We are like travelers going through this world on our way to our heavenly home. This journey is sometimes hard because this world is like a wilderness or desert, but we don’t need to be discouraged because there are awesome spiritual resources to get us through safely.
Our journey in some ways is similar to the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness into the Promised Land.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”
God gave the children of Israel powerful baptisms, manna, a rock, and water to get them through the wilderness.
The Israelites were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the Red Sea. These two baptisms represent the Christian baptisms in water and in the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:2).
The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years. At the Red Sea, they were freed from slavery, and their enemies were destroyed. It’s similar for us. There was a time in our lives when we were slaves to sin and to Satan’s kingdom, but when we believed the gospel, God set us free, and we were born again. Then we were baptized in water, which was similar to crossing the Red Sea.
The Israelites were also baptized in the cloud. This cloud is the presence of God. It gave the Israelites direction (Ex. 13:21-22). It also gave them protection from their enemies (Ex. 14:24). For us, this cloud symbolizes baptism in the Holy Spirit. After being baptized in the Holy Spirit, God’s presence becomes fuller and more real to us. We begin hearing God’s voice more clearly. We understand his word better and can witness for him more effectively.
Baptism in water and baptism in the Holy Spirit are necessary so we can grow into spiritual maturity.
Manna was another resource. Manna was supernatural food. It was small, lying on the ground, and each person had to gather it each day (Ex. 16:4, Num. 11:7-9). Manna is called “angels’ food” (Ps. 78:25). It is “bread from heaven” (John 6:31). Manna gave the Israelites the strength they needed for each day.
God has a word for us in due season to strengthen us just like the Israelites had manna. He has fresh revelation to encourage us. We might get these words through the Bible, through prayer, or through fellowship with other believers. We need this word. We will not live by bread alone, but by the word of God. The provision of the world will leave us dry and dead. Only God’s word can give us life. We need to gather this word daily for ourselves so we can be strong spiritually.
Another spiritual resource for the Israelites was a spiritual rock that went with them to give them spiritual drink. This rock was Christ. Christ went with the Israelites through the wilderness to give them water. They were hundreds of thousands of people and many animals. They needed a lot of water to survive. Christ gave them all the water they needed. They had water in the middle of a dry and hot desert. Other nations had no water there, and if they tried to take this journey they would have died. But the Israelites had a miraculous supply of water.
Water symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Jesus called the Holy Spirit “living water” (John 7:38-39). He said that if we drink of the Holy Spirit we would never be thirsty but would have a fountain of water inside of us (John 4:13-14). God said that he would pour out water upon us in the wilderness (Isa. 41:17-18). This means that in the difficult and dry parts of our lives, God will pour out his Spirit upon us and bring life out of death. God said that if we are thirsty, we can come to him and drink, and that he will satisfy us (Isa. 55:1-2). Everything else will leave us empty, but God will fill us. Whatever we are going through in our journey, Christ is with us. He said he would never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5-6).
Christ is a Rock. He is our rock of safety. He is our rock of defense. He is our shelter in the storm and a covering from the heat. Our rock gives us strength and guides us (Ps. 18:31-32). Our rock delivers us from our enemies (Ps. 18:46-47). Our rock defends us and is a refuge for us (Ps. 62:6-7).
We are a holy nation. We have resources that other people don’t have. We might do things that don’t make sense to other people. This is because we are trusting in God. We don’t need to look to the world for provision or help, we need to look to God. He will help us supernaturally because we are his children. The experiences of water baptism and Spirit baptism, the daily supply of the word of God and the Holy Spirit, and the presence of Christ our Rock, are ample provision for us to overcome the spiritual challenges of our journey. No matter what we are facing now or will face in the future, we will be well-equipped to get through it all because of these amazing heavenly resources.
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