All Israel shared the same deliverance and the same provision, passing under the cloud and through the sea and eating the same spiritual meat and drinking the same spiritual drink together. The spiritual meat was manna, bread from heaven given by divine power to sustain them and teach them healthful living, and it pointed to Christ Himself who sustained them as the spiritual Rock that followed them. Christ personally led and taught them as their invisible ruler and instructor, guiding by cloud and fire, speaking through Moses, and giving law and direction for every march toward Canaan. Shared privilege did not secure them, for with many God was not well pleased and they were overthrown through lusting, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring. These things happened as examples and were written for admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come, and all believers still derive all strength and life from partaking together of the same spiritual food from Christ.
Wilderness Provision Described
All ate the same spiritual meat as part of a shared deliverance, being under the cloud and passing through the sea, baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. The common eating belonged to a journey from Egypt under God's care, with Christ leading throughout their travels and the spiritual food belonging to His provision for them. The account stands with Psalm 105 and Psalm 106, which hold lessons of warning that God's people in the last days especially need to study, those psalms to be read at least once every week. Yet the shared provision did not keep many from displeasing God and being overthrown in the wilderness, but served as an example and warning to keep Christians from lusting after evil things as they lusted, from idolatry like those who sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, from fornication, from tempting Christ, and from murmuring, written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, so that whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall.
The spiritual meat was manna, bread from heaven and angels' food given by divine power, not flesh meat, to sustain Israel and teach healthy habits. It was given when the people longed for Egypt's food, as evidence of God's preserving care after delivering them from Egypt and of His sustaining and protecting them. Their shared provision did not satisfy them, and their craving for meat led them to murmur against God.
The spiritual meat was also Christ's pure, strong instruction and intelligence given to that vast congregation of more than a million delivered by His own right hand from Egyptian bondage, through Moses during forty years of wilderness wandering. That food from the pillar of cloud was His instruction meant to separate Israel from all that would interfere with His purposes for them. It was the same truths He later taught on earth in human form, though the people did not recognize Him, and every lesson was preserved in writing to be given by Moses to the people in their travels as higher education, teaching them to train their children to be practical in all service to God and to be pure, clean, and holy in obeying all His commandments.
All ate the same spiritual meat and all drank the same spiritual drink because Christ Himself sustained them all, leading, teaching, and feeding Israel on the way to Canaan. He is that spiritual Rock that followed them and that living water, typified by the smitten rock wounded for transgressions so the stream of salvation might flow to all. It was through Christ alone that the Hebrews were favored with continual special blessings in spite of sinful murmurings and rebellion, and when Jesus stood on the great day of the feast and invited any thirsty man to come to Him and drink while witnessing the commemoration of water flowing from the rock, He declared that He had been that Rock in the wilderness.
Christ Led and Fed
Christ Himself conducted the travels of Israel as the angel appointed to go before Moses, guiding them by cloud by day and pillar of fire by night and bringing them safely through the Red Sea while the Egyptians drowned in attempting the same crossing. He gave Moses the special directions to repeat to the people, including the ceremonies and ordinances of the Jewish law, to keep them in the way and bring them into the place prepared for them. In keeping promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob He desolated the fertile land of Egypt to rescue His people and in awful grandeur destroyed the pursuing Egyptian host in the sea so that not one was saved, Christ as One equal with God, His only-begotten Son, carrying out His Father's mind in that deliverance. All ate the same spiritual meat and all drank the same spiritual drink because Christ sustained them all, the spiritual Rock that followed them being Christ Himself, that Rock and that living water, through whom alone the Hebrews were favored with continual special blessings despite sinful murmurings and rebellion.
Christ was the invisible Leader of His people while Moses was their visible general, Moses and Aaron being only visible leaders acting under Him. This vast multitude of more than a million people was under His direct, infinite rule as His family, He being interested in every one of them and pledged to lead them safely to the promised land if they would follow His guidance, communicating His will to them as their only Hope and only Salvation. Had they obeyed the directions given through Moses, not one who started from Egypt would have fallen prey to disease or death in the wilderness, for they were under a safe guide who never makes a mistake. While they kept in mind the evidence that Moses talked with God they were preserved from all harm, but when unbelief came in and they grew rebellious and murmured against Moses and Aaron for bringing them out of Egypt, punishment came upon them, and as a nation refusing to receive Him in the test they were rejected by God, while all who receive Him and obey the conditions are given power to become sons of God.
Enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, Christ was the true leader of Israel and the originator and foundation of all the Jewish ceremonies, while Moses was only the administrator of God's law. He was present as a Saviour set forth before them as the only channel of blessing even while types pointed to a Saviour to come, and He was the way by which patriarchs and prophets were saved, with plenty of light in that way to lead every soul to the abodes of bliss, so that to pour contempt upon that old way is to pour contempt upon Christ Himself. The Old and New Testament Scriptures do not contradict each other, true religion under the former dispensation being just as essential and thorough and full in its requirements as under the gospel dispensation, with types and shadows carried out in worship until type met antitype in the death of Jesus Christ. God's taking Israel from Egyptian bondage and leading them through the wilderness toward Canaan holds important truths in the Jewish economy and temple service that are only partly understood, opening more clearly as rays of light from the gospel are gathered up, and the full meaning of the laws He gave to His people will be unfolded in the future life.
Christ was Israel's instructor, teacher, and guide, continually showing love and patience, including through the sanctuary, and continually providing spiritual advantages. After bringing out a people chosen for His own, just set free from slavery after four hundred years as bondmen under the discipline of force, He undertook to train them under the One who had pledged Himself to redeem the world, that they might learn the philosophy of heaven and become an educating power through whom God would make known the laws of His kingdom and His rules of government. As Leader and Commander traveling with them from Egypt toward Canaan He educated them line upon line, precept upon precept, permitting trials to teach them character and how to conduct themselves under difficulties, and giving them through Moses the will of God and strength for each successive march in preparation for entrance into the promised land.
Christ Himself, present with His church in the pillar of cloud, fed them with spiritual meat, bestowing the bounties of heaven with manna to supply the necessities of His church in the wilderness. He constantly set God's requirements before them, including the command to keep the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord with rest for the whole household in memory of deliverance from Egypt, and He gave statutes and laws that by obedience they might be His denominated people. In union with the Father He proclaimed the law at Sinai.
Israel received God's Word from Christ through the pillar of cloud, and preservation and triumph depended on remaining loyal to His words in faith and practice. Lack of faith in those words left a troubled record, for they failed to receive the Word with faith and to practise it, so it did not profit them. Despite care amid perversity, murmuring, and rebellion, they failed to appreciate the presence of the only-begotten Son of God as their divine helper. In one marked rebellion they first refused to advance and then attacked against warning that God would not go with them, ending in defeat. The Lord Jesus who led the armies of the Lord's host out of Egyptian bondage remains guide and counsellor to those who carefully guard religious instruction and refuse in spirit, word, or action any idolatrous practices while living in a heathen court.
Privilege Did Not Secure
All Israel shared the same spiritual food as part of a common deliverance under the cloud and through the sea, baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, yet with many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness. Their common spiritual provision for that age did not keep them, so privilege did not secure them. Their history remains to be studied today because truth given in every age is unchangeable and no part of the Bible has died from old age, with Christian evidence found in the Bible rather than human experience.
These things were examples to keep from lusting after evil things as Israel lusted, and from idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring. The warning includes idolatry like those who sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. The favor shown in provision did not protect them from judgment when they lusted for the luxuries of Egypt, sinned, and rebelled, with love of ease and pleasure and self-confident boastfulness. The account belongs with Psalm 105 and Psalm 106, which hold lessons of warning especially needed in the last days, those psalms to be read at least once every week.
Through indulgence of lustful appetite and gratification of appetite and corrupt passions they were overthrown, so that nearly all who left Egypt died in the wilderness and were not led into Canaan. Jesus Christ Himself was with Moses and Joshua leading His favored people toward Canaan, yet Satan used their fall as a boast that Christ was not able to resist his power and bring His chosen people through.
Their shared provision did not satisfy them, for the spiritual food was manna, bread from heaven and angels' food, given to sustain them and teach healthy habits and not flesh meat, and their craving for meat led them to murmur against God. The forty years' travel in the wilderness is repeated when God's people backslide from principles of reform in eating and drinking. Continuing to eat and drink as one pleases repeats that wilderness history and leads gradually to carelessness about instruction on other phases of present truth, with a sure reaping as has been sown.
