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2005
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September
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- Crossroads goes country! These are pictures from ...
- The gang
- Ryan performs the himlick procedure on himself.
- Stef and Mike Harman enjoy a light moment.
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- This shot best captures all the fun being had.
- Missy is a cowgirl at heart
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- Frankie J is a regular 'slugger'.
- Dustin at bat
- Swing Amy!
- Carmen, Stef and Jon use their laser guns with pre...
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- Mark and Adam on the climbing wall
- Sunday Cookout
- This shot captures Eric telling another interestin...
- The Harman's made sure there was enough soda for all.
- Always fashionable Rachel brings the watermelon.
- Mike takes a break from the grillin' action.
- Gabe finds the weather just perfect for a ride dow...
- This Wednesday at 7 bring your friends for a speci...
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2 comments:
What’s in the Box? 10.16.2005
SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 9:1-6
1Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.[a] But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.
TEXT: Hebrews 9:4
3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant
INTRODUCTION:
A. Long before Indiana Jones or “Raiders of the Lost Ark” there has been a global fascination with the Ark of the Covenant ... and its present whereabouts.
B. Theories and legends abound as to where the Ark of the Covenant is presently resting.
C. Some believe it is safely hid in one of the many caverns beneath Mount Moriah … in the heart of Old Jerusalem.
D. Others believe it was taken down into Ethiopia … and is safely waiting the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.
E. Some believe it is in heaven … others believe it was destroyed.
F. The Ark of the Covenant … represented the presence and promises of God on the earth.
G. The cherubim on the sold gold mercy seat … declared and protected the Holiness of God.
H. The “Shekinah” presence of God dwelt above the mercy seat in the form of a cloud.
I. The lower box portion of the Ark of the Covenant … was about the size of a foot locker.
J. It was made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold.
K. The Ark served as a constant reminder of God’s presence and promises to Israel.
L. “I will be your God and you shall be my people.”
M. “I will make of you a great nation.”
N. “Your numbers shall be like the stars of the sky and the sand on the sea shore … you shall be innumerable!”
O. “I will give you a land flowing with milk and honey.”
P. “I am Jehovah-jirah … I will be your provider.”
Q. “I am Jehovah-rophe … I will be your healer.”
R. Can you imagine how the Ark … must have encouraged the weary in the hard times of life?
S. This morning we are going to inspect … the first of three items found inside box.
T. First of all … we are going to consider … Golden Pot of Manna … and how it was a constant …
I. REMINDER OF GOD’S SUPERNATURAL PROVISION
Exodus 16:1-6
1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
You might be wondering this morning, What is Manna?
That was the same question the Israelites had when they saw this miraculous appearance of food in the wilderness.
Exodus 16:13…in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
And so the word ‘Manna’ in Hebrew literally means “What is it?”,
Growing up I always had the picture of manna as KFC biscuits falling from the sky, and lining the desert floor
Exodus 16:31 paints a clearer picture of manna for us this Morning:
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
Every aspect of this appearance of food points to a miraculous provision by God!
Consider how it came by night, mysteriously, without any work.
Manna was a foreign substance, un-natural to the Earth, and not grown anywhere to this day.
It’s no wonder the Israelites asked “What is it?”
Has this ever happened to you? You’ve gone to a restaurant, a buffet, or to someone’s house, and you can’t decide what the ‘mystery meat” is?
Yes, Manna in itself was a miracle.
And the way it came was a miracle.
In Exodus 16:1 We’re told that the manna came on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.
More than likely this corresponded with the time that the Israelites had run out of all the food they had packed for their journey.
They wisely packed supplies for a long trip, and God met them at their exact moment of need, at a time when they would have died in the desert if it weren’t for the intervention of God.
The supernatural aspect of this food from Heaven is further evidenced in Exodus 16:21-23
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers [b] for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.' "
We’re told prior to this passage that any manna kept over night on any other day of the week would immediately spoil, attract maggots, and begin to stink!
But to honor God’s plan for a Sabbath rest, A double portion of manna was provided on Fridays, and this bread didn’t spoil the next day, so they had plenty of food to eat on Saturday, without the work of gathering the food.
