[0:00] It's only been a few days. So on Sunday we took a look at manna, and we studied in this chapter how it's likened to the Word of God.
[0:19] And so it's kind of a type of the Word of God, if you want to call it that. And I made a comment on Sunday that manna, to me, is very mysterious. It was mysterious then, and it's still mysterious today.
[0:32] And so let's read together verse number 33 again. Just want to draw your attention to this very verse for the moment. In Exodus 16, verse 33, And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.
[0:55] Now, what I want to do tonight with you is a Bible study that has to do with manna, and I'm going to call this the mystery of manna.
[1:06] And as you read your Bible, you hit references, and you hit passages, and sometimes even full-on stories that you just don't understand. But in some cases, I trust this happens with you, certain spots, certain things you read, certain just one verse out of a couple chapters just gets you, just incites curiosity.
[1:28] It makes you read it again. It makes you think about it. And that ought to happen anyway, instead of just hustling to get past it so you can move on. But to allow the Word of God, I like to call it arrest your attention.
[1:40] And that'll definitely happen if you're a Bible reader, and if you're seeking to know the Lord and walk with Him, you'll read your Bible, and God will just get your attention just out of nowhere sometimes with a phrase or with the way two words are together that you just, you know, it just sounds, that's different.
[2:00] And it makes you look at it. It makes you analyze it. And so I want to just encourage you, and just on the introduction here, don't ignore those times when the Lord kind of grabs your attention from His Word, or even if the wording is awkward and you have to reread it to make sure you're reading it, don't ignore those times.
[2:19] Meditate on them and think about them and ponder them for a little while. Make a note of it if it's something that you don't understand. And just table it if you can't resolve it.
[2:32] Just table it and keep reading. Pastor Steve Andrus from down the other side of L.A. says to me that he goes, whenever I hit something I don't understand, I put a question mark there. And if I can't figure it out, I just put a question mark, and maybe the next time around I'll see something, or maybe I'll have it answered by then, and I'll write the answer down.
[2:51] I know you know Brother Sam Gipp, many of you. He would say something very similar. Whenever I'd hit something in the Bible I didn't understand, I'd make a note. And then the next time through, or the next time through, or 20 years later, but somewhere along the lines, it seems God sometimes gives him some insight, gives him the light.
[3:06] So I encourage you to do that very thing, is to make notes when you hit these things that you just don't understand. I know we didn't read a verse that really just has you perplexed yet, but we'll get into that, I think so at least.
[3:19] So tonight I want to study manna with you tonight. It's not so much preaching, but a Bible study that I hope can help you, and edify you, and just help you love the Bible more, or study it.
[3:32] Tonight we're going to run a lot of references, so be ready for that, and have your fingers ready, and don't get distracted if you can help it. I want to try to search out this mystery as best as we can, and there's four things that I find mysterious about manna in this chapter 16.
[3:49] And I'm going to tell you right now, in all four, we're not going to reach a certain end. Something with clear understanding, it's going to remain a mystery.
[4:00] And so we're going to start tonight with the very easiest of all, and that is the mystery of when. Look at verse 34. Moses, I read 33, where he told him to take a pot.
[4:13] So verse 34, As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the testimony to be kept. The mystery of when did this happen? I mentioned this Sunday just in passing that it couldn't have happened in chapter 16 when manna first showed up on the scene.
[4:29] You'd like to think the very first batch of manna, he said, go get that one and put it up, but I'll show you why that can't be. Keep your place here. We're going to come back, or maybe put a little envelope there, and move over to chapter 26, Exodus 26.
[4:44] Flip over to Exodus 26. So, the children of Israel in Exodus 16 have not yet reached Mount Sinai.
[5:00] Moses has not yet gone up on the mount and received instructions from God and the tables of stone. The tabernacle, all of that, it's not happening yet.
[5:11] So, in chapter 26, notice in verse number 15, no, that is not the reference at all, but it's the one I wrote down.