Those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways perished in the wilderness. Those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by God. Those sustained ones were light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed, showing that in all ages the faithful are aggressive missionaries consecrating resources, talents, influence, and powers of mind and body to God's honor and the saving of the world, with institutions from which truth shines to every part.
Warning Written for Last Days
All ate the same spiritual food as part of a common deliverance under the cloud and through the sea, baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, yet with many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness. These things happened as examples to keep from lusting after evil things as they lusted, from idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring, and they were written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall, and privilege did not secure those who shared God's provision for that age. Their history is to be studied today because truth given in every age remains unchangeable, no part of the Bible has died from old age, and Christian evidence is found in the Bible rather than human experience, so that believers benefit, keep faith in God, and heed the warning. God's people today therefore have no excuse for turning away from the counsels of His Spirit, but must humble their hearts, correct their ways, and experience genuine conversion rather than continue in disobedience until service cannot be accepted.
The record of God's dealing with the wanderers in all their marchings, in exposure to hunger, thirst, and weariness, and in striking manifestations of His power for their relief, is fraught with warning and instruction for His people in this age. Their varied experiences were a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan, and God would have His people in these days review with humble heart and teachable spirit the trials through which ancient Israel passed, that they may be instructed in preparation for the heavenly Canaan. The account belongs with the record in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106, which holds lessons of warning that God's people in these last days especially need to study. Those psalms are to be read at least once every week, and with the verses around it the shared spiritual food stands as an example to keep from lusting after evil things as Israel lusted and from idolatry like those who sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
The mighty miracle of the shared food is kept together with the record of murmurings, rebellious discontent, idolatry, ingratitude, and punishment, given as a warning to the people of God to avoid unbelief and escape wrath. The lesson God intended would fail if only virtues were recounted, for principles of justice required this faithful narration of facts for the benefit of all who read rather than virtues alone. The lives of believers lie before later generations with all faults and follies, to show that men favored and entrusted with great responsibility were overcome as people now strive, waver, and fall. Yet through God's grace they could gain fresh vigor to rise above evil nature, take heart again and conquer, so desponding hearts are encouraged to renew the conflict, press on and surmount obstacles, to avoid the evils recorded and imitate only righteousness.
Israel's history is being repeated before entrance to the promised land, and the same snares that threatened Israel before entering Canaan threaten God's people again. Those snares include impurity, love of pleasure, and selfishness, warning the remnant not to repeat Israel's sins or follow its path of unbelief and rebellion. As with ancient Israel, there are among God's people those who wish to move independently, who follow their own independent unsanctified judgment, who are not willing to submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God, who will not listen to advice or counsel, and who despise counsel and reproof. God is teaching, leading, and guiding His people so they may teach, lead, and guide others, and He has a church upon the earth to which He has delegated power, so that those who depart from the faith bring disaster and ruin of souls. Those who rally to support and build up the truth stand united in heart, mind, and voice in defense of the truth, while those who do not labor in harmony of purpose and action range themselves on the side of Satan, take Satan as their leader, and join him in tearing down what God is building up, yet none of these discordant elements can thwart God's purposes in preparing a people to stand in the great day and in completing the plan of salvation.
The travels of the children of Israel stand as a warning to the church, for their rebellion brought the visitation of God because of their sins. God designs that there should be men to reprove sin and wrong, or His people will become careless and corrupt their ways before Him. He would have reproof exist in the church, and He has always had those who stand in defense of the right to oppose wrong and repress sin and corruption. Men must therefore be awake and not stupid or asleep in regard to errors and sins existing among them.
Shared Life Applied Today
All still eat the same spiritual food and drink the same spiritual drink from the same spiritual Rock, and that Rock is Christ. All strength and life and prosperity are derived from Him, all feel the same need, all depend entirely on Him, and all must continually receive divine wisdom and His freely bestowed gifts in order to impart to others. Partaking together in Christ crucifies self, hushes controversies, gives up old grudges, forgives injuries, buries enmities and uproots bitterness. Those who rejoice in the Saviour's love are thus brought into genuine love for the brethren, into likeness to Him in character, into oneness in holy endeavor and Christian fellowship, and into the divine union that exists between Christ and the Father.
