Awesome Hands – part 62: “To be with hunger”

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Awesome Hands – part 62

“To be with hunger”

July 30, 2014

 

Ending with the previous, we saw a direct parallel to the story of the woman at the well found in John 4 and the Israelites being brought to Shur (wall), then to the Marah (bitter water) and finally having the water sweetened by having a “tree” placed in it.

In this study today, we are going to see Lord willing, that having Jesus Christ come into our lives and giving us water of life is just the beginning of His work in us.

We are going to experience a life-long purging of the old man in us so that the new man can grow up in us a strong Son of God.

As we will see today, the Israelites are going to keep the same pattern of defying the Lord, questioning His plan for them, and this will ultimately showing us what is in all of humanity when we don’t have Jesus Christ as our head.

 

“Wells of water and palm trees”

 

 Exo 15:27  Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

We left off last study with the Israelites having been lead to twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees signifying the new life the Lord has given us after having not been in our lives.

However, as the Lord works in our lives, He is going to lead us into temptation to “prove” and “try” us there.

We are told by Jesus Christ how to pray and this is the way we are to do that.

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

We are told to pray to our Father to “lead us not into temptation” which means the Father DOES, at times and according to His will, lead us INTO temptation or else we would not be told my Jesus Christ to pray this way.

We know the Lord our God tempts NO MAN, but that is not the same as saying we are not led into temptation by the Lord.

How then are we led into temptation? The Lord sends His spirit and/or spirits to do the work He needs to get done.

Jesus Christ Himself was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted.

Mat 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Luk 4:1  And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2  Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Of course, because the Lord had the Holy Spirit without measure, He was able to resist all the temptations thrown at Him by Satan, but we are sinful minded “men” (mankind) and will indeed give into temptation, especially when HUNGRY.

I was speaking with Arthur a little earlier this week, and he was telling me how he enjoys doing word studies.

As we continued to talk, he mentioned that he was reading about Jesus hungering and we discussed this a bit.

What I found most interesting is that this is exactly where I am at with the “awesome hands” study, and the Lord had just placed me and Arthur together to discuss hunger.

I have no doubt that this conversation was for the benefit of the entire body of believers that we all fellowship with.

I didn’t mention to Arthur that I planned to speak about this topic this study (it didn’t cross my mind at the time), but I wanted to share that with you all since it is very revealing on how the Lord constantly works all things after His own counsel and does so to bring about good for all involved.

Here then is the start of the context of today’s study and how it deals with “hunger”.

Exo 16:1  And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto 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.
Exo 16:2  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
Exo 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.

We see now, just after having been given water that the whole congregation goes back to murmuring against Moses and Aaron which of course is directly murmuring against the Lord.

Their complaint is that they would have been better to have died by the hand of the Lord while they had full bellies in Egypt rather than have to come out to the wilderness to die of hunger.

In others words, they preferred to “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die”.

This is all very instructive for us if the Lord gives us eyes to see and ears to hear that this is US when we are dealing with various trials in our lives. I hope to be used to connect the dots for you in this regard.

First the Israelites were in need of water after coming through the Red Sea, and now they are in need of food.

When Jesus Christ was tempted of the devil, when He was being “proved”, He afterward hungered.

Mat 4:2  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

There are several times that this Greek word is used in the New Testament.

G3983

peinaō

Total KJV Occurrences: 23

hunger, 8

Mat_5:6, Luk_6:21, Luk_6:25, Joh_6:35, Rom_12:20, 1Co_4:11, 1Co_11:34, Rev_7:16

hungered, 8

Mat_4:2, Mat_21:18, Mat_25:35, Mat_25:37, Mat_25:42, Mat_25:44, Luk_6:2-3 (2)

hungry, 4

Mar_11:12, Luk_1:53, 1Co_11:21, Phi_4:12

hungred, 3

Mat_12:1, Mat_12:3, Mar_2:25

I’ll read a few of these to setup the scenario.

There are some times that this word is referencing physical hunger, but we want to see if we also see spiritual hunger being mentioned.

1Co 4:11  Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

Mat 4:2  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Mat 21:18  Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
Mat 21:19  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

Luk 6:1  And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
Luk 6:2  And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
Luk 6:3  And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
Luk 6:4  How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

Mar 11:12  And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

So, it is apparent that when we see this word “hunger” we do see it in context of physical hunger, but if we at all acknowledge that the Lord is always teaching us spiritual lessons with the physical events that happen to us, then we will recognize the spiritual hunger that is contained directly within these and other scriptures.

