God Provides for His People

Exodus 16:11-18; 17:3-6

GOLDEN TEXT: “Give us this day our daily bread.”—Matthew 6:11

THE Israelites had been blessed by so many miraculously bestowed favors from God that it seems strange they should ever doubt His ability to care for them, but they did. They even murmured against God and against Moses—the one whom God provided to lead them out of Egyptian captivity. And while God was patient with them, He certainly would have been much more pleased had they gone to Him in thankfulness for blessings already received and in simple faith requesting a continuance of His care over them, rather than to murmur.

In this there is an important lesson for us today. If we are living up to our privileges of faith and trust in our Heavenly Father our prayers will certainly not be of the murmuring variety. Both far material and spiritual food, it is our privilege to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” How beautifully simple is this form of request which the Master gave to the church!

Christians can learn valuable lessons from all the varied experiences through which the children of Israel passed. Many of the things God provided for Israel were specifically typical, foreshadowing “better things to come” in this and in the Millennial age. This is true both of the manna and the water. Jesus claimed that He was the true bread from heaven. (John 6:31-33) Paul explains that the Israelites drank of “spiritual drink;” and ate “spiritual food.”—I Corinthians 10:3,4

The term “spiritual” is used in this connection to denote a similar thought as in Romans 7:14 where we read that the Law was spiritual, meaning that it came from God—a divine provision. The thought is that the manna and the water from the smitten rock, both were provided by God and intended as illustrations of the provision for life everlasting He would later make through Christ.

The divinely provided shadows of good things to come were very accurate in their outline of the realities which they pictured. For example, the typical manna needed to be gathered daily. Feeding upon Christ involves more than merely a momentary acceptance of Him and then doing no more about it. We must daily appropriate to ourselves this bread of heaven by believing and obeying all the words of life that were brought to light by Him through the Gospel.—John 6:35

The disciples, prior to receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, found it hard to understand what the Master said about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. (John 6:60,61) Jesus, noting that they “murmured” at what He had said, continued, saying, “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are life.”—John 6:63

Thus Jesus explained that the eating of His literal flesh profit nothing, that it is the Spirit that quickeneth or giveth life. Then He explained that His words constitute the Spirit or power of God in the Christian life. This makes it plain that we appropriate to ourselves the life-giving merit of the Redeemer by accepting and, acting upon His teachings. These teachings include the necessity of repentance, belief in the shed blood, full consecration to God, and a daily laying down of life in the divine service.—John 6:29

The church in this age as well as the world of mankind in the Millennial age, can receive life only through the redemptive work of Christ. He brought both “life”—human life—and “immortality”—divine life—to light through the Gospel. (II Tim. 1:10) The members of the church by laying down their human life rights now, are promised immortality instead. Indeed, it is only by this change of nature that the church will have the privilege of reigning with Christ.—I Corinthians 15:49,50

God also illustrated the immortality of the Christ by the use of manna. Under His instructions a small portion of the manna was placed in a golden bowl and put in the Ark of the Testimony under the mercy seat in the Most Holy of the tabernacle. This manna did not corrupt as did the regular supply that the Israelites needed to gather each day. Overcomers of this Gospel age are promised that they shall be given to eat of the “hidden manna.”—Revelation 2:17

This “hidden manna” will be given only to the overcomers, and after they have demonstrated their faithfulness even unto death. It is a blessed hope that is set before us, which, as our faith can lay hold upon it, will strengthen us for every trial. The apostle speaks of it as a hope which “entereth into that which is within the veil.”—Hebrews 3:19,20

How meaningful to spiritual Israelites are the words of Jesus: “Labor not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:27) As for our material needs, Jesus assures us that if we seek “first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; … all these things shall be added” unto us.—Matthew 6:33

QUESTIONS:

What kind of bread is referred to in our Golden Text, “Give us this day our daily bread”?

What was foreshadowed by the manna and the water provided for the Israelites in the wilderness?

What was represented by the manna which was kept under the Mercy Seat the Most Holy of the tabernacle?

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