Ex. 16.
THERE were certain blessings which God gave to Israel, that continued all through their wanderings in the wilderness. Though their sins often called down God’s severe judicial interference, still there were some special blessings which, without; any change, remained among them till they entered the promised land. The pillar of cloud and fire was an instance of this, as also was the daily supply of manna. With regard to the former, we read, “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light; to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.” (Ex. 13:21, 2221And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. (Exodus 13:21‑22).) As regards the manna, we are told, “The manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” (Josh. 5:11, 1211And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. 12And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (Joshua 5:11‑12).)
These blessings were set up in grace, hence their continuance. Man always fails in everything that depends in any way upon himself. The Law of Moses was not given when the pillar of cloud and fire, and the manna were granted. The mercy and goodness of Jehovah, who had redeemed the children of Israel from Egypt by the blood of the Lamb, abounded toward them in the gift and continuance of these blessings. No merit on the part of the people either procured or retained them. God, who is rich in mercy, gave and continued these mercies all through the wilderness journey. And so now, we have many unchangeable blessings continued to us all through our pilgrimage, the free gift of the God of all grace. We fail, we faint, we sin, we doubt; nevertheless, these blessings perpetually abide. The eternal storehouse of grace is as full as ever. The river of Divine love is as deep and pure, and flows as freely as ever, only appearing clearer, deeper, and broader, as we trace its various windings, and mark its wonderful out-flowings, always telling us of Him who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The Holy Ghost, the Comforter, is given to abide with us “forever.” The word of the Lord also endureth “forever;” and will not pass away, though heaven and earth will. The eternal purposes and counsels of God stand “forever,” and each must have its accomplishment in God’s “due time.” All the exceeding great and precious promises of God are unalterably sure, for they are in Christ yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. The priesthood of the Lord Jesus is likewise everlasting, for it is written, “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent; thou art a Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedec.” And another link in the chain of our unchangeable blessedness, is the Lord’s abiding presence with His people― “Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Is it not most pleasant, beloved, in a day of failure like the present, to reckon up these never-failing mercies of our faithful God? and do we not find, in so doing, an unceasing cause for thanksgiving and worship? Surely, at such a moment, we exultingly cry out with the apostle, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”
We are not only, like Israel, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, but our God having made us His people, He provides for us by the way. We do not go a war fare at our own charges. He never leaves nor forsakes us. All through our journey, our necessity is God’s opportunity for doing us good. Because He careth for us, He bids us cast all our care upon Him,—to be careful for nothing. Unworthy as we often prove ourselves, of the least of His mercies, still He loads us with benefits, He leads us about, He instructs us, He keeps us as the apple of His eye.
We see a sample of the Lord’s gracious ways with His people in Ex. 16. The children of Israel were in great need. They had no bread. Their necessity was very great. Then they sinned against God, for they murmured, and said, “Would to God that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt.” But what was God’s answer? Did He, in righteous judgment, cut them off? Did He upbraid? Did He threaten them? No. The people were not then under the Law. According to God’s promise to Abram, they had been brought out of Egypt. The answer of the God of Abraham therefore was, “Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you. Ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.” How blessed this is! What a heart-cheering manifestation of the abounding grace of God! When the people were under Law, the “murmurers” were “destroyed of the destroyer;” but when not under Law, whether we see them at Marsh, or in the wilderness of Sin, or at Rephidim, we see the reign and triumph of grace; for “where sin abounded grace did much more abound.” How happy, dear brethren, should we be in the knowledge of the testimony of the Holy Ghost, “Ye are not under the Law, but under grace!”
To whatever part of the history of God’s people we tarn, we perceive that the way of God is always to bring them into a position of dependence on Himself; and we can easily understand that such a relation is alone becoming to us, or worthy of the Most High. The flesh, however, is always opposed to this; to be “as gods,” is more congenial to the natural man than obedience; because “the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” But the regenerated soul readily acquiesces in the reasonableness of acknowledging its dependence upon Him who hath redeemed us by the blood of His beloved Son, and who is above all, through all, and in all. The new-born soul instinctively takes this ground, for he is born of God; and, however contrary to human thought it may be, he finds that the more he walks with God, the more he experiences that all his springs are in Him; hence he subscribes to that wonderful paradox of the apostle’s, “having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” He who lives most dependent on the living God, finds himself most independent of men; for he knows that the Lord is his helper, and he will not fear what man shall do unto him. Our blessed Lord taught this life of faith, or entire dependence of His people upon Himself, when He said, “Without Me ye can do nothing;” and again, “As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.”
We find the same principle set forth in the daily supply of manna, which God gave the people in the wilderness; which gave them an opportunity of learning deep and precious lessons of the faithfulness and power of Jehovah, and that it was not a vain thing to rest on His promises, as He so touchingly said, “Ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.” It was also a test of their allegiance to their Redeemer: “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.” (See also Deut. 8) And so now, the life of unfeigned reliance on God marks the obedient heart, as well as proves the faithful love of Him “in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” What a glorious example of this we have in Jesus, who “took upon Him the form of a Servant ... and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, wherefore God hath highly exalted Him.”
