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Last three verses of 225.
225 beginning at verse 3.
I'll hear it.
Chapter 4.
Second Timothy, chapter 4.
Verse 6.
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not only to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. And then in the last verse.
The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy Spirit, grace be with you. Amen. One other passage in UMM James chapter 5.
James chapter 5, verse seven. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and thou hath long patience for until he received the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh in our first meeting, uh.
A brother Red Axe.
242 They continued steadfastly, and the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and the breaking of bread and in prayers.
And the first thing that they continued steadfastly in his doctrine.
Teaching the apostles teaching. They have found it increasingly precious brethren, in our reading meetings where we can go over the apostles doctrine teaching.
I grew up in many conferences where we had those who were far more able than myself, and I must say the things that were gleaned and those meetings were a treasure. They continue to be a treasure.
My soul and I find that traveling back and forth between Latin America and North America that.
There is a awakening of the Spirit of God. I believe in Latin America, the appreciation of those truths. They're precious brethren. They're foundational. We our lives are based on them and the fellowship that we enjoy is because of the doctrine and I I would like to suggest the portion I trust it will be profitable. First Corinthians chapter 10.
Which deals with the theme later on in the chapter. It speaks of the Lord's Table, the only mention of the Lord's Table in the New Testament.
But it's connected with principles that I really believe are very important and I could trust that there will be a desire to learn it. I really appreciate seeing younger brother in here.
00:10:15
And Latin America, there's a lot of younger brothers and, uh, the energy to be at meetings and to be at conferences. It is marked, not saying they don't have problems, they do, but I, I just say that it really is encouraging to me. And I, I just wonder if sometimes we're not getting the grounding here in the United States that we used to get.
So I suggest that if that is suitable to the red end.
First Corinthians, chapter 10.
Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant all that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized under Moses in the cloud and in the sea. And it all eat the same spiritual meat, and it all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.
But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples to the intent. We should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither 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.
Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day. Three and 20,000.
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Now all these things happened unto them, for in samples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Wherefore let him that thing of thee standeth. Take heed lest he fall. There has no temptation taking 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. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
I speak as to wise men. Judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
For we, being many, are one bread and one body, For we are all partakers of that one bread.
Behold Israel after the flesh. Are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
What say I then? That the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything but? I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice the devils.
And not to God I would not that he should have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of devils.
Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient.
All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth whatsoever is sold in the shambles that eat, asking no question for conscience sake. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. If any of them that believe not, bid you to a feast.
00:15:27
And ye be disposed to go whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.
Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other. For why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?
For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of? For that for which I give thanks.
Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Give no offense neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God, even as I please all men and all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
As I mentioned before, uh, the Lord's Table is mentioned the only time in the New Testament in verse 21. It's interesting that in the uh, following chapter, the Lord's Supper is mentioned in verse 20, Chapter 11, verse 20, those two things go together, the Lord's Table and the Lord's Supper. Lord's Table is the place.
Where we show the fellowship of the body of Christ.
And this fellowship of the blood of Christ, the Lord's Supper, is what we celebrate at that place. And so the two things are distinct, but they go together. But it's interesting to me, and I think it's profitable for us to start at the beginning of the chapter because you might think at the Lord's table is everything in order?
Well, what was the?
Course of the history of the children of Israel and it has them coming out of Egypt there in the very first verse.
They were all under the Cloud and all passed through the sea, and so it gives us the history of their going through the wilderness. What kind of a people were there? Were they perfect? Definitely not, but in spite of all God.
Was with them, he was in their midst and there was discipline on this part of God because of some of their ways. And so it's written for our learning brethren. And so we have in the first verses baptism and then we have the Lord's table. And so I suggest that would be a theme that might be helpful for us. And are you young people too because.
The Lord's Table is a theme that is very important to hold properly.
I hear sometimes people make the statement amongst us, we have the Lord's table, Brethren, we do not have the Lord's table. The Lord has His table.
And it is my exercise, in view of the truth that we get in these chapters to be there.
And that's the proper way. We can't just.
00:20:02
Say we have the Lord's table and be nonchalant about it. We should take those things with exercise. We not only get the truth of God and exercise, we maintain it. We continue in it by continuing exercise. Brother, may the Lord give us that exercise. That's what I.
