The third feast of the Lord is firstfruits. The third furnishing of the Tabernacle was the Table of Showbread. The third of the days of creation was the appearing of vegetation. The third stage of Israel's journey was the arrival of the Jews on the east bank of the Red Sea and the beginning of the march through the wilderness.

The feast of firstfruits notifies us that we have been born again. Our new inner nature has been raised to the right hand of God in Christ. The fruits of righteous behavior begin to appear on the face of our "land."

The Table of Showbread (Bread of the Presence) signifies the new Life of Christ that is in our personality. It is the Substance of the Divine Nature. Through the Virtue of it we are able to overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust.

On the third day of creation the waters were gathered together to one place and the dry land appeared. This made possible the appearance of vegetation. Again, this is a portrayal of the born-again experience. The fruit God is looking for in mankind, which is the moral image of Jesus Christ, is seen in our life for the first time. This marks the beginning of our transformation into the image of Christ.

Israel now stood on the east bank of the Red Sea, ready to begin the march through the wilderness. Egypt, the known, was behind them. Their destination was Canaan, the land of promise, the place of milk and honey, the area that did not have to be irrigated from the Nile but drank of the plentiful rain from the sky.

But between the Jews and the milk and honey lay a forbidding desert of sand and rock under a blazing sun.

So it is with us. Our goal is to be in the image of Christ and to be living in untroubled rest in the Father through Christ. But between us and the Glory of God Almighty at whose right hand are eternal pleasures lies a spiritual desert of sand and rock under a blazing sun.

Sometimes the Gospel is preached today as though we are going to fly to Paradise on flowery beds of ease, as the old hymn has it. But it may turn out that instead of moseying through flowery beds of ease we may find ourselves sailing through bloody seas.

But God will send us manna every day—grace for the day.

We have emerged from the death of the cross and now, in our reborn spiritual nature, are at the right hand of God, far above every other authority and power. Satan, the world, our flesh, our self-will, will seek continually to tear us down from our exalted position, to take from us our crown of life and righteousness.

If we are not diligent these forces of darkness may succeed!

But if we will keep our eyes on Jesus we will arrive finally at the fullness of God. There is no power that can take us out of Jesus' hand.

To be continued.