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AGAPE LESSON 18
ONE ORMER
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
[Exodus 16v16—21] This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, “Let every man gather
according to every man’s need, one ormer for each person, according to the number of persons, let
every man take for those who are in his tent.” (17) Then the children of Israel did so and gathered,
some more, some less. (18) So, when they measured by ormers, he who gathered much had nothing
left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each man’s
need. (19) And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning. (20) Notwithstanding, they did
not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And
Moses was angry with them. (21) So, they gathered it every morning, every man according to his
need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.
• One ormer for each person
• Every man to take for those in his tent.
• They were not to leave any until morning.
• He who gathered much had nothing left.
• He who gathered less had no lack.
• They did not heed Moses.
• That which was left till morning bred worms and stank.
[Deuteronomy8v2—4] And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these
forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether
you would keep His commandments or not. (3) So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed
you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know
that man shall not leave by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth
of the Lord. (4) Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
• They were humbled and allowed to hunger.
• God wanted to know what was in their hearts, whether they would keep His
commandments or not.
• They were fed with manna which they did not know.
• He made them know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord,
• Their garments did not wear out on them.
• Their feet did not swell.
Manna (ormer/measure) = word proceeding from the mouth of God.
Proceeding word = Dabah in Hebrew/Rhema in Greek (extracted from the logos).
Logos = the written word.
The speech from God = the essence of something that will define your calling; it carries with it your
destiny. In the speech of God is the substance that creates. Faith to carry out the
assignment is also packaged in the same word.
Analogy:
Beetroot leaves = LOGOS
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Vitamin K, Calcium, copper = Dabah/Rhema/speech of God/revelation = nourishment (will preserve,
increase immune system, strengthen).
[John5v8—9] Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” (9) And immediately the man was
made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was a Sabbath.
The life-giving proceeding word from the mouth of Jesus injected life and strength into this man
who had been impotent for thirty-eight years. Faith to respond positively was packaged in the very
words that Jesus spoke. The Bible records that, in the forty years that the children of Israel walked in
the wilderness – their clothes did not wear out on them, and their feet did not swell
(Deuteronomy8v 4).
The proceeding word brings life. Spiritual death results from the absence of the proceeding word.
[John6v63] It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are
Spirit, and they life.
Revelation (RHEMA in Greek — DABAR in Hebrew) = fresh manna is described in several ways.
• Spirit-filled (life giving) word [John6v63] It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits
nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life.
• A now/fresh/new word [Isaiah42v9] Behold the former things have come to pass, and new
things I declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
• Proceeding word. [Matthew4v4] But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
• Vision
• Present truth [1Peter1v12] For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of
these things, though you know and established in the present truth.
• A river. [Psalm46v4] There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy
place of the tabernacle of the Most-High.
• It is what the Spirit says to the churches. [Revelation2v11] He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit is saying to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second
death.
[Mark4v24—25] Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you
use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. (25) For whoever has, to
him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from
him.”
• Heed (blepo in Greek) – to see with the mind’s eyes – to have power of understanding – to
discern mentally, to observe, to perceive, discover, understand – to weigh carefully.
• Hear – to comprehend, to understand – to attend to – to consider what is, or has been said –
to perceive the sense of what is being said.
• Measure (metron in Greek) — it means the rule or standard of judgement; how you perceive
and act on what you have heard.
• You who hear = those of you who heard intelligently by carefully evaluating what you heard,
and practically demonstrated by your obedience, more will be given to you.
• Will be taken away from him = to take away from another what is his, or what is committed
to him – to take by force.
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Our reception of the word differs with each person, depending on the condition of our hearts. This is
why Jesus admonishes that we should be careful how we receive the word.
[Deuteronomy29v29] The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are
revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
[Proverbs25v2] It is the glory of the Lord to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a
matter.
It is imperative that we all sit at the same table, and we all eat the same food (doctrine). This helps
us have the same understanding and we all grow together. Mephibosheth was to eat at David’s table
continually (2Samuel 9v7). It is also of paramount impotence that we each read our Bible as much
to increase the deposit of the word of God in our hearts. We have the Holy Spirit to teach, lead and
remind us all things. Without the good deposit of the word stored in our hearts, the Holy Spirit will
not have anything to remind us.
