PROGRESS BEYOND
CLEANSING

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Many kinds of animal sacrifices were offered in Old-Testament times, and in which blood was shed. These animals were "types" of Christ-- that is, their being sacrificed represented Christ's death on the Cross for our sins. The shedding of their blood was a reminder that "without shedding of blood, there is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). A part of most of these animal sacrifices was eaten by the priests; we could say that it was sacred food of the animal kingdom.
There were also, however, sacred foods of the vegetable kingdom; and that is what we wish to dwell on at present. Whereas the shedding of animals' blood represented what was required for our cleansing from sin, offerings from the vegetable kingdom represented fruit-bearing, the development of spiritual graces after cleansing. It is important to get these in the right order. Adam and Eve's fig-leaf aprons were not acceptable to God because no blood had been shed for their cleansing; therefore clothes of skin were required. Likewise Cain's offering of "the fruit of the ground" was not acceptable; the blood of a lamb had to be shed first. Likewise, the sinner who comes to Christ has nothing acceptable to offer Him; he must first be cleansed by repenting and trusting in the sacrifice of Christ for his sin. But after he is cleansed, it is not God's will that he stop there. Christ expects him to make progress in developing spiritual graces and becoming more and more like Him-- not in order to be cleansed, but because he is already cleansed.
Two serious errors have been made by many concerning the progress that our Lord expects of us. On the one hand are those who insist that the human heart remains so corrupt throughout our life on earth that the only thing God will do about the sin of believers, is forgive it. Such would deny that we make any progress while we're on earth. On the other hand are those who claim that, even in this earthly life, it is possible to reach a stage where we don't sin anymore, and even become unable to sin. A careful examination of the Scriptures reveals rather that, while we do not reach perfection on earth, God does expect us to make progress in holiness as we approach the world to come.
Three sacred foods of the vegetable kingdom, concerning which instruction is given in the book of Deuteronomy, teach us important truths about the development that Christ expects of us after He has saved us through the merits of His sacrifice. They tell us what kind of progress we need to be making in holiness. We will consider them, not in the order in which they appear, but in the order in which they logically develop in a believer's life.
The first sacred food of the vegetable kingdom is unleavened bread, which teaches us DETACHMENT.
1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover to the LORD your God: for in the month of Abib the LORD you God brought you out of Egypt at night.
2 You shall therefore sacrifice the passover to the LORD your God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place His Name there.
3 You shall eat no unleavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, even the bread of affliction; for you came out of the land of Egypt in a hurry: that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.
4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with you in all your borders seven days . . .

A common explanation of the reason for unleavened bread at the passover, is that leaven represents sin. We get a somewhat different impression from the Scriptures, and particularly from the passage we have just quoted. The Israelites eaten unleavened bread when they left Egypt after the first passover, because they were in a hurry to leave. To make leavened bread takes a long time to make. The dough must be given time to rise; then, if the bread is to have a fine texture, it must be punched down and allowed to rise a second time. Unleavened bread can be made so much faster-- just mix the dough, knead it a little, and into the oven it goes! In fact, the orthodox Jews today have a ruling that unleavened bread for passover use must be made within eighteen minutes, from A to Z. If, therefore, a Jew had taken the time to make leavened bread the night of the first passover, he would have shown thereby that he was not particularly eager to leave Egypt.
The Jews showed other signs of being in a hurry at the passover. They were to eat it "with their loins girded, shoes on their feet, and staff in hand" (Exodus 12:11). That meant that they were to be dressed for travelling even while they ate it. Normally a person would ungird his loins (that is, loosen his belt and let his garment hang loose), take off his shoes, and put his walking stick down for relaxing at home. It was like putting on slippers instead of shoes. But God wanted them to be so eager to leave Egypt that they wouldn't waste an instant getting ready to leave when it was time to leave. At subsequent passovers, He wanted them to remember how eager they had been to leave Egypt the night of the first passover, so that they wouldn't want to go back there.
In biblical typology, Egypt is a type of the world. A Jew eating leavened bread at the passover would have represented a believer who is at ease in a worldly atmosphere, and not eager to leave it. While it is sometimes inevitable for the saint to be amid worldly surroundings, it is abnormal for him to feel comfortable there; his soul ought to be longing for evidence of the presence of God and the fellowship of saints. His soul must be detached from the present world-- both from things that tend to lead the soul away from God, and also from the giving of such a great place even to legitimate things, that they threaten to take God's place.
How can we keep our hearts detached from the world? By remembering often what Christ did to redeem us, as the Jews remembered their redemption from Egypt by celebrating the passover. Let us remember His suffering as the Lamb whose blood was shed. Let us also remember His rejection in the world, as shown by the Egyptians' rejecting redemption by not putting blood of passover lambs on their doorposts. Let us ask God to make the world distasteful to us, as is shown by calling the unleavened bread the "bread of affliction." Though it was wholesome for health, it tasted sour, and was not as pleasant to eat as leavened bread. Since our human nature is inclined to revert to worldly attachment, let us do these things frequently, and focus our attention on Christ's return, which is made all the sweeter by our sharing His rejection in this world.
A second sacred food of the vegetable kingdom is manna, which teaches us DISCIPLINE.
2 And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God led you these forty years in the desert, to humble you, and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
3 And He humbled you, and allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you were not familiar with, neither were your ancestors; that He might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD does man live.
4 Your cloths did not wear out on you, neither did your feet swell, these forty years.
5 You shall also consider in your heart, that, as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you.