[5:25] We're off to a great start. No, look, maybe it's 25. I think that's better. In 25, notice this, it says, there's an ark.
[5:44] It starts in verse 10. He's telling them instructions about an ark. In verse 15, the stave shall be in the rings of the ark, and they shall not be taken from it.
[5:54] And thou shalt put into the ark, there it is, the testimony, which I shall give thee. That's the verse. 25, 16. I had it 26, 15. So, in 25, 16, thou shalt put into the ark, the testimony, which I shall, future, give thee.
[6:12] Now, back in 16, the Lord said to Aaron, laid it up before the testimony to be kept. Well, he hasn't even given him the testimony in chapter 25, nor has he fashioned the ark.
[6:26] So, moving forward a little bit, come to chapter 32. I'm going to start having to hustle here, because we didn't get very far at all. 32, Exodus 32, and Moses is up on the mountain.
[6:39] He's going to come down, and look at verse 15. Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony. So, that's what we're talking about, when he says laid up before the testimony.
[6:50] It's the two tables of stone, were in his hand. The tables were written on both of their sides, on the one side, and on the other side of the written. And so, these tables, Moses breaks.
[7:01] You remember that? He throws them down. He gets hot in anger, and breaks those things. So, those tables of testimony, aren't even the ones that get placed into the ark. Another set, but we'll fast forward past a lot of this stuff.
[7:13] I trust you've read through Exodus already. Look at Exodus chapter 40. Go all the way to the last chapter of the book. Exodus 40. And now, finally, at this point, the instructions have been received, and then the materials have been gathered, and the work has begun, and the work has been finished.
[7:33] In Exodus chapter 40, the tabernacle is finally set up. The ark, then, is built and fashioned, according to the word of the God, and is placed inside of the tabernacle.
[7:46] Verse number 20. It says, and he took, and put the testimony, into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above the ark.
[7:57] And he brought the ark, into the tabernacle, and set up the veil, of the covering, and covered the ark, and the testimony, as the Lord commanded Moses. So, finally, just, just kind of, getting the timeline going.
[8:09] Now, the ark's built. Now, the tabernacle's built. Now, the ark is placed inside the tabernacle, and now, the veil is put up. Within that ark, we read, is the testimony. There's tables of stone, okay?
[8:20] So, going back to Exodus 16, you don't have to turn back there, but just going back in your mind, Aaron laid it up, before the testimony, to be kept. So, I'm going to say, that whatever, whenever Aaron collected this manna, in this pot, and placed it, before the testimony, to be kept, had to be after Exodus chapter 40.
[8:43] Sometime after that. Obviously, it happened, before the manna ceased, which is Joshua chapter 5, when they get into the land, on the morrow, the manna ceased, and when they ate of the old corn of the land.
[8:55] So, in Joshua 5, there's, there's the ending of the manna, but, even backing up two years, we're not turning to these places, but, two years prior, Aaron dies, in Numbers chapter 20.
[9:07] And so, somewhere, in this window, from, Exodus 40, to Numbers 20, manna was placed in a pot, carried into, the tabernacle, put inside of the Ark of the Covenant, and then later, it was, followed around, through the wilderness, and eventually, into the promised land, to be kept as a reminder.
[9:33] But, when, did this occurrence take place, that we read about, back in chapter 16? Your guess is as good as mine, it's a mystery. Now, that is the least, of the mystery of manna.
[9:45] We started with the easiest, not very consequential, just, kind of a something that you, you just don't even know, the Bible won't even give you, an exact time or date, when this took place. Now, come back to Exodus 16, I don't want to see, mystery number two.
[10:00] And that is, the mystery of why. The mystery of why. Now, the Bible tells you, a reason why, but let's consider it. Look at verse 32. In verse 32, of Exodus 16, and Moses said, this is the thing, which the Lord commandeth, fill an omer of it, to be kept for your generations, that they may see, the bread wherewith, I have fed you, in the wilderness, when I brought you, forth from the land of Egypt.
