could touch the sinner and yet not be defiled with sin. He knew no sin. “Which of you,” He said, “convinceth Me of sin?” (Jn. 8:46). So it is beautiful to see the whiteness of the color of the manna speaking of the spotless purity of the Master.
The manna “was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Ex. 16:31). Song of Solomon 2:3 speaks of the sweetness of the Lord. Indeed, He is sweeter than the honey, isn't He?! Yes, He is sweeter than the honey and the honey comb.
".. .I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste."
Song of Solomon 2:3
"My meditation of Him shall be sweet...."
Psalm 104:34
May the Lord enable us to find sweetness in Him as we meditate on Him. As we worship Him, we find delight in Him and we will find Him to be sweeter than all the pleasures of this world.
The manna was ground and baked. In Numbers 11:8 this bespeaks the sufferings of the Lord. The Bible speaks of the fact that He groaned and sighed and wept. This is a picture of the grinding of the manna. He was ill-treated by the Jews and spat upon. He was beaten by the soldiers and this speaks of the beating of the manna and of the Christ. On the Cross He faced the fire of God's judgment. The fire is used for baking. He faced the wrath of God's judgment against sin in His own person. We are told that the manna was ground and baked in order to become their food. We should always be grateful for Calvary, for the Lord and for His work of redemption. Think of how much He suffered for us so that we can receive so great a salvation.
The manna was preserved on the Sabbath. Remember, when it came on the 6th day it came in a double portion, and it did not spoil on the 7th day (Ex. 16:5, 22-27). What does this speak of? The physical body of Jesus, after it was laid in the tomb on Friday, was also in the grave on Saturday. He rose again on the next day, Sunday, the first day of the week. His body saw no corruption. Hallelujah! Just as the manna did not spoil on the 7th day, in like manner Jesus' body did not decay. How wonderful that God can give us these details.
"For thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption."
Psalm 16:10
Therefore, the manna did not spoil on the 7th day.
It was also laid up before the Lord. Aaron gathered an omer and put it in a golden pot of manna which was placed in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle (Ex. 16:33-34). In Hebrews 9:24 we see where Jesus represents us in the Holy of Holies in Heaven. He is in the very Presence of the Father and is functioning as our High Priest. The golden pot of manna speaks of the glorified body of Christ. Gold is connected with the glory of God and the life of Jesus is in a glorified body. His humanity is glorified and He is laid up, for He is seated with the Father in the Heavenlies.
The manna was called "angels' food" in Psalm 78:25. Even the holy angels feed on Christ and worship and adore Him. Furthermore, the manna was given in the night. We were in the night of sin and darkness before we came in contact with the Lord. The world was facing a night time when Jesus came, but when He came He said, "I am the light of the world" (Jn. 9:5). As the manna came secretly and silently, that was how He came the first time, and yet He is available to all who would call upon His Name while the age of grace is still in existence.
Lastly, the manna was hidden. That golden pot of manna was stored up and did not spoil. And it was hidden from the view of the Israelites after they had entered the land. But it was preserved, which is a picture of how Jesus is now hidden from the view of man, but one day He will come out of hiding. He shall return and “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ" (see Rev. 11:15). Now He is functioning as our High Priest, but when He comes to earth, He comes as "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. 19:16).
There is much revealed about manna which we can apply to our daily lives. May we come to appreciate the Lord Jesus more and more. May we see Him as the Manna and see Him as our food as we journey here on earth. We need to keep our eyes upon Him. We need to live in fellowship with Him. The First Commandment is to "love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deut. 6:5). And as truly as we love the Lord with that kind of love, which only the Holy Spirit can put into our heart, then we are going to feed on Him. We will find Him to be sweet to our taste. We will discover Him to be the fairest of ten thousand. We will discover Him more and more as the answer to all our needs. He is our portion; He is our bread; He is all that you and I need. May the Lord then give us that strength that we can only receive by coming to Him day by day, so that we can go through the wilderness of this world strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man so that when the wilderness days are over we will enter into our Heavenly inheritance. Amen!
About Us
This blog is to make available transcripts of the spoken teaching by brother Deoram Bolan ["Brother D"] of Arlington, Texas, whose ministry is known as Trumpet Voice Ministries.
The clerk of this blog, Peter A. Van Breemen, bears responsibility for the choice of the materials and the editing.
Currently, MP3 audio versions of selected messages by brother Bolan are available at www.sermonaudio.com .
Scheduled meetings for Brother D teaching the Word of God are announced at http://www.thechange.org/new/brotherd.html
The clerk of this blog, Peter A. Van Breemen, bears responsibility for the choice of the materials and the editing.
Currently, MP3 audio versions of selected messages by brother Bolan are available at www.sermonaudio.com .
Scheduled meetings for Brother D teaching the Word of God are announced at http://www.thechange.org/new/brotherd.html
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