CAN GOD FURNISH A TABLE IN THE WILDERNESS?
PSALM 78:14-42
Introduction:
The Lord did marvelous things for Israel when He led them out of Egypt. They had seen Him bring 10 plagues upon Pharaoh and his people because of the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart.
Now Israel had entered into the journey to the Promised Land, but where was their faith? When things became difficult they blamed Moses and Aaron. So what about the question above? The Lord did it then, but CAN HE FURNISH A TABLE NOW?
I. WATER FROM THE ROCK
A. The need for water, Exodus 17:2-3, “Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 3- And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”
1. The Israelites were complainers, Exodus 16:3, “And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
2. They had no faith that God would provide their needs, Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
2. They learned what is really necessary to survive, Deuteronomy 8:3, “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
B. The Water of Life, Exodus 17:5-6, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6- Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
1. That Rock was Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
2. He gave water from the rock; can He give bread also? Psalm 78:15, 20, “He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. 20- Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? Can he provide flesh for his people?”
II. ANGEL FOOD CAKE
A. Manna from heaven, Exodus 16:15, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”
1. Israel continued to complain FAITHLESSLY until God gave them bread, Deuteronomy 8:16, “Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;”
2. Still they DID NOT TRUST the Lord, Nehemiah 9:16, “But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,”
B. The True Bread from heaven, John 6:32, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.”
1. The manna of the Old Testament POINTED TO the True Bread, John 6:33, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”
2. The True Bread is Jesus Christ who came down from Heaven, John 6:48-50, “I am that bread of life. 49- Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50- This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.”
III. QUAIL FOR DINNER
A. Quail to fill their need of flesh, Exodus 16:12-13, “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. 13- And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.”
B. The body and blood of the Savior, John 6:54, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
IV. COME AND DINE
John 21:12, “Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.”
A. Come eat His flesh of Christ and drink His blood, John 6:53, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”
B. Come partake of the Bread of Life, John 6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
C. Come drink of the Water of Life, John 7:37-38, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
CONCLUSION:
The Lord has furnished His table with the Bread of Life. Many of the Jews refused what God offered them in the wilderness and died without hope there. WILL YOU GO AWAY REFUSING what God has provided to save your life in this wilderness of sin in which we live everyday?
Jesus offers you life today. Don’t turn it down.