[10:26] So, that sounds pretty straightforward, that they may see, the bread wherewith, I have fed you. Keep, keep this, for a remembrance. Don't want to ever forget, this miraculous thing, that God did, in filling them with manna, all of those 40 years, according to verse 35.
[10:42] So, I'm going to say, there's something mysterious, about this, because, how and when, would future generations, the word says, see? How would they see, this manna, that was to be kept, for your generations, to remind them, to tell them, what he fed them with.
[11:03] The manna was placed, inside of the ark. The ark is placed, inside of the tabernacle, inside what the Bible, calls the most holy place. Turn in your Bible, to Leviticus chapter 16.
[11:15] Leviticus 16. Inside this inner, portion of the tabernacle, the most holy place, was off limits.
[11:29] The high priest, went into that place, as far as we can see, from the word of God, just one time, each year. Leviticus 16, look at verse number 2.
[11:40] And the Lord said unto Moses, speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not, at all times, into the holy place, within the veil, before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark, that he die not.
[11:55] For I will appear, in the cloud, upon the mercy seat. So he's warning him, you better make sure, Aaron knows this. This place right here, is off limits. He doesn't just come in here.
[12:06] That doesn't happen, or what happens? That he die not. That's why I'm warning you. Because I'll kill him dead, if he comes in here. Look at verse 13. Leviticus 16, 13.
[12:19] And when Aaron's going to, to go in there, this one time, it says, he shall put the incense, upon the fire, before the Lord, that the cloud, of the incense, may cover the mercy seat, that is upon the testimony, that he, Aaron, the high priest, die not.
[12:35] So even when he did go in, they had to have that incense, so thick, and heavy, and clouding, filling that environment, and cover the mercy seat, and there you see, the word testimony again, that's the law there, in that mark.
[12:49] All right, New Testament, Hebrews chapter 9, all the way back to Hebrews, you're done with Leviticus. Hebrews chapter 9, Hebrews chapter 9, Hebrews chapter 9, this is where, we get some, specific wording, that, it appears, gives us, clear insight, as to, the frequency, of, entering into, that holy place.
[13:21] Hebrews 9, look at verses, 2 and 3 for now, Hebrews 9, verse 2, for there was a tabernacle made, the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary, and after, the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called, the holiest of all, and in verse 4, it describes the ark being, in that one.
[13:46] Now look at verse number 6, and 7, now when these things, were thus ordained, the priest went always, into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God, but into the second, went the high priest alone, once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself.
[14:05] Now do you see, why put manna, in a pot, to be kept in a place, as far as I can determine, and see, is completely off limits? How are they going to see it?
[14:19] Now furthermore, I told you we'd turn a few places here, look at 1 Samuel chapter 6, just one little, point to add to this, 1 Samuel chapter 6, why set aside, an omer of manna, in a pot, and place it in the ark, and place the mercy seat, on top of it, all of gold, and then place it, into the holiest of all, how are they going to see it, is my question.
