2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As you know our Lord often repeats certain lessons for us to emphasize their importance, not to bore us. So, I’m asking you to bear with me, as we continue our Scriptural journey on the subject of bread. Examples of the issues that seem to be repeated is God’s will that we should know Who He is in our lives and what He actually provides. In looking back over my own life as I strive to be more spiritually mature, I can see just how important these two lessons are to me personally. I hope you will look back over your own lives and evaluate its impact on them.
Now, let’s continue on the path the Lord lays out for us. NU 9-13 discusses rules the Lord gives Moses for the people on celebrating the Passover when they are ritually unclean from touching a corpse or away on a journey. “The Lord told Moses to say to the people of Israel, ‘When any of your or your descendants are unclean from touching a corpse or are far away on a journey, but still want to keep the Passover, you are permitted to observe it one month later instead, on the evening of the fourteenth day of the second month. Celebrate it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not leave any of the food until the following morning and do not break any of the animal’s bones. Observe the Passover according to all the regulations. But anyone who is ritually clean and not away on a journey and who does not observe the Passover, shall no longer be considered one of My people, because he did not present the offering to Me at the appointed time. He must suffer the consequences of His sin.“
You may be wondering why I found this passage so illuminating. I hope to write more about the Passover-Easter connection when we get closer to that season, but suffice it to say here that the absence of yeast in the bread represents the absence of sin. The bitter herbs are a reminder of the suffering of the Jews during their time of slavery in Egypt, suffering from which God through Moses is in the process of alleviating (at the time the book of Numbers is written) in leading them to eventual nationhood in the Promised Land. Christ, in JN 6: 35, says, “I am the Bread of life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry; he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” I can’t help but conclude that these OT Passover rituals are a foreshadowing of what is to come in the NT.
Another connection that I saw in this was the command not to break the animal’s bones in NU 9: 12. The significance in this can be seen in the following citations: EX12: 46, PS 34: 19-20, and JN 19, 33, 36. EX 12: 46 is included in God’s instructions about the first Passover to the Israelites. “The whole meal must be eaten in the house in which it was prepared; it must not be taken outside. And do not break any of the animal’s bones.” PS 34 is a song of praise for God’s goodness. “The good man suffers many troubles, but the lord saves him from them all; the Lord preserves him completely; not one of his bones is broken.” JN 19, 33 & 36 consummates the connection between these citations and the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. “But when [the soldiers] came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs….This was done to make the Scripture come true: ‘Not one of His bones will be broken.’ ” I hope by reading through this train of thought, you are able to see some very important lessons God has for us today that can really deepen our faith. He is a promise-keeper to perfection. He is compassionate toward those who have faith in Him. The lessons that He teaches in the OT often foreshadow significant events and lessons of the NT. Jesus Christ, while not mentioned by name in the OT, is nevertheless present throughout it. God gives us symbols like unleavened bread to try to show us that He lives and is interested in every aspect of our lives. And here’s one of the most important ones: What God provides is sufficient for our needs. We need to know that we should put our trust in Him!
Wow! I never imagined there would be so much treasure to mine on this subject. I hope you are beginning to feel some of the spiritual excitement that I am as we travel on our journey and make discoveries along the way. The Lord brought me to look at the connection between DT 8: 3 and MT 4: 4. The first citation is in a passage in which Moses is reminding the Hebrews about the Promised Land to be possessed by them. DT 8:3 , “He made you go hungry, and then He gave you manna to eat, food that you and your ancestors had never eaten before. He did this to teach you that many must not depend on bread alone to sustain him, but on everything that the Lord says.” The second citations deal with Christ’s temptation in the wilderness. The devil orders Him to turn some stones into bread. Christ answers Satan in MT 4: 4 (also LK 4:4), “ Man cannot live on bread alone, but needs every word that God speaks.” Are you beginning to see the value of repeating these lessons? Think about the connection of Christ, the “Bread of life” [JN 6: 35] and the description of Him in JN 1: 1-4, as “The Word.” “Before the world was created, the Word already existed; He was with God, and He was the same as God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. Through Him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without Him. The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to mankind.” Repeating MT 4: 4, “Man cannot live by bread alone, but needs every word that God speaks.” Man needs The Word!
PRAYER: O Lord, in Your love for us and Your mercy, You have made bread available to us to feed us physically and spiritually. You used physical bread without yeast to symbolize the great sacrifice You were to make of Your Son, as a sin offering that is once and for all sufficient to open the way for salvation to repentant sinners who choose to come to faith. We humbly adore and thank You for giving us every precious word of the Scriptures to help us to learn Your ways and grow in our faith. We acknowledge the way You bless us. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will take the next leg of this God-driven journey together. As I write to you, I want to acknowledge the love Peter and I have for you, as well as my gratitude that you are interested enough to take these Scriptural journeys with me. God has blessed me with every reader who asks to be on my list. If you have any friends or acquaintances who might also like to receive these daily messages, please feel free to give him/her my e-mail address. See you tomorrow, Dear Ones.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn