Add correct line breaks, correct capitalisation, correct punctuation, correct Australian English spelling, and correct KJV Bible verse quotations and references to my paragraphs where applicable. But do NOT — I repeat — do NOT alter or change ANY words from my paragraphs under ALL circumstances.
23:20 Introduction
30:37 I. The Significance Of The Table Of Shewbread
42:50 II. The Application Of The Table Of Shewbread
48:51 Our deepest need is spiritual
56:39 Closing Prayer
Our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus 25:23-30.
In our previous message, we have considered the construction of the Tabernacle of God and the Ark of the Covenant. Next, God went on to command Moses to construct the furniture inside and outside the Tabernacle. Remember, God was the designer and architect of the Tabernacle, and He had a sovereign purpose in why the building was built in a certain way. The primary meaning was that the living God had come to dwell with His people. In so doing, God was fulfilling His covenant with Israel, demonstrating His unbreakable promise to love and save them—His commitment to be with them.
The construction of the building and the furniture has something to teach the people about God and His salvation in Jesus Christ. The ultimate Tabernacle was Jesus Christ Himself, as John 1:14 says: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” - which can also mean ‘tabernacled among us’ - ”(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." So, there are certain symbolic meanings in regard to the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and the other furniture.
But the problem is how to interpret those symbols, because the Bible does not explain all the details, and we have to be careful not to misinterpret or say things that are not intended. Allow me to give you some examples: The ancient Jewish philosopher, Philo, believed that the structure of the Tabernacle represented the universe. The seven branches on the lampstand represented the seven planets. The four basic materials used to build the Tabernacle represented the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. And the twelve stones on the priest’s breastplate represented the twelve signs of the zodiac, and so forth.
The Pope in Rome, Gregory the Great, said that the Ark of the Covenant symbolised the Holy Church, and the four rings of gold on the Ark were the four Gospels being extended to the four corners of the earth. Others said the Ark was a symbol of the incarnation of Christ, and they would explain it this way: Just as the Ark was made of wood and gold, the wood speaks of Christ’s humanity and the gold His divinity—two materials, yet one Ark; two natures, yet one person—the God-man.
You can see all these interpretations are just speculations. They are just the opinions of men. They are just reading meaning into it, and the different interpretations can be endless.
Now, there are certain principles in interpreting the symbols of the Tabernacle. Firstly, we have to understand that whatever symbolism, if there be any symbolism, they are God’s symbolism, because He was the designer and architect. And if God is the one who dictates what is the symbolism, then you and I have to use both the Old and New Testaments to explain what those items symbolise. In other words, we have to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. We have to study the context—whether the item has a symbolic function as revealed in the Bible, or if it is just a mere item to be used for a particular purpose. Not every item has a symbolic meaning.
For example, later on in Exodus 26, the wooden crossbars are mentioned. They were used to hold up the Tabernacle. Just because they were in the shape of a cross, does it mean they symbolise the Cross of Christ? No, because the Bible does not reveal such symbolic significance, and they are not connected in any specific way to the cross of Jesus Christ.
Another example is the wood and the gold, which we mentioned a moment ago. Are they the symbols of Christ’s humanity and divinity? No. Both the Old and New Testaments are silent—they do not provide any special meanings to the combination of wood and gold. In such situations, we have to apply the principle: If the plain sense makes sense, seek no other sense.
With this in mind, we will proceed to consider the furniture inside and outside the Tabernacle, beginning with the table of showbread. We want to learn the significance and the application of how it may be applied to our lives. The title of our message is Physical or Spiritual Bread: Which Is More Important?
I. The Significance Of The Table Of Shewbread
Let us first consider: the significance of the table of showbread. Allow me to read Exodus 25:23-28: "Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them."
There were several similarities between the way the table was built and the way the Ark was built. Both were made of shittim wood; both were covered with gold; both were not really big; and both had four rings of gold and poles for carrying. The only difference was that, unlike the Ark, the carrying poles for the table were removable.