[14:53] It's a mystery. In 1 Samuel 6, we'll come back to this area, a little later I think, but for now, if you can remember, during the times of the judges, and then into Eli, the priest, the Philistines are attacking, and they take the ark, and when the ark, is finally, they're sending it back, bad things are happening to them, look down at, it comes by the field of Joshua, the Beth Shemite, and look at verse 19, where the Bible says, and he smote the men, that's God, smote the men of Beth Shemesh, these are Israelites, because they had looked, into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people, 50,000 and three score and ten men, the people lamented, or lamented, because the Lord smitten many, with great slaughter, so what, what if they wanted, to see the manna, well obviously, that was off limits, and some suggest, that the mercy seat, was not upon the ark, that they could look in it, thinking that they couldn't touch it, or they'd die, and that happens a little later, with Uzzah,
[16:04] I think it is, coming back with David, but you can see, the question I have, if God says, lay up that manna, so that they may see the bread, wherewith I have fed you, keep it, it will be preserved, for your generations to come, how are they going to see it, so that's a question of, why would you do this, if they can't, actually have access to it, it's a mystery, it's a mystery to me, but there in this chapter 16, come back to Exodus 16, God tells Aaron to do it, so there's the mystery, of when he did it, there's the mystery, of exactly why he did it, it's also been suggested, that maybe, no evidence of this, but just maybe, the priest, the high priest, would at one time, go in and bring this out, and show it to the people, and say, this is it, it's just a guess, total guess work, because for what we can see, he couldn't do that, or he'd be killed, so maybe there's something there, that's not written, we don't know, so alright, there's another mystery, verse 34, it says, as the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up, before the testimony, to be kept, now I've already kind of, introduced this thought, that it's laid up, before the testimony, and exactly what that means, as far as it being, in the ark, with the tables of stone, but I also want to bring up, this mystery of where, of where exactly, is it, it says there, where it was supposed, to be placed, to be kept, to be kept, it says, so it's supposed to stay, in that ark, but let's take a look, at another, kind of a companion, reference to this, first, look at number 17,
[17:51] I should have told you, to keep your place, back in Hebrews, but I didn't, I want to go there next, but for right now, number 17, and then we're going to go back, to Hebrews 9, in number 17, you've read this, I trust, where there's some rebels, and they're fussing, about Aaron and Moses, who are you, and why do the Lord, only speak by you, and we're just as good as you, and the Lord's going to settle this, he kills a bunch of them, but then he's going to settle this thing, and you say, all right, get every prince, of every tribe, all 12 of them, plus Levite, that makes 13, you get all 12 of the princes, bring a rod, with your name on it, Aaron, bring your rod, with your name on it, and we're going to put them, all inside, verse 7, Moses laid up the rods, before the Lord, in the tabernacle of witness, so we're going to put them, in the tabernacle, and then we're going to come back, it came to pass, verse 8, that on the morrow,
[18:54] Moses went into the tabernacle, witness, behold the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi, was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloom blossoms, and yielded almonds, and Moses brought all the rods, from before the Lord, unto all the children of Israel, and they looked, and took every man his rod, and the Lord said unto Moses, bring Aaron's rod again, before the testimony, to be kept, for a token, that's what it says in Exodus 16, it was before the testimony, to be kept, and so, it appears that, alongside of the tables of testimony, was this golden pot of manna, an omer of manna, as well as Aaron's rod, that budded, all right, let's see if Hebrews concurs, Hebrews chapter 9, because we think we know where it is, Hebrews chapter 9, and I read to you verses 2 and 3 already, about that second tabernacle within, called the holiest of all, and verse number 4 now,
