In the beginning of year 2011 we had a camp where we enjoyed Christ as our salvation in the book of Exodus. I was all too excited to go back and enjoy Christ as our provision. In Exodus we see Christ as our salvation, provision, revelation and building. At each student camp we are covering each of these aspects.
At the SA students camp in November 2011 we covered the manna and the living water. What really stood out to me was that the manna and the living water is not only for us to be satisfied but that these are actually part of God’s economy. In the previous camp we saw that we need to replace our Egyptian diet of leeks, onions and garlic. However, what do we replace it with? We need to replace it with the manna and the living water! We need to change our constitution. In Egypt we were constituted with Egyptian food but in the wilderness we need to be reconstituted with Christ.
The Israelites were out of Egypt but were still constituted with Egypt, they were still longing for Egyptian food. We need to realize that we can be out of the world but still be constituted with the world. We may all love the Lord very much but what is our diet like? What do we like to eat? We all know the famous line, you are what you eat. We need to eat the manna, we need to eat Christ!
How do we eat manna today, more than 4000 years later? Well, manna is a type of Christ. All the characteristics of manna portray the characteristics of Christ. There are many characteristics of manna but here are a few that I enjoyed:
- Manna came from heaven – Christ is the bread from heaven (Exo. 16:4, John 6:51);
- Manna came from the morning – Christ as the real manna is our new beginning every morning (Exo 16:21);
- Manna was small – Christ became small enough for us to eat (Exo 16:14);
- Manna was round – Christ as our food is eternal, perfect and full (Exo 16:14).
God’s economy is to make Himself one with man and man one with Him. The way we do it is to be reconstituted with Him. If we eat Him, we become like Him in His life and nature (not in the Godhead to be worshiped).
My highlight of the camp was definitely message 3 on the Living Water coming out of the smitten rock. After we eat of Him, we still need to drink of Him to satisfy our thirst. If I only eat the whole day without drinking anything, I will be pretty uncomfortable.
God led the Israelites into the wilderness. After a while they started complaining about the food, then the water. But what they did not realize was that God was leading them all along with the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Our Christian experience is similar. Once we are out of Egypt, everything is great. We can sing and praise the Lord as much as we want and enjoy it. However, after a little while, our Christian experience may not be so enjoyable anymore. Once we are in the wilderness we start complaining. We forget about what the Lord has done for us in Egypt and out of Egypt and we start moaning and groaning.
BUT, and this is a big BUT, we need to remember that the Lord has led us into the wilderness. We have no one to blame but the Lord, not our family, serving ones, or elders. The Lord is the One that led us into the wilderness. But once we are in the wilderness what should we do? We should not start complaining but rather tell the Lord: “Lord, You are the One that led me here. Lord, I am thirsty. Give me a drink!“ Some of us have been in the church life for quite a while and our experience of the Lord is just not rich anymore and we do not understand. We have been eating all these years but not drinking enough! We need to drink!
We need to realize that we are dry, but that we need to drink. There is only One with such an ability to quench our thirst. We need to drink of Him! Hallelujah for such a Thirst-Quencher!
![In My Father's house are many abodes; if [it were] not [so,] I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2](https://i0.wp.com/agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/In-My-Fathers-house-are-many-abodes-if-it-were-not-so-I-would-have-told-you.jpg?fit=178%2C100&ssl=1)
Amen. I was touched this questions: We may all love the Lord very much but what is our diet like? How do we eat manna today, more than 4000 years later?
This sharing reminds me another precious story when God led the people to Marah, which means bitterness. Exodus 15:23 says,
“And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of
Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.” …they “murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (v. 24).
Like the children of Israel, we also have complained and murmured about
our bitter situations. But as a true servant of the Lord, instead of striving with this
murmuring and complaining people, Moses cried out to the Lord (v. 25).
In response to his cry, the Lord showed him a tree (v. 25). When Moses
cast the tree into the waters, the waters were made sweet. First Peter
2:24 indicates that this tree signifies the cross of Christ. Thus, the
tree that healed the bitter waters denotes the cross on which the Lord
was crucified. The cross of Christ, the unique cross, is the healing
cross.
