The premise for this lesson is very simple.
Our physical body needs physical food but for all who are born again, our inner man in Christ needs a different kind of food.
Our inner or new man in Christ needs spiritual food and that is why we are thinking about Manna as a picture of the Word of God.
That is why we are looking at the connection between the bread from heaven and God giving us His Word.
Many of us may already know how the scriptures are compared with various kinds of food, but I want to make sure we all know these truths.
God's Word is sweeter than honey and better for our soul.
Psalm 19:7-10 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
In this text the Psalmist is full of rejoicing and glory because he understood the virtuous nature of God's Word.
God's law is perfect and it can convert the soul to Jesus Christ for salvation.
God's statutes are right and they fill us with joy because we know the mind of God about particular issues we face.
God's commands are pure and can bring gospel light into a soul blinded by sin.
God's word teaches us about the reverent fear of the LORD which is the beginning point of true wisdom.
God's eternal Word is so good, of so much value to each person, that he esteemed it better than having a lot of the purest gold.
Again, the Psalmist tells us that the Word of God is sweeter and more beneficial for our soul than the purest honey is for our body.
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
In the longest chapter in the Bible, and the most Word centric of all scripture, the Psalmist exclaimed that the Word of God is sweet to his soul when he reads it and is sweeter than honey.
The Mayo Clinic says that honey contains antioxidants to help reduce risk of heart disease. Honey helps as a cough suppressant and helps mitigate gastrointestinal disease.
Honey has antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits and helps prevent memory disorders.
It has been used to promote wound healing of burn victims.
Thus, when we see God's Word described as better for us than honey, it means that His Word is very good food for our inner man.
God’s self-revelation in His Word is sweet as honey.
God’s promises in His Word are sweet as honey.
God’s salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is sweet as honey.
God’s love expressed in scripture is sweet as honey.
God’s assurance is sweet as honey.
God’s comfort and presence are sweet as honey.
God's Word is more nutritious than pure mother's milk.
1 Peter 2:1-3 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
We must ask our Father to give us an intense craving for the Word of God, just as intense as the cries of a hungry baby!
Peter compares our longing for God’s Word with a baby craving mother’s milk.
Johns Hopkins Medical center ascribes many benefits to babies fed with mother’s milk.
Mother's milk is the best nutrition for brain growth and nervous system development.
It helps prevent mild to severe infections.
Babies fed with mother's milk experience less digestive, lung or ear infections.
Babies fed mother's milk have a much lower risk of SIDS, asthma, or leukemia.
Spiritually, when the Spirit of God regenerates us, we are like new born babes with a new spirit, a new man, a new heart and a new life from God.
Like a hungry infant, babes in Christ need much help and care.
We must be fed with basic truths and elementary principles of scripture, because that is our nourishing spiritual milk.
Just as a child must be trained up in the way they should go, so must each new Christian be disciplined in the things of God.
Like mother’s milk, God’s Word is nutrition that feeds our new man in Christ so that we grow from a babe into a mature believer.
It is pure, inspired truth from God, free from contamination, full of wholesome, spiritual nutrition from God that our new man in Christ needs.
God's word is strong meat that helps us mature in our faith and helps us live for His glory.
Hebrews 5:11-14 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Milk is used as a metaphor to describe the less difficult, basic truths of our Christian faith.
Strong meat is used as a metaphor for hearty, solid food, the idea of spiritual nourishment that sticks with you, providing strength for the tasks at hand.
Dull of hearing is being a spiritual sluggard, slothful in seeking the wonderful things of God.
If we do not grow by reading and studying the Word of God, we cannot teach others and we will go backward into spiritual regression.
Spiritual progress was lost because they forgot or did not live by the apostolic teaching and therefore, needed to be re-taught basic truths at a very simple level.
We may reach a point where we must return to the milk of God’s Word, those basic truths and elementary principles that babes in Christ are taught.
We become unskillful, inexperienced, ignorant and not as useful for Christ's kingdom work (1 Cor. 3:1-2).
Strong meat refers to the sublime doctrines of our faith and below are some examples of strong meat from God's Word.
Regeneration, justification by faith, sanctification, adoption, expiation, propitiation, future glorification, substitutionary atonement, the indwelling, sealing and earnest of the Spirit of God.
Eternal life in Christ and all the spiritual blessings needed for our earthly pilgrimage, and for eternity.
Failing to feed our new man in Christ will result in spiritual regression.
Each of us were born as a baby, completely dependent upon our parents for feeding, changing, a safe home, proper clothing.
Thus, a new Christian is like a babe needing help to begin growing and progressing through the various stages of physical growth.
In like manner, our spiritual growth begins as a babe in Christ and we are expected to go through stages of spiritual growth moving toward a mature faith in Christ.
Therefore, a Christian must grow beyond elementary truths so that he or she can bask in the strong meat of scripture.
Just as we learn the alphabet before we can learn to read, so a babe in Christ must be fed the basic truths of scripture before he or she can progress into deeper study of God's Word.
Jehovah promises to feed His sheep and His Word is necessary food provided for our soul.
Ezekiel 34:11-15 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
God is never distant. He seeks to bring sinners to repentant faith that they might be born again into His family.
He cares about each believer in Christ and He promises to feed us.
It is a very tender picture to think that the LORD is our shepherd and He will tend to His flock (Believers) just are carefully as a shepherd tends his own sheep.
God speaks of His sheep or His flock four times in this text.
God's action in caring for His sheep are found eight times in statements like "I will search" or "I will seek".
God promises to feed us four times and this is why thinking about the Word of God as food four our inner man, our new man in Christ, is important.
Isaiah 40:10-11 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Again, our gracious and all wise God will feed His flock and care for us like the Good Shepherd that He is.
Those of us who are weak with affliction, illness, oppression or other issues, He will carry in His mighty arm.
He will gently lead us and keep us close by.
This is our wonderful God, the Creator, Sustainer and Eternal Sovereign who loves and cares for the sheep of His pasture.
Thus, each Christian can anticipate that God will feed our souls and help us grow and mature in our faith, so that we can be used in service to God and others.
We have much more to discover and we will explore the beauty of God giving us manna, the bread from heaven, His wonderful word to feed our souls.
Bob
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