Have found so beautiful the sea is souls coming into the light of these things in Latin America and I hear it is the same case in Africa where you were in Angola. Tim I heard about them getting together to read the word they had questions how how long was that meeting?
Yeah, that's, that's a good time. How about staying here for three hours? Brethren? I don't know if we'd all want to stay here that long, but it is it is interesting when there is a real heart to learn the Scriptures. Will the Lord give us that?
You mentioned earlier in your exercise the in connection with the apostles doctrine. And it's very interesting, isn't it, that in this chapter where you have Paul's doctrine concerning the Lord's table and then later on the Lord's Supper. And I realized that when it says the apostles doctrine in Acts 2, it wasn't the Apostle Paul's doctrine that hadn't been given yet. It was the doctrine that was presented there, given to the early apostles in the early church.
They had to remain at Jerusalem long enough to receive it. That's why they remained at Jerusalem as long as they did.
Because that's what they had in the early, uh, moments of Christianity. But I was thinking as we read this chapter, we have two things brought before us. We have the Apostle Paul's doctrine, but we also have it introduced by the Old Testament illustration. And both are important. Brother Nick was bringing before us in the previous meeting the subject of Timothy. And it's interesting in Second Timothy.
Chapter 3 that the apostle Paul reminded Timothy that he had known both the Old Testament scriptures because that's what he would have heard from his mother and grandmother with the Old Testament Scriptures.
And then he had had from Paul the apostles doctrine. And then he says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. That is everything we have and contained in this book from cover to cover. It's all the inspired word of God and it's profitable. And isn't it remarkable here that in introducing the subject of the Lord's Table and the Lord's Supper, the apostle Paul goes back to this old test, these Old Testament illustrations?
In connection with the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt through the Red Sea and God's dealings with them, in connection with their failure and, and so on, and God's faithfulness. And so, brethren, we have in the New Testament the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. We need that. It's the foundation, the apostles doctrine, and we can apply it in a broader sense than it is in Acts 2.
Because we have the completed New Testament, but the Apostles doctrine is the foundation for everything else.
Why is it given first in Acts 2? It's the foundation for fellowship. It's the foundation for for breaking of bread. It's the foundation for prayer. It's the foundation truths and principles that were laid out by the apostle Paul and the New Testament writers. And we must cling to them. We must adhere to them. We must act on them. They are the foundation and they do not change. The foundation of God can never be shaken.
But then we need the Old Testament illustrations like we have here because they help us to understand very clearly. They give us the pictures and they help us to understand clearly the doctrine that is set forth in an epistle like First Corinthians and Ephesians and Colossians and and so on. So I just say that to encourage us as we take up this chapter, like Timothy, we have the Old Testament, we have the New Testament.
And he had the apostles doctrine. It wasn't complete perhaps at that time, but we have the complete word of God and it's given by inspiration and Timothy to was told to continue in it. And that's what we need as well.
00:25:04
Just say, in connection with the opening verses. 2IN connection with baptism, you know, there are some illustrations in the Old Testament that are so important for us to get the meaning of that. They're not left up to our Application. They're confirmed in the New Testament as to what they mean. You know, earlier on in this epistle he speaks of the Passover, that which was the basis of their redemption.
And when we say the Passover in the 12Th of Exodus is a figure of Christ offered for us as the Lamb of God, that's not an Application. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. When we say that the crossing of the Red Sea is a figure of baptism, that's not an Application. That is exactly what it means. They were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the sea. So I just say when you go through the New Testament.
There are things that are confirmed to us, illustrations and figures in the Old Testament that we are given the meaning of, and we don't want to digress from them.
All of the Word of God is written in a very orderly fashion. And so this chapter, as has been pointed out, takes up the Lord's Table and the fellowship of the Lord's Table that we're called to. But here it begins with this baptism unto Moses, and it reflects, it speaks of the authority of the Lord. And what the people of Israel did is when they crossed the Red Sea, they were baptized.
It says under the Cloud and all that pass through the sea, and we're all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the sea. And so they came under the authority of Moses. They came under the authority and the leadership, the headship of Moses as they went through the wilderness scene. And so you and I, as professing Christ as our Savior, have come under the headship of Christ. We're called Christians and so we.