And the magnitude of this miracle is incredible to think about.
Moses and the people were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them?
They had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3 million people requires a lot of food.
According to the Quartermaster General in the Army, it is reported that Moses would have to have had 1500 tons of food each day. Do you know that to bring that much food each day, two freight trains, each at least a mile long, would be required!
Besides you must remember, they were out in the desert, so they would have to have firewood to use in cooking the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long, just for one day
God’s supernatural provision was obvious along every leg of the Israelites Journey:
And Oh yes! They would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes, it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day and a freight train with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring water!
And then another thing!
They had to get across the Red Sea at night. Now, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights to get through. So there had to be a space in the Red Sea, 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.
But then, there is another problem...............each time they camped at the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long........ think of it! This much space for camping.
God was truly Jehovah Jirah: He provided for his children, supernaturally, for 40 years.
And that the Israelites may never forget the Goodness and care of Yahweh,
We read in Exodus 16:32: "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.' "
What’s in the Box? A Golden Jar of Manna, representing the supernatural provision of God.
You know, it’s easy to take God’s careful watch over our lives for granted, when we experience his blessing in our lives year after year.
In the Dake’s Annotated reference Bible, we’re told that the Israelites witnessed 12,530 miracles over 40 years!
For 40 years people who were once in slavery were lead each day by a cloud by day and fire by night.
Each morning they would awake to a fresh shipment of manna, and in the evening, quail would appear.
Untold amounts of water suddenly flow forth from dry, desert rocks.
Similarly, if we take a close look at our lives, we can see that same supernatural provision of God working for us.
Life with God can be an incredible adventure if you follow his leading. And the Ark of the Covenant with the golden pot of manna was a constant reminder that God is with you, he’s for you, and he is your provider.
II. REMINDER OF ISRAEL’S MURMURING
SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 9:1-6
1Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.[a] But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.
TEXT: Hebrews 9:4
3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant
INTRODUCTION:
A. Long before Indiana Jones or “Raiders of the Lost Ark” there has been a global fascination with the Ark of the Covenant ... and its present whereabouts.
B. Theories and legends abound as to where the Ark of the Covenant is presently resting.
C. Some believe it is safely hid in one of the many caverns beneath Mount Moriah … in the heart of Old Jerusalem.
D. Others believe it was taken down into Ethiopia … and is safely waiting the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.
E. Some believe it is in heaven … others believe it was destroyed.
F. The Ark of the Covenant … represented the presence and promises of God on the earth.
G. The cherubim on the sold gold mercy seat … declared and protected the Holiness of God.
H. The “Shekinah” presence of God dwelt above the mercy seat in the form of a cloud.
I. The lower box portion of the Ark of the Covenant … was about the size of a foot locker.
J. It was made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold.
K. The Ark served as a constant reminder of God’s presence and promises to Israel.
L. “I will be your God and you shall be my people.”
M. “I will make of you a great nation.”
N. “Your numbers shall be like the stars of the sky and the sand on the sea shore … you shall be innumerable!”
O. “I will give you a land flowing with milk and honey.”
P. “I am Jehovah-jirah … I will be your provider.”
Q. “I am Jehovah-rophe … I will be your healer.”
R. Can you imagine how the Ark … must have encouraged the weary in the hard times of life?
S. This morning we are going to inspect … the first of three items found inside box.
T. First of all … we are going to consider … Golden Pot of Manna … and how it was a constant …
I. REMINDER OF GOD’S SUPERNATURAL PROVISION
Exodus 16:1-6
1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
You might be wondering this morning, What is Manna?
That was the same question the Israelites had when they saw this miraculous appearance of food in the wilderness.
Exodus 16:13…in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
And so the word ‘Manna’ in Hebrew literally means “What is it?”,
Growing up I always had the picture of manna as KFC biscuits falling from the sky, and lining the desert floor
Exodus 16:31 paints a clearer picture of manna for us this Morning:
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
Every aspect of this appearance of food points to a miraculous provision by God!