The purpose of manna, then, was to "prove," or test the Israelites, like a metal worker testing the quality of the metal to determine whether it's adequate for the purpose to be served, or a prospective customer for a machine testing it to make sure it runs satisfactorily. God was testing whether their hearts were truly set on spiritual values. The manna was perfectly nourishing, and the quantity they were given sufficient, as was proven by their endurance through the forty-plus years that they ate it. It even tasted good (Exodus 16:31). Yet they got tired of the monotony, and called it "light" (Numbers 21:5), implying that they didn't feel "full" after eating it. God was testing how willing they were to renounce the familiar and accept something they weren't used to. Such a disposition is necessary in order for Him to be free to change our tastes, as part of our sanctification.
The "lightness" and monotony of the manna diet was also a test of contentment-- to be content with such things as they had. This went with their wearing the same clothes and shoes for so long. Since the manna was a perfect food, and God caused their clothes and shoes to last, their needs were being provided. But they certainly learned the difference between needs and wants! Human nature is chronically desiring new things, whether they are needed or not. Yet we learn from I Timothy 6:7-9 that contentment is part of godliness.
Contentment with manna would teach the Jews that spiritual values are of more importance than this earthly life. Man cannot live a true, worthwhile life, with temporal benefits only; he needs the Word of God. Our Lord Jesus Himself applied this verse to His fasting in the desert, when Satan tempted Him to command that stones become bread. The saint needs to remember that he has a soul as well as a body.
Manna would furthermore teach the Jews to live in dependence of God, day-by-day. It was no use storing up manna for the future, for one day after it was gathered, any that was not eaten became filled with worms. They simply had to trust God to send it every day. That is the walk of faith, which doesn't ask to see the road far ahead, but is content to receive God's care moment-by-moment. All this is part of the discipline required to conform us to the image of Christ.
Yet another sacred food of the vegetable kingdom, is the firstfruits of the harvest, which taught God's people DEVOTION.
1 And it shall be, when you have come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, and possess it, and live in it;
2 That you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which you shall bring of your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and shall put it in a basked, and shall go to the place which the LORD your God shall choose to place His Name there.
3 And you shall go to the priest that shall be in those days, and say to him, I declare this day to the LORD your God, that I have come into the country which the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.
4 And the priest shall take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God.

The first part of the crop to ripen is generally considered to be the best. That certainly was what I found in the gardening experience I've had. So, by telling the Jews to bring the first part of their crop to ripen and offer it as an offering to Him, He was teaching them to give Him their best. This harmonized with the commandment to give Him the fat of all animal sacrifices-- for in Hebrew, the word for "fat" is the same as the word for "best."
Are you and I giving the best we have to Christ-- of our time and energy, and our resources? Those who have had the privilege of knowing Him early in life, have we given Him our prime years? It is so like human nature to say, I'm too busy with my schooling now to do much for God; but just wait till I get through school. Then when one finishes school and undertakes a career, he says, "I need all my time to learn my trade or profession properly; but just wait till I get married, and there will be two of us to serve God together." After marriage, the person is heard saying, "I need all my time now to provide, care for, and raise a family; but just wait till the children are grown up and on their own, and I'll have more time for God." When that day comes, one says, "Well, I've got a lot of things to get done that I couldn't do while the children were at home; but when I retire, I'll have more time for God." After retirement-- "Well, there are lots of parts of the world I haven't seen that I'd like to see while I'm still able to travel; after that, I'll have time for God." And after a number of years of travelling as a tourist-- "Well you see, I'm not as young as I used to be, and can't do as much anymore; so I'm sure God understands." And what did God get out of such a life?

Hear ye the Master's call,
"Give Me thy best!"
For, be it great or small,
That is His test.
Do then the best you can,
Not for reward,
Not for the praise of man,
But for the Lord.
Every work for Jesus will be blest,
But He asks from everyone his best.
Our talents may be few,
These may be small,
But unto Him is due
Our best, our all.

--S. C. Kirk

Giving the firstfruits offering also taught the Jews to put God first. During the first three years after their entry into the Promised Land, they were not to eat the fruit of fruit trees in the land, but consider it unclean. Then the fruit of the fourth year was to be offered to God as a one-time firstfruits offering. Then, from the fifth year onward, they could eat the fruit (Leviticus 19:23-25). This would test which they considered more important-- giving a gift to God, or their own enjoyment. It is true that early picking and discarding of fruit during the first three years would make the fruit trees more productive in the future; but it was also a symbol of purifying the land of the corrupting influence of the heathen who had lived there before.
What is our priority in our expenditures-- our own enjoyment, or a gift to God? And when we have been sick, are we of those who will struggle through a week of work to make money even though they don't feel well, and then stay in bed on the Lord's Day?
Unlike the other two sacred foods we have meditated on, which were eaten by all Israelites, the firstfruits were to be eaten only by priests (Numbers 18:13). In the New Testament, all believers are priests; yet we are only showing genuine devotion to Christ if we are exercising our priestly ministry by serving one another, especially by intercession. A self-centered Christian may be detached from the world, and disciplined in a life of contentment, but he is certainly not devoted! This grace is shown by those who "by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13).
We will never finish praising and thanking God for our salvation, and for the daily cleansing He performs in us of impurities contracted during our walk through this world. Yet let us remember that He expects more of us than simply being forgiven and cleansed. He expects us to make progress beyond cleansing in the ongoing process of sanctification, developing graces that are represented by these sacred foods of the vegetable kingdom. Representation by food shows that these graces are the natural result of growth (II Peter 3:18). It is simply normal that they should be seen in any complete Christian life.