To begin this new blog I’d like to start unraveling a mystery with numerous revelatory layers. What is this strange metaphor that literally happened in real time as the children of Israel made their sojourn from being bond slaves in Egypt into becoming a free people in the Promised Land?
What actually sustained the Hebrew nation during their 40 year long trek through the wilderness?
A fresh supply of dew and manna was provided every day to supernaturally nourish them as they wandered across that dusty and dangerous desert terrain toward Canaan.
More significantly, why are these Old Testament elements relevant to New Covenant believers in this day and age? What exactly do they signify?
I pray the Spirit of God will open this up to you!
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea ; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ . . .11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. (Numbers 11:9)
Dew = the tangible presence of God that comes upon us (from the Christ within). As we are immersed in His presence internally it overflows externally. I sometimes call this the "present glory" moving of the Holy Spirit upon humanity. His manifest gloryactivates people into a fresh and abiding union with Himself that eliminates carnal thinking and empowers us do (DEW) the Word!
What does the dew of His Spirit actually uhhh DO..? For one, it removes carnal/natural thinking and brings a fresh perspective. It releases supernatural might and sudden ability to do the impossible! The carnal mind is basically the same as the "beast of 666” (the number of carnal minded man without God, according to Revelation 13) that puts us at "enmity" with Him. Paul said in Romans that "to be spiritually minded is life & peace." So, in reciprocal to be carnally minded is death (failure) and anxiety (strife). All emotional disturbances, psychological problems and psychiatric issues can be traced back to the neuroses, confusion and depravity of the carnal mind (aka the "devil's playground.")
Dew is translated in the Hebrew language as a "night mist" that descends on the earth. We are so fortunate God meets us right where we are at, no matter how dark it seems at the time! The dew is falling whether we see any obvious evidence of it or not.
I can do all things through Christ (the anointed One and His anointing) which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13)
Definition (in Strong’s Concordance): The word “strengtheneth” in the Greek is transliterated endunamoo.
“To be strong, endue with strength, strengthen, to receive strength, be strengthened, increase in strength.”
A key word for power throughtout the new testament is DUNAMIS from which this word strengthen is derived.
We must get en-DEW-na-mized… with HIGHER POWER, endued from on-HIGH by the very dew of Heaven! His presence is normally felt (or sensed) before actual understanding comes.
The people of Israel called the food manna. It was like a small white seed, and tasted like thin cakes made with honey. (Exodus 16:31 Good News Translation)
Manna = A right now Word from God! It comes in seed from and is sweet like honey to our spiritual taste. This is what the New Testament calls "present truth." The apostle Peter said we are being "established in the present truth" to experience an "abundant
entrance into the everlasting Kingdom" right here and now! The Kingdom (according to Romans 14:17) is comprised of: "RIGHTEOUSNESS (right standing with God, right thinking), PEACE (rest and tranquility, the actual elimination of stress) and JOY (bliss, God's very own strength) IN the Holy Spirit"! In this same passage Paul said the Kingdom is “not meat and drink” yet we must still partake of this mysterious beverage & food that falls from Heaven, or the spirit realm.
Understanding comes to us whenever we consume a fresh supply of the manna His Spirit sets before us on a daily basis! Did you ever notice how powerful it can be to sleep on a problem? Oftentimes as we slumber God actively brings the dew of His presence and manna of understanding upon our lives with precise answers (or helpful hints) to challenges we might be facing in life’s circumstances. This provision of presence and insight awaits us every morning like a divine blessing. The presence makes us feel better and the truth makes us think better. Sometimes the manna lands in the form of a dream and interpretation or there is just a whisper of understanding from His "still small voice," an instruction from the mind of Christ. As Isaiah once said our thoughts are not His thoughts… UNTIL his HIGHER thoughts invade our thinking. This is how we ascend from the lowlands of the carnal mind. This manna from His mind arrives to us special delivery -- the very food of angels and bread of life from Heaven. A brand new clarity is the result.
You have heard of it. Oprah calls it her “Aha! moment.” In my counseling practice I have discovered there is no forward movement for a person until there is an epiphany of some sorts. In the world of recovery it is called a moment of clarity.” The New Testament calls it revelation. This is when truth is unveiled to us. Jesus told Peter “upon this rock (revelation that Jesus is the Christ) I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” When that inner light bulb turns on the darkness has to go, simple as that.
As Jesus said in His 40 day wilderness temptation, man is sustained and "lives by every word that proceeds from God's mouth!" This is what is meant in the scripture "the just shall live by faith" as faith is energized in our present tense hearing of God's Word in the moment. This often occurs in our spirits as we awake in the morning IF we take the time to listen. A sense of refreshing and new light arrives, like the dawn from our spirit being, and brings an end to what the old mystics described as "the dark night of the soul." Like it says in Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”!
The Hidden Manna for Overcomers
The word manna translated literally means "what is it"? It asks the question of God, what are YOU saying and doing in my midst this day, Lord? What is it that you want me to know today? What would you like me to do? As we ‘pick’ the divine brain (if you will?), or mind of the Spirit -- and inquire of Him -- a spirit of revelation flashes with answers to life's concerns. We literally handle the living Word of God Himself, special ordered and freshly baked, and partake of a slice from the Wonder Bread of Heaven.
Numbers 11:9
And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
This mysterious metaphor of dew and manna reveals how we are sustained and empowered for life's journey... Whether we find ourselves wandering in the wilderness of the soulish realm (the unregenerate mind, will and emotions) . . . or whether we have crossed over and are now eating the "hidden manna" of the spirit, reserved for the "hidden man of the heart," which John the Revelator wrote is supplied to "overcomers" only! The dew and manna is our divine sustenance for the journey.
Revelation 2:17a
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna..."
"let him HEAR"
In the original Greek language:
akouō
Definition: To be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf. To hear. To attend to, consider what is or has been said. To understand, perceive the sense of what is said. To hear something. To perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence. A thing comes to one's ears, to find out, learn. To give ear to a teaching, or a teacher. To comprehend, to understand.
"hidden"
Greek: kryptō
1) To hide, conceal, to be hid
2) Escape notice
3) Metaphorically to conceal (that it may not become known)
We get our English word cryptic from this same Greek root word for “hidden” in Revelation 2. What is strange and cryptic to the naturally minded person is beautifully unveiled to the spiritually minded individual. Paul taught that the natural mind CANNOT perceive the things of the Spirit! This should encourage us to renew our thinking and be transformed from an earthbound - creeping caterpillar – type mentality.... into beautiful butterflies that can soar and flutter around in the garden of God's heart and mind!
"manna"
manna = "what is it"?
1) The food that nourished the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness
2) Of the manna was kept in the ark of the covenant (in the Holy of Holies, see Hebrews 9:4 to go deeper!)
3) Symbolically, that which is kept in the heavenly temple for the food of angels and the blessed.
The dew and manna fell simultaneously . . . right on top of each another. Jesus said that His words are "spirit and life." So the living word IS spirit...these 2 work together in tandem. Perception is immediate if we continually attend to His Spirit and Word.
Proverbs 1:23
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
The outpouring of this mysterious dew/Spirit is how He makes His words known! The Spirit of revelation Himself reveals the Word. The sword of the spirit IS the Word of God (as Paul taught). It cuts away carnal thinking and defeats the lies of the enemy. The bible is dead letter and very dry until the Spirit breathes life upon it. The dew moistens the soil of the heart and makes it soft enough that God can plant seed thoughts to transform our minds and lives. A tasty wafer from heaven lands right ON the dew.
Maybe you've heard it said: "Too much SPIRIT and you blow up! Too much WORD and you dry up." A balanced meal of both the written word and quickening of God’s Spirit is how we grow in grace and understanding in a healthy way. You may have noticed that charismatics (“charismaniacs”?!) can get a little wacky and spooky. While evangelicals (your conservative fundamentalists) often present as a bit tight and dull. Or, as Ken Kesey once put it: “The fundamentalists have taken the FUN out of the mental.” I love that. Kesey knew that God is fun (Before anyone gets worked up, the late great novelist and Merry Prankster often described himself as a “God fearing Baptist”).
The dew and manna are the fountainhead or source of our daily worship.
As Jesus taught in John 4:23-24:
But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit (dew) and in truth (manna).
Notice the order. The Holy Spirit comes to us first and then the truth of the Word.
Jesus also advised:
John 16:13
(NAS) "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
(MSG) But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth
there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said.
Let me give a quick example of how the dew and manna is currently falling. The Spirit of God has been bringing fresh revelation about His grace lately. Although the enemy follows right behind with a spirit of error (as he always does) planting counterfeit weeds of deception and division there is a genuine critical mass movement of present truth transpiring right now. Truth is restored in spiritual seasons and this current manna is delivering the body from the dead works of RELIGION into the abundant grace of RELATIONSHIP. Fresh understanding of what Jesus accomplished at Calvary is enabling us to move from legalism and a performance mentality into tremendous liberty and grace. The bliss of the gospel is displacing a religious spirit among those with “ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.” His “word of grace” is enabling us to inherit!
Acts 20:32 (KJV)
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
The Greek word “is able” is dynamai (G1410) which also comes from the DUNAMIS word family. Our dynamic enabler, Holy Spirit, is empowering His body with fresh revelation about His amazing grace in this hour. Religion is being “dynamited” out of there, so we can rest without self-effort in HIM and inherit all the blessings and really start doing the “greater works” Jesus promised we would do!
Other translations of Acts 20:32
(AMP) And now [brethren], I commit you to God [I deposit you in His charge, entrusting you to His protection and care]. And I commend you to the Word of His grace [to the commands and counsels and promises of His unmerited favor]. It is able to build you up and to give you [your rightful] inheritance among all God’s set-apart ones (those consecrated, purified, and transformed of soul).
(MSG) "Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.
(NLT) "And now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace -- his message that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.