Umm come to this recognition that what we do and how we meet is under His authority and according to the truth of His word. It's not left unto our own imagination. And so He brings in the character of the individuals. They weren't perfect individuals that went through the Red Sea. They were. There were mixed company and they were rebels. There were idolaters. There were fornicators. God doesn't.
He paints the picture just the way it was. And if we just turn to Numbers chapter 14, we'll read umm, just a, a couple of verses there. It gives the principle of it. It says umm in the Numbers chapter 14, verse 22. Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted me.
Now these 10 times, and have not hearkened to my voice, surely they shall not see the land which I swear unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoke me see it. But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and he had followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereunto he went, and his seed shall possess it. And so we have this.
Statement made by God himself that they tend tempted him 10 times.
They tested his spirit 10 * 5 times were read that they tempted him. They didn't have the law yet, they didn't have the responsibility of the word of God, but five times they tempted him after they had the law, after they had the word of God and they were responsible. So he brings in this aspect of responsibility and the authority and headship that Moses had as a type of Christ.
I suppose one of the serious warnings we have to take from the first part of this chapter is the solemnity of taking an outward position, first of all without inward reality, and secondly without. And Bob, you alluded to that without taking it seriously.
That is, there were those here in this company, that is the cross, the Red Sea, that weren't real, if we could use that term in Old Testament terms. And they were exposed in the wilderness. And it seems that even in Corinth with the amount of blessing, and there was a lot of blessing there, Paul stayed there a whole year and a half, didn't he? And the Lord said, I have much people in this city, but there were those who had come among them perhaps who were not real.
00:30:31
And there were others who had.
Come among them, and perhaps we're real, but we're not taking seriously the position that they were in. They had been baptized, they had identified with the name of Christ, and in that sense they bore the name of Christ. But then, sad to say, there were all kinds of things going on that Paul has to keep bringing before them and correcting one after the other.
I mean, I just may mention that.
You and I live in a society today very similar to what Corinth was like, a wealthy place, an intellectual place, a place where they were rather proud of themselves, but at the same time among the believers too. A good deal of gift, a fair amount of understanding of the things of the Lord, but sad to say, not The Walking and the good of it and the understanding of what it meant to take that place before God.
Was that some of the exercise you had, Bob, and suggesting this chapter? Umm, is that right? Yes.
I often have said that, uh, if I say, uh, that this is the right place for you to be young people.
If you base your action on what I said, that is not faith, and that's why it's important to go over these principles, that you get it yourself from the Scriptures, then you will be solid in your convictions. But that happens too much, and that's why we want to challenge you to get a hold of it for yourself. Very important.
Baptism in the first verses is what identifies us. We are identified with something here. It was not Christian baptism, it was baptism unto Moses. And Brother Robert has spoken about that, that before they came out of the land of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea. The Red Sea is a figure of our, of the death of Christ for us. And when they went through that, they were identified with Moses.
Before they went through it, they were identified. There's those slaves of Egypt and Pharaoh is still over there and he's going to come and try to get you again. But after they passed through that Red Sea and Pharaoh came in after them, you remember, and Moses lifted up his rod and they were completely destroyed and they saw their enemies dead on the seashore. Then they said, now who are you identified with?
Moses. They were baptized into Moses. So there is different baptisms in scripture. Baptism of John the Baptist was not really Christian baptism either. It was in view of the Lord Jesus who was coming that they should repent and should be identified with a repentant people ready to receive the coming Messiah. But now we are baptized as it's been brought up, brought out in.
Romans chapter 6 unto Christ in his death and resurrection, we are identified with the Lord Jesus. Wonderful, wonderful reality. It's an outward thing. Baptism is, and so that's the danger like you brought out or the bill that it could be just an outward thing with somebody here, but it is a real thing. There is a baptized company.
That is outwardly identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in his death and in his resurrection.
So they were redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb, but they were not fully delivered till they went through the Red Sea, because, as you say, they were still on Egyptian ground under the authority of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. A picture to us of Satan and his hosts. And baptism always identifies us with someone and brings us on to a new ground. And so they were redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb, but they were delivered.
00:35:15
Through the Red Sea, if I can put it this way, the claims of God were met in the blood of the Passover lamb, but they were delivered from the claims of Pharaoh in Egypt by being brought through the Red Sea by a mighty hand and identified with Moses. Moses really is a picture of Christ here, isn't he? He was the one that that was going to lead them through the wilderness. He was the one that had God-given authority. I think that's why it was such a serious thing when they spoke against Moses on a number of occasions, even his own family.
