Episode Transcript
[00:00:05] Thank you, Megan and the team. That was beautiful and perfect.
[00:00:10] For those that don't know me, I'm Pastor Diane. I have the privilege of serving on what I think is a really great staff.
[00:00:18] In the place of my ministry is in prayer in our Freedom Group ministries.
[00:00:23] So over these last two weeks, in our continuing study in Moses, we find that life has moved quickly for the people of God.
[00:00:31] Oops.
[00:00:36] As we enter into chapter 16, which is where we're going to be today.
[00:00:40] They are now entering in the wilderness of sin, which is between Elim and the Sinai, and have been journeying for exactly one month, as it tells us in verse one. They've been journeying for 30 days since they left Egypt.
[00:00:53] And this is where our story begins, the manna from heaven and quail from the skies. So let's pray.
[00:01:01] Father, I just thank you for the opportunity that we have to gather today and to worship you and to sing praises to your name, to glorify the King of kings.
[00:01:12] And Father, as we come and look at your word, I pray God that you would hide your servant behind you. That, Father, this morning your word would go forth in truth and in power. Power.
[00:01:22] And that God, we will leave this place different than when we came in.
[00:01:26] More in love with you, believing in you and serving in you and following you. Father, God, I just thank you for the next half hour that's in front of us and we give you praise. Amen.
[00:01:40] So this morning we're going to be looking at many scriptures. Some of them will be on the.
[00:01:45] In the slides, some will not.
[00:01:48] We may not approach them all in order, but we are going to go through the points in order.
[00:01:54] So when we look at the story of the Israelites, there's something we see over and over again.
[00:01:59] Israel's grumbling and God's provision, Israel's disobedience and God's mercy.
[00:02:07] There's a pivotal scripture in Exodus 15:26, right before the story that we're going to get into today. Today, where God delivers one of those instructional if then conversations.
[00:02:20] He says to us, if. If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.
[00:02:42] Simply put, do what I say, obey my commands, and what happened with Egypt or something like it, will not happen to you.
[00:02:50] But God also declares in this verse that he is the God who heals Yahweh. Rapha God has many names describing his different characteristics.
[00:03:03] This is the first time in the Bible that we are introduced to Yahweh or Jehovah. Rapha. Yahweh means Jehovah, the personal name of God.
[00:03:12] The Hebrew word for heal is Rapha, but it can also mean to restore or make fresh or take care of.
[00:03:21] This reveals God as a compassionate sustainer of his people, eager to restore them physically, emotionally and spiritually from their diseases, their needs, and also from their own corrupted nature.
[00:03:36] In the story that follows, we are going to see that God was about to bring the Israelites into circumstances that would test their faith in him and their ability to acknowledge and obey these very words.
[00:03:50] After arriving in the wilderness between Elim and Sinai. Sinai. Excuse me. Unfortunately, true to their nature, the Israelites are once again grumbling verses two and three.
[00:04:04] But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
[00:04:10] The sons of Israel said to them, if only we had died by the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full.
[00:04:22] For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger.
[00:04:30] Now, before we get into their complaints, let's do a quick recap of what has taken place in the lives of the Israelites over the last 30 days since they walked out of Egypt as they obeyed God's commands by placing the blood of a young lamb or goat over the top and sides of their doors, the death angel passed over them and they were delivered from the 10th place plague of death.
[00:04:57] Through Moses, God led almost 2 million people from their bondage in Egypt carrying the riches of Egypt on their backs.
[00:05:06] God protected his people from an early war with the enemies of the Philistines by leading the Israelite people around the long way to bypass the Philistine territory on their way to the Red Sea.
[00:05:20] God brought his people safely through the Red Sea on dry ground.
[00:05:24] They saw the entire Egyptian army killed in the sea as it collapsed over them.
[00:05:29] God showed Himself by leading the people with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, thus letting them know that he was with them and so that they could travel either by day or by night.
[00:05:45] In chapter 15 we see he turned the bitter waters of Marah into sweet and he led them to an oasis of 12 springs of water and 70 date palms for a season of rest.
[00:05:59] That's a miracle of God happening every 3.75 days over a 30 day period. Of time.
[00:06:08] That's a way to live.
[00:06:11] The sad truth is that from the time the Israelites sought God for deliverance, from their slavery and bondage to the Egyptians, we hear these words over and over again. And I'm paraphrasing, sort of, we were better off in Egypt.
