Manna That Didn’t See Corruption

Manna That Didn’t See Corruption

When Moses led the congregation of Israel out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the Sinai Peninsula, God fed His people with Manna. (cf. Exodus 16)

The word “manna,” means, “what is it,” which was the question the people first asked when they saw the substance lying on the ground in the morning. Manna was a round, white substance, like a coriander seed, yet with a taste like wafers made with honey (cf. Exodus 16:31). It could be boiled or baked, and it fed the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness (cf. Exodus 16:23, 35)

God has given the bread of life to His people.

God has given the bread of life to His people.

Manna was, unequivocally, a supernatural substance, and is sometimes referred to as “the bread from heaven.”  (eg. Exodus 16:4; Psalm 78:24, 105:40) It appeared with the dew in the morning and then evaporated from the ground with the sun when not gathered. Moreover, it operated a little differently depending on the day of the week. From Sunday to Friday, any manna not eaten during the day began to rot overnight and go bad. (cf. Exodus 16:17-21). But on Friday night, and all-day Saturday, it didn’t do this. Manna prepared for consumption on Friday would last through till the end of Saturday.

Part of the reason for this was practical and instructive for God’s people. He wanted them to learn to take no more than they needed, from day to day, relying completely on Him each day. Yet He had also commanded them not to work on the Sabbath, or Saturday, which included as part of the command, no cooking. The manna thus operated in a way that allowed the people to keep God’s command.

But there was, perhaps, another reason God had for the manna that didn’t see corruption: it was a foreshadowing of the death and burial of His Son.

Time and space preclude a full discussion of the symbolic importance of manna in relationship to Jesus Christ, but let us touch on one such connection between manna and the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and having made the connection, let us also make a quick application.

While some might think such a relationship is a stretch, it was Jesus Himself who pointed His followers to consider Him in relationship to the manna with which God fed the Israelites. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as having preached an entire sermon devoted to the subject that He Himself was the true bread of heaven.

After Jesus miraculously supplied some 5000 individuals with food, the crowds came to Him again, demanding to be fed. They reminded Him that Moses had been marked by giving bread to the people of God, to which Jesus replied, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:32-33)

He also spoke to them saying, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.” (John 6:48-50; NKJV)

Thus we see this connection made, symbolically, by Christ, between Himself and manna. So, to our point, how does this all relate to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ?

Jesus died on Passover, and was buried that evening, during the period of time we would call Friday night. His labors were over and He rested on the Sabbath in the tomb, awaiting the triumph of Sunday morning, when He would rise again.

Of this time, David, who was a prophet of God wrote of Jesus, saying, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” (Psalm 16:10; ESV) Jesus was in the tomb, by modern reckoning for somewhere between 24 and 36 hours. While there is some small internal decay of a body immediately following death, bacteria, we are told, does not begin to truly work on the body until after two or three days have passed. Jesus was not dead long enough for this process to truly get underway.

So here we have this connection. Jesus was the true Bread of Heaven, sent from God to give life and sustenance to God’s people. In the wilderness, come Sabbath, manna, the bread of heaven which foreshadowed Christ, did not see decay, and when Jesus was in the tomb on Saturday, He likewise did not see decay.

Some might think this to be a trivial sort of point, but as we contemplate it, we must be moved by the incredible forethought that God put into His plan, foreshadowing it every step of the way, so that the whole of the Old Testament speaks to us today, pointing us over and over to the work of Christ, as was written, “now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11; NKJV)

What is our conclusion then? Let us hear what Jesus said in this matter: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set His seal.” (John 6:27; ESV)

God signified the identity of Jesus with a multitude of evidences. He is the Christ we are wise to hearken to, working to gain the resurrection that He has promised us.

 

Posted in Jonathan McAnulty | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Manna That Didn’t See Corruption

The Question of Why?

The Question of Why?

The question of “why” is noble when we truly desire to understand the reasoning behind some statement, imperative, or suggestion. However, the question of “why” is often asked simply because we want to avoid something and is an indicator of a bad attitude and contentious spirit. Nothing may be more crucial to our eternal salvation that an honest inquiry into the reasons behind the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus. Why was Jesus in such agony in the garden? Why was Jesus betrayed? Why did the people ask for Barabbas? Why was Jesus beaten and his garments parted? Why was he crucified? Why did his Father forsake him? Even Pilate wanted to know, “Why, what evil has he done?”

Why did he die so an entire world could be free?

Why did he die so an entire world could be free?

There are several pertinent answers to these questions. To fulfill the prophecies of old (Mathew 27:9, 35). Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). To do the will of the Father (Matthew 26:39). Jesus was delivered up “by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Galatians 4:4; Acts 2:23). And to save us from our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).

Why should you obey him and serve him faithfully? Be-cause of the hope of heaven and the salvation from eternal destruction. Love, obey, and serve Him. Why? Because He loves you.

Posted in Tim Dooley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Question of Why?

Feeling Defensive?

Feeling Defensive?

Have you ever caught yourself being defensive?  I know I have on more than one occasion.  Defensiveness is a product of our desire for justice.  We want others to treat us fairly, and when we perceive that isn’t happening, we get defensive.  Defensiveness is also a mechanism for self-preservation.  We assume that if we defend ourselves, this will cause the accusation to go away.  There is no guarantee, however, that the person with whom we are dealing will treat us fairly.  Moreover, more often than not, we get defensive when we are guilty, and don’t want to be responsible for our actions.  Pride often blinds us to our guilt and hence, our defensiveness.