Remember, the reason why the carrying poles on the Ark were permanently fixed and unremovable was simple: to touch the Ark was to die. The table for the showbread was not really big; it was 3 feet long, 1 ½ feet wide, and nearly 3 feet tall. Just like the Tabernacle, though it was a huge tent, it was not built on a grand scale. In other words, the true magnificence was not in how massive it was; it was in its message—it was in what it represented.
The table was encircled by a border to keep the things on the table from falling off. Verse 29: "And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. This table was placed in the holy place, or the outer room, and it had various dishes, spoons, covers, which means pitchers, and bowls, which were used to hold the twelve loaves of sacred bread. Most likely, the pitchers and bowls were used for pouring out the drink offering. The drink offering was made on the altar in the courtyard outside, so the priest had to carry them out whenever they made an offering to God.
Verse 30: "And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway." In the Bible, this table has several different names. In Leviticus, it was called the pure table; in 2 Chronicles, it was called the table of gold; here, it was called the table of showbread. According to the Old Testament, this bread was baked the day before the Sabbath. It was made of fine wheat, unleavened, and baked in twelve loaves. Then, on the Sabbath, the priest would eat the old bread and replace it with new, fresh bread on the table.
What does all this mean? What is the spiritual significance? The table itself was functional, not symbolic. The Bible does not give any symbolic significance or special meaning to the table. It was the bread that was symbolic. The reason why they had the table in the first place was to provide a place for putting the bread. The bread was the important thing, not the table.
It does not mean that the bread was offered to God in the sense that God had to be fed—that idea is idolatrous, like the way the pagans even today would offer food to their idols. Feeding bread to God would make Him in our image, and it contradicts everything the Bible teaches about His divine character. The one living and true God does not need our help. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 17:25: God is "Neither…worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." Our almighty God is eternally self-sufficient and self-existent. He is never hungry or thirsty. He does not depend on us to provide for Him. In fact, the opposite is true—we are totally and absolutely dependent on Him for everything we need. That is what the bread signifies.
God’s constant provision
Bread is basic food; it is what you and I need to survive. Therefore, the bread represents God’s provision—His providential care. Remember, Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ He was teaching us to ask God to meet our daily needs. So, the showbread on the table represented the same thing—it represented God’s provision.
There were 12 loaves of bread, one loaf for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. The phrase "upon the table shewbread before me alway" literally means ‘before God's face’. As soon as the 12 loaves of bread started to grow stale, it was replaced with fresh bread. This was a reminder of God's constant provision. The priest brought the bread right into God's holy presence, not to remind Him as if He might forget what the people needed, but rather it was to remind the people of God's constant awareness of their daily needs.
If they ever doubted God's provision, if they ever questioned, ‘Is God the one who has provided for them?’ all they needed to do was to look at the table of shewbread. Their needs were always right before God. God knew what they needed; their needs were always on His mind. God not only knew what they needed, He also provided for them. That was the reason why they could have fresh new bread every week.
The children of Israel learned that from past experiences. They saw how God brought manna from heaven and water from the rock without fail. So, the shewbread on the table was a constant reminder of God's constant provision.
God’s fellowship with His people
The shewbread on the table also symbolised God's fellowship with His people. Back in chapter 24, Moses and the elders had fellowship with God around the table. The Bible tells us, "they saw God, and did eat and drink" with Him (Exodus 24:11). For the whole week, the bread was on the table in God's presence, symbolising His fellowship with His people.
Today, we do not think much about sharing a meal together, but in those days, sharing a meal was an act of fellowship and communion. It also meant that the host had a solemn responsibility to provide the meal, and he must also protect his guests while they enjoyed the meal together. This is a wonderful picture of God inviting Israel to share a meal with Him and enjoy His protection. Just as the children of Israel were invited to share a meal with God and enjoy His protection, today God invites you and me to have fellowship with Him around the table whenever we share the Lord's Supper. And one day, as true believers, we will all be invited to eat at the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven, which will last forever and ever. What a wonderful day that would be!