To move away from the darkness of the world system (Egypt) toward our inheritance of light IN Christ (Canaan) we have this supernatural provision of dew & manna (Spirit & Word) making us mobile and supplying the direction that will bring us into FULNESS. A manifestation of maximized grace awaits us! We are being endued with His strength to inherit all the promises! We simply follow the Spirit of Truth and He brings it to pass with all His wonder working power!
The Bride & the Son
There is much more to roll out on this subject. For instance, the dew produces bridal intimacy and the manna deposits increased measures of sonship authority. The silence of the lamb in the quiet of morning is broken by the roar of the lion at noonday! The Spirit woos us inward in quietness until a mighty Word erupts through us outwardly to the world… We come to Him in stillness until the next thing you know we are shouting the good news from the rooftops!
The pure dew of divine Love shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Spirit is detonated and explodes into a clear word filled with light and power! As I mentioned, the dew softens the soil of the heart making us pliable and tender. A spirit of meekness is being cultivated until we submit fully and humble ourselves before God. Peter wrote that in “due season” God's grace will exalt the humble. The dew is what generates our due season! Suddenly an overcoming revelation from the manna imparts a fresh boldness to declare the oracles of God!
The dew falls as we minister to God as priests as we eat today’s manna and hear from Heaven. Proverbs says: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” When the light of revelation arises from the hidden manna we transform into royals who can reign in the earth from a heavenly standpoint. This is when it is hard to keep a secret. The bride gives birth to the manchild (a company of mature sons both male & female, reference Revelation 12, more on that later). The dew of our communal bridehood enables us to eat the hidden manna of sonship as joint heirs of the Father. Said another way, intimacy in the secret place reproduces kingly authority in the public square! We can’t contain these mysteries forever.
This morning dew can be found in old and new songs alike.
Hymn writer Austin Miles discovered this realm:
“ . . 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...
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..”
Can you hear him extolling the joy of this intimate relationship? C. Austin Miles (1868-1946) is described as a pharmacist turned hymn writer and church music director. He was also an amateur photographer. One day in March, 1912, while in his dark room waiting for film to develop, Miles had a profound spiritual experience in which he saw an incredible vision of Mary Magdalene visiting the empty tomb. He saw her leave the tomb and walk into a garden where she met the Master and heard Him speak her name. When Miles came to himself his nerves were vibrating and his muscles tense; the words to a new song were filling his mind and heart. He quickly wrote out the lyrics to In The Garden and later that evening composed the musical score. The song was published that same year and became a theme song of the Billy Sunday evangelistic crusades.
Allusions to this illusive DEW abound throughout popular literature and song. For example, Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter appears to have discovered this same realm in a song he composed with Jerry Garcia, titled Franklin’s Tower:
“ . . . Roll away... the dew . . . Roll away... the dew . . .
God help the child who rings that bell
It may have one good ring left, you can't tell
One watch by night, one watch by day
If you get confused just listen to the music play!
You’ve got to roll away... the dew . . . Roll away... the dew . . .”
Hunter does not like to give away much about meaning in his songwriting, preferring to leave it open ended for listeners to draw their own subjective conclusions. However, the poet broke his own rule in 1996, and wrote the following about this particular refrain in the joyous Franklin’s Tower:
“Now to the real stretch: "Roll away the dew." The line is appropriated from a fairly well known sea chantey whose chorus goes: "Roll away the morning dew and sweet the winds shall blow." With the song's sub-allusion to "Roll away the Stone," an anthem of joyous Eastertide resurrection, a resultant combination message of dire necessity (as in the final: “you've got to roll away the dew”) and promise of renewal, in case resolution is effected, are enjoined. Should this hyper-allusive train of thought become too confusing to process, the invitation to “just listen to the music play" acknowledges both the melody and performance context of the lyric and the metaphoric bell described above…” – end quote.
Well, this dew sure seems to get around. . . from old time hymns to rock and roll. God seems to show up in what is
considered both sacred and secular. You might recall, the prophet Joel and apostle Peter both prophesied the Holy Spirit will be poured out on ALL flesh (humanity) not just a few churchgoers.
And the sweet dew continues to fall.
These are just some of the mysterious operations of God’s Spirit and Word in our day to day lives. Receive your daily download of the morning dew and hidden manna my friends.
It is DUE season for the DEW of heaven to permeate all we DO in the earth!
(This fresh manna series - to be continued!)
“From the DEW of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine.." ~ Genesis 27:28 (NLT)
| I’d also like to share a DIVINE VALENTINE (video) excerpt from a book I co-authored: So You Want to Change the World? The Power of Expectation! with Doug Alexander published by Destiny Image (and 11 other Destiny Image authors including the 1st chapter written by the founder of Destiny Image: Don Nori Sr.) Doug shares an excerpt here from his in-depth look at Psalm 45 in Chapter 9 titled: “Intimate Ecstasies” - all about the romance between The Creator and creation. You are ALREADY accepted in the beloved… Learn how to BE-LOVED and thus love others as Perfect Love Himself comes to live His Life in and through you!! |
Morning Dew into Playin' In the Band (Furthur @ Red Rocks on 9.22.12) | |