Chapter Eleven - Joshua 5:10-12

Food for Thought

        In Joshua chapter three, we saw a miracle occur when God stopped the waters of the Jordan River so that the nation of Israel could cross over into the Promised Land. In Joshua chapter four, God told the people to erect a memorial so that in the future, when they saw it, they would be reminded of that miracle. And in the first part of Joshua chapter five, God asked the men of Israel to put themselves in a vulnerable position by circumcising themselves while inside enemy territory.

        Now in Joshua chapter five, something happens that is often overlooked when studying the book of Joshua—but I think it is very important.

Joshua 5:10-12

Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

        The nation of Israel had just entered the Promised Land when God stopped providing the daily bread from Heaven (manna). They began to feed themselves by searching the land, eating from what they had gathered. If we go back to Exodus chapter sixteen, we see that God supplied the food for the nation of Israel during their travels from Egypt to the Promised Land by covering the ground with a strange cake-like substance every morning. When the people woke up, they could gather this “manna” in baskets and have their food for the day.    The interesting thing about this manna is that during most of the week it would only remain edible for a day. If they tried to gather more than they needed for the day, it would rot overnight. But on the day before the Sabbath (the day they were required to rest) the manna would somehow remain edible for two days. God was supplying their needs day by day. But now that they were in the Promised Land, that day-to-day provision of manna stopped.

A Natural Process

        When my wife was pregnant with our son James Jr. (Jamey), he could not in any way take care of himself. All nutrients that aided in his development had to come from his mother until he was born. Soon after birth though, Jamey had to rely on his mother and me to gather his food and put it in his mouth. He did have a small involvement at that time, as he had to do something (suck) to get that food from our hand to his belly.

        After a short time of our routine of presenting his food to his mouth, he learned to grab hold of the food and put it in his mouth on his own. Eventually he was asking for food, looking for certain foods, and feeding himself. Hopefully he will in due time not have to rely on his parents for his sustenance at all, but he will be able to search it out, prepare it, and eat it on his own. Ultimately, he will gain the skill not only to feed himself, but he will also be able to help feed others, perhaps his own offspring (my grandchild!). 

        What we see at work here is a natural process called growth. That is what happened with the children of Israel as they entered the Promised Land, and that is what will naturally happen with us spiritually when we enter our Promised Land, the Spirit-filled life.

        Before we believed, though we didn’t know it, the Holy Spirit was alongside us, drawing us to God and convicting us of our unbelief (John 6:44; 16:8-9). He was, like a mother to her unborn child, feeding us… bringing us, if we allowed Him, to a point of re-birth.

        When we believe in Christ and give our lives to Him, the Holy Spirit comes in and begins to hand-feed us the truth. You now have a role. You’ll have to do something, but He’ll lead you to a church where a pastor or an elder or someone a little more mature in the faith can begin to feed you the “milk” of the Word and teach you about who Jesus is, what He’s done, and how He’s still working. The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians four:

                           

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (vs.11-13).

        There is a need for “feeders” in the body of Christ for those who, in their infancy, need to be hand-fed. But at some point a new believer needs to grow up. (See 1 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 5.) The point at which we begin to move from infancy to adulthood is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit—or the time at which we enter the Spirit-filled life.

        In Proverbs 25:2 we are told: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. For those who desire to grow up in the faith, God has something wonderful for you. As you begin to search out the truth apart from a “feeder,” you will begin to realize there are wonderful secrets in the Word. Although others may have found these secrets as well, they will appear to be written just for you.

Discovering Truth Combos

        I like to make pies, and so a few years ago at Thanksgiving my wife asked if I would make an apple pie for her and her family who were coming over to our place for dinner. I’ve never made an apple pie (my specialty is pecan pie) but I know that cinnamon is an important ingredient for most apple-based, pie-like products. My wife does not like cinnamon, so I began to think of ways that I could make a great-tasting pie without it.

