The Bread and Water of Life - 250307

Episode 7 August 09, 2025 00:28:45
The Bread and Water of Life - 250307
Let God Speak
The Bread and Water of Life - 250307

Aug 09 2025 | 00:28:45

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Show Notes

The Bible (in Hebrews 11:1) defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is the assurance that things will happen just as God promises, even though our immediate surroundings may indeed be very grim. The Israelites experienced God’s power through incredible miracles when they were freed from Egyptian slavery. When they were confronted with problems, however, did those awesome miracles give them unshakeable faith in God’s providence? Today’s study will discuss the faith of the Israelites as they ventured into the wilderness.

Hosted by: Rod Butler
Guests: Cynthia Mafunga & Pr Harold Harker

Download the study notes at this link: www.3abnaustralia.org.au/resources/do…s/lgs-notes/

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER 1 Hello, I'm Rod Butler. Welcome to Let God Speak. The Bible gives the definition of faith in Hebrews 11. One, as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That is, faith is the assurance that things will happen just as God promises. Even though our immediate surroundings may be very grim indeed, the Israelites experienced incredible miracles of God's power when they were freed from Egyptian slavery. But did seeing such awesome miracles give them unshakable faith in God's providence when they were confronted with problems? Stay with us as we discuss the faith of the Israelites as they ventured into the wilderness. On our panel today, we have Cynthia Mafunga and Harold Harker. Welcome. Cynthia, welcome. Harold, welcome. Well, before we start our discussion, let's bow for prayer. Gracious Father, as we discuss this topic today, the bread and water of life. We ask for the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding so that we can see lessons from these stories of the Israelites that we can apply to ourselves. We ask in Jesus name, Amen. Well, after leaving Egypt, the Israelites knew they were headed for the promised land. They saw God's awesome power in the plagues over Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea on dry land and witnessed the destruction of the Egyptian army. When the sea closed up, they likely expected an easy journey to the promised land. But God allowed obstacles to test their faith. We're going to discuss these tests of faith and ask ourselves, are we the same today with our faith? True. So, Cynthia, just starting with you with the first question. We're talking about the Israelites coming out of Egypt. Roughly how many people are we talking about? SPEAKER 2 Yeah, good question. The Bible tells us in Exodus 12:37, 38, and I'll be reading from the new King James Version, and it says, then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to succoth, about 600,000 men on foot besides the children. And then verse 38 says a mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds, a great deal of livestock. So there were 600 men. These were men under 20, like fighting men. So they weren't counting the women and the children. So if we were to count all of those people, there would be about 2 million. There was a great multitude, and then the mixed multitude that came with them and the livestock. It was a big group of people going through the wilderness. SPEAKER 1 So we're talking a major migration of people. We don't know exactly the number, but it's a lot of people and it's a major migration. Now, Harold Paul reminds us, 1500 years later, that we can learn things about this. And I just want to read what he says in First Corinthians, chapter 10 in verse 4. In verse 6, he says, now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And in verse 11, it says, now all these things happened unto them for examples. And they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. So, Harold, how are these stories examples for us? SPEAKER 3 Well, we all face trials and problems, and those trials and problems, they test our faith. But God's word and his promises are those that we can put our anchor in. They firm us, they give us some substance that we can trust him completely. Well, we should. SPEAKER 1 We should. We should. We got to be able to trust God implicitly with whatever happens. SPEAKER 3 Correct. SPEAKER 1 Okay, well, let's. Let's go into the stories here. I'm going to start by reading Exodus, chapter 15. Now, they've crossed the Red Sea. They've seen amazing miracles. And I'm going to read verse 22, and it says Exodus 15, verse 22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur, and. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. So, Cynthia, what's going on here? What's happened? What's happened here? SPEAKER 2 Okay, I'll just continue reading from where you were reading. So Exodus 15, and I'll read verse 23 and 24. And it says, now, when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, what shall we drink? And so, like you said, they've seen this great miracle, the Red Sea part open, and they've seen God's power. And then now they get to this place and the water is bitter. They can't feed their livestock. They can't drink water. And they complain. They forget God's leading quickly. They have short memory, really very short. And. And they doubt and they complain again. SPEAKER 1 So. So they're in that situation. What do they. What do they do? What happens? SPEAKER 3 Well, in verse 25, she just read, God said, go and take this tree, this piece of wood, throw it into the water and it will make it sweet and drinkable. And here they can now drink. This is a miracle. Sweet water. It was bitter. But God shows them his promise. He'll care for them. And let me read verse 26. The thing what God said, if you diligently hear the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes. I will put