II. The Application Of The Table Of Shewbread
Dear friend, what lessons can we learn from the significance of the table of shewbread? This brings us to our second point: the application of the table of shewbread.
The first lesson we can learn is that God knows what we need, and He will provide for us. God always knows what we need; our needs are always right before His face. He never overlooks our concerns, or neglects to provide for us. Whether it is meeting our basic needs like food and water, or giving us wisdom to make a major decision, or sustaining us through a serious illness, or comforting us in a painful affliction, or providing friendship in times of loneliness, God never fails to provide what we truly need. He is always faithful.
Allow me to share with you a personal testimony. Many years ago, when my wife was pregnant with our first child, Timothy, I was in the ministry then, and at that time my salary was very small—just barely enough to put bread and butter on the table. How could we afford to pay for the delivery of our child? If God has called me into the ministry, if God has saved me, if God has blessed us with a child, if our needs are always right before His face, will He not provide for us? Most certainly He will, and He did. He provided an elder from a particular church who was a gynaecologist. He gave us free services all the way, not only for our first child but even for our second child. That is how faithful our God is. He knows what we need, and He will provide for us.
The second lesson is that God wants us to learn to trust Him through times of need. As we go through life, you and I have specific experiences of God providing for our different needs. God used those times of need to teach us that we can trust Him to provide. It happens again and again. We need a roof over our head, and He provides a house. We need to put food on the table, and He provides a job. We need to travel overseas, and He provides safe journey mercies. And the list goes on and on and on. Through those times of need, God is teaching us that we can trust Him to provide.
Take a moment and consider our brethren in Myanmar. The civil war in Myanmar started in 2021, and it has been more than three years. First, there was the COVID-19 pandemic, and then the civil war. The whole country was plunged into a deep financial crisis. But God provided Bethel BP Church to support the mission churches in Myanmar. Bethel is not the provider; she is only the instrument. God could have used anyone; He is the provider. When the church needed to move to a safer place because of all the fighting, God provided the place of worship in Dagon. He provided a church already built for His people to worship Him. When they needed to train the people, God provided the means to start a Bible college in the midst of the political upheaval. When the church in Ngalti needed a pastor, He raised up a faithful man, Jeffrey Mang, to pastor the church. Through all these experiences, God is teaching His people to trust Him through those times of need. So, as we look back, we can see the hand of God working in our lives and how He has graciously provided for us at every step of the way.
Our deepest need is spiritual
The third and final lesson we can learn is that God wants us to understand our deepest need. As God meets our daily needs, He wants us to understand that He is all we need. Our deepest need is to have fellowship with the living God. More than needing God to feed us, we need to feed on Him. Later on, when Moses looked back on all the things that God had done for His people, he said to the children of Israel, And God "humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Why did God allow His people to be hungry and then provide them with bread? Was it to teach His people to trust Him for their daily needs? Most certainly, but there was a deeper purpose. God wanted His people to feed on His Word, to place their total dependence upon Him, to trust Him, cling to His Word, and live by His truth. In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, there was a classic example of people who only sought God for physical needs and not spiritual needs. It was in the miracle of Christ feeding the 5,000. We are familiar with that miracle. After Jesus fed the 5,000, the next day everyone was looking for Him, but they missed the point because all they wanted was more bread. They only wanted Jesus for what He could do for them, not for who He was. They wanted His bread, not Him.
Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and He said to them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." (John 6:26). What the people really needed was Jesus, not the bread He could provide, because only Jesus could forgive their sins, only Jesus could satisfy their souls, only Jesus could bring them into a relationship with God, and only Jesus could give them eternal life. Therefore, Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35). "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:51).
Jesus was speaking about Himself. He was referring to the body He offered on the cross to save sinners. His message was very simple: All you really need is Me. I am the eternal source of life. I am the only one who can satisfy the hunger in your soul. And if you believe in Me, you will live forever.