Questioned his authority, but it was a God-given authority. And so when we take that place, that's been brought out.
We are bringing out giving outward expression that we want to own the authority and lordship of Christ in our lives. And I feel burdened and saddened, brethren, when I hear of people, not just young people, but some who are not so young, who have perhaps been safe for some time and they've never been baptized. You know, I, I, I, I, I feel ashamed and really and humbled because it's very interesting that on the day of Pentecost.
When Peter preached and there were about 3000 souls saved, they said what are we going to do? And what did Peter say? I command you to be baptized. Isn't that interesting? That was pre pretty strong language there. And when the Ethiopian eunuch was saved and what does hinder me to be baptized? And he was baptized right away moments after he was saved. Maybe there's someone here and you've never taken that outward position. You're gonna be in heaven. That has nothing to do with our redemption.
But God gives, and maybe you say, I want to please the Lord, I want to own the Lordship of Christ in my life. But God gives us a way that we can give expression and testimony to what's in our hearts. And there are two institutions that we have in these portions that God has given us so that we can give expression to what's in our heart. Do you want to own the Lordship of Christ? Follow the Lord in your life.
Give expression to it by going into the waters of baptism. It's a testimony. Do you do you want to remember the Lord and as to what he's done for you in in the sacrifice of Calvary, as often as she eats this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death. I hear people sometimes say, well, I can remember the Lord in my heart. Oh brother, and I trust we do that every day. But again, he's given us a way that we can give expression or testimony.
In this world that doesn't love the Lord, that doesn't own for the most part outwardly his his authority, but you and I have a way that we can give expression individually in baptism and collectively as we sit down at the Lord's table to partake of the Lord's Supper.
The point that I found helpful, and I must say I was corrected by Brother Clem Buchanan about this.
I made the statement one time in Latin America that if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, you should obey the Lord and be baptized.
And Brother Clem came up to me afterward and said, where did you get that idea? Well, I didn't know what to say. And he showed me that the command for baptism is not given to the person that is baptized. It's given to the person that goes out and preaches the gospel. When there are those who get saved, that is their responsibility to see that they are baptized and.
In Acts chapter 10 you'll find also when Peter is at.
Cornelius's house and they heard the gospel and the Holy Spirit fell on them because they would believe the message. Then he commanded them to be baptized. He didn't say, would you like to be baptized? That's the way we do it today. Ask a person, would you like to be baptized?
Well, that's not really scriptural. We, we live in a big, huge baptized country, brethren, and there's a lot of confusion as to that. And we need to be patient with people that don't understand it properly. But it is our responsibility with we've reached the gospel and somebody gets saved to make sure that they are baptized. And that's what's true of Moses too, wasn't it? Because whose exercise was it to take them all through the Red Sea?
00:40:15
Farrell said leave some of them behind. Moses said no, we're going to take them all. It was the exercise of Moses to take them all through the Red Sea. And so I think what you say is very helpful. And perhaps I can only hang my own head and say perhaps I failed in that exercise by way of encouragement, might just say that it wasn't always a public thing. The baptism, because the Ethiopian eunuch was in the desert. There was Philip with him.
And he was baptized there in the desert and it wasn't a public thing. And you may be shy, uh, you, maybe you're a little older, maybe you're a teenager, maybe older and you've never been baptized. It'd be nice to be a public thing. But if you're too shy, then it'd be a public thing. It's all right. Uh, the Ethiopian unit was, uh, uh, privately baptized, you might say. And one who was, uh, another that was baptized in the household was.
Umm umm.
Household of Stefanis, yes. And so you have others that were baptized in, uh, private, so to speak, but it's really, uh, a disassociation from something and an association with something else. What they did is they walked out of Egypt and they were baptized unto Moses. They looked like Egyptians.
They talked like Egyptians, they ate like Egyptians, They smelled like Egyptians, but they weren't Egyptians. They now were the people of God. And he was beginning to work with them publicly and nationally as a nation that belonged to him. And so when we were baptized, we're baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and we disassociate ourselves with this world. We're no longer Egyptian.
We're no longer world linked. We might look like Americans and Canadians, but God sees us as the children of God and may He give us the grace to act as those that are the children of God.
