I would say a word as to the way in which Christ may be considered as our food. He may be looked at as the food of the Christian in three ways: First, as a redeemed sinner: secondly, in connection with sitting in heavenly places in Christ and thirdly, as a pilgrim and stranger down here. But this last is merely accessory and not the proper portion of the Christian.
The Lord said to Israel that He had come down to deliver them from. Egypt and bring them into the land of Canaan.
He did not say a word about the wilderness when He came to deliver them from Egypt, because His interference for them there was in the power of redemption and for the accomplishing of His promises. However, there was the wilderness as well as redemption from Egypt and the entrance into Canaan; and Christ answers as our food to these three things. Two of them are permanent, for we are nourished by Christ in two ways permanently, that is, in redemption and glory. The third way is as the manna which we have all along the road. It is in these three ways that Christ meets His people and nourishes them all the way. Two of them remain, as we have seen, but the third ceases when the circumstances it was to meet have passed away. They did eat the passover and the manna until they got into the land, then the manna ceased; but they continued to eat the passover.
Now there are two ways in which it is proper for us ever to be feeding on Christ. First as the pass-over, for they ate the paschal lamb when the wilderness had ceased and Egypt had been long left behind. When in Egypt, the blood was on the lintel and the door-posts, and the Israelites ate of the lamb inside the house. The thought they had while they were eating was, that God was going through the land as an avenging judge; and the effect of the blood on the door-posts was to keep God out, which was a great thing to do, for it brought into God's presence as a Judge. Woe unto him in whom sin is found. The state of the one who now eats of Christ is just according as he estimates the value of the cross, through fear of what sin actually merits.
When we have got into the effect of the blood of the paschal Lamb, we have got into Canaan and enjoy the peace of the land as a redeemed people, having crossed the Jordan-not only the Red Sea. That is, we have passed through death and resurrection; not as knowing Christ dead and risen for us merely, as presented in the Red Sea, but as being dead with Him and entered into heavenly places with Him, as in Jordan. Then the character of God is known as their God, that is as the accomplishd of all that which he purposed towards them. It is not keeping God out now, but it is enjoying His love; not looking at God as in the cross pouring out wrath in judgment against sin.
In Jesus on the cross there was perfect justice and perfect love. What devotedness to the Father and what tender love to us! And this is the way the saint who is in peace feeds on the cross. It is not feeding on it as knowing that he is safe; for Israel's keeping the passover after they got into Canaan was very different from their keeping it when judgment was passing over. In Canaan they were in peace, and they were able to glorify God in this way, in the remembrance of their redemption from Egypt.
In this type we see presented, not the sinner that feels he is safe, but the saint that can glorify God in his affections; his heart confidently flowing out to Him, and feeding on Christ as the old corn of the land-the second Adam, the Lord from heaven.
We see Christ now by faith at the right hand of God as the glorified man, not merely as Son of God, but as Son of Man. As Stephen, when the heavens were opened to him, beheld Jesus at the right hand of God. We also see Him up there. We do not see Him as He is represented in the Revelation, seated on a white horse, coming forth out of heaven. He will indeed come forth and receive us up where He is, and we shall be like Him and be forever with Him. But we shall feed on Him as the old corn of the land when we are there, and this is our proper portion now; manna is not our portion, though it is our provision by the way.
Joshua sees Jehovah as the Captain of Jehovah's host, and Israel feeds in the land before they fight.
And our portion is to sit down in it before we fight, because God has given it to us. They do not eat the manna in Canaan, because it is for the wilderness. The manna is not Christ in the heavens I it is Christ down. here. It is not our portion; our portion is the old corn of the land. That is, the whole thing, according to God's counsels, is redemption and glory. But all our life is exercise down here, or sin, (excepting that God has given us moments of joy), because while here there is nothing but what acts on the flesh, or gives occasion for service to God. We may fail, and then Christ comes and feeds us with the manna, that is, His sympathy with us down here, and shows how His grace is applied to all the circumstances of our daily life, and that is a happy thing. For most of the time, the far greater part of our life, we are occupied in these things, necessary and lawful things no doubt, but not occupied with heavenly joy in Christ. And these things are apt to turn away the heart from the Lord, and hinder our joy. But if we would have our appetites feed On Him as the old corn of the land, we must have the habit of feeding on Him as the manna. For instance, something may make me impatient during the day, well then, Christ is my patience, and thus He is the manna to sustain me in patience. He is the source of grace; not only the example which I am to copy. He is more than this, for I am to draw strength from Him, to feed upon Him daily; for we need Him, and it is impossible to enjoy Him as the paschal Lamb, un less we are also feeding on Him as the manna.
We learn that God delights in Christ and He gives us a capacity to enjoy Him too. To have such affections is the highest possible privilege, but to enjoy Him, we must feed on Him every day. It is to know Christ come down to bring the needed grace and turn the dangerous circumstances with which we are surrounded, to the occasion of feeding on Himself as the manna to sustain us, and strengthen us in our trial.