20160404 Monday, April 4 2016
Mark 08: The Bread In The Wilderness

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you ... And He said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?"

The LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) provided the Israelites, who followed Him into the wilderness, with bread by miraculous means (see Freedom By The Law).

"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. 16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day [see The Sixth Day] they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily." (Exodus 16:4-5 KJV)

When the LORD was born as the human Messiah, He repeated the principle of providing "bread from heaven" for those who followed Him into the wilderness at that time. There were, nevertheless, just as there had been in the time of Moses, unbelievers among them who "demanded a sign" - after the sign had already been given to them: "And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him."

Their "tempting him" was even itself a repeat performance of the rebellious spirit of those who rejected their opportunity to get to the Promised Land i.e. "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; 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 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. 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. ... 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents." (1 Corinthians 10:1-5,9 KJV; see Why A Book Of Deuteronomy In The Bible? and The Israelite Wanderland).

"8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 8:2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 8:3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

8:4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?

8:5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye?

And they said, Seven.

8:6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 8:7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8:8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 8:9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away. 8:10 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.

8:11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. 8:12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. 8:13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side." (Mark 8:1-13 KJV)

The twelve apostles began as disciples i.e. students. While they too were among the faithful who followed the Messiah into the wilderness, they too were yet learning the meaning of what they already knew and were witnessing first hand.

"8:14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

8:17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 8:19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?

They say unto him, Twelve.

8:20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?

And they said, Seven.

8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?" (Mark 8:14-21 KJV)

Bethsaida was a fishing village (Bethsaida means house of fishing) on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee about 3 kilometers / 2 miles east of Capernaum. It was the home town of Peter, Andrew and Philip.

"8:22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

8:24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

8:25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 8:26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town." (Mark 8:22-26 KJV)

Caesarea Philippi was situated near the northern extremity of the land of Israel, about 6 kilometers / 4 miles east of Dan (see Northern and Southern Dan), 240 kilometers / 150 miles north of Jerusalem, 80 kilometers / 50 miles southwest of Damascus, and 48 kilometers / 30 miles east of Tyre and The Mediterranean Sea. It had an elevation of about 1,150 feet above sea level, near the foot of Mount Hermon. As with many other places in the north, the Messiah was accepted much more readily than in the south where the "religious authorities" were in control.

"8:27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

8:28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

8:30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him." (Mark 8:27-30 KJV)

A major part of the Messiah's prophetic Ministry was that He would continue on to the south where He would "suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."

"8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 8:32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

8:33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:31-38 KJV)

Fact Finder: The Messiah warned His followers to "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod" (Mark 8:15 KJV). What prophetic true Christian Holy Day is observed by putting "leaven" (used to portray Satanic "puffed up" arrogance and self-righteousness) out of one's life - so that the Messiah's Sacrifice will be applied?
See Unleavened Bread: Why Observe The True Christian Holy Days?