"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."
“He said to me, Son of man, eat what you find [in this book]; eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat the scroll. And He said to me, Son of man eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.” (Ezekiel 3:1-3)
John Vanier writes about these verses, “For the Jewish people, the word of God, the Torah, was an incredible form of nourishment. It was bread for their hearts and minds... The word of God is the revelation of the love of God for the Jewish people.”
He goes on to note, “It is also the revelation of what humankind is about, what our lives are about, what the whole history of the universe and of salvation is about. And it is sweet as honey... We need to be nourished by the word of God.”
Jesus is this very word of God that nourishes us. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.”
Jesus says in John 6:48-51, “I am the Bread of Life [that gives life -the Living Bread]. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died. [But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and also the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).”
Psalm 78:24 says, “he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.”
For forty years, the Israelites ate manna that supernaturally came down every day from heaven. Exodus 16:4 says, “Then the LORD said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.'”
It represented God's provision and nourishment. Nehemiah 9:15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.”
One commentary notes about manna, “This was the name given by the Jews to the food which was furnished to them by God in their journey. It means literally, "What is this?" and was the question which they asked when they first saw it, Exodus 16:14-15. It was small like frost, and of the size of coriander-seed, and had a sweetish taste like honey. It fell in great quantities, and was regarded by the Jews as proof of a continued miracle during forty years, and was incontestable evidence of the interposition of God in favor of their fathers.”
The people would gather it in daily and prepare it by crushing and grinding it into a mortar. They would then cook it in a pot or make it into cakes that tasted like something made with olive oil. (Numbers 11:8)
Manna was a type and shadow of the real bread from heaven – Jesus – who is our daily nourishment. John 6:31-35 says, “Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as the Scripture says, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.
Jesus then said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you , Moses did not give you the Bread from heaven [what Moses gave you was not the Bread from heaven], but it is My Father Who gives you the true heavenly Bread.
For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. Then they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always (all the time)! Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).”
“God of heaven come down, heaven come down...” sings in the background.
Lord, thank you for your daily nourishment in the Word of God. Thank you that You are the Bread that fills our hungering souls with that which satisfies.
John Vanier writes about these verses, “For the Jewish people, the word of God, the Torah, was an incredible form of nourishment. It was bread for their hearts and minds... The word of God is the revelation of the love of God for the Jewish people.”
He goes on to note, “It is also the revelation of what humankind is about, what our lives are about, what the whole history of the universe and of salvation is about. And it is sweet as honey... We need to be nourished by the word of God.”
Jesus is this very word of God that nourishes us. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.”
Jesus says in John 6:48-51, “I am the Bread of Life [that gives life -the Living Bread]. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died. [But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and also the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).”
Psalm 78:24 says, “he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.”
For forty years, the Israelites ate manna that supernaturally came down every day from heaven. Exodus 16:4 says, “Then the LORD said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.'”
It represented God's provision and nourishment. Nehemiah 9:15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.”
One commentary notes about manna, “This was the name given by the Jews to the food which was furnished to them by God in their journey. It means literally, "What is this?" and was the question which they asked when they first saw it, Exodus 16:14-15. It was small like frost, and of the size of coriander-seed, and had a sweetish taste like honey. It fell in great quantities, and was regarded by the Jews as proof of a continued miracle during forty years, and was incontestable evidence of the interposition of God in favor of their fathers.”
The people would gather it in daily and prepare it by crushing and grinding it into a mortar. They would then cook it in a pot or make it into cakes that tasted like something made with olive oil. (Numbers 11:8)
Manna was a type and shadow of the real bread from heaven – Jesus – who is our daily nourishment. John 6:31-35 says, “Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as the Scripture says, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.
Jesus then said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you , Moses did not give you the Bread from heaven [what Moses gave you was not the Bread from heaven], but it is My Father Who gives you the true heavenly Bread.
For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. Then they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always (all the time)! Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).”
“God of heaven come down, heaven come down...” sings in the background.
Lord, thank you for your daily nourishment in the Word of God. Thank you that You are the Bread that fills our hungering souls with that which satisfies.
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