[20:02] Hebrews 9 verse 4, says, which had the golden censer, that's the one that brought forth, all of that, smoke into there, to cover the mercy seat, had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant, overlaid round about with gold, wherein, was the number 1, the golden pot, that had manna, and number 2, Aaron's rod that budded, and number 3, the tables of the covenant, okay, pretty straightforward, the writer of Hebrews, concurs, that in that tabernacle, that Moses erected in the wilderness, where the priest came into the first one, and the high priest once in a year, and the second one, inside there was the ark, and inside the ark, there's three items, right, that's what it says, so the ark, the ark is carried, through the wilderness, the ark is carried, by the priest, to the Jordan river, and they put their feet in there, and the river stops, and they go across, and the priests cross, and they come up out last, and the waters flow, and they go into the promised land, with the ark, and then, the next thing you know, in Joshua, they're bearing that ark, around the city of Jericho, you remember that, and they walk around at one time, next day one time, and on and on, until the walls come down, the priests are bearing the ark, so we're going to presume, inside that ark, we know what's in there, there's three things in there, and it's traveled, into the promised land, and it's traveled, around Jericho, and there's a little uncertainty, exactly where, it ends up, but we do see a few glimpses, turn to Judges chapter 20,
[21:37] Judges chapter 20, there's some historians, that say some things, that you can't prove, with the Bible, and so I'm not going to introduce, those thoughts, but we'll get what we can, from the holy scripture, in Judges 20, the ark, looks like it ends up, in a place called Mizpah, Judges chapter 20, and take a look at verse 1, if you know where you're at here, this is early, in the times of the judges, although it's, categorized, kind of late in the book, the timing is pretty early, they weren't in the land, all that long, verse 1 says, that all the children of Israel, went out, and the congregation, was gathered together, as one man, from Dan, even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the Lord, unto the Lord, what do you mean, unto the Lord, in Mizpah, what do they mean, they're gathering together, unto the Lord, is the Lord there, look at chapter 1, look at verse 18, then the children of Israel, rose and went up, to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, which of us shall, go up first to the battle, this is Mizpah, and they're encamping, in verse 19, against Gibeah, so they're going to be, fighting against Gibeah, but they're in Mizpah, all right, move over to verse 27, look at this, and the children of Israel, inquired of the Lord, for the ark of the covenant of God, was there, in those days, so there it is, in Mizpah, now, then it goes to Shiloh, if you want to flip, just a few pages to the right, you'll find first Samuel, and look at chapter 4, you're familiar with,
[23:27] Eli the priest, and Samuel, being dedicated, dedicated to the Lord, and being trained, in the presence of Levi, or of Eli, and in chapter 4, the Israelites go to battle, against the Philistines, and they take the ark, with them, and verse number 4, it says, of 4-4, so the people sent, to Shiloh, that they might bring, from thence, the ark of the covenant, of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between, the cherubims, and the two sons, of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there, with the ark of the covenant, of God, and so that ark, goes down to battle, and if you know, the passage here, the Philistines, fight with them, and they take the ark, verse 11 says, the ark of God, was taken, Eli's two sons, are slain, in chapter 5, the Philistines, took the ark of God, and brought it, from Ebenezer, to Ashdod, and around it goes, and puts it, in the place, of their God, and we don't need, to really comment, on all of this, we just understand, the Philistines, have possession, of God's ark, and he's wreaking havoc, upon these, uncircumcised Philistines, because that's just, that's not, those are heathen, they don't touch, this thing, they're not to have this, in their presence, and so he's destroying them, and they send the, ark back to Israel, and so it's returned, in chapter 6, we already took a look, at verse 19, where the men, are looking inside of it, and dying, and it ends up, in Kerjath-Jerim, by chapter 7, verse 1, they fetch the ark, and it goes, to the house, of Abinadab,
[25:05] Abinadab, later we find out, that Abinadab, is in Gibeah, in David's time, when he fetches the ark, to bring it to Jerusalem, so, here's a few locations, we do understand, and see, flip now, to chapter 14, chapter 14, and verse number 2, more problems, with the Philistines, Saul is king, his son Jonathan, is gonna, go up against, a garrison, in this chapter, verse number 2, says Saul tarried, in the uttermost part, of Gibeah, under a pomegranate tree, which is in, Migron, so Saul is, in the uttermost part, of Gibeah, and what about that, well, he calls for the ark, in verse number 18, Saul said to Ahiah, bring hither the ark of God, for the ark of God, was at that time, with the children of Israel, where, well, we just read, you noticed earlier, that it was, with the men of Kirjath,