Dear friend, just like the children of Israel, they could be looking only at the shewbread on the table, only at the provision, and forget the provider. You and I may fall into the sin of looking only at what God can do for us, looking at what God can provide for us. Therefore, we look to our houses, our finances, our careers, our families, our food, our clothes, our good health and strength, and we forget that what we really need is God. What we really need is our Lord Jesus Christ to be the centre of our lives. Yes, we need God to feed us. We need Him to provide for our daily needs. But more than God feeding us, we need to feed on Him.
Conclusion
Dear friend, have we learned to feed upon God? Are we drawing spiritual nourishment from His Word? Are we increasing in our appetites for the Bible, to spend time with God in prayer? Sometimes God allows us to lose our jobs, or to be afflicted with sicknesses, or to face a particular trial, not without rhyme or reason, but because He wants us to understand that our needs are not merely physical, but spiritual. Our needs are not simply temporal, but eternal.
What you and I really need is not only for God to do this or that for us. We need Him to be our God. May the Lord help us that all of us will always look to Him, not only as our provider, but as the centre and the source of our lives, and that we live our lives for His glory. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to study this passage about the table of shewbread. Indeed, there are so many wonderful lessons we can learn. It reminds us of how gracious Thou art, how Thou knowest what we need, and Thou wilt provide for us. And Thou hast provided for us in times past, and Thou would want us to understand that we need to trust Thee. And we learn to trust Thee through those times of need.
As we look back upon our lives, all of us have gone through specific experiences of how Thou hast provided for our different needs. Thou art faithful. It happens again and again. We cried out to Thee, and Thou would provide for us. We cried out to Thee again, and Thou would provide for us. And Thou has reminded us of our greatest need. It is not physical need, it is spiritual need. It is not a temporal need, it is eternal need. We need Thee at every moment of our lives.
Thou art the eternal source of life. Our greatest need is to have a relationship with Thee, to have sweet fellowship with Thee. So, as we live our days on this earth, help us always to put Thee first. Thou must be the precedence of our lives, and we want to spend quality time with Thee, all the way until we see Thee face to face and spend eternity with Thee in heaven, forever and ever. May this be the pursuit and the desire of our lives. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Add correct line breaks, correct capitalisation, correct punctuation, correct Australian English spelling, and correct KJV Bible verse quotations and references to my paragraphs where applicable. But do NOT — I repeat — do NOT alter or change ANY words from my paragraphs under ALL circumstances.
our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus 25: 23-3 in our previous message we have considered the construction of the Tabernacle of God and the Ark of the Covenant next God went on to command Moses to construct the furniture inside and outside the Tabernacle remember God was the designer and architect of the Tabernacle and he had a sovereign purpose in why the building was built in a certain way the primary meaning was that the Living God had come to dwell with his people in so doing God was fulfilling his Covenant with Israel demonstrating his unbreakable promise to love and save them his commitment to be with them the construction of the building and the furniture has something to teach the people about God and his salvation in Jesus Christ the ultimate Tabernacle was Jesus Christ himself as John 1:14 says and the Word was made flesh and dwelt Among Us which can also mean tabernacled Among Us us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth so there are certain symbolic meanings in regard to the Tabernacle the Ark of the Covenant and the other Furniture but the problem is how to interpret those symbols because the Bible does not explain all the details and we have to be careful not to misinterpret or say things that are not intended allow me to give you some examples the ancient Jewish philosopher filo believed that the structure of the Tabernacle represented the universe the seven branches on the lampstand represented the seven planets the four basic materials used to build the Tabernacle represented the four elements of earth air fire and water and the 12 Stones on the priest brass plate represented the 12 signs of the zodiac and so forth the Pope in Rome Greg the great said that the Ark of the Covenant symbolized the holy church and the four rings of gold on the ark was the four gospels being extended to the four corners of the earth others said the ark was a symbol of the Incarnation of Christ and they would explain explain it this way just as the ark was made of wood and gold the wood speaks of Christ humanity and the goal his divinity two materials yet one AR two Natures yet one person the god men you can see all these interpretations are just speculations they are just the opinions of men they are just reading meaning into it and the different interpretations can be endless now there are certain principles in interpreting the symbols of the Tabernacle firstly we have to understand that whatever symbolism if