none of the diseases on you which I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you. What promises God has given. If you follow me, this is what you'll get. SPEAKER 1 That's an amazing promise to give them just after. They've been complaining, but now they've got fresh water. So, Cynthia, was there some special chemical property, some magic in this sticky throw in the water? What's the situation there? SPEAKER 2 No. So if there would have been a lot of water to cater for that big group like we spoke about at the start. And God here is basically trying to partner with humanity, the human and the divine joining together. Sometimes when God calls us to do things, he wants us to act to do something. Take that step forward of faith, and then he leads and then he provides. And this is what he was doing here. And he was also reminding them that my timing is worth waiting for. They didn't have to complain, they didn't have to worry, because God was in control. SPEAKER 1 And think of the faith that Moses had. He would have picked up a stick or a piece of wood and thinking, what's this going to do? But he still, in faith, picked it up and he still did what God said to do. SPEAKER 3 Absolutely. SPEAKER 1 He obeyed to the letter, which is very important. Well, let's keep reading now. I'm going to read, moving to chapter 16, going to read Exodus 16, verses 2 and 3. And Harold, I've got a question for you on this. Verse 2, it says, and the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said unto them, would to God, we had died in the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the flesh pots. And when we did eat the bread to the full. For ye have brought us forth into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. So they've been led out. We're now a month out from crossing the Red Sea. And they've been brought to a place where they're hungry, but they've just been given all this beautiful water. But they're hungry. So what's this test all about? SPEAKER 3 Well, they were tested for water, now they're tested for food. Verse 31 says, and the house of Israel called its name Manna. God provided for them a substance. It was white. It was like frost on the ground. Let me read again from numbers. It says, the manna was like Coriander seed. And its color was like the color of bdillium. It was this white substance that God says it must have been great for them because this was the food to sustain them. God's promise again, he gave them water, now he's given them food. Will you trust me? Is really the question for him. SPEAKER 1 Yeah. Now it's interesting. They were led out. They were led out to a place where they were allowed to be hungry. SPEAKER 3 Yep. SPEAKER 1 To God to test them. And Cynthia, question to you. How effective is hunger as a temptation to humans? SPEAKER 2 Yeah. Wow. There's a pattern in the Bible where there's temptations around food from the very start. Adam and Eve, they're drawn to the forbidden fruit. And then we see Esau, he sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. And then Satan's first temptation to Jesus was turn these stones into bread. And so the. There's something about food that draws us in. Right. That hunger. And before entering Canaan, this is what Moses said to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 8:3. And it says, so he humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man leaves by by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. And Philippians also warns about food. In Philippians 3, 18:19, it says, Verse 18, for many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the curse of Christ, whose end is destruction, of whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. So he's warning against being controlled by appetite, being controlled by our urges, but to be led by the word that comes from God. SPEAKER 1 Yeah, it's interesting. Being controlled by belly. We see in our culture today a whole emphasis on cooking and cuisine and eating. And it's like people. Their whole purpose is to eat. And here we have counsel that we shouldn't let our appetite or our feelings control our logical thinking, our reasoning, which is very important. Now, this was God's miracle food, this manna, and must have had all the nutritional requirements of a food. And as you described, Harold, it was like coriander seed in another place. SPEAKER 3 It was called like angels, food. It must have been something special and great. God doesn't give rubbish. He gave the best for them that they could eat in that wilderness. SPEAKER 1 That's right. Now, Cynthia, just following on what you were saying then, there are miracles associated with manna. SPEAKER 3 Yeah. SPEAKER 1 And what were some of those miracles? SPEAKER 2 Yeah. So for five days, God gave them manna daily. And if they stored any of this manna, it would bad. It would have worms in it. And then on Fridays, they could collect a double portion for Saturday, and it would not go bad. And then for the third miracle was that, yeah, manna did not spoil on the Sabbath. And on the Sabbath, there was no manna as well for the fourth, last one. SPEAKER 1 So every week there was these four miracles occurring. And the people could witness this. Food from heaven came down, double portion came down on Friday. So. And it didn't spoil on the Sabbath. SPEAKER 3 Another miracle. SPEAKER 1 Another miracle. So there was. There was one more miracle associated with Amana, Harold. What was that? SPEAKER 3 Sure. Well, God told to Moses in verse 32, he said, this is the thing which the Lord has commanded. Fill an omer with it. That was a great measure to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. And Moses said to Aaron, take a pot, put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord to be kept for your generations. This manna never spoilt. It was kept in the place where the Lord was, and his house is his place. And it was there to