2. NEW STARTS AND BARREN HEARTS

2. NEW STARTS AND BARREN HEARTS

Once our salvation is secured in Christ, God is determined to keep us. We are in His hand and He holds us tightly.

An important precept based on John 6:1-14, 22-51:

God often introduces spiritual needs through physical needs. God will often tell us “I need to spend time with you; and if I have to stop you from what you are doing, your captivity to activity – and lay you on your back so that I can be with you, that is what I will do. That is a means of teaching a spiritual need through a physical need.

The manna in Exodus 16 was –

1. God’s answer to man’s hunger (Exodus 16:1-4). God allows us to come to a place where we realize there is a spiritual starvation; an emptiness nothing else can fill in live, only Christ – the Manna from Heaven (2 Peter 3:9). Our spirit is a driving force that will continue to search for God. It drives us to a need for God (1 Corinthians 6:17; Romans 8:9).

2. A gift of God’s grace (Exodus 16:4-8). It was the answer to their grumbling, but their grumbling did not deserve the gift He gave. It was a grace gift (John 1:17). It was something God gave freely from His own heart as a gift of grace.

3. The physical manifestation of God’s glory (Exodus 16:6-7). In Hebrew the word “glory” means weight, esteem, honor, that which was most costly. God said “You will see my worth in the morning by way of the manifestation of the manna” (Luke 2:25-32). Jesus is the glory of the God of Israel. The Greek word in the New Testament for “glory” is “doxa,” derived from “dokeo,” which means to think or recognize. God sent Christ so that mankind could recognize God.

4. Sent from heaven (Exodus 16:4; John 6:51; Psalm 19:1). The heavens declare the glory of God, and when the heavens sent down the glory of God by way of that manna; it was declaring that when Christ came, He came as a declaration of God’s glory.

5. Unique and unprecedented. The word “manna” means “What is it?” It was totally unique. When Christ came He was not like other prophets; He was completely unique and unprecedented (Mark 4:41). They were saying “What is this?”  Manna. Completely unique.

6. A corporate promise, but an individual portion. All who wished to be fed had to participate. That is salvation. God has met our every need. Our ultimate need is that we all need Christ. When God sent Christ, He sent enough for all of us - enough manna to feed everyone.

7. Perfectly satisfying (Exodus 16:12). Eat (akal, Hebrew) means “to burn up, consume, devour. At twilight, you are going to eat that which you crave. Filled (sabia, Hebrew) means to sate, to satisfy, to be full. In the morning you will be filled from the bread of heaven. In the things of this world that we think we crave, there is no true satisfaction. Satisfaction is when finally you realize of that which you partake fills you to a place of perfect satisfaction. My sweetest moments with Christ are when He just satisfies my soul, all by ourselves.

Christ was also God’s satisfaction. He filled what God needed Him to fill (Isaiah 53:10-11). God knew that it would be the only way that there would be any godly offspring. God is satisfied with Jesus. When Christ died on the cross, God was full. The payment had been made.

8. Proportioned to the need (Exodus 16:18). Christ is always perfectly proportioned to our need (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). He comforts us in all of our troubles. God always supplies His grace according to our need. Anything that concerns you, it is worth taking to Christ. When the time comes, and the need arises, so does God’s grace.

9. Soon rejected in favor of something new (Numbers 11:4-6; 1 Corinthians 2:1-2). Simple precepts, that is enough. May it always be new.

10. Training for daily dependence. God was teaching them daily dependence on him “for that day.” “Give us this day” Christ says. We need daily encouragement (Matthew 6:11; Hebrews 3:12-15). Long-term victory happens one day at a time – a bunch of daily victories finally stuck together. It is daily walking in Christ.

11. To teach them of God’s Word (Deuteronomy 8:3; Mark 4:14). God was trying to teach them that He could meet every one of their physical needs, and there would still be a need for the Word of God. There is no way to live in daily victory apart from God’s Word. Living on God’s Word – that is where it happens. Claiming His promises for the day when you are at the end of your rope.

12. Expected to appear again (Revelation 2:17). The Israelites believed that Josiah hid the ark and that it will appear again in the earthly reign of the Messiah. The “hidden manna” will be given to those who overcome.

13. Expected in the morning (Revelation 22:16). When Christ returns in His visible Second Coming, it will be at the break of a Jerusalem morning. Christ says “I AM the Bright and Morning Star.” He will come in the dawn just like the manna from heaven.