I was just thinking, just to make a note of it here. The first thing that the apostle Paul mentions is the cloud, that they were all under the cloud. And I think that would speak of the divine presence of God. And we know that Moses was concerned about going and so in in Numbers chapter 33.
He says in verse 13.
Now, therefore I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not account. So Moses was concerned that the presence of God would be that with them. And so I just think of, as we're reading these early verses, the privileges that God gave his earthly people, and yet how much greater.
You might say they're exceeded in Christianity. So not only do we have the board's presence too, but we have the Spirit of God indwelling us and so on. So we could take each of those things. They were given, they were under the cloud. They were given this great deliverance through the Red Sea. They were given, umm, spiritual food. They were given spiritual drink. They were baptized, identified with Moses. And to think of what we have in Christianity exceeds these things, really.
So verse three speaks of the spiritual food they did eat. All eat the same spiritual meat or food. It's.
The manna that God provided, and they did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.
So we read the story in Exodus of how when they thirsted, Moses was commanded to take his rod, the rod of judgment, and smite the rock in horeb, and out of the rock flowed water.
And if you think of life in a desert, the two major things that are necessary are food and drink, and that's what God supplied them. Brethren, we are in a wilderness.
00:45:13
And our brother in this last meeting was encouraging reading the scriptures.
Oh, how important it is to be into the Word. As I travel around, I often ask young people, are you reading the scriptures?
And burn it down in southern Mexico, asking a group of young men, are you reading the scriptures? Yes. Sometimes, I say, what do you mean sometimes? Well, maybe two or three times a week. OK.
So you, when you have food for your body, you eat only two or three times a week. Oh, no, no, no, we eat every day. Oh, so you mean that, uh, your body is more important than your soul and your spirit? It is that what you mean? No, no, brother, don't say that. I say, but you only eat a couple times a week, two or three times a week for your soul and spirit, and you eat every day for your body.
Why is it that we neglect the reading of Scripture so much? Brethren, we need it, and I encourage you young people that it applies to us all to be into the Word.
You know, I've often noticed that reading a chapter, you can read a chapter in 5 minutes. I mean, if it's shorter, it might be only three minutes, but it doesn't take long. But read it.
Slowly, not in a rush, because it is. It is the Word of the living God and how important it is.
For our bodies, we take care of our bodies pretty meticulously. We make sure that we get enough food and we have over abundance of food in this country, but we don't lack physical food. This body that comes from the earth is sustained. What from comes from the earth?
But the soul and the spirit needs food as well. And if you're going to prosper in your soul, you're going to have to eat on a consistent daily basis. We eat two or three times a day sometimes. I I've asked people, how much time do you take to eat? I get very responses from half hour a day to an hour and a half a day.
That's how much it is, how important it is that you sustain your body. And how about your soul? Are you into the scriptures? I really want to encourage you to make time. You say, well, it's too busy. Make time to read the scriptures daily and to pray. It's so very important.
And it was necessary. Who wasn't it, that they had to go out and gather the manna? It took effort, didn't it? And so it takes effort for you and me. Many here lead busy lives, especially students. I guess some of us that are older are somewhat, maybe the word appalled is a bit strong, but it fits in my case. I'm appalled at the amount of homework that young people are subjected to today and the amount of time and energy they have to put in.
To get an education. But there was a definite energy needed to collect that mana, and it had to be done in the morning. If they waited too long, then it wasn't going to work. It fell on the dew, didn't it? And so we need to remember that. But it speaks also of spiritual drink here.
What was the difference? Oh, they didn't have to work for that, did they? All you had to do was go and drink it. And so I believe, and I've enjoyed this, that we get the two aspects of enjoying Christ here. Yes, there is that which takes real effort because we value what takes effort more than that which is just handed to us. And so it does take effort to get up and to read the Word of God. And as Bob says.
It's better to read a smaller amount of it slowly than to skim through a larger amount so quickly that you just kind of get the words and then your mind immediately goes on to something else. But then there's also the refreshing aspect of it. Enjoying Christ simply for what He is and who He is does not, in that sense, take effort. The Spirit of God delights to give me that enjoyment.
00:50:22
And you get it in the fourth of John, don't you? In the Lord's words to the woman at the well.