[00:06:28] They are now complaining about the need for food. Yes, food is dwindling because even 2 million people can only carry so much food.
[00:06:38] Did God understand their need? Yes, and most likely allowed them to get to this point to test their faith and trust in Him.
[00:06:47] They failed the test.
[00:06:49] As one author pointed out, their grumbling was understandable because their present anxiety. Their present anxiety distorted the memory of the recent past.
[00:07:03] Does that make their grumbling acceptable? No.
[00:07:07] Their hunger was real, but so was God's past record and and future promises.
[00:07:15] But the people were not grumbling against God. They were targeting Moses and Aaron with their complaints, in essence challenging their leadership.
[00:07:24] Instead of turning to God, to crying out to him in faithful, hopeful desperation and asking him to supply their needs, they grumbled against their leaders. You led us out here to die. You led us out here into the wilderness to starve us to death.
[00:07:42] But Moses was clear. In verse eight, he tells them, who are we?
[00:07:47] You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord. And oh, by the way, he has heard your grumblings now. God could have replied, after all what I've done for you, you don't even think to come and just talk to me.
[00:08:05] You don't think I know your needs?
[00:08:08] Have I not been with you long enough? Have you not seen all the miracles I've done for you? Do you still doubt that there could possibly, possibly be any need in your life that I could not handle?
[00:08:22] Do you not know how much I love you? There's not a hair that falls from your head that I don't see. I am your God.
[00:08:31] At no time do we see God giving up on the Israelites, saying, you know what? I've had enough.
[00:08:38] Enough of your grumbling and your stubbornness. Find your own way to wherever you want to go. Your life is your own.
[00:08:46] No.
[00:08:47] No.
[00:08:48] In the midst of their grumblings and accusations, though God is undoubtedly unhappy with them, we see God responding in a way that only God would respond.
[00:09:00] Israel grumbles, but God provides.
[00:09:05] God told Moses in chapter 16, verses 4, and again in 12.
[00:09:09] Then the Lord said to Moses, I will rain down bread from heaven for you.
[00:09:15] The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
[00:09:24] At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread.
[00:09:29] Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.
[00:09:34] We did not cover it, but back in chapter 15, after leaving the Red Sea, the people wandered for three days without finding any water.
[00:09:42] They finally came to Marah, and there was water there, but it was bitter and undrinkable.
[00:09:48] So God showed Moses a tree and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet and they were able to drink it.
[00:09:55] God supplied water for them, and now he would provide for their food.
[00:10:00] Now they remembered the meat and the bread they had in Egypt.
[00:10:05] Whether the pots were full or not is up for some speculation, but that is how they chose to remember it.
[00:10:13] But God was going to give them beyond better than what they had in Egypt. He was going to extend to them un unbelievable grace. And he does that by giving them bread from heaven and quail from the skies, thus proving again that he is the Lord their God.
[00:10:32] Now, God could have picked any kind of meat to feed his people.
[00:10:36] He chose quail.
[00:10:38] And as it was then, so it is to this day. Quail is still seen as a gourmet delicacy.
[00:10:47] The birds are small, making them easy to prepare and cook. And their meat is tender, their bones are soft and can be easily digestible, thus making the whole bird eatable.
[00:10:59] Apparently, quail were quite common and regularly migrated across the Red Sea into the Sinai Peninsula. And God could certainly have used this avenue to supply the quail for his people.
[00:11:13] Whatever decision he chose to deliver this choice meat, it would be by the thousands every evening covering the camp to feed 2 million people.
[00:11:25] The bread from heaven was definitely a unique gift of God.
[00:11:31] There have been those who have tried to explain its existence by natural means.
[00:11:36] However, there are definite parameters spoken of in scripture that define just how miraculous the this bread was and that it was providential food from God.
[00:11:47] This manna from heaven was supplied in large quantities, was given throughout the whole year, came only six out of the seven days in the week.
[00:11:58] Bread worms, if kept two days except on the Sabbath, was to be Israel's chief nourishment for 40 years.
[00:12:07] And what was this manna? Like Scripture tells us the next morning, the area around the camp was wet with dew.
[00:12:15] When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground.
[00:12:22] It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.
[00:12:29] Why was it called manna?
[00:12:31] Actually, the name comes directly from the Hebrew people themselves.
[00:12:35] God's word tells us that when they rose in the morning and saw this fine flake like thing on the ground, reminding them of frost, they said to one another, what is it for? They did not know what it was.
