THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN

PSALMS 78:22-25

22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

 

The Food of the Mighty 

Men ate angels' food. He sent them food to the full". The word here Young's translation brings out food of the mighty.  It's food of the mighty has each eaten. God wants to feed you. God says he fed the children of Israel with the food of the mighty, and what is it? Manna from heaven, manna and bread of heaven.

 

Manna is a Picture of Jesus

Look at this. "When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it". Silent night. When night came, that's when Jesus was born. When the dew fell, the favor of God is like the dew. The manna did not fall on the ground. It fell on the dew fresh. It was never dirty. It never fell on the ground. It fell on the dew.

The dew is the favor of God. It's a picture of Jesus, the manna that came from heaven. Remember what Jesus told the people? "Your fathers ate manna". He told the people of Israel, "Your fathers ate manna and they're dead, but I am the Living bread from heaven. If a man eat of me, he will never die".

You Are Partaking His Life

"I am the true living bread from heaven, that if a man eat of me, he will never die. He will never die". Wow. And then later on he says, "Whoever use the word in the Greek, whoever chews my flesh and drinks my blood, unless you chew my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you".

He talked about his body, eating his body and his blood. I feel like we have missed something here. Yes, you don't get born again by eating Communion, but you get his life every time you partake, his overcoming life, his royal life, his disease-free life. Every time you partake, the life of the flesh is in the blood, Amen? And that life is available for you and me through the Holy Communion.

 

 2) The Israelites Complaining of the Manna

But now the Israelites say, "Now our soul being is dried up. There is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes"! They say, "There's nothing in front of us but manna, manna, manna, manna, manna.”

It’s not about the manna it’s about Jesus, He is the Bread of Life -  his Life in your life.

 

The Worthless Bread

"And the people spoke against God and against Moses, 'Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.' So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died".

 

3) Look to the Cross

"The Lord said to Moses, make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole, and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live". Make a fiery serpent, put it on the pole.

And if you look carefully, right, the pole like this and there's a cross so that the snake can coil around it.

 And Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, "As Moses lifted up the serpent, the Son of Man must be lifted up". He is that fiery serpent, that bronze serpent that was made by Moses, by Moses because God instructed him and to put on the cross. It's a picture of what is to come when Jesus dies on the cross. Whoever looks on him shall live.

 

Looking At Jesus Only!

When you see him, you're transformed. When you see him, you're fed. When you see him, you're delivered. When you see him, you are healed. When you see him, you're transformed from glory to glory. Even your marriage can be transformed just by looking at Jesus. The problem is the devil is trying to distract us from looking to him, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith, looking away even from all the great heroes of faith. 

 

PRAYER

JESUS, Our Bread of Life and our hope,

As we gather now to worship you, fill us with anticipation by your Spirit to receive from you.  Our first thought in our hearts is to help us to be conscious of your direction. Strengthen us for service, Nourish us with the bread of life, Transform us for mission. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask this. Amen.

We approach Jesus as the Bread of Heaven for eternal life. In this time of worship, may we find his sustenance and strength, and by the leading of the Holy Spirit, may we come ready to receive from Father God. Let our hearts and minds resolve to offer him thanks and praise through Christ our Lord. Amen.

May God Bless You and Family!