The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-07-06
God Feeds Israel in
the Wilderness
Sunday School Lesson for July7. 1897
Specially Prepared for This Paper


nology the crossing of the Red Sea was
about the first OF April, B. c. 1891. Pro-
fessor Beecher regards this early date "a
probably the correct one, near the be-
ginning OF the fifteenth century. b. c.
Many scholars regard the date as about
1900 B. C.. and some as late as 1900 b. G.
There Is great uncertainty as TO the ex-
act time. This lesson belongs about a
month after the last regular lesson.
PLACE-Th0 northern part Of the VIII
derness OF Sin. long plain bordering the
Gulf Of Buez On the east.
Comment and suggestive Thought.
Six hundred thousand men, besides
children and a mixed multitude, had
escaped from Egypt and It's slavery,
crossed the Red sea, and were now be-
ginning their journey TO Palestine. 1t
took them 40 years, although it could
AS easily have been accomplished in
40 weeks.
Three routes we're possible % The
Philistia road, the northern road,
around the Mediterranean. This they
avoided, because 1t would lead them
through the warlike tribe of Palestine.
(2) The way OF shur," directly east
They rejected this, because 1t tray
ersed the worst of the desert. (3l
Therefore they were guided to take
the lower road running southeasterlyi
along the eastern shore OF the Red
sea.
y. in the land Of Egypt" like the firstl
born Of the Egyptians. The contrast
as to fertility between the wilderness
and Egypt was very great. But they
forgot their sufferings from slavery
there, and the wonderful deliverances
from God. They did not appreciated
their freedom. their spiritual trainingl
and privileges, and all that would lead
to higher life.
Note % that they might have been
sure that God would provide them
with food. Would he have done such
wonders on the field Of Zoan and at
the Red sea, II he meant them to die
in the wilderness? They only needed
10 lock up to God and on what he had
done to strengthen their faith. They
were like Christian In Doubling Cas-
tie, who forgot that he had in his
bosom the key Of deliverance.
"A friend Of mine was once wander
ing In thick fog. He could not SEQ
"a step behind or before, and his soul
was filled with gloomy thoughts. OF
a sudden he looked upward. and lol
the sky was visible, full of stars. He
was walking through thick fog that
reached only a few feet above his
head. So in all our troubles; we have
only to look up, aud we can sea Gods
kindness through them. Amos r.
Wells.
Note (2) God was only waiting till
they had learned their lesson Of faith.
They put material comfort before spir-
ituaI life. Gods way was to have
them seek first the character which
would prepare them for their Promised
Land.
v. ~. "At even We shall eat flesh,
the flesh Of ". 13) .quails which came
up" from the Arabian gulf of the Red
sea. across which they fly in the
spring in great numbers. and are
often so fatigued after their passage,
and ny so low, as to become an easy
prey wherever they alight. Bush. Il |
have myself found the ground in Al |
geria, In the month of April, covered |
with quails for an extent Of many |
acres at daybreak, where on the pre- /
ceding afternoon there had not been
ioRe. "-Tristram. The quails. as np-
pears by the subsequent narrative,
we're supplied, not regularly, but only
on rare occasions; In fact ESQ far as
appears), only here in the wilderness
OF Sin, and at Kibroth- Hattaavah, in
the wilderness Of Paran (Num. 1881
SAY.
The gift of the quails came through
natural means, like most of their food
and ours All our daily food is the gift
of God, however much we may work
for 1t ourselves. It forever points US
to God and claims our thanks.
This kind Of miracle, we believe, our
Father is constantly working for his
children. God has made nature like
a vast machine, and gone away and
left it. He lives in all his works.
the sun, rain, wind, the very birds Of
the air. and continually uses nature
to bless those who honor him.
V. Is. "They said one to another,
What is it?" r. V. Mamma is said
to owe it's name to this question, Man
hu?' What is t?'"-Prof. McAlister.
m Hastings Bible Dictionary.
What was the mama? 1t was ".
Si) like eoriander seed. white; and
the taste OF it was like waters made
with honey" "The taste Of it (Num.
11:S) was as the taste OF fresh oil" It
was ground in mills, beaten in NOR
tars, seethed in pots. and used to make
cakes. 1t fell with the dew. In Psa.
1871 25 1t is called the corn OF
heaven" 'the bread of the mighty"
and It sustained the Israelites through
much toll, but it did not pamper their
senses.
Symbol Of the True Bread Of Heaven.
Il is impossible now to read this
narrative without connecting 1t with
the savfour's discourse to the ,INwa