[00:12:47] And Moses said to them, it is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. And the house of Israel named the bread manna. The word for manna in Hebrew literally is translated when what is it for? Both the quail and the manna, the people were completely dependent upon God.
[00:13:08] Though they were most likely familiar with quail, the bread from heaven was like nothing they had ever had or seen or tasted.
[00:13:19] It was a true miracle from God's own hands.
[00:13:23] In fact, the manna was considered such an incredible miracle and gift from God that we read in Exodus 16:32 and 34, God's instructions.
[00:13:33] Then Moses said, this is what the Lord has.
[00:13:37] Fill a 2 quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants.
[00:13:42] Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set you free from Egypt.
[00:13:50] Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant in front of the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.
[00:14:01] This manna was so sacred and so holy and so important that Paul mentions it in Hebrews 9:3:4 in the New Testament when talking about the temple.
[00:14:13] Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the most holy place.
[00:14:19] In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides.
[00:14:28] Inside the ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron's staff that sprouted leaves and the stone tablets of the covenant.
[00:14:38] God has now provided his people with meat and bread.
[00:14:42] But as he does so many times, he uses these provisions as a time of teaching and testing to see if his people will follow his instructions.
[00:14:54] Apparently with the quail they could gather as much as they wanted. There didn't seem to be any limits.
[00:14:59] There does seem to be limits though, and rules. Regarding the manna, it was different.
[00:15:08] This is what the Lord has commanded. We read in verse 16 to 18, everyone gather as much as he will eat.
[00:15:14] You shall take an omer apiece according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.
[00:15:20] The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little when they measured it by the Omer. The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little.
[00:15:37] Everyone gathered as much as he would eat.
[00:15:40] An omer is an ancient Hebrew unit of dry measurement. It equals about two cups or two quarts, excuse me, and eight and a half cups dry.
[00:15:50] They were to gather an omer per person in their family. And miraculously, when they all came to weigh it out, it was exactly what each family needed.
[00:16:01] However, there was one more stipulation.
[00:16:04] Moses said to them, no one, no one is to leave any of it until morning.
[00:16:12] But they did not listen to Moses. And some left part of it until morning. And it bred worms and stank.
[00:16:20] And Moses was angry with them. They gathered it morning by morning, everyone as much as he would eat. But when the sun became hot, it would melt.
[00:16:30] It was a matter of obedience and trust.
[00:16:34] Instructions were clear.
[00:16:36] Gather what you need for one day.
[00:16:38] God had told him. I will rain bread down from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.
[00:16:49] God was teaching his people. They were no longer slaves. They were no longer under bondage. They no longer had to depend on Egypt for their needs.
[00:16:59] God was telling them to depend on him daily, daily, to meet their needs.
[00:17:06] They needed to learn to obey and heed his word.
[00:17:10] They needed to understand and will learn that he meant what he said.
[00:17:16] But God was not done.
[00:17:18] There were further instructions in teaching.
[00:17:21] On the sixth day, they are to prepare what they bring in. And that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.
[00:17:30] When the sixth day of the week arrived, the people did exactly what they were told to do. They gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each family, for each member of each family.
[00:17:41] However, they did not understand why they were doing this. And the leaders came to Moses and asked him to which he replied, this is what the Lord commanded. Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy day, a Sabbath set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today and set aside what is left for tomorrow.
[00:18:04] They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord's gift to you.
[00:18:09] That is why he gives you a two day supply on the sixth day. So there will be enough for two days on the Sabbath day. You must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.
[00:18:24] According to my research, the seven day week, and particularly the observance of the Sabbath or seventh day, was new to the Hebrew people.
[00:18:33] The first time we hear about the seventh day is found way back at the first part of the Bible in Genesis, chapter two, verses two and three, which is at the end of the creation week.
[00:18:43] On the seventh day, God had finished his work of creation. So he rested from all his work.
[00:18:48] And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
[00:18:57] But from then on, there is really no mention of the sabbath in Exodus 28:10, which Something we'll be getting to in a few weeks.
[00:19:06] At the giving of the ten Commandments, we see it clearly. Remember the Sabbath day. To keep it holy for six days you shall labor and do all your work.
[00:19:15] But the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.
[00:19:22] Prior to the giving of the ten Commandments. God was already beginning to teach his people a knowledge and understanding of the Sabbath, a day put aside to rest and ultimately focus their attention on and honor God.