[26:12] Jerom, which David later says, is Gibeah, so that confirms that, you don't need, to turn to this stuff, but in 2nd Kings chapter 6, David then becomes king, he brings it to, Jerusalem, with an unplanned stop, along the way, because the one, man Uzzah, put forth his hand, and he was slain, and so, it makes a, its way to, Obed Edom's house, but then David eventually, pitches a tabernacle, for the ark, and he gets it to Jerusalem, and he's singing, and dancing, and Saul's daughter, despises him, and you, maybe you remember, reading some of that, now one last reference, look at 1st Kings chapter 8, after the ark, is in David's possession, in Jerusalem, he desires, to build a house, for the Lord, and the Lord says, no not you, but your son, and so now, we get to see, Solomon his son, build this glorious temple, and when it's completed, and ready to go, just like back, in the wilderness, it's time to bring the ark, into the most holy place, 1st Kings chapter 8, verse number 6,
[27:19] I could back up, to verse 3, and all the elders of Israel, came, and the priests, took up the ark, and they brought up, the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle, of the congregation, and all the holy vessels, that were in the tabernacle, even those, did the priests, and the Levites bring up, and King Solomon, all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him, before the ark, sacrificing sheep, and oxen, that could not be told, nor numbered, for multitude, and the priests, brought in the ark, of the covenant, of the Lord, unto his place, into the oracle, of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings, of the cherubims, for the cherubims, spread forth their two wings, over the place of the ark, and the cherubims, covered the ark, and the staves thereof above, and on down to verse 9, there was nothing in the ark, save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there, at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant, well what in the world, happened to Aaron's rod, and especially, the mystery, of the manna, where did it go, we're only left to speculate, it did get into the hands, of the Philistines, there was men looking into it, so it was opened, at some time, but the Bible doesn't mention it, it doesn't mention it at all, to me, that's a mystery of, where, where, is the manna, you'd probably just presume, well it's, long gone by now, and maybe very much so, it may not be on earth at all, at least, but it's definitely a mystery, so there's the mystery, of when, did this take place, the mystery of why exactly, did he say to, put it in such a place, when you couldn't really view it, though it's supposed to be viewed, and then the mystery of, where is it now, one more, and this is probably, the biggest of all, come back to Exodus 16, one more time, and that is, the mystery of what, what in the world, is this stuff,
[29:23] Exodus 16, 16 again, and we're at verse number 14, and 15, 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 hoarfrost, on the ground, and when the children of Israel saw it, they said, one to another, it is manna, for they wist not, what it was, I told you Sunday, the word manna, it's a word of curiosity, as well as confoundment, meaning they don't know, what this stuff is, the word means, what is it, it's a question even, so the thought is, there's a mystery, of what this is, now there's, it's likened to some things, we pointed this out Sunday, it's likened to, or it's as small, the size is likened to, hoarfrost on the ground, in verse 31, it's likened to, the color of coriander seed, we learn a little bit, about the taste of it, we learn from numbers 11, a little more about the taste of it, about it being like fresh oil, but, what is it, in Exodus 16,
[30:42] God called it bread, several times, it's called bread, I will rain bread, back in verse number 4, I will rain bread from heaven, now bread is, can be a generic term, not necessarily a loaf of bread, but it can be, it just means meal, or food, like the word meat, is kind of a generic term, for something you can partake of, God says, I'm going to rain bread, now one more reference, that we looked at Sunday, come to Psalm 78, and let's remind you, of a few more things, that the Bible says, manna is, not is likened to, but is, Psalm 78, because that's the mystery, what is it, the psalmist here, Asaph, gives us a few thoughts, to consider, Psalm 78, and again, we'll read verses, I'll back up to verse 23, through 25, verse 23, though he had commanded, the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down, manna upon them to eat, and had given them, of the corn of heaven, man did eat angels food, he sent them meat, to the full, now the statement, started in 22, that they believed, not in God, though he had commanded, the clouds, and opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna, for them to eat, and given them, the corn of heaven, now what is it, this passage, says two things, that it is, it says it's the corn, of heaven, and it says, it's angels food, so the question arises, and again, it's a mystery, the question arises, is this to be taken literally, or is this just, metaphorically saying,