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Luk 6:21  Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Luk 6:22  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
Luk 6:23  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Luk 6:25  Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
Luk 6:26  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Joh 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.
Joh 6:36  But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
Joh 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Mat 26:26  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

Luk 22:19  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

1Co 11:23  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

I listed and read all of these verses to join together the idea of where with are in Christ with where He is in us, also where the Israelites are in relation to the Lord when they are being given “bread from heaven,” manna.

Due to hunger, and then murmuring, the Lord gives them bread to eat WHILE they are in the wilderness of Sin.

They are literally in the wilderness of Sin here in Exodus, and they are spiritually in the wilderness of Sin when they DOUBT (whatsoever is not of Faith is sin) that the Lord will provide for them, protect them and continue to guide them through the wilderness.

 

“Bread from heaven”

 

Exo 16:4  Then said the LORD unto 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 no.

Exo 16:5  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.
Exo 16:6  And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
Exo 16:7  And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
Exo 16:8  And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
Exo 16:9  And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

See, it is when the Lord has led us into temptation that He has led us into a direct teaching method of revealing to us what is in us and what we are.

It is the Lord alone who has caused the tempting of the Israelites here when He first frees them from Egypt to then lead them to go into the wilderness and have no water and find no water.

It is the Lord alone who has caused the tempting of the Israelites here when he gives them water, to then cause them to understand they have no way to feed all of these people who are hungry.

It is the most natural thing to any of us to murmur when our throats are dry and are bellies are aching.

It is in the night when the Lord lets us think on what He has caused in our lives, and it is in the day when we should remember these things and “walk with the Lord”.

Joh 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

This lesson the Israelites are learning is a lesson for us to understand that in the Lord’s timing, He will provide us water and He will provide us bread.

However, the most important lesson to learn is that if we are only after the things the Lord can provide us PHYSICALLY, then we have missed the boat completely so to speak.

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 3:15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 3:16  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
Heb 3:17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Heb 3:19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

We aren’t caused to enter into His rest because we sin against the Lord, and that sin is DOUBT because we believe NOT!

You may ask yourself, how is it that I can be found guilty of DOUBT when it is the Lord who gives FAITH freely as a gift?

Here is your answer and I pray this sinks into every fiber of your understanding.

Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
1Co 14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
1Co 14:4  He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

The Lord gives us Faith individually and He tells us to use it collectively for the body. When you doubt, you are doubting not only because of what is happening within your heavens but also because you aren’t interacting with the body of Christ and hearing their prophecy, their testimony of Jesus in THEM. His Faith is there too.

Who then is the person that prophecies? Is it a teacher among us? Is it a preacher among us? Is it an evangelist among us? Yes, but are they the only folks who have the spirit of prophecy? Is not Jesus Christ living in the Christ?

When Jesus meets us at the well to give us water which flows freely, He is giving us Himself because we have been prepared for this.

Then we move on to being given “bread from heaven,” which happens to be a more mature Christ being reared in us.

The reason it is a more mature anointing is due to this process first starting with Christ, “the True Bread from heaven” and then giving us this bread to then BECOME the broken bread which is given to OTHERS within the Church.

Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Mat 26:26  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

“I am the light of the world …. as He is so are we in this world…..you are the light of the world….let your light so shine before men ….the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven …..Jesus took bread, BLESSED IT, BRAKE IT …. And said, take eat this is MY BODY

What may not seem apparent on the surface of the story with the Israelites is that the Lord was setting them up just the way He sets us up to this day.

What He did was lead them into temptation, to prove them, so that He could make manifest to them that He is the ONLY TRUE GOD.

How is that accomplished? He gives us all MANY, MANY fiery trials while we are walking in the wilderness of Sin so that when one part of the body is dealing with one fiery trial, another part of the body will be used to NOURISH and SUSTAIN the other with the Faith they have been given.

The “work of God” results in FAITH. That is why Jesus spoke so much about Faith.

Nourishment comes from Faith which has been given so that the person in the fiery trial can draw on the Faith they have been given in measure, (just like the “certain rate” gathered every day of manna), and also the Faith that others have been given in measure so that NOTHING is left over and NOTHING is wasted.

Otherwise, the Lord has shown us that what happens is that walking in the wilderness of Sin is going to result in unbelief and provoking the Lord to wrath.

The nourishment that comes to us in this form is the same nourishment, the same MEAT of the Word, the work of the Lord we are sent to do, which Jesus hungered for in the wilderness and also was sustained with when meeting with the woman at the well.

Joh 4:28  The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
Joh 4:29  Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
Joh 4:30  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
Joh 4:31  In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
Joh 4:32  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
Joh 4:33  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
Joh 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Joh 4:35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Let us gather the “true manna from heaven” from within each other and sustain one another thereby.

In the next study, we are going to see the “glory of the Lord” come on a cloud and we will see what the Lord has prepared in our hearts and minds as we see the work He is doing in all of us.

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