All Israel in the wilderness shared that same spiritual food, being under the cloud and passing through the sea and being baptized unto Moses and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, yet with many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness as examples against lusting after evil things, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ and murmuring, written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. God's people today therefore have no excuse for turning away from the counsels of His Spirit. They must humble their hearts and correct their ways and experience genuine conversion, rather than continue in disobedience until their service cannot be accepted, for he who thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall.
Christ Himself led the people on the wilderness journey and fed them with spiritual food from the pillar of cloud, which was His instruction given through Moses to separate Israel from all that would interfere with His purposes for them. That history was recorded not for Israel alone but for future generations journeying heavenward in the last days when the end is near, and the truths given to Israel on the journey are still to be gathered up, cherished and sacredly obeyed. They are to be studied and obeyed with discernment and acknowledgment and appreciation of their importance, keeping the peculiar characteristics of God's chosen people and standing constantly in the light of God's countenance instead of becoming like the world. Obedience to all those teachings would have caused the Jewish nation to glorify God above every nation and people on the earth and Jerusalem need not have been destroyed, whereas the nation disregarded the commandments while professing to regard them. The same Christ leads His people today, and obedience to His commands brings perfect safety and distinguished marks of His favor, while insisting on human plans instead of God's plans brings failure and defeat.
God sent His people into Egypt until His appointed time and then delivered them with a wonderful display of power and led them through the wilderness toward the promised land, where those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways perished, but those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by God. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud He fed them with manna, bestowing the bounties of heaven to supply the necessities of His church in the wilderness, and gave them statutes and laws that by obedience they might be His denominated people. The manna teaches care for both soul and body, bestowing temporal food on those in want so that unselfish benevolence opens the way for them to receive spiritual food. He expected those blessed with heaven's bounty to share their blessings with others less favored, and He deals the same way with His chosen people today. He is the Lord of glory who knew the meaning of want and privation, who as a child subject to poverty practiced self-denial, who as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief came to help fallen needy humanity, and because He so gave Himself He expects His followers to whom He has entrusted means to bind about their own supposed wants and to be liberal in relieving the necessities of others. Those sustained ones were light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed, showing that in all ages God's faithful people are aggressive missionaries who consecrate all resources, talents, influence and powers of mind and body to the honor of God and the saving of the world, with institutions established from which the light of truth shines to every part of the world.
All Israel shared the same deliverance and the same provision, passing under the cloud and through the sea and eating the same spiritual meat and drinking the same spiritual drink together. The spiritual meat was manna, bread from heaven given by divine power to sustain them and teach them healthful living, and it pointed to Christ Himself who sustained them as the spiritual Rock that followed them. Christ personally led and taught them as their invisible ruler and instructor, guiding by cloud and fire, speaking through Moses, and giving law and direction for every march toward Canaan. Shared privilege did not secure them, for with many God was not well pleased and they were overthrown through lusting, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring. These things happened as examples and were written for admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come, and all believers still derive all strength and life from partaking together of the same spiritual food from Christ.
Wilderness Provision Described
All ate the same spiritual meat as part of a shared deliverance, being under the cloud and passing through the sea, baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. The common eating belonged to a journey from Egypt under God's care, with Christ leading throughout their travels and the spiritual food belonging to His provision for them. The account stands with Psalm 105 and Psalm 106, which hold lessons of warning that God's people in the last days especially need to study, those psalms to be read at least once every week. Yet the shared provision did not keep many from displeasing God and being overthrown in the wilderness, but served as an example and warning to keep Christians from lusting after evil things as they lusted, from idolatry like those who sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, from fornication, from tempting Christ, and from murmuring, written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, so that whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall.
The spiritual meat was manna, bread from heaven and angels' food given by divine power, not flesh meat, to sustain Israel and teach healthy habits. It was given when the people longed for Egypt's food, as evidence of God's preserving care after delivering them from Egypt and of His sustaining and protecting them. Their shared provision did not satisfy them, and their craving for meat led them to murmur against God.
The spiritual meat was also Christ's pure, strong instruction and intelligence given to that vast congregation of more than a million delivered by His own right hand from Egyptian bondage, through Moses during forty years of wilderness wandering. That food from the pillar of cloud was His instruction meant to separate Israel from all that would interfere with His purposes for them. It was the same truths He later taught on earth in human form, though the people did not recognize Him, and every lesson was preserved in writing to be given by Moses to the people in their travels as higher education, teaching them to train their children to be practical in all service to God and to be pure, clean, and holy in obeying all His commandments.