[John14v26] “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach
you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Our reception of the word differs with each one of us, depending on the condition of our hearts.
[Matthew 13v8] But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundred-fold, some sixty,
some thirty.
Jesus taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Luke11v3).
Bread is the very substance that God is made of (His very fabric). We were predestined to be
conformed to the image of His Son (Romans8v29)
[Galatians4v19] My little children, for whom I labour in birth again until Christ is formed in you.
Yesterday’s manna has done its work in you and me. We need fresh manna/proceeding word to
nourish us today. We have to go back to our Father and ask Him for our day’s portion. Without a
doubt, He will give us a relevant word for the season. Yesterday’s manna will NOT do.
Christ operated in all the five graces. As Christ is being formed in us, we have each been given a
measure of grace according to Christ’s gift (Ephesians4v7). The measure is equivalent to each one’s
assignment. The greater the assignment, the greater the measure of grace.
As an apprentice, you/I have to learn by instruction and demonstration. What you are
trained/instructed in, equips you for your destiny. Jesus was equipped in a carpenter’s house. He
learned all types of wood and sizes of nails. He became acquainted with the sound of a hammer. He
learned how it felt to be hit by a hammer, when He hit a miss. He endured the cross, despised its
shame (Hebrews12v2) He faced the cross with fortitude and came out victorious (Colossians2v15).
At infancy we are fed the sincere milk of the word (1Peter2v2). As we mature, we are fed meat.
There comes a time when you are to collect for yourself and others in your house. It is imperative to
learn to engage the Holy Spirit at all times. As we grow in the Lord, we learn to differentiate His
voice from the many voices around us.
• Moses was shaped at the back-side of the mountain alone with God, as he was shepherding
Jethro’s flock. He met God face to face at a burning bush. His destiny was to shepherd Israel
from slavery in Egypt to lead them through the desert.
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• David was out alone tending his father’s sheep. His company was the flock and the presence
of the Almighty God. God will separate you from family even, so as to have quality time with
you. God describes him as a man after His own heart. He was later shepherding Israel as
king. He engaged God and got instant answers (2Samuel 2v1, 5v18—19, 5v23—25).
[Habakkuk2v1—3] I will stand my watch and set myself on a rampart, and watch to see what He
will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. (2) Then the Lord answered me and
said, “Write the vision down and make it plain on tablets, that He may run who reads it. (3) For
the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie, though it
tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Verse 2 from the (NIV) – Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on
tablets so that the herald may run with it.
A herald is a group of angels. Angels are assigned by God to help those who will obtain salvation.
[Psalm 103v20] (NKJV) Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word,
heeding the voice of His word. These angels are strong; that is, there is no task too big for them.
They heed the voice of His word.
Habakkuk positioned himself strategically where he could quiet himself and focus on God. He was in
an expectant mood. It feels like he was sure that God was going to speak. That is the position of faith
that we need to adopt. Wait knowing that He desires to talk to us. Be ready with a writing pad
because sometimes He comes in such a spontaneous flow that if you are not on your guard, you
might miss out on some of what he has said.
Do note: The vision may be for an appointed time; that is, a time known by God. So, it means that,
you and I have to meditate and pray upon the vision, while you continue in the mood of expectancy.
It may be immediate, or it may take some time; but finally, it will not prove false, but will surely
come. Avoid the habit of speaking to God when you are in a hurry. “Be still and know that I am God
(Psalm46v10). Remember you have a whole two and a half hours (that belongs to God as your tithe)
in twenty-four hours. If you rob Him in this area, you will be robbing yourself.
[John 16v12—15] “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13)
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not
speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you of things to
come. (14) He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (15) All things
that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
The Holy Spirit is ever ready to give us a fresh word each time we go to the Father to ask of Him.
One ormer for each is sufficient for the day
“One ormer for each person.”