On the one hand, we are like the people who complained and murmured. On
the other hand, we are like Moses who cried to the Lord. When we cry out
to the Lord in prayer, He shows us the vision of the crucified Christ.
We need to see a vision of the cross. Seeing this vision, we apply the
cross of Christ to our situation, and immediately the bitter waters
become sweet."
Portion from Life -Study of Exodus chapter 30
Amen. I was touched this questions: We may all love the Lord very much but what is our diet like? How do we eat manna today, more than 4000 years later?
This sharing reminds me another precious story when God led the people to Marah, which means bitterness. Exodus 15:23 says,
“And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of
Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.” …they “murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (v. 24).
Like the children of Israel, we also have complained and murmured about
our bitter situations. But as a true servant of the Lord, instead of striving with this
murmuring and complaining people, Moses cried out to the Lord (v. 25).
In response to his cry, the Lord showed him a tree (v. 25). When Moses
cast the tree into the waters, the waters were made sweet. First Peter
2:24 indicates that this tree signifies the cross of Christ. Thus, the
tree that healed the bitter waters denotes the cross on which the Lord
was crucified. The cross of Christ, the unique cross, is the healing
cross.
On the one hand, we are like the people who complained and murmured. On
the other hand, we are like Moses who cried to the Lord. When we cry out
to the Lord in prayer, He shows us the vision of the crucified Christ.
We need to see a vision of the cross. Seeing this vision, we apply the
cross of Christ to our situation, and immediately the bitter waters
become sweet.”
Portion from Life -Study of Exodus chapter 30
Amen! OH! LORD JESUS.You are our true food & our true drink:that can satisfy and nourish us.
Amen. I was touched this questions: We may all love the Lord very much but what is our diet like? How do we eat manna today, more than 4000 years later?
This sharing reminds me another precious story when God led the people to Marah, which means bitterness. Exodus 15:23 says,
“And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of
Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.” …they “murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (v. 24).
Like the children of Israel, we also have complained and murmured about
our bitter situations. But as a true servant of the Lord, instead of striving with this
murmuring and complaining people, Moses cried out to the Lord (v. 25).
In response to his cry, the Lord showed him a tree (v. 25). When Moses
cast the tree into the waters, the waters were made sweet. First Peter
2:24 indicates that this tree signifies the cross of Christ. Thus, the
tree that healed the bitter waters denotes the cross on which the Lord
was crucified. The cross of Christ, the unique cross, is the healing
cross.
On the one hand, we are like the people who complained and murmured. On
the other hand, we are like Moses who cried to the Lord. When we cry out
to the Lord in prayer, He shows us the vision of the crucified Christ.
We need to see a vision of the cross. Seeing this vision, we apply the
cross of Christ to our situation, and immediately the bitter waters
become sweet.”
Portion from Life -Study of Exodus chapter 30
Amen. I was touched this questions: We may all love the Lord very much but what is our diet like? How do we eat manna today, more than 4000 years later?
This sharing reminds me another precious story when God led the people to Marah, which means bitterness. Exodus 15:23 says,
“And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of
Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.” …they “murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (v. 24).
Like the children of Israel, we also have complained and murmured about
our bitter situations. But as a true servant of the Lord, instead of striving with this
murmuring and complaining people, Moses cried out to the Lord (v. 25).
In response to his cry, the Lord showed him a tree (v. 25). When Moses
cast the tree into the waters, the waters were made sweet. First Peter
2:24 indicates that this tree signifies the cross of Christ. Thus, the
tree that healed the bitter waters denotes the cross on which the Lord
was crucified. The cross of Christ, the unique cross, is the healing
cross.
On the one hand, we are like the people who complained and murmured. On
the other hand, we are like Moses who cried to the Lord. When we cry out
to the Lord in prayer, He shows us the vision of the crucified Christ.
We need to see a vision of the cross. Seeing this vision, we apply the
cross of Christ to our situation, and immediately the bitter waters
become sweet.”
Portion from Life -Study of Exodus chapter 30