T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
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ELEMENTARY K ate H. Hans
grace, cast into th e b itter w aters of death, in order th a t those w aters m ight yield naugh t bu t sweetness to us for ever. We can tru ly say, “ the b itterness of death is past,” and nothing remains for us tout th e etern al sweets of resu r rection.— C. H. M. (16 :1 -4 ) They m ight have been sure th a t God would provide them w ith food. Would He have done such won ders on th e field of Zoan and a t the Red Sea, if He meant them to die in the w ilderness? They only needed to look up to God and on what He had done to streng th en th e ir faith. “A friend of mine was once wandering in a thick fog. He could not see a step behind or before, and his soul, was filled w ith gloomy thoughts. He was w alking through a th ick fog th a t reached only a few feet above his head, So in all our troubles; we have only to look up, and we can see God’s kindness th rough them .” W hat th e desert could not supply God prom ised from the stores of heaven. This prom ise would te st th e ir faith. A certain rate, “ a day’s portion,” .every d a y .. Their bread was to be daily bread w ith no stores of food in sight, teaching them to tru s t God continually, and train ing them to look constantly to him as thé souïcë of all they needed.—Peloubet. (16 :5 ) This w as' to teach them to keep the Sabbath through which they gained th eir religious train ing and th eir inspiration to tru st and obey God.^-Pelonljet. (16 :13 , 14) Christ must be appropriated.. The manna was to be gathered daily by each household and eaten. So Christ must be accepted personally, appropriated by faith in th e inner life, lived on daily.—-J. M. Coon. (16 :15 ) “Manna” (John 6 :3 1 ), not given by “Moses,” bu t by th e “F a th e r,” was a type of “ th e tru e bread from heaven” (John 6 :3 2 ). Manna typified Christ, in th a t it was: 1. Mysterious. Its name was, “W hat is th is ” Jesus was no t understood (Isa. 53 :2 ; 1 Tim. 3 :1 6 ). 2. Small. Jesus was humble (Phil. 2 :8 ). 3. Round. Emblem of His etern ity , w ithout beginning or 'énd (Heb. 7 :3 ; John 1 :1 ). 4. W hite. R epresenting His pu rity (Heb. 7 :2 6 ). 5. Sweet. Type of His grace (John 1 :1 6 ). 6 . Heavenly. It came from above. Jesus came “ from heaven.” Israel did not pay for the manna, God gave them bread from heaven. We cannot buy things from God. The “F ath e r giveth th e tru e bread.” He gave p is Son (John 3:16) “The g ift of God is etern al life th rough Jesus Christ” (Rom. 6 :2 3 ). We cannot earn the gifts of God, we cannot buy them , b u t they are “ freely” given (Rev. 2 1 : 6 ) .^—Arnold. (16:31-35) Jehovah made provision th a t Israel m ight remember. His sustaining grace and how He had fed them in th e wilderness. It would have been- gross ing ratitude on the- p a rt of Israel no t to lay up th e pot of manna th a t coming generations m ight not forget God’s goodness to them and how He fed them in th e w ilderness, ;^but it is more gross ing ratitud e on our p art not to keep the Lord’s Supper often to bring to m ind the atoning death of Christ for us.— Torrey. (4 7 :1 ) Nothing can exceed the desperate unbelief and wickedness of the humàn h eart, save th e superabounding grace of God.— O. H. M. (1 7 :7 ) Here we have the refreshing stream gushing from th e sm itten rock— beauteous type of th e Spirit given as th'e fru it of Christ’s accomplished sacrifice. (1 Cor. 10: 4 ). But who could d rink till the Rock wa§ sm itten? Israel m ight have gazed on th a t rock and died of th irst while gazing; but, un til sm itten by th e rod of God, it could yield no refreshm ent. The stream s of grace were designed to gush fo rth from “ the Lamb of God;” bu t th en it was need ful th a t the Lamb should be slain— th a t th e work of the cross should be an accomplished fact, ere any of 'th ese things could be actualized. I t was when the Rock of ages was cleft by th e hand of Jehovah, th a t th e flood-gates of eternal love were thrown wide open, and perishing sinners invited by th e testimony of th e Holy Ghost to “ d rink abun dantly,” d rink deeply, d rink freely. “The g ift of the Holy Ghost” is the resu lt of th e Son’s accomplished work upon the cross.— O. H. M.
Tell the story of the crossing of the Red Sea. Illu stra te by it, how we are hemmed in by Satan, who th ink s he is going to get us by compelling us to yield to some tem pta tion; but if we ask God’s help, and tru s t Him, He will always show us a way out. Show how He
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will destroy S atan ’s power over us, as He destroyed P h araoh ’s power over the Jews. T e l l how th an k fu l they were over th eir th e ir deliverance. We ought to be ju st as th ank fu l fo r the for giveness of our sin. Show how th e b itter w aters of Marah, are like th e hard places and tem ptations th a t
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come to us in our daily life, when we are trying to serve God; how they te st our real love for Jesus. The tree cast into th e w aters, stands fo r Jesu s’ love for us th a t frees us from our sin, and gives us help in all our troubles (for chil-' dren have th e ir troubles, also). Chapter 16 illu strates how quickly we forget w hat God has done for us and begin to complain when the next tria l comes, instead of ju st tru stin g God to help us out of each one, as it comes. The Jews were o u t in the w ilderness where th ere was no place for them to, get food, and they had none w ith them ; forgetting th e Red Sea, and th e b itter w ater made sweet, they complained again. God was so patien t and loving w ith them th a t He told Moses He would send them bread from heaven, th a t would come down like 'rain. In th e morning and a t n igh t they were to have flesh to eat. "When morning came they went out, bu t found no loaves of bread; only th e ground was all covered w ith tiny round b its of w hite things. “W hat is it,” they asked. Moses said, “ th a t is th e bread from heaven th a t God promised. Gather enough for your fam ilies to eat, for when th e sun shines it will melt away. Don’t leave a n y over, as it will come fresh every day.” 1 The lazy ones gathered enough for two days, and when they came to eat it the next day, it was spoiled, and they had to go hungry. They found they had to obey God who spoke th rough Moses. F rid ay they were told to get a double portion, as th e re would none fall on the Sabbath, for th a t day was to be spent in praise to God. This bread was called manna, and was very sweet and good to the taste. By and by, they came to. a place where th ere was no w ater, so they complained again. (We, too, forget God’s goodness very soon). They were so angry, they were going to kill Moses. Moses cried to God for help. God told Moses to take his rod, go' to ar rock in Mount Horeb, where God would be w aiting for him, and strik e the rock w ith his rod; w ater would then flow out of th e rock, and th is w ater would follow them all th e way. Moses did so and the w ater came out of the rock. Show how Jesus is our bread of life and our w ater of life. Memory Verses: John 6:35, John 7:37.
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