Thursday, August 04, 2005
Back to Israel
The manna, fallen to the ground, was tasty, like coriander and like wafers sweet with honey. Real food, energy, for the survival of this new free nation. God was sure to preserve the manna for posterity, “Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations.” Moses wrote it down in words. The actual manna would be placed museum-style for those not even born yet to see as proof of God’s provision in history. This physical bread, enough for sustaining life, was what Jesus would supply for spiritual life if the people would only gather it. When Jesus spoke, “I am the bread of life,” it was to the Jews who had seen the manna and had the books Moses had written for them.
Speaking of Jesus, the Jews inquire, “'What sign will you show us that we may see and believe you? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” Then Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the True Bread from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.'” John 6:30-33
Jesus is making it clear, the intention was always for history to offer this double meaning! Isn’t it simply Divine? Should this be the lesson taught to our children? Oh, I certainly learned about the plight of the Hebrew nation in the wilderness and how God fed them. And I surely learned Jesus is the bread of life! And now I wonder why I never thought of it! But I didn’t…and no one ever taught me. Tell me, were you taught Christianity is Jewish? God constantly pointed directly to the coming of His Son. The Jews missed it! And today, I fear we miss it too. The whole story has not been given from generation to generation. There must be some who got it but oh so few have kept it alive. Edith Schaeffer’s book should have been on the NYT bestsellers for weeks, anyway! This woman was on the cutting edge but the oozing, spineless church simply closed in after the Sword of Truth passed through; or even worse, the entrances were barred so that the Sword sent sparks flying as it clanged and clattered to the ground. I write for this Truth, which can unite and can’t help but divide here, “in the desert of an abnormal world full of ugliness and death. The Bread of Life has been supplied, that people might eat, and have eternal life.” (Pg 68; C is J)
The Jews asked Jesus, “Give us this bread.” With Jesus’ usual zing, He spoke, “I am the Bread of Life; he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on ME, shall never thirst.” John 6:34-35
Speaking of Jesus, the Jews inquire, “'What sign will you show us that we may see and believe you? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” Then Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the True Bread from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.'” John 6:30-33
Jesus is making it clear, the intention was always for history to offer this double meaning! Isn’t it simply Divine? Should this be the lesson taught to our children? Oh, I certainly learned about the plight of the Hebrew nation in the wilderness and how God fed them. And I surely learned Jesus is the bread of life! And now I wonder why I never thought of it! But I didn’t…and no one ever taught me. Tell me, were you taught Christianity is Jewish? God constantly pointed directly to the coming of His Son. The Jews missed it! And today, I fear we miss it too. The whole story has not been given from generation to generation. There must be some who got it but oh so few have kept it alive. Edith Schaeffer’s book should have been on the NYT bestsellers for weeks, anyway! This woman was on the cutting edge but the oozing, spineless church simply closed in after the Sword of Truth passed through; or even worse, the entrances were barred so that the Sword sent sparks flying as it clanged and clattered to the ground. I write for this Truth, which can unite and can’t help but divide here, “in the desert of an abnormal world full of ugliness and death. The Bread of Life has been supplied, that people might eat, and have eternal life.” (Pg 68; C is J)
The Jews asked Jesus, “Give us this bread.” With Jesus’ usual zing, He spoke, “I am the Bread of Life; he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on ME, shall never thirst.” John 6:34-35
