The children of Israel were not long in the desert before they began complaining. Exodus 16:2, 3 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 by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. “

Following this terrible complaining and accusations against God He responds in verse 4: “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.”

Despite their ungrateful and “entitlement” attitude, God in His grace and mercy, rained bread down from Heaven. Although in the natural order of things God gives bread from the earth to sustain physical man, He is not limited to earth’s resources.

When we find ourselves in a predicament where natural resources run out, are depleted and dried up, it is easy for us to get irritable, thin-skinned, and complain. Instead of fretting and becoming anxious we need to fix our eyes upon the Lord who always has the answer to every situation.

In this situation, with Israel being out of bread, God teaches both them and us that the earth is not the only resource to meet our natural needs. There is another place of provision, a place of limitless provision--Heaven!

Heaven always has an answer for every need, no matter how small or great. Why do we so often look to earth and the things that it hopefully will provide to meet our needs? We must realize that trusting earth’s provision will often fail us. Earth is not always able to provide all the answers we need.

God rained bread from Heaven out of His grace and mercy to meet their need, not because they deserved it. Because of their ungrateful attitude they did not deserve it. This points us again to Jesus as we read Romans 5:8: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

They did not get this miracle because of their faith in God. The trial of facing hunger was intended to be an opportunity for their faith to increase and be enlarged. Hebrews 4:2 tells us that this miracle of bread from Heaven did not profit them spiritually because it was not mixed with faith.

Every trial we face in our lives are all opportunities for us to exercise faith in Heaven’s provision. In this matter, Israel got the miracle, but failed the test of faith. How sad.

In the midst of trials, we must, with humble hearts, turn our eyes upon Jesus and call upon Heaven’s bread and Heaven’s resources.

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

On Friday evening following sundown, which according to the law, is the beginning of Sabbath, they sit down at their tables and break bread together. They give thanks in Hebrew for the wine, which translated into English says: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, King of the universe, who bringeth forth the fruit of the vine.” They then give thanks in Hebrew for the bread, but translated into English says: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, King of the universe, who bringeth forth bread from the earth.”

The two loaves represent the double portion which had to be gathered on the sixth day.

Exodus 16:16 says: “Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.” I think that every person in the family was given an omer measurement, approximately three quarts, one pint daily for five days. On the sixth day they collected two omers prepared for both the sixth and seventh days. They could not bake bread on Shabbat as it was their day of rest.

In Exodus 16:36 we note that an omer is the tenth part of an ephah, approximately ½ gallon per person. Therefore, on the sixth day, each person received a double portion to hold them over until the Sabbath ended. They received a two tenths deal.

Jesus Christ is our two tenths deal. He is our double portion for He is our Sabbath rest, not only for the Sabbath, but on every day of the week.

The typology points to the fact that we cannot earn our salvation through our own works of keeping the law. It was a serious offence to go out to get manna on the sixth day. Salvation can only come by accepting Jesus Christ as our complete rest for every day of our lives.

Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

The rest that the law granted Israel was for one-day per week. The rest, spiritually speaking, that grace gives us without the law is never ending. In this way, Jesus is our eternal Sabbath.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Old Testament shewbread, reveals to His disciples (in the above Scriptures) that He was the kernel of wheat that would be ground into fine powder, He would be baked through the many sufferings and intense fiery trials ending in His crucifixion. And, He would rise from the dead to become our living bread.

Nobody wants to eat unbaked bread, and for that matter, bread that is not ground. Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus, who was the fulfillment of the Old Testament shewbread to physically fulfill the exact truth of what the wheat must go through to become bread for the hungry.

As the shewbread, He reveals Himself to His disciples for the third time in John 21:1-14. Jesus is now the living shewbread. He has been resurrected from the dead and is now placed on the table for the whosoever who will believe in Him to freely partake of His resurrected life.

Acts 1:3: “To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

These Scriptures regarding His resurrection are so important for they validate His resurrection by many eye-witnesses over a forty-day period. The truth is that Jesus Christ is now what He confessed in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

John 6:48: “I am that bread of life.”

John 6:51: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any many eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh (which was ground to fine flour), which I will give for the life of the world.”

Jesus is our daily bread, more important than the best of our natural breads. Let us eat of Him freely.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

God’s great desire is that each one of us have an ever-increasing appetite to turn away from all other tables, enticing though they may be. He wants us to sit down with Him at His royal table and partake of His life-giving food.

Jesus Christ is to us the Tree of Life that was in the Garden of Eden. The devil enticed Adam, through Eve, to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as the world discerns it and that tree brought sin and death. They were driven out of the garden and were not allowed access to the tree of life eternal until the revelation of the atoning blood of Jesus the Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world, was given.

The truth is that Adam and Eve sat down at the wrong table!