[32:32] God fed them, and it came from heaven, or it came from above, they didn't, you know, grow this on the earth, it just kept appearing, kept appearing, but that's an awful strange way, to describe something, that God just, makes to appear for them, calling it, angels food, and calling it, the corn, of heaven, that's an awful strange, way of wording that, but is it to be taken literally, is there corn, in heaven, that angels eat, I'm not, I don't have passages, to turn now, I'm running out of, room on that one, but a thought, a thought to throw at you, when Jesus Christ, was resurrected, and came, and appeared, into this room, with his disciples, they believed he was what, he was a what, they thought, he thought he was a spirit, and he said, no, no, I'm not, and what is it that he did, he ate, some broiled fish, and a piece of a honeycomb, he partook of it, now that's physical food, that was, earthly, grown, and groomed, and, and he partake of it, he ate it, as a, glorified being, that's Luke chapter 24, that does not prove, that angels in heaven, are eating, or growing food, it just is a, food for thought, pardon the pardon, now secondly, corn of heaven, the corn, it says that, your bible says, he had given them, of the corn, of heaven, and it says that it fell, and it says that he rained it, upon them, so heaven, does heaven have corn,
[34:17] I don't know, but, heaven has a temple, the future city, that John sees, has foundations, and gates, and precious stones, literal, precious stones, that he sees, and he describes, there is, a, a literal key, to a literal, bottomless pit, where the devil, is bound with, a literal, great chain, for a thousand years, in Revelation chapter 20, these are not like, spiritual concepts, or, metaphors, these are things, that are described, in the bible, in heaven, there are thrones, plural, there are windows, there are doors, we just read that, in verse 23, open the doors, of heaven, heaven, but John, saw a door, opened in heaven, there are lamps, in heaven, there are harps, in heaven, there are books, in heaven, robes, in heaven, swords, in heaven, there are horses, in heaven, there are trees, with leaves, and fruit, and the first time, in your bible, you read about, a tree with fruit, it's given to man, to eat, and it shall be, meat for the man, so if this is true, should we not believe, that the corn of heaven, is actually, in fact, food, that angels eat, you know what I say, it's a mystery,
[35:45] I don't know, but it's interesting, that Psalm 78, says it so explicitly, and, I can't go beyond that, now there is one more, far out thought, I'll just read it with you, why not, look at Psalm, I was going to avoid this, but look at Psalm 74, and this is a, a place that, this is a hard saying, Psalm 74, and, I'm not sure, what I believe about this, but it's been taught, and commented, that this is, manna, now I'll tell you this, it doesn't say, it's manna, but Psalm 74, verse number 12, says, for God is my king of old, working salvation, in the midst of the earth, thou didst divide the sea, by thy strength, thou breakest the heads, of the dragons, in the wilderness, thou breakest the heads, of Leviathan, in pieces, and here's the phrase, and gavest him, to be meat to the people, inhabiting, the wilderness, holiness, so the teaching, is that God, now if you know, your Bible, in Job 41, and Revelation 12, and Isaiah 27, and you can make, some connections, that it's that old serpent, the devil, is Leviathan, and that God is, with his rod, beating, or, doing something, breaking the heads, of Leviathan, and causing him, giving him, to be meat to the people, it's tough, to swallow that,
[37:27] I get it, if it's the first time, you ever heard that, or read that, and put it together, with that, I get it, I don't know, what I believe about that, I will admit, I surely don't understand that, and there's several, contextual, reservations I have, but I'm not going to, discuss them tonight, and so I don't have, any concrete answers, to say if that's true, it could be, that that has a future, application, to the children of Israel, when they're going to be, nourished in the wilderness, for a time, times and half a time, Revelation 12, but, many would say, it has double application, it happened in the past, it's going to happen like that, again in the future, and there's a few other, murky verses, to try to tie in here, I don't know, one verse I like, and this is where I'll end, if I already said that, sorry, one more to the left, is Nehemiah chapter 9, Nehemiah chapter 9, last verse, you'll see this, this wilderness story, pop up several places, through the Old Testament, and here's one more of them, in Nehemiah, you can follow through, a description of this, whole wilderness, journey, when we get to, verse number 20, the Bible says, thou gavest also, thy good spirit, to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna, from their mouth, and gavest them water, for their thirst, yea, forty years, didst thou sustain them, in the wilderness, wilderness, so we know, we're talking about manna, we know we're talking about, forty years in the wilderness, and the statement here, is that God gave, notice in verse 20, thou gavest also, thy, good spirit, to instruct them, and withheldest not, thy, manna, from their mouth, so this is,