The water that I shall give him shall be in him. Not a well of water. It should read. A fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. Always fresh, always there, something fresh and enjoyable. And we'll find both in the Word of God, won't we? There's that which takes effort, which builds us up, and which is necessary for us. But there is that which gives us constant enjoyment and refreshment in Christ.
And we get that too, through the Word of God and enjoying Christ.
So Joe said the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. I thought of that when Bob was speaking. That's the 23rd chapter of Job, and I believe the 10th verse. We put such emphasis on the physical, but what about the spiritual? And why does it speak of eating when it's taking in the precious things of Christ from the Word of God? Because when we take, when we eat something, we take it into our system and it becomes part of us.
But not only so it's not what we eat that does us any good, it's what we digest. I'm not a medical person, of course, so I, I want to be careful. But I say again, it's not what we eat that does such, such good. It's what we digest. And so we find with the children of Israel a couple of very helpful things in the illustration. One is it says, first of all, when they went out to gather, some gathered more and some less.
Not interesting.
So we're not all morning people perhaps, and maybe some of you have to be out the door to work or school very early. It wasn't the amount of manna they gathered that was important, it was what they did with it. Some gathered more and some less. Then it says they meted into their Omer and I would suggest an application that putting it in their Omer and taking it with them is more than just reading the Word of God as has already been said, and then closing the book and forgetting what you've read.
That's not gonna, that's not gonna, you're not gonna digest that. That's not what's going to do you so much good. But they were to put it into a certain measure and take it with them and dip into that measure during the day. I suggest that that speaks of meditation, stopping for a moment or two here and there and dip into your Omer. Go back and consider what you read before you left your home in the morning, before you left your room.
And then there's an interesting comment that tells us the results of that. Some gathered more, some less. When they dipped it, put it into their Romer and took it with them. He that gathered much had nothing over. In other words, if you have time in the morning to read maybe a chapter 2 and think about it, thank God you can never overeat in a spiritual breakfast. You need all you the word of God you can get. But maybe you only had time for a few verses. But it's not the amount you read that's going to do you any good.
They that gathered little had no lack.
Why? Because they took it with them and they enjoyed it during the day. And so the psalmist in the 119th saw me, said How love I thy law. It is my meditation all the day.
So read the word of God, take it in, but then meditate on it, digest it and let it be part become part of your very being.
This is a little off the topic, but in the book of Joshua, you have in a chapter there, the man I mentioned, the pasta ever mentioned, the old corner of the land mentioned. We need Christ in all three aspects. The world Christianity loves to focus on Christ and the character of the manna. That is the provision for the wilderness. And you often hear people say why don't they just give us practical ministry?
Practical ministry is necessary. Christ as the manna, the humbled man, the man Jesus that walked through this earth. It's important to feed upon that one, the truth as in Jesus.
It's so frustrating when you hear ministering Christianity they never mentioned any other name but Jesus.
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There's a place and a time and a necessity for that, but how important it is also that would be occupied with Christ in the past in the character of the Passover and also is the old corner of the land. Christ glorified our heavenly portion. We only ever focus on Christ as the manner of Christian growth will be stunted.
Verse four when it's Speaking of the water that came out of the rock, it's figurative flowing water or springing water Bill mentioned is the Holy Spirit of God and that's what's given to us. And it's a it's a wonderful thing, brother. And it came when the rock was smitten by Moses rod.
But, you know, later on in their history, there seemed to be a drying up of the water because the people were complaining. And sometimes we too, in our Christian experience, quench the spirit and we don't feel the living satisfaction of that flowing water. What was Moses told to do then? And that later instance, he was told to take the rod that was Aaron's rod, the high priestly rod, and go and speak to the rock.
Moses got perturbed at the people of God and he took his rod and smoked the rock twice.
Got in his mercy, gave water, but he made a mistake there it was to take Aaron's rod and speak to the rock. And so if you feel like that flow of living water, the Spirit of God that is in US has dried up because perhaps of something you've allowed in your life.
Take the rod in, in a figurative way. Go and speak to the rock. Go to the Lord Jesus and speak to him. Confess whatever it is that he's gotten into your life, and you will find that the waters will flow again.
Bob, just in that connection, let's read in John 7 to confirm what you say about running water, because I've appreciated the fact that usually running water is a picture of the Spirit of God. Contained water is more often a picture of the Word of God, like the labor, the man bearing the picture of water and so on. But I believe this just to confirm what Bob has said in John Chapter 7. And I'll read from verse 37 in that last day, that great day of the feast.
Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.
He that believeth on me, as the Scripture has saith, hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now notice this. But this he spake, He of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. And so, as Bob said, the water never flowed from the rock until the rock came under the rod, until the rock was smitten. And it says prophetically of the Lord Jesus in lamentations.
I am the man who hath seen affliction by the rod of his rock. It was the judgment of God against sin, the rod of God against sin, that the Lord Jesus felt on on Calvary in those hours of darkness. And after that had taken place, the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead, ascended back to heaven. Then and only then could the Spirit of God be given in the way it is given.
In Christianity, and so running water, a brook, a fountain of spring, a a river is more often a picture of the Spirit of of the Spirit of God. And let me just say this about these verses that we're reading. Having had the privilege and opportunity to travel on the Sinai Peninsula 13 times, you realize how miraculous all this provision was. Bob alluded to it, but I want to emphasize it.
In Scripture, the thought of a wilderness or a desert is a place where there's nothing to sustain life.
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In the on the Sinai Peninsula, there was nothing to sustain the natural man. And these things that we are given here, well, they have a spiritual application. They were given to sustain the natural life of the children of Israel for those years that they wanted. Even the cloud that John mentioned, you know, there are several mentions of the cloud in the Old Testament and every mention has a little different detail. I'll give you a little homework. It's a very edifying study to study the different details of the cloud. It represents different things.
But it wasn't just an up and down pillar like we think of a colonial pillar in front of a building. It actually went out over the crop the the camp. It sheltered them from the heat of the day. There's no cloud in the sky and the sun, the Sinai Peninsula. Sometimes you long for some cloud or one time I. So I don't wanna bring any levity into this meeting. But one time I was out on the Sinai and I got thinking, you know, if an airplane went over, it would be momentary relief.
Then I thought, I'm not drinking enough, I'm going delirious. But my point is the whole thing was miraculous. It drops 35° in an hour when the sun goes down. There was light and heat when it turned to a pillar of fire at at night.
They needed food, they needed water, all these things. They needed protection and, and uh, di, uh, direction. Now, brethren, as has been pointed out, and rightly so, we're not in a physical wilderness. We're enjoying many mercies this weekend and we don't want to despise them. We thank God for the mercies we're gonna, we have and we're gonna give thanks for the meal that's been provided through the Lord's mercies and we're gonna partake and we're not gonna despise it.
But we are in a spiritual wilderness.
And I, I think it's important to stress that, brethren, there is nothing in this wilderness world to sustain the Newman. There's plenty to feed our lusts, plenty to feed the flesh. You know, sometimes I get distressed just standing at the checkout counter in the grocery store, Walmart, because you can't hardly stand there without seeing something in the rock that is attractive or feeds the F the, the, the flesh or our lust. The billboards on the on the highways now and everywhere we turn, there's something to feed.
Our lusts are to feed the flesh. There is nothing in this world apart from God's provision through Christ, apart from that which we've been given spiritually to feed the new man. Now are we gonna grow and be healthy, happy, fruitful Christians? How are we going to do it? We have to partake of what? Enjoy what God has given us in a spiritual way. We've got to read the Word of God. We've got to have the refreshment and sustainment that comes from the work of the Spirit of God in ministering Christ to us through the.
The word of God and so on. We need those things. You want to be a healthy Christian. If you feed on the husks of this world, you're not going to have fruit for God and you're going to be a very discouraged believer.
We really need to adjust our lifestyles, brother and I. I find that so often those that complain that they don't have any time to read the Word have plenty of time to sit in front of the TV screen or in front of a computer screen on the Internet. Lots of time for that. But the Word of the living God, O brethren, the Lord, help us to reevaluate our time and to make time to read the Word.
It will make a difference. I remember a young man I was observing and I didn't wasn't interacting too directly with him, but I noticed that he got into reading the scriptures and it wasn't just for 10 minutes, it was for 1/2 hour, sometimes an hour, sometimes an hour and a half. But it was so evident to everybody around, maybe not so much to him, but those around the prosperity that there was in his soul.
Oh, it's it was a beautiful thing to witness. It's gonna happen if you give time to the living Word of God.