Consider how it came by night, mysteriously, without any work.
Manna was a foreign substance, un-natural to the Earth, and not grown anywhere to this day.
It’s no wonder the Israelites asked “What is it?”
Has this ever happened to you? You’ve gone to a restaurant, a buffet, or to someone’s house, and you can’t decide what the ‘mystery meat” is?
Yes, Manna in itself was a miracle.
And the way it came was a miracle.
In Exodus 16:1 We’re told that the manna came on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.
More than likely this corresponded with the time that the Israelites had run out of all the food they had packed for their journey.
They wisely packed supplies for a long trip, and God met them at their exact moment of need, at a time when they would have died in the desert if it weren’t for the intervention of God.
The supernatural aspect of this food from Heaven is further evidenced in Exodus 16:21-23
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers [b] for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.' "
We’re told prior to this passage that any manna kept over night on any other day of the week would immediately spoil, attract maggots, and begin to stink!
But to honor God’s plan for a Sabbath rest, A double portion of manna was provided on Fridays, and this bread didn’t spoil the next day, so they had plenty of food to eat on Saturday, without the work of gathering the food.
And the magnitude of this miracle is incredible to think about.
Moses and the people were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them?
They had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3 million people requires a lot of food.
According to the Quartermaster General in the Army, it is reported that Moses would have to have had 1500 tons of food each day. Do you know that to bring that much food each day, two freight trains, each at least a mile long, would be required!
Besides you must remember, they were out in the desert, so they would have to have firewood to use in cooking the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long, just for one day
God’s supernatural provision was obvious along every leg of the Israelites Journey:
And Oh yes! They would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes, it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day and a freight train with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring water!
And then another thing!
They had to get across the Red Sea at night. Now, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights to get through. So there had to be a space in the Red Sea, 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.
But then, there is another problem...............each time they camped at the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long........ think of it! This much space for camping.
God was truly Jehovah Jirah: He provided for his children, supernaturally, for 40 years.
And that the Israelites may never forget the Goodness and care of Yahweh,
We read in Exodus 16:32: "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.' "
What’s in the Box? A Golden Jar of Manna, representing the supernatural provision of God.
You know, it’s easy to take God’s careful watch over our lives for granted, when we experience his blessing in our lives year after year.
In the Dake’s Annotated reference Bible, we’re told that the Israelites witnessed 12,530 miracles over 40 years!
For 40 years people who were once in slavery were lead each day by a cloud by day and fire by night.
Each morning they would awake to a fresh shipment of manna, and in the evening, quail would appear.
Untold amounts of water suddenly flow forth from dry, desert rocks.
Similarly, if we take a close look at our lives, we can see that same supernatural provision of God working for us.
Life with God can be an incredible adventure if you follow his leading. And the Ark of the Covenant with the golden pot of manna was a constant reminder that God is with you, he’s for you, and he is your provider.
II. REMINDER OF ISRAEL’S MURMURING
I don’t know about you, but I was raised in a home where grumbling and complaining was not encouraged.
From an early age my parents taught us to always say thank you, write thank you notes, and to seldom complain.
But just like any normal kid, there are things that happen while growing up, and you have to speak up and defend yourself.
I can remember eating at a restaurant across from the airport, and Stacey and I each wanted to have our own jello appetizer.
Our parents said we could order the jello. And back then, anything you’d order, you’d have to get the OK first. Don’t even think about ordering a soda.
We could order the jello, but we would have to split it!
I would have to share with my sister, and that would leave just a little bit for me!
I began to complain and pout, and then I got the look from my dad that when we returned home, I was going to be in trouble.
My parents definitely don’t like complaining.
And in much the same way, God doesn’t like murmuring. He didn’t like it in the wilderness, and he doesn’t like it today.
The Golden pot of manna was to be carried in the ark as a reminder that yes, God provides, but he hates complaining.
It’s really quite amazing how quickly the Israelites began to complain after their miraculous release from slavery in Egypt
Exodus 16:1-3
1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
Numbers 11:4-5
"If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!"
