Thursday: The Bread and Water of Life
Daily Lesson for Thursday 14th of August 2025
Read 1 Corinthians 10:11. What reason does Paul give for these events to have been recorded?
Paul explains that all the things that happened to the Israelites are examples and warnings for Christ’s followers and will help them avoid the same troubles; that is, they will learn from these examples.
“Come Unto Me” Image ©Lars Justinen by Lars Justinen of GoodSalt.com
This is pertinent instruction for us, we who live at “the end of the ages” (ESV). God gives His people the Holy Spirit to strengthen the believers with “power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV) so they can make correct decisions and follow His teaching. Jesus Christ is the Source of new life (John 14:6), and only He can turn us into “a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. . . . Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2, ESV).
Later on, in His ministry, Jesus picked up lessons from these Old Testament accounts, particularly with the manna and the water, using those images to teach truths about Himself, the One who led the Israelites through the wilderness.
Read John 4:7-15 and John 6:31-51. What truths are revealed here for us as Christians?
The Samaritan woman discovered that Christ offers something that she would not get anywhere else. The inner thirst for peace, joy, and happiness comes from God, and thus only God can satisfy it (Psalms 42:1-2).
Later, in the context of the manna, Jesus explained that it was God, not Moses, who provided it for the people. Then Jesus declared: “ ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger’ ” (John 6:35, ESV). Jesus repeated two times that He is the Bread of Life (John 6:35,41,48).
As the manna in the wilderness was “bread from heaven” (John 6:31-32), so the water from the rock was Christ’s gift to satisfy their thirst. Besides these physical aspects, bread and water also had spiritual significance, for Jesus Christ is “the bread of life” (John 6:35,48) and “the living water” (John 4:10-11,14; John 7:37-38). Only in Him, then, can our spiritual thirst and hunger truly be satisfied.
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"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Cor.10:11, NKJV).
Who was Paul talking to whose ends of the ages have come? Why are these people given a warning? Which examples are these that were written as a warning?
Paul was talking to a congregation at Corinth (both Jews and Gentiles) who were rich but morally corrupt. Paul’s mind flew to the history of the Israelites in the wilderness, how they disobey God in spite of the many signs and wonders shown to them. Paul recalls how rebellious and disobedient these people were, and he tells them that they risk the same consequences. By extension, Paul is talking to us to reflect on whether we are in the same danger. This generation, our generation, is more closer to the final judgment than any other generation before. Therefore, we must seriously take heed from the historical mistakes of the Israelites, or else we fall into the same danger. Which examples (dangers) was Paul referring to? The Israelites committed the following acts (sins): idolatry, sexual immorality, rebellion, grumbling, and disobedience. These are timeless dangers.
We are the people “upon whom the ends of the ages have come”. Paul is not trying to scare us, but he is telling us to be vigilant.
“Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).
Our deep hunger for bread and thirst for water are not mere accidents but God designed us that way. His call to action is to approach the table and the fountain, where Christ is the Bread of life from heaven and a fountain of Living Water. The Lord desires to meet our wilderness needs and lead us home where we will hunger and thirst no more (Revelation 7:16–17)
C. S. Lewis wrote, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” Just as God gave Israel manna from heaven and water from the rock in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4; 17:6), Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life… whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35), offering Himself as the true sustenance for our souls.
I think most of us are acutely aware that our lesson study on the book of Exodus has coincided with the most intense conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians that we have witnessed in recent years. Very briefly, there is considerable influential support for Israel's position by Christian Zionists in the evangelical churches worldwide, but particularly in the United States of America. While there are variations on the theme, the basic idea is that the nation of Israel is going to be reestablished in Palestine and the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem before the second coming. It is often part of the dispensationalist interpretation of history. Given the events that have occurred since 1948, when the modern state of Israel was established, one can see the appeal of this doctrine to many Christians. The establishment of the state of Israel is seen as a miracle and provides tangible evidence that they are on the right track.
The issue that is pertinent to our study this week is that we see the Exodus Hebrews being supported by God through several significant miraculous interventions. Their bread and water were provided, they were protected from their enemies, and later on God spoke to them from a mountain top, giving them a code of moral behaviour. They were privileged, but that privilege came with responsibility, not a universal guarantee that a piece of real estate was theirs for all eternity.
We need to be very careful we Seventh-day Adventists do not fall into the same trap. We like to think that we have fulfilled a prophetic destiny, arriving on the scene at the right time, guided by supernatural revelations through the ministry of a prophet, and having the "right" interpretation of prophecy. But salvation is not about getting prophecy and politics right. It's about a relationship with Jesus and sharing the relationship with others.
We should ask ourselves whether we are still looking for miracles like the supply of bread and water, or are we part of the miracle of sharing?
I want to be the boy that gave up his lunch, which then became the world's largest happy meal.
There is an interesting parallel between Jethro’s response to an act from God (Wednesday’s lesson), the woman of Samaria (water), and the those speaking to Jesus (bread). Effectively, there are two perspectives, or “movies” playing at the same time and if we look carefully, we can see them both because of the advantage we have of time and further revelation.
Jethro believed that the LORD was “greater than all the gods” (Exodus 18:11) because of a display of strength. The Samaritan woman wanted the water because it would save her having to repeatedly go to the well (John 4:15), and those in John 6 sought Jesus “because [they] ate of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26).
The default “movie” we all watch is the one that relates specifically to the kingdom of self. The real movie is the one God wants us to watch which involves principles of His kingdom that reveal His character and government.
In each case, God started where the participants were and provided the opportunity to consider the possibility that there was another “movie” playing.
One of the most significant revelations I find in the story of Jethro wasn’t his proclamation that “the LORD is greater than all gods”. That simply reflected the movie he was watching. The more profound truth is that God didn't require him to deny the existence of the "other gods" as a prerequisite for revelation. God met him where he was and gave him the chance to change “screens” enabling further revelation and growth.
We, too, must be at least as willing when dealing with those we perceive as watching another movie.