there be any symbolism they are God's symbolism because he was the designer and architect and if God is the one who dictates what is the symbolism then you and I have to use both the Old and New Testaments to explain what those items symbolize in other words we have to use scripture to interpret scripture we have to study the context whether the item has a symbolic function as revealed in the Bible or it is just a mere item to be used for a particular purpose not every item has a symbolic meaning for example later on in Exodus chapter 26 the wooden crossbars were mentioned they were used to hold up the Tabernacle just because they were in the shape of a cross does it mean they symbolize the Cross of Christ no because the Bible does not reveal such symbolic significance and they are not connected in any specific way to the cross of Jesus Christ another example is the wood and the goal which we mentioned a moment ago are they the symbols of Christ humanity and Divinity no both the Old and New Testaments are silent they do not provide any special meanings to the combination of wood and gold in such situations we have to apply the principle if the plain sense makes sense seek no other sense with this in mind we will proceed to consider the furniture inside and outside the Tabernacle beginning with the table of showbread and we want to learn the significance and the application how it may be applied into our lives the title of our message is physical or spiritual bread which is more important let us first consider the significance of the table of show bread allow me to read Exodus 25 verse 23- 28 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim two cubits shall be the length thereof and the Cubit the breath thereof and the Cubit and a half the height thereof and thou shalt overlay it with pure gold and make there too a crown of gold round about and thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breath round about and thou shalt make a Golden Crown through the Border thereof round about and thou shalt make for it four rings of gold and put the Rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof over the Border shall the Rings before for places of the steps to Bear the table and thou shalt make the steps of shittim wood and overlay them with gold that the table may be born with them there were several similarities between the the way the table was built and the way the ark was built both were made of shittim wood both were covered with gold both were not really big and both had four rings of gold and poles for carrying the only difference was that unlike the ark the carrying poles for the table were removable remember the reason why the carrying poles on the ark were permanently fixed and unremovable was simple to touch the ark was to die the table for the show bread was not really big it was 3 ft long 1 and A2 ft wide and nearly 3et tall just like the Tabernacle though it was a huge tent but it was not built on a grand scale in other words the true magnificent was not in how massive it was it was in its message it was in what it represented the table was Ander C by a botle to keep the things on the table from falling off verse 29 and thou shalt make the dishes thereof and spoons thereof and covers thereof and bowls thereof to cover wither of pure gold Thou shalt make them this table was place in the Holy place or the outer room and he had various dishes spoons covers which means peaches and Bows which were used to hold the 12 loaves of sacred bread most likely the peaches and bows were used for pouring out the drink offering the drink offering was made on the altar in the courtyard outside so the priest had to carry them out whenever they made an offering to God verse 30 and thou shalt set upon the table show bread before me always in the Bible this table has several different names in Leviticus it was called the pure table in 2 Chronicles it was called the table of gold here it was called the table of showbread according to the Old Testament this bread was baked the day before the Sabbath it was made of fine wheat unleavened and baked in 12 loaves then on the Sabbath the priest would eat the old bread and replace it with new fresh bread on the table what does all this mean what is the spiritual significance the table itself was functional not symbolic the Bible does not give any symbolic significance or special meaning to the table it was the bread that was symbolic the reason why they had the table in the first place was to provide a place for putting the bread the bread was the important thing not the table it does not mean that the bread was offered to God in the sense that God had to be fed that idea is idolatrous like the way the pagans even today would offer food to their Idols feeding bread to God will make him in our image and he contradicts everything the Bible teaches about his Divine character the one living and true God does not need our help the Apostle Paul said in Acts 17:25 God is neither worshiped with men's hands as though he needed anything seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things our almighty God is eternally self-sufficient and self-existent he is never hungry or thirsty he does not depend on us to provide for him in fact the opposite is true we are totally and absolutely dependent on him for everything we need that is what the bread signifies bread is basic food it is what you and I need to survive therefore the bread represents God's provision his providential care remember Jesus taught us to pray give us this day our daily bread he was teaching us to ask God to meet our daily needs so the sh bread on the table represented the same thing it represented God's provision