We who call ourselves Christians must ask ourselves: “At what table am I sitting?” “On what food am I feasting?” The world has a table that looks so good to our fallen nature. So enticing. So appetizing to the flesh. But we end up having no appetite left for the table responding to the tree of life, Jesus Christ.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples of Jesus went back fishing, speaking of their “old life” and “old table.” However, when Jesus came down to the shore of Galilee to find them, He called out: “Come and dine.” They instinctively knew it was Him (John 21:12). This was the Son of God. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Conqueror of death and hell. This was the one who called them to come and leave their old table and dine with Him.

Where are you dining today?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We note that the Golden Lampstand with its seven candlesticks was positioned directly opposite the Golden Table of Shewbread. This golden ministry of feeding on the Word of God could not be seen or shown forth (shewbread) if the light did not shine on it to reveal it.

God does not want His people to sit in the dark at His golden table. Never. Ever. God desires His Word to be illuminated at all times.

If it were not for this golden table, we would not have specific understanding and revelation of God being the GREAT I AM in the person of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

The following are some of the Scriptures that show forth Jesus, the Son of God, revealed as the I AM of God (the shewbread).

“I AM the LORD that healeth thee” (Exodus 15;26).

“I AM meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

“I AM the bread which came down from heaven” (Join 6:41).

“I AM the bread of life” (John 6:35, 48).

“I AM the living bread” (John 6:51).

“I AM the light of the world” (John 8:12 and 9:5).

“I AM from above . . . I AM not of this world” (John 8:23).

“Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).

“I AM the door of the sheep” (John 10:7, 9).

“I AM the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14).

“I AM the Son of God" (John 10:36).

“I AM the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).

“I AM the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

“I AM the true vine” (John 15:1).

“I AM Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; and 22:13).

“I AM the first and the last” (Revelation 1:7 and 22:13).

“I AM he that liveth, and was dead” (Revelation 1:18).

“I AM alive for evermore” (Revelation 1:18).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The great “I AM THAT I AM” is the name God tells Moses to tell the people of Israel when they ask His name (Exodus 3:13).

Many commentators explain that “I AM THAT I AM” means that . . .

1) He is self-existent. He has His being in Himself and has no dependence on any other. Being self-existent, He cannot but be self-sufficient, and therefore all self-sufficient and the inexhaustible fountain of being and bliss.
2) He is eternal and unchangeable.

The great I AM showed forth His prophetical personage as the eternal sustainer of His priests and people, i.e. the twelve loaves represent the twelve tribes. This bread on the golden table also showed forth the Messiah who would confess:

“I AM the bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:41).

“I AM the bread of life" (John 6:48).

“I AM the living bread” (John 6:51).

One cannot help but notice the three I AMs in these Scriptures.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The table did not just appear. Someone had to take this wood, cut it, and fashion it according to the divine pattern.

As fathers, we must take responsibility to provide a table for our families. This table should not only be a place to hold food for the physical needs of our families, but to also provide a close togetherness to receive God’s Word, the Shewbread, for the spiritual needs of our families.

In our modern society, tables are becoming increasingly obsolete. However, as fathers, we must understand and be wise to the fact that our enemy, Satan, does not want the togetherness of families. He does not want families to sit around the table facing each other (Psalm 128:3). When we face each other, we become more exposed and accountable to each other.

God wants us to use our gathering at the table to be a positive place for blessing each other, sharing our lives with each other, encouraging one another, and lifting each other up.

Satan will do what he can to cause the table experience to be full of arguments, debate, and discord. However, the table should never be a place to hurt each other or display bad attitudes.

As parents, our part in making the table is to MAKE the table a godly experience. We pray and prepare the way for it to happen. We MAKE it a place of joy, happiness, sweet fellowship, and unity. We MAKE it a place of fellowship. We MAKE it a place of peaceful and yet stimulating conversation. The memories of our family meal tables should be positive memories.

This is what it means to make a table of shittim wood, representing the incorrupt nature, not the fallen, corrupt nature.

Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell

Photo: Christo and Linnie Lues sitting around their table with their children * Durbanville, South Africa.

Salvation is all about reestablishing and restoring what Adam and Eve lost by their disobedience in the Garden of Eden.

In Revelation 3:20 Jesus Christ reveals Himself to the Christians of Laodicea as standing at the door of their lives and “knocking” to come in. He wants and waits to have fellowship with us. When we open the door, He immediately responds and says: “I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

We must receive this great truth and get the full revelation. We have been saved by the blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God so we can experience what Jesus promised: “I will sup with him, and he with me.” The word “sup” is “deipneo” and is the same word that is used for the daily evening meal (supper time). It’s the same type as when God came every day in “the cool of the day” and fellowshipped with Adam and eve.

We used to sing a chorus of an old hymn:
Friendship with Jesus!
Fellowship divine!
Oh, what blessed, sweet communion!
Jesus is a Friend of mine.

