#19 The Change of Diet to the Heavenly Christ (3)

Jameson Chen continues our series about our spiritual diet as believers!

Scripture Reading: Exo. 16:1-36; Num. 11:6-9; John 6:31-35, 48-51, 57-58

IV. We need to see and experience the characteristics of Christ as our unique food, our daily manna, for our metabolic transformation:

A. Manna is a mystery—Exo. 16:15; Col. 2:2; Isa. 9:6; Eph. 3:4; John 3:8:

1. The Hebrew word man hu, from which the word manna derives, means “What is it?”—Exo. 16:15.

2. Just as we cannot analyze or explain manna, we cannot analyze or explain the Lord Jesus; to the people of the world, Christ is the real manna, the real “what is it?”

B. Manna is a long-term miracle; manna was sent every morning, and it had to be gathered every morning; this indicates that we cannot store up the supply of Christ but that the experience of Christ as our life supply must be daily, morning by morning; as our food, Christ will last for eternity—vv. 4, 21; cf. Matt. 6:34.

C. Manna is from heaven; on the one hand, the Lord Jesus is “the bread out of heaven”; on the other hand, He is “the bread of God,” the One who came down out of heaven to be our food— Exo. 16:4; John 6:32-33, 51.

D. Manna comes with the dew, which signifies the Lord’s refreshing and watering grace brought in by His fresh compassions; grace is God reaching us to refresh us and water us—Exo. 16:13-14; Num. 11:9; Psa. 133:3; Lam. 3:22-23; Heb. 4:16; Psa. 110:3.

E. Manna comes in the morning, indicating that it gives us a new beginning through our living contact with the Lord—Exo. 16:21; cf. S. S. 1:6b; 7:12; John 5:39-40; Rom. 6:4; 7:6.

F. Manna is small; Christ was born in a manger, and He was raised in the home of a carpenter in a small, despised town; this indicates that the Lord did not make a display of His greatness but preferred to be small in the eyes of man—Exo. 16:14; Luke 2:12; John 6:35; cf. Judg. 9:9, 11, 13; Matt. 13:31-32.

G. Manna is fine, indicating that Christ is even and balanced and that He became small enough for us to eat—Exo. 16:14; John 6:12.

H. Manna is round, indicating that as our food Christ is eternal, perfect, and full, without shortage or defect—Exo. 16:14; John 8:58.

I. Manna is white, showing that Christ is clean and pure, without any mixture—Exo. 16:31; Psa. 12:6; 119:140; 2 Cor. 11:3b.

J. Manna is like frost, signifying that Christ not only cools and refreshes us but also kills the negative things within us— Exo. 16:14; Prov. 17:27.

K. Manna is like coriander seed, indicating that Christ is full of life that grows in us and multiplies— Exo. 16:31; Num. 11:7; Luke 8:11.

L. Manna is solid (implied in the fact that the people “ground it between two millstones or beat it in a mortar; then they boiled it in pots”—Num. 11:8), signifying that after gathering Christ as manna, we must prepare Him for our eating by “grinding, beating, and boiling” Him in the situations and circumstances of our daily living—cf. 2 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 6:18.

M. Manna’s appearance is like that of bdellium, indicating the brightness and transparency of Christ—Num. 11:7; Rev. 4:6, 8; Ezek. 1:18.

N. Manna’s taste is like that of cakes baked in oil, signifying the fragrance of the Holy Spirit in the taste of Christ—Num. 11:8; Psa. 92:10.

O. Manna’s taste is like that of wafers made with honey, signifying the sweetness of the taste of Christ—Exo. 16:31; Psa. 119:103.

P. Manna is good for making cakes, indicating that Christ is like fine cakes good for nourishment— Num. 11:8; 1 Tim. 4:6.