Add correct line breaks, correct capitalisation, correct punctuation, correct Australian English spelling, and correct KJV Bible verse quotations and references to my paragraphs where applicable. But do NOT — I repeat — do NOT alter or change ANY words from my paragraphs under ALL circumstances. there were 12 loaves of bread one loaf for each of the 12 tribes of Israel the phrase upon the table show bread before me always literally means before God's face as soon as the 12 loaves of bread started to grow still it was replaced with fr fresh bread this was a reminder of God's constant provision the priest brought the bread right into God's holy presence not to remind him as if he might forget what the people needed but rather it was to remind the people of God's constant awareness of their daily needs if they ever doubted God's provision if they ever questioned that is God the one who has provided for them all they needed to do was to look at the table of showbread their needs were always right before God God knew what they needed their needs were always on his mind God not only knew what they needed he also provided for them that was the reason why they could have fresh new bread every week the children of Israel learned that from past experiences they saw how God brought Mana from heaven and water from the rock without thou fail so the sh bread on the table was a constant reminder of God's constant provision the show bread on the table also symbolized God's fellowship with his people back in chapter 24 Moses and the elders had fellowship with God around the table the Bible tells us they saw God and did eat and drink with with him for the whole week the bread was on the table in God's presence symbolizing his fellowship with his people today we do not think much about sharing a meal together but in those days sharing a meal was an act of fellowship and communion it also meant that the host had a solemn responsibility to provide the meal and he must also protect his guests while they enjoyed the meal together this is a wonderful picture of God inviting Israel to share a meal with him and enjoyed his protection just as as the children of Israel were invited to share a meal with God and enjoyed his protection today God invites you and me to have fellowship with him around the table whenever we share the Lord's supper and one day as true believers we will all be invited to e at the great marriage Supple of the lamb in heaven which will last forever and ever what a wonderful day that would be dear friend what lessons can we learn from the significance of the table of show bread this brings us to our second point the application of of the table of showbread the first lesson we can learn is that God knows what we need and he will provide for us God always knows what we need our needs are always right before his face he never overlooks our concerns only it lags to provide for us whether it is meeting our basic needs like food and water or giving us wisdom to make a major decision or sustaining us through a serious illness or comforting us in a painful Affliction or providing friendship in times of loneliness God never fails to provide what we truly need he is always faithful allow me to share with you a personal testimony many years ago when my wife was pregnant with our first child Timothy I was in the ministry then and at that time my salary was very small just barely enough to put bread and butter on the table how could we afford to pay for the delivery of our child if God has called me into the ministry if God has saved me if God has blessed us with a child if our needs are always right before his face will he not provide for us most certainly he will and he did he provided an elder from a particular Church who was a gynecologist he gave us free services all the way not only for our first child but even for our second child that is how faithful our God is he knows what we need and he will provide for us the second lesson is God wants us to learn to trust him through times of needs as we go through life you and I have specific experiences of God providing for our different needs God use those times of needs to teach us that we can trust him to provide it happens again and again we need a roof over our head and he provides a house we need to put food on the table and he provides a job we need to travel overseas and he provides save Journey Mercies and the list goes on and on and on through those times of need God is teaching us that we can trust him to provide take a moment and consider our brethren in myammar the Civil War in myamar started in 2021 and it has been in more than three years first there was the covid-19 pandemic and then the Civil War the whole country was plunged into a deep financial crisis but God provided better BP Church to support the mission churches in my battle is not the provider she is only the instrument God could have used anyone he is the provider when the church needed to move to a safer place because of all the fighting God provided the place of worship in Dagon he provided a church already built for his people to worship Him when they needed to train the people God provided the means to start a Bible College in the midst of the political upheaval when the church in Alti needed a pastor he raised up a faithful man Jeffrey mon to Pastor the church through all these experiences God is teaching his people