Only 45 days into their newfound freedom, and the people begin to romanticize about the good old days in Egypt. They were talking as if Egypt was the Old Country Buffet.
However their fond memories weren’t even based upon reality.
They spoke of how they just sat around pots of meat and ate all the food they wanted, a claim that historians reject as plain false!
Food would indeed be scarce for these slaves under tight military control.
And the complaining begins that would last 40 years.
It’s easy as Christians to forget all that Christ has brought us out of.
And as a result, we re-write our history. Forgetting the bondages that enslaved us, the lack of hope, and the empty feeling of having a God-shaped void in our life.
Forgetting our past, it’s easy to complain about minor challenges that God may have us going through. Opportunities for growth and refinement in our lives.
God was not caught off guard by the need for food in the desert, and he had prepared to meet the physical needs of our children through sending manna.
But it didn’t take long for the Israelites to grow wary of this sweet delicacy, and they began to murmur for something more: Meat.
And God Responds
Numbers 11:18-20
18 "Tell the people: 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The LORD heard you when you wailed, "If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!" Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" ' "
The people wanted meat, and God gave them quail like the world has never seen.
This next part of the story just strikes me as hilarious. Envision this as we read Numbers 11:31-32
31 Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them [c] down all around the camp to about three feet [d] above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. [e] Then they spread them out all around the camp.
10 homers is the equivalent of 60 bushels! None of the Israelites collected less than 60 bushels of quail that day, just to clear the ground. You can’t read that and deny that God has a sense of humor. But he also has a sense of justice, and he was fed up with the ungrateful attitude he received for all his provision.
33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.
Today you might be thinking, O.K., I get the point. God doesn’t like complaining. I don’t make a habit of complaining to God. I complain to others, and about others, but not to God.
But the Golden pot of manna was a reminder that it is ultimately God that provides every good thing in our life, and when we complain to a boss, a parent or a spouse, we are ultimately complaining to God.
The Israelites thought all their murmuring was directed at Moses and Aaron, but they were wrong:
Moses told the People in Exodus 16:7…Who are we, that you should grumble against us?" 8 Moses also said, "You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD."
We’re told that the Israelites reached the border of their destination Canaan in 11 months, but their journey was prolonged by murmuring, and a lack of faith.
12 spies were sent into the promised land, and 10 of those 12 came back grumbling that there was no way they would be able to conquer it’s inhabitants.
And God deemed that the Israelites were not ready to enter their country due to their complaining.
God expects us to face the challenges in our lives with faith, and not murmering!
Faith is not ignoring problems, or having a naïve sense of reality.
Rather, it’s having a holy expectation that God can and will be our provider.
He’s proven it in the past, and his word is just as good today.
What’s in the Box? A Golden pot of manna, serving as a constant reminder that every Good thing in life, all that we need is from God, and that God expects thankfulness instead of complaining.
In conclusion, many in this room this morning may feel like you are just stuck in life!
You’re not moving forward, and your frustrated.
Things are not going well at the job. Work as become a drudgery, there’s no joy, and there’s been little advancement. You murmur about the boss, about the hours, about the pay, and about the work itself.
Perhaps things aren’t moving forward in your marriage. Conflict, a lack of communication, and mistrust are the trademarks of your home. And you complain to each other about how they’re not living up to their end of the bargain, and how they’re not meeting your needs.
God’s way of advancement is to have a thankful heart, and to recognize him as the source of all that’s good in your life.
Murmuring and complaining is the route of going in circles, staying in a rut, and never realizing the great things God has in store for you.
Or perhaps you find yourself at a place where you need God to come through for you in a supernatural way.
Perhaps your finances have never been tighter, and you’re a paycheck away from ruin.
Perhaps your family has emotional, relational, or spiritual needs that can only be met by God. And you need that reminder that God has not been caught off guard, and that he truly is your provider.
The Ark of the Covenant traveled with the Israelites, wherever they went, at all times. Through all the years in the wilderness, the Ark was a constant reminder that God was present, he was there in their midst.
It’s often in the difficult times of like that we need to know that yes, God is present, he is with us, he’s for us, and he’s our provider.
Let’s pray.
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