“Flesh Pots: The Idol of Lust“

This is a liturgical message delivered on the 2nd week of the Lunar Month of Zif which directs our minds towards the consideration of the content of Exodus chapter 16.

In this message we will give consideration to the subject of the first sins in the wilderness, that of covetous idolatry, and look at how this lesson teaches us about the congregation and church and its invisible and visible nature.

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Delivered on 2-15-2022 / grego. 6-14-2022

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Compiled by JS LOWTHER
renewedcovenantministry.com
servant@renewedcovenantministry.com

Flesh Pots: The Idol of Lust

Exo_16:1  And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
Exo 16:2  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
Exo 16:3  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Exo 16:4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Exo 16:5  And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
Exo 16:6  And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
Exo 16:7  And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
Exo 16:8  And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
Exo 16:9  And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
Exo 16:10  And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
Exo 16:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 16:12  I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
Exo 16:13  And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
Exo 16:14  And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
Exo 16:15  And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Exo 16:16  This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
Exo 16:17  And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
Exo 16:18  And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
Exo 16:19  And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
Exo 16:20  Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
Exo 16:21  And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
Exo 16:22  And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
Exo 16:23  And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
Exo 16:24  And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
Exo 16:25  And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exo 16:26  Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
Exo 16:27  And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
Exo 16:28  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
Exo 16:29  See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Exo 16:30  So the people rested on the seventh day.
Exo 16:31  And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
Exo 16:32  And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
Exo 16:33  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
Exo 16:34  As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
Exo 16:35  And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
Exo 16:36  Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

Notice that in fact this day of murmuring of the people was the 15th day of the 2nd month.

The people obviously arrived the prior week, pitched camp, and the limited abound of food must have set in on this very sabbath day.

It makes sense, that like we are today, we want to enjoy the festival of the sabbath day with food and fun, enjoyment that we have a day off.
In Egypt, I’d presume that these men on their days of in Egypt were used to going to the flesh pots and the bread baskets, the onion and leak gardens and the cucumber vines and enjoying their meals in servitude.

And here, in their eyes they have less than the bondage of Egypt offered them:

Exo 16:3 …Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Here is the disposition of historic racial, national, ethnic Israel who walk according to the flesh and not the Spirit which is by Faith.

“Lord, Yes, we want to enjoy deliverance from bondage when we like our deliverance and the way it feels, but we do not want our freedom and deliverance when we don’t have our bellies full.”

You know this is the mentality of many so called christians today?

Those of the visible church:

Let me give you quick summary of the theological understanding of the ‘visible vs. the invisible church’:

The visible church: Those who appear to be part of the Christian faith by association to a Christian culture, in this case those murmuring here are mostly, with exception to the mixed multitude, part of the visible church- Israel as an ethnic people.
Moses and Joshua, and Caleb for sure with other faithful men, whoever was faithful in fact, in heart mind and soul, using all of their strength to be faith to God are the visible church as well, but more importantly in time and day they lived they were the invisible church.

Yes, all were sons of Israel and members of the 12 tribes, yes all had claim to the covenant’s God made to Ab, Sak and Jack, and they also could pass along those covenantal claims by genetic heritage to their heirs- but as it is written, but they can not pass along covenantal faith:

1Co_10:1  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
1Co 10:5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1Co 10:6  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

and as Jude says:
Jud_1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

and as concluded on this same wise :
Heb_4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

And I’d Encourage you to read those 3 chapters entirely with this in mind.

This is the congregation of the church we have in Israel then and today- the visible : those who may or may not have faith but walk with the people of God
and the in-visible church– they who certainly have faith and walk in the midst of the people of God.

And it is faith and faithfulness that makes the difference, and usually that faith is demonstrated in times of trial, times of testing of our desires and of our limits.
and this is why 1 Cor 10 continues in saying:

1Co_10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

We do not often consider that our murmuring against God of those things he has not chosen to give us lawfully and of his good pleasure are a form of idolatry. But it is, as God says it is.
How so?
Well how is it that these lusts developed? By imaginations.
Now what is the essence of the 2nd commandment linking back into the 1st?
Bowing down your self to imaginations engraved and molten to your soul.

