12-25-05

(Exo 16:11-15)  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna [a whatness]: for they wist [understood] not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

(Num 11:7,8)  And the manna was as coriander seed [(in the sense of cutting); (from its furrows)], and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

1.     (Luke 8:11)  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

2.     bdellium = Heb: something in pieces, i.e. bdellium, a (fragrant) gum (perh. amber); others a pearl /// to divide (separate, distinguish, differ, select): (make, put) difference, divide (asunder), (make) separate (self, -ation), sever (out), X utterly.

3.     (Heb 4:12)  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

4.     (Neh 9:15)  And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

5.     (1 Cor 10:3,4)  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

MAN DID EAT ANGELS’ FOOD

(Psa 78:21-25)  Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat [food] to the full.

(Luke 2:10-14)  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign [miracle] unto you; Ye shall find the babe [“a small round thing” Exo 16:14] wrapped in swaddling clothes [suggestive of dew?], lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

1.     manger = Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: Gk: (to eat); a crib (for fodder): manger, stall.

2.     manger = Dictionary: a box or trough, as in a stable, from which horses or cattle eat.

OUR FATHERS DID EAT MANNA IN THE DESERT

(John 6:28-31)  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign [miracle] showest thou then [“For we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Cor 5:7], that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat [i.e. a miracle].

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

(John 6:32-35)  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world [kosmos; universe]. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst [Neh 9:15].

1.     In the the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon selected people for a specific purpose and then left. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit dwells within us eternally. OT Manna gave “life” for one day during the week, two days over the Sabbath, and then corrupted into worms. NT Jesus Christ gives “life” for all eternity, and never corrupts.

(John 6:36-40)  But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not [why not? Because they are not “the chosen”]. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him [“the chosen”], may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day [Ezek 37:1-14; 1 Th 4:16,17; Rev 20:4-6].

(John 6:41-45)  The Jews then murmured [grumbled] at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know [WE HAVE SEEN HIM]? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him [to drag: draw]: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God [Isa 54:13]. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned [understand] of the Father, cometh unto me.

1.     (John 12:32)  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

2.     (John 21:8-12)  And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

THE BREAD THAT I WILL GIVE IS MY FLESH

(John 6:46-51)  Not that any man hath seen the Father, save [except] he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I 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.

1.     (John 1:14)  And the Word [Word of God, Bible] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

HE THAT EATETH OF THIS BREAD SHALL LIVE FOR EVER

(John 6:52-58)  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then 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. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat [food] indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

SYMBOLICALLY EATING AND DRINKING OF HIS BODY AND BLOOD

(Mat 26:26-28)  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup [of wine], and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission [forgiveness] of sins.

1.     What was Jesus commanding His disciples to do? Symbolically? Really? Is there a difference?

Amen