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The overcomer in Pergamos was strengthened by the fact that the God Who could
sustain His children for forty years in the wilderness could once again give all needed
supplies both spiritual and physical, and even though the edict should go forth that none
should be allowed to buy or sell who had not the mark of the beast, even then the Lord
would provide while witness was necessary.
Stored up in the Ark of the Covenant were three precious witnesses of the fullness of
Christ; (1) the unbroken tables of the law, speaking of His perfect obedience, (2) the
rod that budded, speaking of His undying priesthood, and (3) the golden pot that had the
manna, speaking of His faithful provision throughout the whole of life's pilgrimage:--
"Jesus said, `I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he
that believeth on Me shall never thirst'."
"Lord, evermore give us this bread" (John 6: 34, 35).
#52.
That Rock was Christ (Exod. 17: 1-7).
pp. 106 - 108
Leaving the Wilderness of Sin,
and passing Dophkah,
and Alush
(Numb. 33: 12-14), the people, now miraculously fed by manna, come to Rephidim.
"And there was no water for the people to drink" (Exod. 17: 1).
Surely we shall here find a story of faith and patience, of lessons learned, of
experience that led to hope, and hope that made not ashamed! Alas, no! Israel who had
seen the waters of the Red Sea form a wall on either side of them at the command of God,
who had experienced the sweetening of the waters of Marah, who had been led to the
twelve wells at Elim, who had received a daily promise of manna, failed at the first test.
Have not we also failed in similar circumstances? Have there not been occasions in
the past when we have passed through some trial in which after serious misgivings and
unbelief the hand of the Lord has been revealed, and have we not at some later period
been brought face to face with a situation almost identical, and have we not as surely
failed to rise to the test of faith as did Israel of old? The repeated trials of our pilgrimage
are so many indications of failure. Abraham was never tested twice in the matter of the
offering of Isaac, for he responded to the test, but after his sojourn in Egypt we find him
returning to the spot between Bethel and Hai:--
Unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first" (Gen. 12: 8 - 13: 4).
Under the pressure of famine he had failed. The second time however he overcame,
for immediately after his return to Bethel and Hai the conflict arose which resulted in Lot
choosing Sodom, and Abraham receiving confirmation of the promise of the land and the
seed (Gen. 13: 5-18).