Fathers, we must do better instructing our children in spiritual matters than Adam and Eve did, or did not do (only God knows).

During our morning family devotions today, we read Proverbs 8:34, 35: “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD.”

It should not be Jesus knocking to come in to our lives, but rather us knocking at Heaven’s door, eager and waiting for fellowship and communion with our most wonderful Heavenly Father.

Romans 10:13: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Before and after the murder of Abel by Cain, God spoke to Cain and gave instructions to drop his anger: “And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.”

Abel’s offering was accepted because it was a blood-atoning offering, but Cain would not humble himself and offer what Abel had done and instead he murdered his brother. He was driven out from the presence of the Lord which was a hard thing for Cain to bear.

We read in Genesis 4:25: “And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.” Eve’s words show that her heart was still soft towards God, but sad to say, there was no mention of Adam’s desire to renew a close communion with God. It was only when Seth’s son, Enos, was born that “then began men to call upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:26). This implies that Enos, the third generation from Adam started a spiritual revival of calling upon the name of the Lord.

This is the point where true repentance brings forth salvation and reestablishes communion and relationship with God. This is what Abel began and for which he was murdered. This is what God had respect for. This is what the patriarchs of Israel did—built altars, offered up the blood of animals, and called upon the name of the Lord.

Cain’s offering exemplified the good works of man for which God had no respect. Abel’s offering got God’s full attention.

This respect had to be something physical, such as fire coming down and consuming the offering, or Cain’s anger would not have been so stirred up against his brother and God. It took another generation to catch the revelation that the blood of the lamb is the only way to establish peace and communion with God.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The life they experienced of unbroken communion with God was immediately severed because God’s holiness could not permit any communion with darkness and sin. Not only did they lose unbroken communion and fellowship with God, but now they could make their own judgment and discern independently of their previous relationship with God as to what was good and evil.

God who made every part of man’s physical body was not embarrassed by Adam and Eve’s nakedness. In their previous relationship they were not even aware they were naked, let alone feel guilty about nakedness. But as soon as they fell, some type of knowledge and discernment entered into them and they became aware that it was a shameful thing to be naked. Nakedness was now to them an evil thing and to be clothed was a good thing. Nakedness now made Adam fear the presence of God (Genesis 3:10).

In Genesis 3:11 God speaks to Adam and Eve: “Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”

However, man’s real nakedness was far greater than his physical nakedness. He was spiritually naked. He was out of touch, fellowship, and communion with God. A sense of shame, fear, and unworthiness replaced their innocence in communing with God.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Sin drove Adam and Eve, not only out of the beautiful paradise, but also out of the sweet communion man was privileged to enjoy with His Creator. How sad it must have been for God the Father. All heaven must have wept. What is the point of a beautiful garden when the ones for whom it was intended fall out of relationship?

The physical Eden is no more. However, the blood of Jesus Christ has provided us a pure, golden table in the midst of our enemies. We can come to this table to eat His bread--His Word, His life, and enjoy His fellowship. When enjoying this experience, it is spiritually possible to have the Garden of Eden restored—described in the words of the hymn:

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The table of shewbread represents fellowship and communion. Exodus 25:23 is the Bible’s first mention of a table on earth. However, because the tabernacle table for the shewbread was a pattern after the heavenly table in the heavenly tabernacle, we know that the table was in heaven and continues in heaven for all eternity.

Jesus referred to His table in heaven when talking to His disciples on earth:

Luke 22:30: “That ye may eat and drink at MY TABLE in my kingdom.”

Matthew 8:11: “And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down (always inferring to eat at the table) with Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.”

In the temple there was more than one table of shewbread.

Tables are not only for eating to satisfy the physical body, but for fellowship together and communion with the Lord. We should use the humble tables in our homes at the end of each meal to open God’s Word and commune with Him.

God’s table in the wilderness was to establish fellowship and communion with His priests. God loves to have fellowship with us who are now His priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:6 and 5:10).

To be continued.

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell

For some time, I have been sharing with you about the Golden Ministry of the Altar of Incense and the Golden Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.

Today we begin a new series, THE GOLDEN TABLE OF SHEWBREAD. I pray you will be blessed and encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Photo: Colin preaching with interpreter in Suwalki, North Poland.

When days are dark and deeply blue
She has her troubles, same as you
Show her that your love is true
Tell her so!

Don’t act as if she’s past her prime
As tho’ to please her were a crime
If ever you loved her, now’s the time—
Tell her so!

She’ll return for each caress
A hundred-fold of tenderness,
Hearts like hers were made to bless;
Tell her so!

You are hers and hers alone;
Well you know she’s all your own;
Don’t wait to carve it on a stone—
Tell her so!

Never let her heart grow cold
Richer beauties will unfold
She is worth her weight in gold
Tell her so!