be a perpetual miracle that their generations to come would say that's what God did for them. And it never spoiled. Every other week it would spoil, but not this. It was kept for the Lord to show them how his promise is always fulfilled. SPEAKER 1 It's amazing. Now, when we read that and we understand that, we see that this manna was a miracle happening every day. There was. It was there until the sun came, till it melted away, and you could collect food for the day and so forth. And you're a reminder that God was supplying all your needs. Miraculously, you wonder, how could they ever lose faith that God wasn't looking after them? But as we will see, they've got short memories. So, Cynthia, what is the other spiritual lesson associated with a manna that God wanted to teach the Israelites? Very important lesson. SPEAKER 2 Yeah. So God also sent a message of the sacredness of the seventh day, Sabbath, through the manna. So they could collect manna throughout the week, except for on Friday, they could collect a double portion and it wouldn't go bad. So this kind of allowed them to rest on the Sabbath and not be collecting manna. So here God was echoing the commandments, like in the Ten Commandments where he says, six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the Sabbath day of the Lord your God. So he was reminding them, beckoning them, to keep this day sacred by allowing them to collect double. And this was a miracle because it didn't happen every day and it set the Sabbath apart. It was special. SPEAKER 1 That is a very powerful lesson to see every week. A miracle to remind you that the Sabbath is special. If ever there was something in the Bible to emphasize how important the Sabbath is, this was. That's right up there. Correct, Harold, what was the spiritual symbolism of this as well? SPEAKER 3 This manna was bread from heaven. God gave it and it's symbolic. Everything points to how God will save us. And it was symbolic of Jesus Christ because he said, I am the bread of life. Just as God gave this bread to give life to those people of Israel, Jesus, he says, I've come to give life to everyone. And so he came from heaven. And through him our spiritual hunger will be completely satisfied. He's the answer to our needs. SPEAKER 1 He says in John, he says, I am the bread of heaven. Yeah, he mentions from heaven. So it's a very powerful symbolic metaphor, the manna. Thank you for those comments. Let's move on to chapter 17 now. So we've got a situation where they've had their water needs met, their thirst has been met with bitter water. They've had their hunger met. Well, now God has them move on to Repidim. And I'm going to Read here Exodus 17:1 and all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of sin after their journeys according to the commandments of the Lord and pitched in Repidum, and there was no water for the people to drink. So hello, here we are again, again with another test of water. Now this would be a no brainer. They would, they'd say, okay, Lord, we're waiting, you know? SPEAKER 3 Yeah. SPEAKER 1 What happened? SPEAKER 3 Wow. It even is very distinct in what they did. The people contended with Moses. They were mad. And they said, give us water that we may drink. And so here they chided, they scolded Moses. They had forgotten that God was the one who provided them water. And they were saying, moses, give us water. And again they had to turn to God. SPEAKER 1 That's pretty powerful because when it says they, they murmured and scolded, oh, that's like, that's really in your face about God, you know, where are you? You know, you've forgotten us. And they've just had these amazing miracles. So as a test of faith. Cynthia, what? What happened? What? What happened? SPEAKER 2 So in Exodus 17, verse 5 and 6. It says that. And the Lord said to Moses, go on before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel also take in your. Take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river and go, behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you shall strike the rock and water will come out of it that the people may drink again. The divine and the human is called to work together. And it's not so that God can have help, but to prove that when we work and obey God, because he obeyed Moses, did exactly what God had. SPEAKER 1 Asked and God provided, the obedience factor comes through there. Now we're talking a lot of people here, and we're talking cattle. Now, if you are a cattle rancher and you are in temperatures above 30 degrees, a full grown cattle, cow or bull or whatever, they can drink between 40 and 70 liters a day. SPEAKER 3 That's right. SPEAKER 1 There could have been thousands of cattle. There were millions of people. Potentially taking the numbers at face value, this is a lot of water that is now being poured out to feed the Israelites. And I just want to Read here Psalm 78:16. Psalm 78:16 says something interesting. It says here, and it's reminding the children of Israel about their miracle. It says here he brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers. So the psalm writer here is really pointing out that there's a lot of water. Yep, this is an amazing miracle that's happening. And God was providing the water from the rock. So Howard, what was the name of the place that they gave where that miracle happened? SPEAKER 3 Well, it wasn't a beautiful place. Let me read to you Exodus 17 and verse 7. So he that was Moses called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the contention of the children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord, saying, is the Lord among us or not? Now, Massa means testing and Meribah means quarreling. So here it was. This place was to be remembered for all time for this children of Israel. This is where the people were tested, where they quarreled against God, and where they failed the test of faith. How would you say, after all