All ate the same spiritual meat and all drank the same spiritual drink because Christ Himself sustained them all, leading, teaching, and feeding Israel on the way to Canaan. He is that spiritual Rock that followed them and that living water, typified by the smitten rock wounded for transgressions so the stream of salvation might flow to all. It was through Christ alone that the Hebrews were favored with continual special blessings in spite of sinful murmurings and rebellion, and when Jesus stood on the great day of the feast and invited any thirsty man to come to Him and drink while witnessing the commemoration of water flowing from the rock, He declared that He had been that Rock in the wilderness.
Christ Led and Fed
Christ Himself conducted the travels of Israel as the angel appointed to go before Moses, guiding them by cloud by day and pillar of fire by night and bringing them safely through the Red Sea while the Egyptians drowned in attempting the same crossing. He gave Moses the special directions to repeat to the people, including the ceremonies and ordinances of the Jewish law, to keep them in the way and bring them into the place prepared for them. In keeping promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob He desolated the fertile land of Egypt to rescue His people and in awful grandeur destroyed the pursuing Egyptian host in the sea so that not one was saved, Christ as One equal with God, His only-begotten Son, carrying out His Father's mind in that deliverance. All ate the same spiritual meat and all drank the same spiritual drink because Christ sustained them all, the spiritual Rock that followed them being Christ Himself, that Rock and that living water, through whom alone the Hebrews were favored with continual special blessings despite sinful murmurings and rebellion.
Christ was the invisible Leader of His people while Moses was their visible general, Moses and Aaron being only visible leaders acting under Him. This vast multitude of more than a million people was under His direct, infinite rule as His family, He being interested in every one of them and pledged to lead them safely to the promised land if they would follow His guidance, communicating His will to them as their only Hope and only Salvation. Had they obeyed the directions given through Moses, not one who started from Egypt would have fallen prey to disease or death in the wilderness, for they were under a safe guide who never makes a mistake. While they kept in mind the evidence that Moses talked with God they were preserved from all harm, but when unbelief came in and they grew rebellious and murmured against Moses and Aaron for bringing them out of Egypt, punishment came upon them, and as a nation refusing to receive Him in the test they were rejected by God, while all who receive Him and obey the conditions are given power to become sons of God.
Enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, Christ was the true leader of Israel and the originator and foundation of all the Jewish ceremonies, while Moses was only the administrator of God's law. He was present as a Saviour set forth before them as the only channel of blessing even while types pointed to a Saviour to come, and He was the way by which patriarchs and prophets were saved, with plenty of light in that way to lead every soul to the abodes of bliss, so that to pour contempt upon that old way is to pour contempt upon Christ Himself. The Old and New Testament Scriptures do not contradict each other, true religion under the former dispensation being just as essential and thorough and full in its requirements as under the gospel dispensation, with types and shadows carried out in worship until type met antitype in the death of Jesus Christ. God's taking Israel from Egyptian bondage and leading them through the wilderness toward Canaan holds important truths in the Jewish economy and temple service that are only partly understood, opening more clearly as rays of light from the gospel are gathered up, and the full meaning of the laws He gave to His people will be unfolded in the future life.
Christ was Israel's instructor, teacher, and guide, continually showing love and patience, including through the sanctuary, and continually providing spiritual advantages. After bringing out a people chosen for His own, just set free from slavery after four hundred years as bondmen under the discipline of force, He undertook to train them under the One who had pledged Himself to redeem the world, that they might learn the philosophy of heaven and become an educating power through whom God would make known the laws of His kingdom and His rules of government. As Leader and Commander traveling with them from Egypt toward Canaan He educated them line upon line, precept upon precept, permitting trials to teach them character and how to conduct themselves under difficulties, and giving them through Moses the will of God and strength for each successive march in preparation for entrance into the promised land.
Christ Himself, present with His church in the pillar of cloud, fed them with spiritual meat, bestowing the bounties of heaven with manna to supply the necessities of His church in the wilderness. He constantly set God's requirements before them, including the command to keep the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord with rest for the whole household in memory of deliverance from Egypt, and He gave statutes and laws that by obedience they might be His denominated people. In union with the Father He proclaimed the law at Sinai.