[00:19:37] They were to learn what it meant to worship and serve the most holy one.
[00:19:42] Moses went on to tell them, in getting a double portion on the sixth day and saving some for the seventh, they would not find any manna on the fields in the seventh day.
[00:19:54] But sadly, we read in verse 27, yet it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out together, but they found none.
[00:20:05] The Lord asked Moses, how long will these people refused to obey my commands and instructions?
[00:20:12] Once again they didn't believe what God said. Once again they disobeyed.
[00:20:17] Now, you would think that when they discovered they could only gather enough for each day, the first five days, because if they gathered more and held it over, it just had maggots come into it. You would think, knowing that, that when Moses told him there would be Nothing on the 7th that they would believe in, you think they might understand it too, because they were told to gather twice as much on the 6th, though God was unhappy with his people, particularly when they saw and experienced how much he was supplying their needs, did he punish them or retaliate in any way?
[00:20:59] No.
[00:21:01] Instead we see Israel's disobedience but God's mercy.
[00:21:07] And how do we see this played out regarding the manna?
[00:21:11] So the people of Israel ate manna for 40 years until they arrived at the land where they would settle.
[00:21:17] They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
[00:21:23] To Israel's grumbling, God provided quail from the skies and manna from heaven.
[00:21:29] To their constant disobedience, he provided mercy.
[00:21:33] There would, though, come a time very soon, in fact, when their constant grumbling and disobedience would lead to outright rebellion against God, at which time God's Response would be punishment.
[00:21:52] There is one more thing we find in this chapter that God provided.
[00:21:56] God provided his glory.
[00:21:59] As one author describes it, the glory of God represents the visible, tangible manifestation of God's holy presence, his majesty and his character.
[00:22:09] God's glory frequently appears in Scripture as a brilliant radiance, a consuming fire or a cloud signifying God dwelling among or interacting with his creation.
[00:22:21] He goes on to say, we might say it is the shining forth or the public display of God's character and nature.
[00:22:29] Glory described all the things God is full of. His wisdom, love, creativity, beauty, strength, compassion.
[00:22:41] All the things that make him weighty and wonderful, made manifest for us to see and experience and respond to. Close quote Twice in our story today, the Israelites experience God's glory.
[00:22:58] The first takes place in verses 4 to 7 where God states he will provide manna from heaven. And Moses tells the people that in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord.
[00:23:09] In the morning, upon the arrival of the manna would be the realization of God's glory and the provision to his people of the bread of heaven, the healing from their starvation with this miraculous bread.
[00:23:25] In verses nine and ten, the people are commanded to present themselves before the Lord and in doing so, they look to the wilderness, to the cloud that led them. And when they did, they saw the awesome presence and overwhelming brightness of the glory of the Lord in the cloud, and they were most likely greatly humbled.
[00:23:47] In order for the Israelites to look towards the wilderness, to the cloud they had to turn their backs on, at least temporarily, Egypt.
[00:23:59] For this incredible moment in time, they stopped looking back from where they had come a time of bondage, fear and slavery, and looked to the Almighty God, their beautiful and majestic provider.
[00:24:15] There are many times when God gives us a special revelation of his glory. And the Israelites would encounter God's glory many times on their way to the land of Canaan, closer to our time. We see it regarding Jesus in the book of Luke chapter two in the New Testament, referring to the night that the angels appeared to let the Bethlehem, to let the shepherds watching over their sheep to tell them that Jesus the Christ, the Lord the Savior had been born. We find that night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
[00:24:51] Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them and they were terrified.
[00:25:02] In John 1:14, John tells us, the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
[00:25:10] We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
[00:25:20] But probably one of the most beautiful expressions of God's glory is seen in us, his creation.
[00:25:28] God made us in his image and his likeness.
[00:25:32] And as we live for him, we reflect his glory, his presence in us, to those around us.
[00:25:43] So a quick overview of this story would look something like the people grumble about food and want to return to Egypt. God provides meat from the sky and bread from heaven.
[00:25:55] The people are challenged to obey God. God shows them his glory. The people disobey his commands. Over and over, God responds. Through his provision and mercy. God begins to teach them the significance of the Sabbath and a seven day week.
[00:26:12] Now, we could end here.
[00:26:14] That's a great story. True story.
[00:26:17] We have learned lots of interesting things this morning, but I'm a firm believer that God's Word is always speaking and that he has something to say to us this morning.
[00:26:31] The most obvious admonition from this story, and one we can all identify with, is don't turn back to Egypt.
[00:26:41] Life in the wilderness was hard. The Israelites had no permanent dwellings.
[00:26:46] They set up their tents when it was time to stop and took everything down when it was time to move on.
[00:26:51] Two million of them. And they did this. For the next 40 years.
[00:26:56] There would be laws given to obey, holy days to observe. They would dwell in a land surrounded by nations who worshiped false gods and indulged in cultic practices.
[00:27:06] Nations more than willing to take them on in battle.
[00:27:10] There would be many challenges and obstacles ahead of them to overcome.
[00:27:16] God was molding a people unto himself, teaching them and training them to be a people. Separate, different, called out to become his people, to love him, trust him, have faith in him and seek Him.
[00:27:33] And while he was doing this, with the constant goal of getting them to leave their past behind, their time of bondage and slavery, over and over we see them turning and looking longingly back to Egypt.
[00:27:52] When our lives become uncomfortable, we too are so tempted to go back to our old way of living, to our old self, to that which had us in such bondage.
[00:28:06] Perhaps God has brought you through a great season of growth. Or he has delivered you, or is delivering you from an addiction. Drugs, alcohol, pornography, sins of the flesh.
[00:28:18] Maybe he has set you free from sinful habits that have been so ingrained and destructive in your life.
[00:28:26] Pride, arrogance, control, lying, gossiping, anger, you name it. And suddenly you find yourself facing something very difficult.
[00:28:39] A trial, a life tragedy, a situation that you never saw coming.
[00:28:49] A broken relationship, a financial failure, a temptation.
[00:28:55] And instead of turning to the Lord for help and support and answers.
[00:28:59] You look back to your Egypt and you think to yourself, it was easier back then.
[00:29:09] It was more comfortable.
[00:29:11] I didn't have to deal with all the things I'm facing.
[00:29:17] Like the Israelites who claimed we were better off in Egypt, we claim that that illicit relationship wasn't so bad, that addiction didn't really hurt that much, that destructive sinful habit just felt better.
[00:29:38] I was happier then.
[00:29:41] That great growth spurt in the Lord wasn't what I thought it would be.
[00:29:46] I wasn't facing what I'm facing now.
[00:29:50] Remember earlier in the message, the Israelites present anxiety, which in our story today had to do with their hunger, distorted the memory of the recent past, which was a time of bondage and slavery in Egypt.
[00:30:08] This could happen to us because of the difficult circumstances we face. Whatever they are, we lose sight of how bad and destructive our old life really was, and we forget how far God has brought us.
[00:30:26] Pastor Tim said in his message last week, don't believe for a second that the enemy Satan will ever stop chasing you, trying to keep you on the edges of his influence.
[00:30:39] If he cannot steal your soul, he will try to minimize your faith and your hope.
[00:30:46] And he will do that by enticing you at your weakest moments to head back to Egypt to the bondage. The old life you were in before Egypt represents the bondage and slavery of our old life of sin.
[00:31:05] Egypt represents the attitude that we can handle everything ourselves.
[00:31:10] Egypt represents looking to the world for answers instead of looking to the Lord.
[00:31:17] If the Israelites had made it back to Egypt, do you know what was waning for them?
[00:31:26] Slavery, bondage and fear, their old life.
[00:31:31] You see, the past never changes.
[00:31:36] God says to US In Exodus 22, I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery.
[00:31:47] Now, before we move on, there are two questions we need to ask.
[00:31:51] We need to ask of ourselves.
[00:31:55] Am I struggling with what I'm going through? Am I struggling by my own hand?
[00:32:01] Did my own actions bring me to this point, or is God testing me to see if I will indeed trust him and follow him?
[00:32:13] The answer to both of these questions is the same.
[00:32:17] We need to turn to the Lord.
[00:32:21] Back in Exodus 15:26, the Lord told the people of Israel that he is Jehovah Raphael, the Lord who heals you.
[00:32:29] This healing was not only physical healing, like restoring the body from sickness and disease and infirmities, but included healing from broken hearts and suffering.
[00:32:39] It meant healing both mentally and spiritually.
[00:32:44] And believe it or not, this healing also included meeting the needs of his people in miraculous ways, as in the manna that was given.