Thus is what we see here, here these sit around and image the flesh pots in the day of there physical rest, they engrave upon and melt into their mind the imagination of what they had before salvation from bondage in Egypt, but so much more went into that imagination.
There they sat under the gods of Egypt and their provisions, the task masters and their watchful eye- and this flesh pot, rightly called has allured the mind that death is better than a free life with out such things slavery and bondage offered.

We can imagine this idol, think of a flesh pot- think about it.
A large many gallon pot that sits over the simmering fire full of meat and broth, it boils and simmers with the onions and leaks and garlics and all the delicious delicatessens we can imagine. It’s salty and we can almost tast it.
There is the idol, this is worth our freedom to worship YHWH God in liberty and freedom, this idol this imagination of luxury in bondage is so powerful we can not imagine living out our days in this wilderness in so called freedom and not have it.

So what does the LORD do?

Exo 16:4 (he says ) I will rain bread from heaven for them;
and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

God say’s I’ll prove, test or try this visible church, and show to the faithful (for God knows) that the mind of this people is upon that idolatry they have concocted called ‘ freedom’- the flesh pot.

And so as we read the LORD, provides quale in the evening and manna- bread- angel’s food in the morning, but it will be done according to the law of God- it will be done in order to teach th sanctity of the Sabbath and place and time for th worship of YHWH God, as perhaps was forgotten in Egypt, or was simple in need of being fortified.

Exo 16:5  And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

Exo 16:8  And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

So evening came on that 15th day sabbath, ending the sabbath day, and

Exo 16:13  And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
Exo 16:14  And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
Exo 16:15  manna: what is this?
. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

Exo 16:25  And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exo 16:26  Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

So this happens for a week, for 6 days from the 15th at evening until the 21st at even.

In the morning of the sabbath the 22nd day the people disregard the word of Moses:

Exo 16:27  it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
Exo 16:28  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
Exo 16:29  See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Exo 16:30  So the people rested on the seventh day.

Do you see how deep idolatry runs in the people of God, in the visible church?

Israel though they be, are uninterested in the word of God and the way salvation, freedom and liberty and how is to look. Gd’s Law and way is never as good as the alternative- what ever it is they desire.

Before it was, the flesh pot of Egypt- the faithless murmured,
“O! the flesh pot in bondage were so good on our days off! do you all remember ?”

Now God sends a wave of quale, flesh to put in the pot, and bread “like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” – the faithless murmured.

Wis_16:20  Instead whereof thou feddest thine own people with angels’ food, and didst send them from heaven bread prepared without their labour, able to content every man’s delight, and agreeing to every taste.

Psa_78:24  And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
Psa 78:25  Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.
Psa 78:26  He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
Psa 78:27  He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
Psa 78:28  And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
Psa 78:29  So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
Psa 78:30  They were not estranged from their lust.

Nothing is good enough for the faithless which God provides, I’d say in fact nothing is good enough ever, but if it is a man’s choice and he chose it then it at least satisfies the lust for a moment and there by seems as if it is freedom- and that is the important part to the imaginations of the selfish. – the Service done to the idol

Now, let me turn the page to the same and related concept as it relates to a lesson from out LORD Jesus Christ.

Joh_6:25  And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
Joh 6:26  Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Joh 6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Joh 6:30  They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Joh 6:31  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Joh 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Joh 6:36  But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
Joh 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Joh 6:39  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:40  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:41  The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

Do you see again the division of the visible vs. the invisible church of Israel?
Do you see, the idolatry of the belly Jesus Calls attention to?
Do you hear the lesson of Faith and of those who will in-fact be filled with Jesus Christ as one who is filled with the bread of of Heaven?

OR Do Ye seek Him…

not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled?

Joh_6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 
Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 

Christ is the Word of God which is mingled with the Faith given by God, the 2 are inseparable.

Like the men who would murmur for the flesh pots and bread of bondage to fill their belly, like the men who would rather break the sabbath to fill their belly, and like the men who would do the works of God to feed them selves, but not for the sake of faith alone-

so are those who will not mix the Word of God written, and the Word come down from heaven, Christ our Lord, into the Faith God has sent.

Here is the way of liberty, here is the way of freedom, here is the way to eschew idolatry by covetous idolatry, believe on Jesus Christ and His Word.