Lu 7:24 And when the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the multitudes about John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?
Today we are going to talk on God's table in the wilderness
First some introductory comments
Then I will talk about some of the dishes served and their purpose.
We start by noticing some of the things God gave the Jews in the wilderness:
1. The law
2. The Spirit - 70 prophesy
3. The tabernacle
4. John the Baptist
I could go on, the wilderness has a rich depository if you learn how to tap into it.
Psalm 78 is a psalm of warning, in which the writer warns of the things the Jews who left Egypt did to provoke God. They had seen Him do incredible miracles, turn water to blood, part the red Sea, make water come out of a rock etc, and yet we read in
Ps 78:19 Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
They were implying he couldn't, with that question.
No, he can't.
God can't set a table in the wilderness.
For them it was a foolish question.
The wilderness is where you go to die.
That is the way Egyptians thought. That is what they warned their children growing up.
Alot of the Jews probably had serious misgivings the day they left Egypt heading for the wilderness.
From a biblical perspective, the wilderness is where a lot of people die, but it is also the place where a lot of people have accelerated spiritual growth, because of the high spiritual protein foods God serves in the wilderness.
1. The first thing we understand about wilderness journeys is that we always have a hard time accepting that God has anything to do with them.
Lu 4:1 ¶ And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
A. There are parts of your journey that you will not understand, nor will you be given much explanation about.
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
The second thing we learn about the table in the wilderness is God's table manners.
Desert = in Hebrew is the word midbawr comes from Hebrew root dawbar which is translated AV-speak 840, say 118, talk 46, promise 31, tell 25, commune 20, pronounce 14, utter 7
God speaks in the desert and teaches us table manners but His speaking is through the school of hard knocks.
Things kids can teach that they learned in the school of hard knocks:
"You can't trust dogs to watch your food for you."
"Don't sneeze when somebody is cutting your hair."
"You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk."
"When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair."
"No matter how hard you try you cannot baptize a cat."
These are the kinds of accelerated learning experiences we might call: "learning the hard way."
In the wilderness you learn what not to do, because the consequences are more severe. For example forgetting to put air in your tire. If you have a spare or triple A or the money for a tow truck, no problem, but when you are in the wilderness you have no safety net. You learn things the hard way you will never forget.
1. You will eat, when I say its time to eat.
Ex 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
In the wilderness you will experience a time of restricted diet. Your spiritual caloric intake will be reduced. It is not God putting you on a diet, but God wanting you to learn to feed yourself, and develop spiritual water finding abilities.
2. The first dish on the menu is called faith.
3 days and they probably ran out of whatever water they had. The wilderness is where God runs you out of something. Wilderness is where you learn to live without a human safety net.
The faith dish can be likened to the trapeze.
Life between the trapezes.
3. The next thing we learn is you can eat what is set before you or you can go hungry.
Ex 16:1 ¶ Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt.
Ex 16:2 And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
Ex 16:3 And the sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
What shade there is.
In the wilderness we learn to eat humble pie and be thankful for it.
Wilderness Moses went from proud and self-sufficient to humble and meek. (self made man)
God's word of warning to a nation.
Take heed lest you forget the Lord your God, by not keeping his commandments and his ordinances and his statutes which I command you this day: lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware, lest you say in your heart: "My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth." You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers.
You learn true refreshment:
Ex 15:22 ¶ Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
In desperation they grasped for relief and only found bad results
Ex 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah.
Ex 15:24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
Ex 15:25 Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw [it] into the waters, and the waters became sweet...
Yes, "As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." (Song 2:3.) Surely that tree is Christ. Ah, nothing can sweeten the bitter cup of this life, but sitting beneath His shadow.
God provides Elims
Ex 15:27 And they came to Elim, where [were] twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
Close:
Are you in a wilderness? Are you learning the flying trapeze?
By M. McCarthy