Israel received God's Word from Christ through the pillar of cloud, and preservation and triumph depended on remaining loyal to His words in faith and practice. Lack of faith in those words left a troubled record, for they failed to receive the Word with faith and to practise it, so it did not profit them. Despite care amid perversity, murmuring, and rebellion, they failed to appreciate the presence of the only-begotten Son of God as their divine helper. In one marked rebellion they first refused to advance and then attacked against warning that God would not go with them, ending in defeat. The Lord Jesus who led the armies of the Lord's host out of Egyptian bondage remains guide and counsellor to those who carefully guard religious instruction and refuse in spirit, word, or action any idolatrous practices while living in a heathen court.
Privilege Did Not Secure
All Israel shared the same spiritual food as part of a common deliverance under the cloud and through the sea, baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, yet with many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness. Their common spiritual provision for that age did not keep them, so privilege did not secure them. Their history remains to be studied today because truth given in every age is unchangeable and no part of the Bible has died from old age, with Christian evidence found in the Bible rather than human experience.
These things were examples to keep from lusting after evil things as Israel lusted, and from idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring. The warning includes idolatry like those who sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. The favor shown in provision did not protect them from judgment when they lusted for the luxuries of Egypt, sinned, and rebelled, with love of ease and pleasure and self-confident boastfulness. The account belongs with Psalm 105 and Psalm 106, which hold lessons of warning especially needed in the last days, those psalms to be read at least once every week.
Through indulgence of lustful appetite and gratification of appetite and corrupt passions they were overthrown, so that nearly all who left Egypt died in the wilderness and were not led into Canaan. Jesus Christ Himself was with Moses and Joshua leading His favored people toward Canaan, yet Satan used their fall as a boast that Christ was not able to resist his power and bring His chosen people through.
Their shared provision did not satisfy them, for the spiritual food was manna, bread from heaven and angels' food, given to sustain them and teach healthy habits and not flesh meat, and their craving for meat led them to murmur against God. The forty years' travel in the wilderness is repeated when God's people backslide from principles of reform in eating and drinking. Continuing to eat and drink as one pleases repeats that wilderness history and leads gradually to carelessness about instruction on other phases of present truth, with a sure reaping as has been sown.
Those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways perished in the wilderness. Those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by God. Those sustained ones were light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed, showing that in all ages the faithful are aggressive missionaries consecrating resources, talents, influence, and powers of mind and body to God's honor and the saving of the world, with institutions from which truth shines to every part.
Warning Written for Last Days
All ate the same spiritual food as part of a common deliverance under the cloud and through the sea, baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, yet with many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness. These things happened as examples to keep from lusting after evil things as they lusted, from idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring, and they were written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall, and privilege did not secure those who shared God's provision for that age. Their history is to be studied today because truth given in every age remains unchangeable, no part of the Bible has died from old age, and Christian evidence is found in the Bible rather than human experience, so that believers benefit, keep faith in God, and heed the warning. God's people today therefore have no excuse for turning away from the counsels of His Spirit, but must humble their hearts, correct their ways, and experience genuine conversion rather than continue in disobedience until service cannot be accepted.
The record of God's dealing with the wanderers in all their marchings, in exposure to hunger, thirst, and weariness, and in striking manifestations of His power for their relief, is fraught with warning and instruction for His people in this age. Their varied experiences were a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan, and God would have His people in these days review with humble heart and teachable spirit the trials through which ancient Israel passed, that they may be instructed in preparation for the heavenly Canaan. The account belongs with the record in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106, which holds lessons of warning that God's people in these last days especially need to study. Those psalms are to be read at least once every week, and with the verses around it the shared spiritual food stands as an example to keep from lusting after evil things as Israel lusted and from idolatry like those who sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
The mighty miracle of the shared food is kept together with the record of murmurings, rebellious discontent, idolatry, ingratitude, and punishment, given as a warning to the people of God to avoid unbelief and escape wrath. The lesson God intended would fail if only virtues were recounted, for principles of justice required this faithful narration of facts for the benefit of all who read rather than virtues alone. The lives of believers lie before later generations with all faults and follies, to show that men favored and entrusted with great responsibility were overcome as people now strive, waver, and fall. Yet through God's grace they could gain fresh vigor to rise above evil nature, take heart again and conquer, so desponding hearts are encouraged to renew the conflict, press on and surmount obstacles, to avoid the evils recorded and imitate only righteousness.