We are instructed, that when our Lord Jesus, in His preaching at Capernaum, referred to the manna in the desert, He spoke of Himself as the “True Bread”― the life-giving, soul-sustaining Bread from heaven. “I am the living Bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever; and the Bread which I will give is My flesh....he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” (John 6:51-5751I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (John 6:51‑57).) Hence it is plain, that we not only have redemption through the death of Christ, but that He Himself is the daily Bread, the continual strength and sustaining power of our souls; and that while we are saved it Him with an everlasting salvation, still we need daily personal communion with the Lord, both for inward joy and strength, as well as for outward service.
The people were commanded to gather manna― not ashes, but manna― “bread from heaven.” They had nothing to supply its place. God always sent it down, and they were to “gather it.” He never failed. And so with us; Christ is our Bread from heaven. Nothing can strengthen our souls but communion with Christ Himself. Nothing can make up for the lack of this. It is not ordinances, but Christ. Not the letter of the word, but Christ. Not religious services, however needful or scriptural, but Christ. Not dry doctrines, but Christ. He alone is the “True Bread.”
The manna must be gathered up. It did not come into their tents, but round about the camp upon the sand of the desert. Time and patience (and most likely bended knees, and stretched out hands,) were needful for gathering it up. Every man also was to gather, not only for his own necessity, but for them that were in his tent. But it was what God gave that he gathered. If he failed to gather, others suffered as well as himself. Oh, the vast importance of leaving our tents and circumstances, to gather up blessing for ourselves and others, out of Christ’s fullness! The Spirit of God testifies of Christ, the written Word testifies of Christ; we must then search the Scriptures, in dependence on the Spirit’s teaching, if we would gather up “True Bread.”
The Israelites were to gather it every morning; the seventh day, or day of rest, was the only exception; and our rest is at hand, when we shall no longer know wilderness fare, but the Lamb in the midst of the throne shall feed us, and lead us unto living fountains of water. Now, however, “the inward man is renewed day by day.” Like our Lord, we should “meditate” in that law which testifies of Him “day and night.” We are leaky vessels, and need constant renewing. And if we would “seek first the kingdom of God,” or be “thoroughly furnished” for daily walk with God in service and trial, what time can be more appropriate for gathering up heavenly supplies than “the morning?” It is remarkable, that if there was much delay in this respect, they could not succeed in gathering manna, for “when the sun waxed hot it melted;” and have not God’s children often proved in their experience, that if they failed in secret intercourse with God, through Christ, in the morning, they have felt the withering effect of the privation all through the day. (Read prayerfully, Mark 1:35,35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (Mark 1:35) and Psa. 63:11<<A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.>> O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; (Psalm 63:1).)
The manna was to be gathered only for eating. This I believe reads us an important lesson. There was such a thing in those days as an Israelite gathering manna, and not eating it, and “it bred worms, and stank.” It is feeding upon Christ, eating His flesh and blood, holding personal intercourse and fellowship with Him, getting soul supplies from His fullness, living upon Him, that we have in this instruction concerning the manna. All in the tents, fathers, young men, and children, needed food to eat, and manna was sent from heaven for their “eating.” All the children of God need food. “Feed my sheep,” “feed my lambs,” said our blessed Lord; and to this end we need not only to find the words of Jesus, but, like the prophet, to “eat them;” and then we shall find them sweeter than honey or the honeycomb, to the sustainment and joy of our hearts. The priests of old were not only called to serve in their exalted office, but were commanded to “eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them” (Ex. 29:3333And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. (Exodus 29:33)); and the prodigal son was not only welcomed back to the father’s bosom, but he was to “eat and be merry.” This is no vain philosophical reasoning, nor poetical imagery, but it is the deeply solemn and momentous subject of soul-sustainment, through living, personal fellowship with God. We are called to eat bread at the king’s table continually. (2 Sam. 9) There is no lower ground provided for a believer than this, no other food for our souls to eat, than the flesh and blood of Jesus. The formal professor feedeth on ashes, the wandering prodigal on husks at the swine trough, but let us remember that there is Bread enough in our Father’s house, and to spare. It is not the knowledge of the letter of Scripture, nor interpretations of difficult passages merely, nor intellectual gratification at the discovery of mysteries that will meet our necessities, or satisfy our hungry souls, but food; not that knowledge which puffeth up, but nourishment for our inward man. Have not many of us sadly failed in this respect? And, if so, can it be wondered at that we are all so weak and poor? Oh, for more power in the Spirit to live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us!
‘Compaer’d with Christ, in all beside
No comeliness I see;
My heart’s desire, all-gracious Lord,
Is to be one with Thee:
Lov’d of my Lord, for Him again,
With love intense I burn;
Chosen of Thee ere time began,
I choose Thee in return.
Less than Thyself will not suffice,
But Thou art ample store;
More than Thyself I cannot crave,
Nor canst Thou give me more.
Whate’er consists not with Thy will,
O teach me to resign;
I’m rich to all the intents of bliss,
Since Thou, O God, art mine.’