to trust him through those times of needs so as we look back we can see the hands of God working in our lives and how he has graciously provided for us at every step of the way the third and final lesson we can learn is that God wants us to understand our deepest need as God meets our daily needs he wants us to understand that he is all we need our deepest need is to have fellowship with the Living God more than needing God to feed us we need to feed on him later on when Moses looked back on all the things that God had done for his people he said to the children of Israel and God humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with manner which thou knewest not neither did your fathers know that he might make thee know that man does not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth men live Deuteronomy 8:3 why did God allow his people to be hungry and then provide them with bread was it to teach his people to trust him for their daily needs most certainly but there was a deeper purpose God want his people to feed on his word to place their total dependence upon him to trust him cling on his word and live by his truth in the Gospel of John chapter 6 there was a classic example of people who only seek God for physical needs and not spiritual needs it was in the miracle of Christ feeding the 5,000 we are familiar with that Miracle after Jesus fed the 5,000 the next day everyone was looking for him but they missed the point because all they wanted was more bread they only wanted Jesus for what he could do for them not for who he was they wanted his bread not him Jesus knew what was in their hearts and he said to them verily verily I say unto you he sck me not because he saw the Miracles but because he did eat of the Loaves and were filled what the people really needed was Jesus not the bread he could provide because only Jesus could forgive their sins only Jesus could satisfy their souls only Jesus could bring them into a relationship with God only Jesus could give them eternal life therefore Jesus said to them I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst I am the living bread which came down from heaven If any man eat of this bread he shall live forever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world John 6:51 Jesus was speaking about himself he was referring to the body he offered on the cross to save Sinners his message was very simple all you really need is me I am the Eternal source of life I am the only one who can satisfy the hunger in your soul and if you believe in me you will live forever dear friend just like the children of Israel they could be looking only on the sh bread on the table only on the provision and forget the provider you and I may fall into the sin of looking only at what God can do for us looking at what God can provide for us therefore we look to our houses our finances our careers our families our food our clothes our good health and strength and we forget that what we really need is God what we really need is our Lord Jesus Christ to be the center of our Lives
Add correct line breaks, correct capitalisation, correct punctuation, correct Australian English spelling, and correct KJV Bible verse quotations and references to my paragraphs where applicable. But do NOT — I repeat — do NOT alter or change ANY words from my paragraphs under ALL circumstances.
yes we need God to feed us we need him to provide for our daily needs but more than God feeding us we need to feed on him dear friend have we learned to feed upon God are we drawing spiritual nourishment from his word are we increasing in our appetites for the Bible to spend time with God In Prayer sometimes God allows us to lose our jobs or to be afflicted with sicknesses or to face a particular trial not without Rhymes or reasons but he wants us to understand that our needs are not merely physical but spiritual our needs are not simply temporal but Eternal what you and I really need is not only for God to do this or that for us we need him to be our God may the Lord help us that all of us will always look to him not only only as our provider but as the center and the source of our lives and we live our lives for his glory let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank the for enabling us to study this passage about the table of showbread in indeed there are so many wonderful lessons we can learn it reminds us of how gracious Thou Art how thou knowth what we need and thou will provide for us and thou H has provided for us in time pass and thou want us to understand that we need to trust thee and we learn to trust thee through those times of needs as we look back Upon Our Lives all of us have gone through specific experiences of how thou has provided for our different needs Thou Art faithful it happens again and again we cry out to the and thou would provide for us we cried out to thee again and thou would provide for us and thou H has reminded us of our greatest need it is not physical need it is spiritual need it is not temporal need it is eternal need we need thee at every moment of our lives Thou Art the Eternal source of life our greatest need is to have a relationship with thee to have sweet fellowship with thee so as we live our days on this Earth help us always to put thee first thou must be the president of our lives and we want to spend quality time with thee all the way until we see thee face to face and spend eternity with thee in heaven forever and ever may this be the pursuit and the desire of Our Lives we pray all this in Jesus name amen