Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down Bread from Heaven for you." (Ex. 16:4) Jesus said, "For the Bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world. I am the Bread of Life." (John 6:33,35) Psalm 35
RECOGNIZING GOD'S GLORY WHEN WE SEE IT
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"
25 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. 26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.
Israel passed through the Red Sea when it's waves were hald back by the outstretched arm of the Lord their God. They went from this glorious Red Sea experience into the wilderness of Shur, in which three days passed without locating water for the multitude of people. Then they came to Marah where water was discovered but the people were unable to drink of it because it was bitter. Imagine the disappointment and discouragment which prevailed. Yet God's word promises that His people will be guided by His right hand, and changed from glory to glory. Here in Exodus 15-16, Israel failed to recognize this time of testing as a foretaste of the glory to be revealed.
At Marah the peope murmured against Moses, and Moses cried to the Lord. When he sought the Lord, the Lord revealed to him a tree and when Moses cast the tree into the bitter waters the waters were made sweet.
Thus says the Lord:
1) Seek the Lord for the healing of your specific situation and do not become embroiled in bitterness and discouragment.
2) God is going to make your bitter waters sweet. I am talking about personal or individual situations which have made your life increasingly difficult.
3) Renew covenant with the Lord based upon a new revelation of the Lord your God and on His word and will for your life.
MARAH TO ELIM: FROM BITTER MURMURERS TO MATURE TREES
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.
Elim was an oasis where there were 12 wells of water and threescore and ten (70) palm trees, and the congregation of the children of Israel camped there by the waters. Refreshing is even a time of testing and proving of God's people. The Day Spring from on High visits us and we are lead to the living fountains to receive from the Lord. This isn't just a time of "entertainment." There is a will and purpose of God in all of it, which requires a maturity and discernment. To whom much is given much will also be required.
DRAWING WATER FROM THE WELLS OF SALVATION
At Christ's birth wise men from the east were alerted by the Holy Spirit through the prophetic scrolls which state that in Bethlehem of Judea a Governor would come forth that would rule God's people Israel. These magi left their home country by this word from the Lord. God lead them to the exact place where they could worship the newborn King, the Rock of Ages. They bestowed their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and went home another way. The prophecy of the Jewish priest Zachariah had come to pass. Through the tender mercy of our God, the Day Spring from on High visited us.
Messiah is a Well Spring of Living Water to everyone who believes on His name. Proverbs 18:4, promises us "Wisdom as a flowing brook." He ismade unto us the Wisdom of God.!" He is the Well of Life from which we draw water from the wells of salvation! (Isaiah 12:3) 2 Timothy 2:4
In that great day of the feast, Yeshua/Jesus stood and cried: If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink: He that believes on me as the scriptures have said: out of his belly shalol flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive. For the Spirit was not yet given because Yeshua/Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)
The Israelites saw a certain revelation of the Lord at the opening of the Red Sea when the camp stood at it's door with the enemy at their backs. God told them that "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Yet circumstances seemed to tempt tham to place their focus on the physical, temporal needs. The desert without water humbled them, as did the bitter disappointment of Marah. Now God will yet provide a fresh revelation of Himself and it was that of God who is the very sustainer of life, not just as the Lord our Healer as wonderful as it is to be healed, but the Lord who promises us that disease will not find a place in His people at all, "if...God wants His people to walk in a place of divine health through faith in His word and obedience to His covenant.
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. ("Exodus 15:26) Thus says Jehovah Rapha, that "He is the Lord who heals you, should you need him to be this to you.
Isaiah 61:2-3 states: That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Why? because God wanted to use Israel to builders of cities. ...And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:4)
ELIM TO THE WILDERNESS OF SIN
Elim was a marvellous, miraculous oasis but God's people had to move on, that they might see God's glory manifest to them in other ways. There would be another wilderness of testing after Elim's times of refreshing. God would prove His people and their loyalty to Himself and the covenant which they had entered into with Him.
16:1 And they took their journey from 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.
16:2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, 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.
16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
In Psalm 105:37 we read of how God healed them by His word and there wasn't a feeble one among them in all the tribes. God promised to make everyone without exception "immune to diseases" that He put on the Egyptians. At this time in which the camp of Israel now murmured, angered at Moses and Aaron, they had been on the road for exactly one month, having left Egypt on the 15th of the month in Numbers 33:3. The indication is that they moved slowly stopping perhaps for several days at a time. Yet one more month brought them to Sinai. (19:1) It doesn't take much to iritate some folks. The slightest temporary discomfort...One's favorite pop consumed by another family member, the gas used up in the family automobile, no toilet paper in the john, not one's favorite hotel on the short term mission sponsored by the church, or lack of revelation as to why the pastor preached that particular sermon, heard another time before.
GOD'S GLORY MANIFESTED TO THE MURMURERS
16:6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
16:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
16:8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
LET THE MURMURERS COME BEFORE THE LORD
(For the Lord Has Heard Your Murmurings!)
16:9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
A CLOUD OF GOD'S GLORY IS GOING TO APPEAR!
16:10 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.
1) Thus says the Lord: Look for Me and expect Me to manifest My glorious appearing in the very center of your wilderness where I have prepared a table for you in the presence of your enemies! And stop expecting a perfect set of conditions or circumstances, saying: Oh if revival were only here then we'd have bread to the full, then meat. Then we'd be healed. Then the wine of joy would flow freely. Then we'd dance on the shores of our Red Sea.Know of a certainty that leadership is placed into their position by your Saviour and Lord who is King over all. Your murmurings allow the Adversary to bring deep discouragment which can sap the anointing. "Elijah? Jezebel is looking for you to lop off your head! She'd heading you off at the pass and hunting to take away your very life! But don't let it get to you! You've got a dozen couples to counsel! A stack of church bills to pay by disgruntled parishoners who plan to give more freely when they are not so ticked off that revival has waned because "You're not anointed!" The Hospital Visitation Committee says there are a lot of sick out this month and it's not just vacations. This is serious!
These very times in which we know that we have sinned against the Lord and spoken harshly against others, and against the Lord, will if we will draw near to His throne of grace in full assurance of faith and receive forgiveness and help in time of need, afford His greatest provision, mercy and protection. But most of all, a personal revelation of who God is can be imparted to us at this time. And a humbling and an understanding of who we are as His covenant people.
Don't be afraid to draw near! Come boldly before God's throne of grace! Be totally honest with Him and ask Him to meet your needs in a very specific way, for we have not because we ask not!
3) God will forgive you. He has compassion to impart to you. He will love you freely. He's not going to withold what is His very good for you. He gave manna and quail to the Israelites didn't He? God has mercy and long suffering, not so that we will take His kindness for a weakness, but so that we will recognize that grace gives us space to repent and be converted from the error of our ways, when we go astray. But there's a warning as well "not to murmur as some of them did, and were destroyed of the destroyer and God was not pleased with their generation."
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
16:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
16:13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
16:14 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.
16:15 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.
*You note that this is the bread the Lord has given you to eat? As the song says...Not (just) my brother, not my sister, but it's me O Lord! And God's word calls it bread. It's given as part of that wonderful table God prepares even in the wilderness.
When God's manifested glory comes to us, we must not just say "What is it?" It's something good for us. It 's not just snow or hoary frost on the ground signaling another wintry season. It's time to wake up! And shake sleep! If we will have the proper response, it can herald spring, and leading the bleakness of that wintry season behind.
16:16 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; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
16:18 And 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. (2 Cor. 8:7f)
In the Apostle Paul's exhortation on the Abundant Life" spoken of in 2 Corinthians 8:7f, he writes: For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack. (2 Corinthians 8:13-15)
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