of those miracles, is the Lord among us or not? So Massa and Meribah were going down to say, this is where you failed. You lost your faith. SPEAKER 1 Cynthia, how could these stories be an example to us? SPEAKER 2 It's so easy, Rod, for us to sit there and think, how could they do this? It's miracle after miracle after miracle. And yet they're questioning God's love and trust. And yet we do the same thing. How many times do we cry out to God and say, where are you? You've left me. When we look back into our lives and see how much he's led us, and yet we forget so quickly. And the Bible reminds us over and over again that God is not slack in keeping his promises. He is faithful. And so whatever promise he said in here, the answer to that prayer is always yes, because God has promised and he is faithful. And Hebrews 10, verse 23 tells us that. I'm just going to read it for us. It says, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. So don't waver in your faith, because God is faithful. He does what he says he will do. SPEAKER 3 Sure. SPEAKER 1 Let's go back to the symbology. That's water from the rock. So, Harold, what is that symbology? SPEAKER 3 Well, obviously the rock represents Jesus Christ. He was the smitten rock because he was smitten for us. And it's symbolic of Jesus because Christ suffered for our sins. You know, John 4 and verse 14, he's talking to a woman of Samaria and he says, talking about the water that was in the well there. Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him, not the water in the well well, never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. Jesus is the living water. He has life. Just as he's the living bread, he's the living water, and he'll supply all our needs. And so striking the rock, the water is a symbol of Jesus who will give us life eternal. So it's a very striking symbolic message there. SPEAKER 1 It is. It is. And Cynthia, rock has sold it, isn't it? SPEAKER 2 Yeah, yeah. And Jesus is also the rock. He is firm and he leads us and we can count on Him. And he never fails in keeping his promises, like we said before. SPEAKER 1 And we can anchor to a rock, it's. It's the foundation. Well, let's just. In the last story we'll look at is in chapter 18, and we're talking now about the story of Moses. And Moses has a visit from his father in law. I'm going to read Exodus, chapter 18, verses 1 to 3. And it says when Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses, father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt, then Jethro Moses father in law, took Zipporah Moses wife after he had sent her back and her two sons, which the name of one was Gershom. For he said, I've been in the alien in a strange land. I'll stop it there. So here we have Jethro going back there. So from that story we. Why did. From those verses, why did he visit? Why did Jethro go and visit Moses? SPEAKER 2 Jethro had heard of what God had done for the Israelites. And it was a witness to the surrounding nations that the God of heaven is the one true God. And he's all powerful and he loves his people. And I'm just going to read from Exodus 18, verse 10 to 11. This is what it says. And Jethro said, blessed be the Lord who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, he was above them. So he echoes this. He says, God is the one true God. And this has been seen through Moses and the Israelites experience. SPEAKER 1 So Harold, what can we learn from that story? It's an example for us. What can we learn? SPEAKER 3 Well, Jethro was his father in law. You could have said, you know, mind your own business, you're only an in law. But he didn't. He listened. He heard what he said and he benefited from it. And we will always benefit in our lives when we listen to good and sound counsel. You know, Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, and he wrote this in Proverbs, Listen to counsel and receive instruction that you may be wise in your latter days. So if you listen to good counsel and follow it, it's going to bless your life. And of course, if it comes from God, you'll even trust him more. Wouldn't. SPEAKER 1 Let'S just read that, Cynthia, can you read Exodus 18:21 22, verse 21. SPEAKER 2 Says, Moreover, you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth hating, covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, and rulers of 50s, and rulers of tension. And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. SPEAKER 1 So here we have. Jethro sees that Moses overloaded and overworked and the father in law gives son in law good advice, tells him he needs to set up a completely new judicial system to manage all the complaints complaints so he can focus on the teaching. And as you said, Pastor Harold, he could have said, mind your own business. I know what I'm doing. I'm the, I'm the leader. I'm the leader. SPEAKER 3 But he chose me. SPEAKER 1 He took the advice of his father in law and that's what happened. And Moses was relieved. So amazing stories, amazing lessons we can learn from this. So thank you, Harold. Thank you so much. Well, look, all the miracles that happened in the weeks after the Israelites left Egypt should have been etched into their memories. But sadly, when their faith was tested, they too quickly forgot God's marvelous care for them to meet all their needs. What about us today? Are we too quick to forget God's marvellous providence in our lives when we face trials? Thank God that we can claim his promises that he will never let us go and will deliver us. Well, we're glad you joined us on Let God Speak. All our past programs plus teacher's notes are available on our website 3abnaustralia.org au. Email us on lgsabinastralia.org au Tell your friends about the program and join us again next time. We'd to love love to see you watch us again and God bless. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.

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