DCLM Daily Manna 3 May 2026: False Ignorance
Key Verse: “And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine” Ezekiel 46:12
Text: Ezekiel 47: 9-13 (KJV)
And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 10 It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
13 Thus says the Lord God: “These are the borders by which you shall divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.
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An incident occurred in one religious group in the United States of America that objects to the use of medicine. In their worship, they handle snakes – supposedly a practice based on Jesus’ words that, “In my name shall they cast out devils, they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.” The TIME magazine in November 1968, reported: “Last August, during an evening service at the white frame Holiness Church of God in Jesus, Oscar Pelfrey, 65, stood before the congregation holding a pair of writhing timber rattlesnakes. “I believe, Jesus, O Jesus, I believe – thank you, Jesus!’ cried Pelfrey, a lay minister of the Church. Suddenly, one of the rattlers struck him on the left temple. Taken home, he refused medical attention and died six hours later.” This was fatal ignorance.
The book of Ezekiel is a collection of visions. Chapter 47 unveils the river of life. Ezekiel the prophet saw a river and trees. He beheld a tree whose fruit shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for medicine. Parallel to this passage is the account in Revelation 22:1-2. The verses speak of the leaves of the tree of life, being for the healing of the nations, further emphasising the concept of divine provision and healing. The imagery of “leaves for healing” can be interpreted as a symbol of God’s provision. God provides not only for our physical needs (food), but also for our spiritual and emotional needs (including healing). The leaves that do not wither, and the fruit that does not fail, represent hope and the promise of a restored and healthy life. And just as the leaves of the tree of life are the healing of nations, so too can faith in God lead to healing and restoration.
Even now, God is interested in healing and keeping us healthy. And as we pray, when we are sick, there is also nothing wrong in accepting meditation. Hezekiah, the king of Judah, was sick, and prayed to God for his recovery; his prayer was heard, and Isaiah the prophet was sent by God with his prescribed medication: “And Isaiah said, take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered” (2 Kings 20:7).
That faith and prayer are of great importance in the life of a Christian cannot be over-emphasised. But to depend on them, without discretion, and in complete disregard for even the provisions in the law of God, is tantamount to a lack of balanced understanding of the Scriptures.
Thought for the Day: Ignorance is a monstrous disease, curable only by knowledge.
Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 14
DCLM Daily Manna 3 May 2026
