Preparing for a period of praying for the nation and the approaching elections. Exploring the connection between the Exodus story and Jesus’ teaching about His body and blood.

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Part 1: Pray for our society (1 Timothy 2.1-8).

I. The pastoral epistles: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.

A.    Not instructions to pastors necessarily but Paul “pastoring” his students.

B.    Timothy may have replaced John-Mark after he left the missionary journey.

II. These verses communicate certain values of the church.

A.    A brief discussion of culture.

B.    A culture of prayer (v. 1).

C.    A culture of responsibility for the welfare of social structures (v. 2).

D.    A culture of concern for the lost (v. 4).

E.     A culture of peace, avoiding wrath and dissention (v. 8).

F.     A posture of prayer and worship-the lifting of hands (v. 8).

III. We are entering into a period of prayer for the nation next week.

Part 2: Exodus 16 – What we need versus what we want.

I. Review of prophetic events. Cocoons in history.

A.    Jesus announces that he is the fulfillment of the manna of Exodus.

1.     He is the bread of heaven.

2.     His flesh is true food.

(a)  Nourishing for the giving of life.

(b)  The imagery of eating his flesh would have been shocking.

B.    Jesus adds drink to the imagery of food. What does that fulfill?

1.     The imagery would have been very revolting to his hearers.

(a)  Jesus would not have used the imagery carelessly.

(b)  God had expressly forbidden the consumption of blood.

(c)  Blood is reserved for atonement alone (Leviticus 17.11).

2.     Rejection of all other blood makes Jesus’ statement significant in that His blood then becomes identified as the ONLY blood that is fit for human consumption.

(a)  It is unique in its acceptability.

(b)  It is made acceptable by God.

(c)  Christ the ultimate sacrifice causes blood to impart life, not merely atone.

3.     His blood is true drink suggests that the metaphor also has an antecedent.

(a)  The waters of Marah are unfit for human consumption.

(b)  They are made fit by Moses obedience.

(c)  The tree becomes the means for cleansing the water.

(d)  The cross makes blood acceptable.

C.    Life images.

1.     Life in the blood even from the days of Noah (Genesis 9.4).

2.     Water of life

D. Water and blood are metaphors for life.