Israel's history is being repeated before entrance to the promised land, and the same snares that threatened Israel before entering Canaan threaten God's people again. Those snares include impurity, love of pleasure, and selfishness, warning the remnant not to repeat Israel's sins or follow its path of unbelief and rebellion. As with ancient Israel, there are among God's people those who wish to move independently, who follow their own independent unsanctified judgment, who are not willing to submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God, who will not listen to advice or counsel, and who despise counsel and reproof. God is teaching, leading, and guiding His people so they may teach, lead, and guide others, and He has a church upon the earth to which He has delegated power, so that those who depart from the faith bring disaster and ruin of souls. Those who rally to support and build up the truth stand united in heart, mind, and voice in defense of the truth, while those who do not labor in harmony of purpose and action range themselves on the side of Satan, take Satan as their leader, and join him in tearing down what God is building up, yet none of these discordant elements can thwart God's purposes in preparing a people to stand in the great day and in completing the plan of salvation.
The travels of the children of Israel stand as a warning to the church, for their rebellion brought the visitation of God because of their sins. God designs that there should be men to reprove sin and wrong, or His people will become careless and corrupt their ways before Him. He would have reproof exist in the church, and He has always had those who stand in defense of the right to oppose wrong and repress sin and corruption. Men must therefore be awake and not stupid or asleep in regard to errors and sins existing among them.
Shared Life Applied Today
All still eat the same spiritual food and drink the same spiritual drink from the same spiritual Rock, and that Rock is Christ. All strength and life and prosperity are derived from Him, all feel the same need, all depend entirely on Him, and all must continually receive divine wisdom and His freely bestowed gifts in order to impart to others. Partaking together in Christ crucifies self, hushes controversies, gives up old grudges, forgives injuries, buries enmities and uproots bitterness. Those who rejoice in the Saviour's love are thus brought into genuine love for the brethren, into likeness to Him in character, into oneness in holy endeavor and Christian fellowship, and into the divine union that exists between Christ and the Father.
All Israel in the wilderness shared that same spiritual food, being under the cloud and passing through the sea and being baptized unto Moses and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, yet with many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness as examples against lusting after evil things, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ and murmuring, written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. God's people today therefore have no excuse for turning away from the counsels of His Spirit. They must humble their hearts and correct their ways and experience genuine conversion, rather than continue in disobedience until their service cannot be accepted, for he who thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall.
Christ Himself led the people on the wilderness journey and fed them with spiritual food from the pillar of cloud, which was His instruction given through Moses to separate Israel from all that would interfere with His purposes for them. That history was recorded not for Israel alone but for future generations journeying heavenward in the last days when the end is near, and the truths given to Israel on the journey are still to be gathered up, cherished and sacredly obeyed. They are to be studied and obeyed with discernment and acknowledgment and appreciation of their importance, keeping the peculiar characteristics of God's chosen people and standing constantly in the light of God's countenance instead of becoming like the world. Obedience to all those teachings would have caused the Jewish nation to glorify God above every nation and people on the earth and Jerusalem need not have been destroyed, whereas the nation disregarded the commandments while professing to regard them. The same Christ leads His people today, and obedience to His commands brings perfect safety and distinguished marks of His favor, while insisting on human plans instead of God's plans brings failure and defeat.
God sent His people into Egypt until His appointed time and then delivered them with a wonderful display of power and led them through the wilderness toward the promised land, where those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways perished, but those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by God. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud He fed them with manna, bestowing the bounties of heaven to supply the necessities of His church in the wilderness, and gave them statutes and laws that by obedience they might be His denominated people. The manna teaches care for both soul and body, bestowing temporal food on those in want so that unselfish benevolence opens the way for them to receive spiritual food. He expected those blessed with heaven's bounty to share their blessings with others less favored, and He deals the same way with His chosen people today. He is the Lord of glory who knew the meaning of want and privation, who as a child subject to poverty practiced self-denial, who as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief came to help fallen needy humanity, and because He so gave Himself He expects His followers to whom He has entrusted means to bind about their own supposed wants and to be liberal in relieving the necessities of others. Those sustained ones were light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed, showing that in all ages God's faithful people are aggressive missionaries who consecrate all resources, talents, influence and powers of mind and body to the honor of God and the saving of the world, with institutions established from which the light of truth shines to every part of the world.