Easter 2009-04-12
Joshua 5:9-12
9 And the Lord said to Joshua, Today the shame of Egypt has been rolled away from you. So that place was named Gilgal, to this day.
10 So the children of Israel put up their tents in Gilgal; and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, in the lowlands of Jericho.
11 And on the day after the Passover, they had for their food the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and dry grain on the same day.
12 And there was no more manna from the day after they had for their food the produce of the land; the children of Israel had manna no longer, but that year the produce of the land of Canaan was their food.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
On Good Friday we have read the first part of the story from the 5th chapter of the book of Joshua. We have explained that Joshua is an Old Testament prototype of Jesus. His name Joshua is the same name as Jesus. Jesus is Jehoshuah in Hebrew, which is the same as Joshua. This name means God saves (or God is salvation).
Moses led the people for forty years through the desert but he did not lead them into the Promised Land, it was Joshua.
On Friday we spoke of Gilgal, the place where the shame, the reproach of Egypt was rolled away from the people of God. It is a symbol of the place where our sins were rolled away from us. Our Joshua, Jesus led us into our inheritance. Everything that was ever promised in the Bible has become now available to us. We can take possession of our inheritance; take possession of our Promised Land. Through Jesus Christ and in His name we can pray and claim from our Father in heaven things He promised to us.
What are those things? Can you name some of those things that you think we are able to receive now because of what has happened on Golgotha?
1.
2.
3.
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etc.
The Scripture reminds us that the Israelites celebrated their first Passover in the Promised Land right there in Gilgal. We are celebrating our Passover right now.
Now we read in verse 10 of our today’s reading:
“So the children of Israel put up their tents in Gilgal; and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, in the lowlands of Jericho. And on the day after the Passover, they had for their food the produce of the land.”
It was after the Passover when they ate from the products of the Promised Land, they took possession of the first things from that land. They started to experience the blessings.
Passover is feast of redemption. Passover is Good Friday celebration, day when the firstborn died. Passover is the reminder of what God did for us in the past so that we can enjoy a better future. But what is that better future?
Better future is eating of the hidden manna.
After you are saved, only then you can enter into the promises of your Father. Only after your sins are forgiven can you truly enjoy the blessings that the Lord prepared for you in His kingdom. Only after you are saved you will be allowed to partake on the hidden manna.
Then in verse 12 we read interesting fact:
12 And there was no more manna from the day after they had for their food the produce of the land; the children of Israel had manna no longer, but that year the produce of the land of Canaan was their food.
Once they enter into the Promised Land and started to enjoy its blessings, manna lost its appeal.
While they were on the desert, this thing that fell from the sky, fell from the heaven every day fed them. 40 years supply of food directly from God, now all of a sudden gone forever. It was never repeated again in the history in such a scale or length of time.
Why did manna stopped? Because it was not needed anymore. All of God’s chosen land will feed them now.
Now have a look at the last book of the Bible. The book of Revelation says that in heaven we will receive white stones with our new names on them.
Revelation 2:17 He who has ears, let him give ear to what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give of the secret manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name, of which no one has knowledge but he to whom it is given.
We will receive a new name. It will be given to us on a white rock. Whatever name you have now, it will not be your name in heaven. Why? Because there is too much baggage that is associated with those names and they are names that associate us with men. I am Velebír because it was my father’s name. Our surnames also identify us according to the trade that some of our forefathers undertook, or to some places on this planet. But none of this will be important in heaven, That’s why we will get a new ID, new name, new association with our heavenly Father and new heavenly family.
White is a colour of innocence, forgiveness. It is given to those who washed their robes in the blood of the lamb.
Manna stopped at Gilgal. Manna stopped in the place of redemption, where the shame, guilt, sin was rolled away.
Those of you who were here on Thursday nigh on our Messianic Passover celebration, you have heard about the middle part of the unleavened bread. There are three pieces of matzah, unleavened bread eaten during the Passover celebration. The middle piece is broken and portion of it is hidden. It is called “afficoman”. This piece of matzah is called the bread of affliction and represents the Messiah, hidden Messiah.
Jesus said that He is the bread that came from heaven. (John 6:31-35).
In 1 Corinthians 10:3 we read that Israelites during their desert journey:
“all ate the same spiritual food”
It is called spiritual food. Manna was not only food for the stomach, but it was more spiritual than physical. It was daily reminder that it is God who is looking after all their needs; that it is God, their Father, who is always watching, caring, loving, forgiving, providing all their needs, etc.
And as it says that they “all drank the same spiritual drink of the spiritual rock… and the rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:4) we can say that Jesus was the spiritual food they are all those 40 years in the desert. But once they entered the promised land, the manna stopped.
Why? Because the Promised Land is the fulfilment of the promises.
Eternal salvation is the fulfilment of the promises given to us.
Hidden manna, hidden piece of “afikoman” – of that pierced and striped piece of bread, is hidden Saviour, Jesus. We are all partakers of this hidden manna. We are eating and drinking it spiritually even now, but then manna from heaven will stop because we will receive it in a new amazing way.
Everything that was hidden will be revealed.
As apostle Paul says in 1 Cor 13:12
”For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. (remember our Bible study on Wednesday – what face to face mean?!) Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
Amen.
