See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Exodus 16:29.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלוהים) says:
Every good thing given and every perfect gift comes down to you from Me. I made everything for you. I richly supply you with all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17, I am not a God of lack but of abundance, super overflowing abundance. Everything I make I make beyond human understanding in quantity, quality, and intricacy of design. No two things are ever exactly the same. Just look at flowers, stars, planets, animals, and people. For instance, when I made the stars, I made so many that men cannot even count them by high powered machines. There are too many. And yet I know them all and call each one by name.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their sorrows. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord (Adonai) and abundant in strength; His understanding is innumerable. Psalm 147:3-5.
And the only reason I made them was to shed light on the earth!
Then God said, “Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for appointed times and for days and years; and let them be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Genesis 1:14-15..
Yesterday we began looking at the double portion. If you recall, there are four contexts of the double portion:
- The double portion of the firstborn (inherited by birthright) (once at birth physically and once at birth when born again spiritually from above).
- The double portion of the Shabbat (initially received by Covenant, every week the seventh day).
- The double portion of the Sabbatical Year (also received by Covenant).
- The double double of the Jubilee year (the glorious freedom of the children of God, also received by Covenant).
Yesterday we were looking at the double portion blessing of the firstborn, but before we move on the double portion of the Shabbat, I would like to speak more about the firstborn blessing, which is a birthright of inheritance, but can be lost and another gain it, for, ultimately, I am speaking of your name being in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal gathering, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. Hebrews 12:22-24.
Yesterday, I finished the Life Lesson speaking of Reuben and how through indulging in a sexual immorality that dishonored his father, he disqualified himself and lost the firstborn blessing to his brother Joseph. And the way Joseph got the double portion was that instead of one allotment of land when Joshua divided up the Promised Land by lot among the descendants of the sons of Jacob (Israel), the descendants of his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, each received an allotment of land. This was done because the Levites had no allotment as such, for I was their portion and they were My portion in place of all the firstborns from the other tribes. Thus, there were twelve allotments and the house of Joseph got two of them.
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.” Genesis 48:21-22.
But the story of the firstborn does not stop there. Manasseh was Joseph’s firstborn but when Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph, he gave Ephraim the firstborn blessing and not Manasseh. Thus reversing the birth order by putting Ephraim before Manasseh.
When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a fullness of nations.” Genesis 48:17-19.
But it did not stay with Ephraim. The descendants of Ephraim ultimately lost it and it returned to Joseph.
Why? The tribe of Ephraim led the ten northern tribes in a successful revolt against the south after the death of Solomon and established the Kingdom of Israel, with Jeroboam I, an Ephraimite, as king. It was thus the descendants of Ephraim that led the apostasy of the nation of Israel when it separated from Judah at the death of King Solomon. Ahab, who married Jezebel, and did such evil in My sight, was also an Ephraimite.
And the tribe that also established a place of worship for idols that kept the people from journeying to My house in Jerusalem to sacrifice was that of Dan.
Now I want you to consider the 144,000 saved from the tribes of Israel in the tribulation period before I make new heavens and a new earth:
And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. Revelation 7:4-8.
Read that rollcall again and you will find the tribes of Ephraim and Dan are missing. There is a point where you have gone to far from the center of the continuum and you end in the outer darkness. A place of no repentance where you have gone too far to return. They never returned to My Son and led many others with them. They were finally carried off their land as prisoners by the Assyrians. To this day their tribes are lost.
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6.
Be careful how you live, not as foolish men but as wise, recognizing the signs of the times and seeking to walk in the light of life, the light of My love.
Now, that said, let us move on to better things, things which I am certain you will press in to receive the double portion blessing of the Shabbat. It is yours in Jesus, as is also the double portion blessing of the firstborn.
But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His Name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” Hebrews 6:9-14.
I look ahead and provide. That was the Covenant Name that Abraham first introduced on Mt. Moriah. The LORD who sees ahead and provides. And I do.
When I redeemed My people from the slavery in Egypt and led them out of that place of captivity to enter into the freedom and abundance of the land I had promised Abraham to give to his descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey, I took care of all their needs as I led them on a path of sanctification. I called them out of darkness into My own marvelous light, to be My royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart.
See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?’ Deuteronomy 4:5-8.
When you seek My Kingdom first and My righteousness, everything else is added to you besides. You do not need to worry about what you will eat, or drink, or use for clothing, I know you need all those things and when you seek Me, I reward you with all you need for life and godliness. I show you My Yeshuah. Jesus.
I proved this in the wilderness on the way to Zion. I provided bread from Heaven, coming down on the dewfall for forty years without fail. I provided quail that I blew into the camp and dropped dead around the camp ready for cooking. I made water gush out of rocks, enough to give drink to over two million people and their livestock as well. And their clothes and shoes did not wear out and their feet were never even swollen for forty years in the wilderness.
The Manna was not of earth. It was a heavenly substance that has never been replicated on earth again. But hidden in the Manna was the secret to supply. For Jesus is the true bread from Heaven for a man to eat and never die and in Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In the Manna, in this miracle for forty years, lies the teaching of provision, prosperity, and healthy life. If you are willing and obey, there were very particular rules for gathering the Manna, you will eat the best of the land. Eat what I give you, and what do I give you? The Word. Remember, Jesus told you that man does not live on physical bread alone but every Word that proceeds from My mouth.
In the desert on the way to the Promised Land, I gave them My Word, the Manna, the water from the rock, the five sacrifices and offerings of the tabernacle of Moses, and My Spirit upon them though not in them as yet. But now the Spirit is in you who are born again by receiving Jesus as Lord.
“A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD. “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.” Isaiah 59:20-21.
Jesus is your Sabbath rest for in Him you are complete. Jesus sanctifies you for I have sealed you who believe in Him by the Holy Spirit and made Him to be wisdom unto you, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
To be in the rest I know that you need supply so when I gave the Israelites an appointed time of sanctifying rest I would supply a double portion ahead of that day so that they could carry out My command without lack.
I will supply all your needs according to My riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Do you know the first time that My glory appeared before men? It was when I gave the Israelites the promise of the manna and the next morning it fell on the dewfall.
The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 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.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and what are we, that you grumble against us?” Exodus 16:2-7.
The manna showed My glory. My goodness, My provision, My power. And it gave the double portion. I taught them by the manna that even in the desert where there was nothing they could do to earn money for buying food that I supplied it.
He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ Deuteronomy 8:15-17.
I love you. I am your source of supply for I am your reason to be and your eternity.