He who justifies will justify.  Don't be defensive.

He who justifies will justify. Don’t be defensive.

As Christians, we should not be defensive.  Defensiveness is a form of self-justification—a way to justify ourselves so as to appear righteous in the eyes of others.  In Luke 16:15, Jesus said to the Pharisees: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”  The Bible teaches us that we can’t justify ourselves (Romans 3:20), but it is God who justifies us (Romans 8:33).  To have God justify me is a much superior situation to justifying myself because while I may not get things right, God will always get it right.

So how does this translate to everyday behavior?  We don’t need to practice self-justification.  If we haven’t behaved correctly, then let’s own up to that and not be defensive.  Faithful Christians will forgive and move on.  For those who won’t forgive, remember that it is God who justifies, not them.  We may not be treated fairly, but let’s trust that God will provide for us.  God bless you and I love you.

Posted in Kevin Cauley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Feeling Defensive?

The Chain Reaction of Sin

The Chain Reaction of Sin

There were only fifteen judges chosen by God to deliver his people.  They hold a special place in the history of Israel.  They did great things by the power of God.  Their leadership often guided Israel away from sin.  However, their leadership was not always perfect.  A poor action by a leader can affect generations.  Such effects have been seen by rulers around the world.  The people often take upon themselves the attitudes and behaviors of their leader and once sin is born the tide of consequences are rarely turned.

The sinful behaviors of one man can change the course of the world.

The sinful behaviors of one man can change the course of the world.

Gideon, despite following the direction of God in the deliverance of Israel, also led them into sin.  Following the triumph over the Midianite kings, Gideon took the spoils of war and fashioned an ephod in his city Ophrah.  An ephod is a shoulder garment worn by a priest.  The 8th chapter of Judges declares Gideon’s Ephod was a snare to his house and it caused Israel to go a “whoring” after it.  This phrase is in reference to the relationship between God and his people.  God was as a husband and Israel as his bride.  Israel chose to worship the ephod as they did the golden calf when Moses was on Mt. Sinai.  God declared then that Israel should have no other Gods besides Him (Exodus 20).  The action of Israel in the time of Gideon was that of adultery against God.  Certainly, this was not the original intent of Gideon, but he was the cause of it.

When Adam sinned, it affected an entire world (Genesis 3).  When Korah sinned his actions led to the death of approximately 15,000 Israelites (Numbers 16).  In Judges 17-18, household idols formed by a man named Micah would ultimately be taken and worshipped by the tribe of Dan. Their sinful idol worship would continue until Israel went into captivity.  Many New Testament books speak of sins coming into the Church and spreading.  Sin is infectious and frequently does not stop with one person.  It certainly did not with Gideon.

Many of us can look back on our lives and wish to take away sinful actions which caused pain and stress upon ourselves and others.  Let us walk carefully in the way of the Lord and seek to do His Will with every step.

Posted in Travis Main | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Chain Reaction of Sin

The Rich Man, the Eye of a Needle and Heaven

The Rich Man, the Eye of a Needle and Heaven

As far back as I can remember I’ve heard Christians say, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.” In fact, in past years, this is what I said that Jesus said about this topic. I was wrong when I taught this. Let’s take a moment to carefully examine what our Lord said. Let’s take time to learn the importance of reading the Bible more carefully.

Do you trust in God or the wealth and power of the world?

Do you trust in God or the wealth and power of the world?

So, let me ask you, is the following statement true? “The Bible teaches that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.” True or false? Suppose I were to say that this is not what the Bible says. There is a context in which these words were said. However, we far too often fail to read the verses before and after a single favorite verse. Matthew, Mark and Luke record the words of Jesus in this way. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” How then could I have said, “This is not what the Bible says”?

Take time to study the matter more deeply. Mark adds another aspect of the rich man which so many have overlooked. Just before Jesus spoke of the rich man and the needle, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mark 10:24). The kind of rich man Jesus had in mind when he spoke of the eye of the needle was the rich man who trusts in his riches. It was not the possession of the riches which was the problem, it was the trust rich men foolishly place in their riches.

Think about it for just a moment. How rich was David? How rich was young Solomon? How rich was Job? Have you not known Christians who were rich, yet their riches did not destroy their spirituality? We have failed to see precisely what Jesus was saying. The dangers of riches is that because of them men begin to trust in their riches more than in God.

There’s one other thing we need to see about rich men and the eye of a needle. The passage is not discussing entering heaven but entering the kingdom of heaven. What is that kingdom? The Bible clearly shows that the kingdom of heaven is the church! Jesus was not saying that rich men have problems entering into heaven, but they have problems entering into the church. Those who trust in riches rarely become Christians, but if they truly die to self in their repentance, they become tremendous assets to the cause of Christ. When they die to self, their riches no longer control them. They control their riches!

Let me encourage you to read the Bible more carefully. Read it more slowly. You may be overlooking great truths!

Posted in Dan Jenkins | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Rich Man, the Eye of a Needle and Heaven