The Daily Word of Righteousness

Crossing the Jordan, #3

And the Lord said unto Joshua, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day." (Joshua 5:9)

It is as we offer our body to God, turning away from the world and its ways, that the "reproach of Egypt" (the disgrace of the world) is removed from us.

The Passover then was celebrated on the desert plains of Jericho. Even though we are to be pressing today toward the last three feasts of the Lord (the blowing of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the feast of Tabernacles), we still are to hold before us the shed blood of the Lamb of God on the cross of Calvary. It is the blood of the Lamb that provides the foundation and authority for all that takes place in the Kingdom of God. We overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb. The Commander in Chief is clothed with a robe dipped in blood.

And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. (Joshua 5:10)

On the day after the Passover the Israelites ate unleavened cakes and roasted grain that were produced in the land of Canaan. As soon as they had eaten of food grown in Canaan the manna no longer fell from the sky. Here is another historic change, for the Israelites had been given manna for forty years.

And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (Joshua 5:11,12)

The purpose of the daily manna was to teach the saints in the wilderness that man does not live by bread only but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

And he 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)

We Christians have had to learn to trust the Lord. Whether in the realm of money or food or health or strength or wisdom or whatever else we need, we often receive only that which is necessary for the moment.

The Lord Jesus ministered in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We, however, must be content with gifts, tongues, miracles, discernment that suffice for the particular incident. We see in a mirror dimly.

The eating of the food grown in Canaan and the ceasing of the manna reveal there is coming a day when "that which is perfect" will be our inheritance. We no longer shall be dependent on a daily portion of grace, or a gift of the Spirit, neither shall we see in a mirror dimly. We shall know as we are known. The fullness of the Spirit will be given to us. This has not taken place as yet.

To be continued.