Might just, uh, comment a little bit, Brother Bob, on the passage that you mentioned in Numbers chapter 20, it says that in verse eight of Numbers 20, take the rod and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth his water. And then a little later on verse 11, Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smoked the rock twice, and the water came out abundantly.
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And the congregation drank, and their beasts also, while we know that Moses.
Lost his patience with the people of God. And these weren't the ones that had walked out of Egypt. These were just the ones that had gone through the wilderness. And they were just about to enter into the land of Israel. They were just about to cross the Red Sea of the Jordan. And so they needed to appropriate Christ for themselves. Their mothers and fathers have eaten the manna. They had drunk other refreshment of the rock in the wilderness.
But they needed to do it themselves. And so every generation needs to drink and to eat and to be appropriate Christ for themselves. And so this is really what he brings out in John's Gospel chapter 6. And when he speaks, I'm just going to read one verse, verse 53.
John 6 verse 53 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink of his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life.
It's appropriating Christ for ourselves, every individual. And so this chapter 10 begins with ignorance.
Paul says, Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant.
It requires that every one of us individually appropriate Christ for ourselves, and that needs to be done in private. Often times reading the scriptures, enjoying the person of the Lord Jesus, the sweetness of Christ, his moral glories and the finished work of Christ, and to know those doctrines of Christianity, what he means when he speaks of the forgiveness of sins.
What He means when he speaks of redemption, all of those terms that are used and to enjoy them and to appropriate them for ourselves, then it's not going. Our lives are not going to be characterized spiritually by ignorance of the principles and ignorance of the heart of God. Oh, how He delights to bless us.
Before we conclude, I know our time is almost gone, I would like to say a word to fathers and heads of of our homes. Now, what I'm about to say, brother, and I want in no way to negate or take away from what we have just said as to individually appropriating the manna for ourselves. It's important, it's vital, but it is interesting. If you go back and read the 16th chapter of Exodus that you know, we often see an artist depiction of the gathering of the manna. They often show the women and children gathering the manna. But I believe there's a detail. Well, let's go back and just notice. It might be helpful to take a minute.
We could quote it, but Exodus chapter 16.
And verse 16.
This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. Gather it, Gather of it every man according to his eating. And Omer now notice this for every man, according to the number of persons, taking every man for them which are in his tent. I believe what we have here is responsibility of the head of the home, because I believe it was the men that went out and gathered the manna, and they were responsible not only to gather the manna for themselves.
But they were to gather it for their wives and children and those that were under their roof. You know, I am very saddened and I'm gonna speak very plainly for a moment, but I am very saddened as I travel a little amongst the Lord's people. And my wife and I were on a trip some time ago and she made the comment to me too, that there isn't always a family reading in the home on a daily basis. I'm saddened by that.
Now, I know we all have different schedules and so on, but if I can speak personally for a moment, I am very thankful for the vivid memory of a father who got up early in the morning and not only read the scriptures himself, but he sat at the end of the breakfast table so that he could catch his children and young people as they trickled out to breakfast with different schedules and different buses to catch. And he didn't always read us a lot.
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I think sometimes it was just two or three verses and a very, very brief sentence comment made on it. But there was a man who gathered for himself and for his household. Now I realize again, different things work for different people, but I want to say to fathers and heads of our homes, discipline yourself and your household to make sure you not only gather a little manna for yourself every day.
But that you gather for those in your own house. There's a brother here and I hope he won't mind me mentioning this. But one time we were Speaking of these things and he came to me after and he said, you know, he said I have to go to work very early and I don't get my wife and children up as early as I have to go to work. But he said what I like to do is read a little portion and then print out a verse or two and a thought I've enjoyed. And he said I put it on. I think I, he said he put it on the fridge.
And when his wife got up a little later to get the children ready for school, she read what her husband had gathered for her and for for her children. I believe there was a man who gathered for himself and for his household. So I just say that father's men, let's be exercised, that we not only gather for ourselves, but we make sure we feed our wives and children and those under our roof. We make sure we bring home our paycheck and that there's food in the fridge, in the cupboard.
Natural food, But are we as exercised as to the spiritual food that our families need as well? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. It doesn't say. Faith comes by explaining of the Word of God, but by caring how important that our children hear the Word of God in our homes.
Same 303.
303.
When Israel born.
There before all praying my daughter.