        As I pondered, I recalled that one taste combination I really like is apple and peanut butter… so why not make an apple pie with peanut butter? Though I’m sure I wasn’t the first person in history to think of that, I got very excited about the possibilities. On Thanksgiving morning I made the first-ever (that I know of) Deep Dish Apple Chunk Peanut Butter Pie—and man, it was delicious! The fact that I made that fantastic pie without a recipe book makes me giddy (in the manly man sense).

        Those people who are feeding you… that pastor you are listening to… is only able to bring you to places that they have been and relay to you what they have learned. They are like a recipe book… I’ve made this… it’s good… you try it. That teaching (learning from others) is valid and essential for every Christian to maintain in his or her life.

        But as you begin on your own to seek out truth in the Word, taking one principle and mixing it with another, you will get all giddy when God reveals to you a truth combo that you’ve never heard or read before. Though the truth never changes (apples and peanut butter is a good combo), you’ll now be mixing them up as only you can mix them up, thereby making your own recipes to share with others. You know the old saying, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for life”… When you search out and uncover truth on your own, it won’t, like manna, rot overnight, causing you to have to gather more in the morning; it will sit in you, feed you for days, and motivate you to seek out more truth! 

        How do we do that? How do we begin to feed ourselves? Well, first and foremost, you have to believe that God wants to reveal things to you through His Word. If you don’t believe that fact, your search will end as soon as you go a couple of days of studying where you don’t “feel” God speaking to you. Jesus tells us “seek and you will find.”  Do you believe that? 

        Second, get a Bible and a pen, ask God to guide you, and then start reading. Where? I can’t help you there… I’d just be relaying my experience. But trust that where God brings you is where He wants you. And third, underline, scribble notes in the margin, cross reference, and be prepared for the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth (John 16:13).

Keep a Healthy Diet

        I hope my son doesn’t pick up my eating habits. When I started to feed myself in college, I didn’t pay very close attention to what I was eating. As a result of the habits I formed then, now nearing the 22^nd anniversary of my 18^th birthday, I’m overweight, my body aches, and the doctor tells me I need more fiber in my diet because my blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure are higher than they should be.

        Is there anything wrong with occasionally having a piece of Deep Dish Apple Chunk Peanut Butter Pie? No, but always remember, as it is with food, so it is with studying: Garbage in… garbage out. Man-inspired books in moderation are fine; there are a lot of wonderful Christian authors in this world who can provide an occasional tasty meal. But if you don’t stay connected to the source of truth, God’s Word, you will soon find yourself fat, lazy, and in poor spiritual health.

        God’s Word is so full of truth that you will never be able to squeeze it all out. You’ll find new things in passages you’ve read a thousand times if you keep searching. As you search you will find that something naturally happens… Jesus says in Matthew 12:34 that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. As your heart begins to fill with the truth of the Word of God, you will naturally begin to speak those truths.

        You, who once had to be fed, will now feed, helping the newly born-again begin to grow! It’s a pretty cool cycle…jump aboard!

Jaymo’s Deep Dish Apple Chunk Peanut Butter Pie:

Filling:

3 green Granny Smith Apples

3 red Granny Smith Apples

¾ cup sugar

¾ stick butter

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup peanut butter

In sauce pan on medium low heat, melt butter and add sugar, ginger, and peeled, ½ inch diced apples. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Cool filling to room temp and mix in peanut butter.

Crumble top:

½ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

6 tablespoon butter

Mix flour and sugar. Cut in butter till crumbly.

Crust:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter (cold)

6-8 tablespoon ice cold water

Mix flour, salt, baking powder. Add cold butter until crumbly. Add ice cold water a little at a time until everything is stuck together. Do not over mix!  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in freezer 15 minutes. Roll out into pie shape.

Pour cooled filling into crust, sprinkle on crumble top. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 40 min. Remove foil and bake for 20 min. Let cool and enjoy!