[00:32:55] The people of God complained about being hungry. God said he would rain bread from heaven. This bread was a miracle from God, a healing to the people for their hunger.
[00:33:05] This bread was a sustainer of health.
[00:33:09] Bread is considered a staple of life. You can live for a long time on just bread and water.
[00:33:15] The Israelites would eat this bread for 40 years.
[00:33:19] But this bread from heaven, this miracle of God, which met the hunger needs of the people, was so much more than that.
[00:33:30] This bread, this manna, represented the coming of Jesus, the true bread from heaven, who would be the healer meeting the needs of his people.
[00:33:43] As one commentator defines it all so perfectly.
[00:33:47] Far more important than manna's physical qualities is what manna foreshadowed.
[00:33:54] Manna is a type or foreshadowing of Jesus.
[00:33:58] After Jesus miraculously fed the 5,000, they wanted him to give us this bread always.
[00:34:05] Jesus tried to get their attention off of physical bread and onto the true bread of life.
[00:34:11] The literal manna temporarily saved the Israelites from physical death.
[00:34:17] The spiritual manna saves us from eternal death.
[00:34:21] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died.
[00:34:26] This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat of it and never die.
[00:34:33] Jesus spoke about being the manna, the true bread from heaven.
[00:34:37] He said, I tell you the truth.
[00:34:39] Moses didn't give you bread from heaven. My father did. And now he offers the true bread of heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
[00:34:52] Sir, they said, give us that bread every day.
[00:34:56] Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.
[00:35:02] Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
[00:35:06] Jesus, who came down from heaven in the form of a babe and grew into a man, is God incarnate, God in the flesh.
[00:35:13] Just as God provided manna from heaven to the Israelites to save them from starvation, he provides Jesus, the true bread or manna from heaven, the bread of life for the salvation of our souls. He is the living bread of life. He is Jehovah Raphael, the one who heals the unfathomable truth of Jehovah. Rapha Jesus, as we said earlier, is that his healing encompasses the eternal and the spiritual.
[00:35:41] Jesus says to us, I am the Lord who heals you, spirit, soul and body. I am the sacrificial lamb that takes away your sins.
[00:35:53] Jesus can heal us physically.
[00:35:56] He can heal us from the bondage of addictions and habits.
[00:36:00] He can heal our emotions and our minds.
[00:36:03] He can provide for our needs.
[00:36:06] And he can heal us spiritually from our carnal nature, taking away our sins and offering us eternal life found only in Him.
[00:36:15] It is Jesus we need to turn to when things get tough, when we face uncertain situations, setbacks, disappointments, confusion, fear, relapse, abandonment, difficulties that we see no way out of.
[00:36:34] Jesus is the answer.
[00:36:37] Jesus tells us in John 10:10, the thief Satan comes to steal and kill and destroy.
[00:36:44] I came that they you you would have life and have it abundantly.
[00:36:52] Egypt offers us only a life of slavery, bondage and shame. The old life that Jesus came to set us free from freedom is found only by turning our backs on Egypt and looking towards him like the Israelites did in the wilderness when they turned from Egypt and looked to the cloud.
[00:37:12] No matter what we are facing, Jesus is our help in times of need.
[00:37:16] The only way out, the only way forward.
[00:37:20] Galatians 5:1 reminds us it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
[00:37:33] Egypt is never the way.
[00:37:36] Jesus is the only way.
[00:37:39] Megan, you and the team can come up.
[00:37:44] Megan and the team are going to come up and lead us, as they always do, in our final song of worship. And I'm going to ask Pastor Laurie and Pastor Josh if you join me down in front for a time of prayer.
[00:37:55] Maybe this morning you're facing that. Why?
[00:38:00] Whether you should go Egypt or turn to God, we would be happy to pray with you.
[00:38:07] Maybe this morning you're dealing just with some issues in your life that you would like.
[00:38:14] We could pray with you and to help strengthen you. We'd love to do that.
[00:38:19] If you're carrying a burden or wish to stand in for someone for healing or for salvation, please come forward.
[00:38:31] But maybe this morning there's someone here.
[00:38:34] You don't know Jesus.
[00:38:36] You haven't met him yet, and we'd love to talk to you about him and let you know more about Him.
[00:38:44] The altars are open. Jesus is here. He is the only way. He's the only life we have.
[00:38:51] So if you would go ahead and stand and if you'd like to come forward for prayer, we'd be happy to pray with you. And the altars are opening. If you care to kneel.