[39:33] God's, manna, just like it's, God's, good spirit, and then in verse 20, just says, gavest them, water, not thy water, but just, gavest them water, for their thirst, so this manna, is just like his spirit, is connected to the person of God, in this case, not to Leviathan, or anything else, and so I'm really not trying to, argue against it, but I'm just saying, it's a mystery to me, that's what it is, it's a total mystery, when he, got that pot, that golden pot, and put it in there, I don't know, why exactly, what it appears to be, doesn't seem to actually happen, I don't know about that either, where is it, what happened to it, I don't know, and finally, what exactly is it, I'm telling you, it's a mystery, now if anything tonight, just leaving you hanging, on all these areas, which, that's just the way it is, I'm hanging just as much, as you are, but the reason for this, study is because, it's just the right thing to do, is to study your Bible, is to run the references, is to turn the pages, and to seek understanding, and not just get online, and read somebody's,
[40:47] Hebrew word this, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, is to get into this, King James Bible, and what you can get, and where it shows up, and to read it, and to meditate, and to make your notes, and just see what, what kind of light, can come out, of this text, that's how you do it, that's how it happens, I didn't give you, any answers tonight, I probably gave you, more to think about, than you came in the door, so it remains unsolved, and it remains a mystery, so what you do, you just get what you can, and you wait for more light, and you just keep reading, and that's how you handle, that Bible, and there's nothing wrong, with mysteries by the way, God is a God, of mysteries, there's great mysteries, in that Bible, and that's a word, he uses, in that Bible, some he reveals, some he opens up, some he doesn't, so the God, is the author of that, I talked with a preacher today, when we were talking about, some of these things, and he said, this is a quote, I'm going to give you, he said, truth is the answer, to mystery, meaning, you're going to, not get it all, and you're just, you're not going to, see it all, some of this, you're going to walk up, you're going to follow a trail, and it's going to lead you, to a veil, and you're not going, to see behind it, and you're going to, poke your nose in it, and try to peek around it, and try to get above it, try to get under it, and God's just not, going to show you everything, but you know it's true, and so you trust, that's the idea, you trust, is the answer, to the mystery,
[42:12] I can't see beyond it, I can't see it, I don't understand it, I can't give the answer, I don't have the understanding, but I trust it's right, I trust it's true, trust the word of God, and trust that the Lord knows, and doesn't want you to know, at least, not yet, so I know that's a different, Wednesday night study for you, and every now and then, we'll hit stuff like that, we hit it on Sunday, and so I thought, it'd be a good opportunity, to just kind of dovetail, into this, the mystery, of manna, if your mind's not blown, that's good, if it is, that's fine too, that's as far as I can go, so let's pray, and then we can be dismissed, Lord we're thankful, for the holy word of God, and even though, there's so much in here, we don't get or understand, some we don't need to know, or understand, and we're fine with that, Lord help us, to though fall in love, with your words, the way you gave them to us, and decide that we care, and we want to learn, and understand, and study, even if it is, some strong meat, give us a desire for that, as we grow in the Lord, and Lord give us wisdom, help us not to be, too overboard, with some of this stuff, and to be that, that's all we care about, help us to have a desire, to please you, and to win souls to Christ, and to be grounded, in the truth, and so Lord, whatever happens of tonight,
[43:27] I pray you'll give your people, a desire for the truth, that's in this book, and to seek some things out, and to learn some things, and to get with you, and to have you, expose truth, to their eyes, and so again, we're thankful for this holy book, and we thank you, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen, Amen, alright, we're finished.