Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

September 14, 2006

Volume 5 Number 18

Resting in the Light

A month after Moses led Israel out of their Egyptian bondage, they entered into the "wilderness of Sin:"

1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. -Exodus 16

It seems that the people of Israel had already forgotten the miraculous event of the Passover that freed them from Egypt. As they complained for lack of food, they longed for the good old days of slavery, when food was plentiful:

2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

3 And the children of Israel said to them, Would to God that we had died by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for you have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. -Exodus 16

Yahweh told Moses that He would send them "bread from heaven." He would use it to test whether or not they would obey His word. Yahweh taught them to rely totally upon Him each day for their bread:

4 Then said Yahweh to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. -Exodus 16

What was the test that Yahweh used to "prove" Israel? If Israel believed Him, then they knew that He would provide the bread for tomorrow. He said that He would give bread to them for six days of each week. They only needed to gather it each day. They must, however, finish gathering it on the sixth day:

5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. -Exodus 16

Yahweh kept His promise. He gave Israel food, which was the "bread from heaven." Israel called it "manna" because they had no idea what it was. The word means, "What is it?"

13 And it came to pass, that at evening the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the gray frost on the ground.

15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they knew not what it was. And Moses said to them, This is the bread which Yahweh has given you to eat. -
Exodus 16

All preparation for the seventh day must be completed on the sixth day. Moses told Israel that "Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath:"

23 And he said to them, This is that which Yahweh has said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath to Yahweh: bake that which you will bake today, and boil that you will boil; and that which remains over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. -Exodus 16

Yahweh commanded Israel to:

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. -Exodus 20

What is the purpose of the sabbath? Why did Yahweh command Israel to keep it? Why is it so important?

We can only understand the significance of the sabbath when we realize that Yahweh did not give the law for the sake of the law. Instead, He gave it to show an earthly example of something much greater. The law is called a "shadow of good things to come:"

1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. -Hebrews 10

While Yahweh gave manna to Israel, He gave it to show them that the "true bread of heaven" was yet to come.Yahshua (Jesus) reveals that He is that "true bread from heaven:"

31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

32 Then Yahshua said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world. -John 6

Yahshua is the true "Bread of God." He is also called the "Word of God:"

13 And he was clothed with a coat dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. -Revelation 19

It is the "Word of God" which proceeds from the mouth of Yahweh by which man may live:

3 And he humbled you, and allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh does man live. -Deuteronomy 8

When Yahshua hungered and was tempted by Satan, He responded to him by quoting the above Scripture:

4 And Yahshua answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. -Luke 4

Yahweh told Israel that they would suffer a famine for His word:

11 Behold, the days come, says the Lord Yahweh, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Yahweh:

12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of Yahweh, and shall not find it. -Amos 8

Although physical bread satisfies the hunger of the body, it does not feed the soul. While many search everywhere to satisfy their hunger, they can only be satisfied by eating the true "Bread of God," which is the "Word of God." Yahshua explains that He is that "Bread" which gives life:

57 As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me.

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live forever. -John 6

When the "Bread of God" is "eaten," as we receive the "Word of God" by faith, we are filled. Our souls are thereby satisfied and we can enter into Yahweh’s rest:

2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. -Hebrews 4

God rested from His works on the seventh day:

4 For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this manner, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. -Hebrews 4

When He commanded Israel to gather the manna for six days and then rest, He also showed us our need to enter into His rest:

9 There remains therefore a rest to the people of God.

10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. -Hebrews 4

As we are filled with the true Bread of God, the day of rest has come. We no longer look forward to tomorrow. By faith, we enter into the promised rest Today:

11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man falls after the same example of unbelief.-Hebrews 4

The law and its many ritualistic observances, Paul says, were but a shadow of the things to come. The Messiah has now come and in Him we can rest:

16 Let no man therefore judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of the Messiah. -Colossians 2

He is the Light which lights up the darkness of the world:

12 Then spoke Yahshua again to them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. -John 8

Isaiah prophesied of the coming Light:

1 Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of Yahweh is risen upon you.

2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but Yahweh shall arise upon you, and his glory shall be seen upon you. -Isaiah 60

Our Light has now come. Yahweh’s glory has risen upon us. We no longer walk in the darkness of the shadows. Filled with the Bread of God, which is the Word of God, we rest in Yahshua the Messiah as the Light of life. By faith, we now know that the day of rest is Today!

 

 

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