~ Lætare ~
Readings: Exodus 16:2-21 | Galatians 4:21-31 | John 6:1-15
Text: Exodus 16:2-21
In 1 Corinthians 10, St. Paul makes the point that the journeys of Israel in the wilderness were written for our learning, specifically “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Cor. 10:11)
What is the teaching of the manna in the wilderness?
With the sons of Israel, God began to deal with a congregation. Starting from Jacob, they grew into a mighty nation even in spite of Pharaoh’s oppression and efforts at genocide. God would not have it because He delighted in them and was faithful to the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The provision of food and drink for these people was not something that surprised God, the way it would if an absent-minded parent forgot to pack snacks for a road trip. He had shown His mighty power in the ten plagues, in parting the waters of the Red Sea and their safe passage into the Arabian peninsula. Would He now actually “bring [them] out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger”?
Although we probably have the advantage of reading this account from a warm, dry, and well-fed position, they were experiencing some real pangs. But the grumbling and growing revolt was not a necessity. That was their unbelief talking, and this would be a perpetual and blaring divide in their relationship with their Redeemer.
In spite of this, God displayed His love and faithfulness to them in providing for them in a way that was as delightful as it was surprising: He would give them meat to eat and bread to the full! No austerity here, no forced fasting, but a veritable feast in the desolate waste. Truly a reason to rejoice, even in the middle of a time of testing and penitence!
Where does this convict us of the same thing?
Israel grumbled against Moses and God because they experienced hunger. Where have our various appetites led us to begrudge God’s generosity? James aptly writes, “1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:1-3) It’s normal to have an appetite, because it reminds us of our creaturely needs. However, it’s our sin that weaponizes our desires against our Creator.
In the wilderness, God provided abundantly for the sons of Israel, but in a way that would test their faith. He promised and delivered: “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” You shall know not that meat and bread will satisfy your aching bellies, nor that some anonymous force will bring all things into balance by directing quail. “You shall know that I am the Lord your God.”
So, in all that God provides you and me, how do we understand it? Is it just a passing hat-tip, as in the hurried table prayer, “Good food, good meat, good God, let’s eat!” Or do we see everything that we have as a loving answer what Jesus our Lord taught us to ask, “Give us this day our daily bread”? It ought to be the latter: “The nations seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matt. 6:32)
The Israelites also experienced the rebuke of their lack of faith in trying to “save leftovers” when God had explicitly told them not to. “19 And Moses said to them, ‘Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.’ 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.” Certainly Moses had reason to be angry with them because they didn’t listen, but the Lord had more reason. They were willing to give lip service to the Lord, but in their hearts they thought their own sensibility would keep them secure.
This is a good message for us to hear because, in the smallness of our faith, we are willing to accept it when God says He will provide salvation to us by the tremendous work of Christ. However, when the news reports on what the federal reserve or stock market are doing, that is what really causes our blood pressure to elevate. We believe that Jesus is able to give us His body and blood on our tongues here today, but what about the outcome of the doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, or the major change of welcoming a child into a family, or moving? The unknowns of the future are not the problem; it’s our lack of trust that the Lord is already there to provide for us going forward as He has in the past.
So what is God’s will for us, that He might correct our faith?
It’s evident that God was not going to forsake His people Israel, because He had made a solemn oath that He would bring them into the land which He had promised. We “on whom the end of the ages has come” know why He did this: it was His plan to bring His Son and our Savior out of Jacob’s line. Out of this people for His own possession, He brought One who was entirely faithful and who was the all-atoning sacrifice offered up for the sins of the people. Jesus, God’s promise of the Word made flesh. He is one who experienced birth, necessity, danger, weariness, anguish, and was truly forsaken by God the Father. Yet, He did all of this without sin, without doubt, without putting His God to the test. Still more, He has also become for us better than Moses; He is high priest on our behalf:
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
He intercedes for all of our doubts and the weakness of our faith. We have the promise of God’s faithfulness to save sinners and bring us through the temptations of this wearisome world in our fallen flesh.
Because of sin, gratitude is going to be fleeting. One moment, we’ll recognize and be sure of God’s bounty; another we will be overcome by doubt, fear, and maybe worse. Faith is going to vary from firm to nearly snuffed out. But we daily aspire to grow in grace and holiness. When it comes to the needs of this life, we do trust in the Lord our God who “certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.” Even though we will fail daily in recognizing His hand in all of our “food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land…”[1] He gives us His Holy Spirit to keep us in a true faith and devotion to Him alone.
All the while we live in this temporal life, there are opportunities to see His faithfulness. It’s there all the time, in ways beyond our ability to recognize. Just like the Israelites, there are moments when we put our Lord to the test. But His devotion to His people is not grounded in how much progress we make. It is always and forever founded upon Jesus Christ, His Son and our Lord.
Let us pray at this time, acknowledging God’s great goodness and our reliance upon Him to reach our pilgrimage’s end:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new unto us every morning, and though we have not deserved Your goodness, You abundantly provide for all our wants of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
[1]Small Catechism, Lord’s Prayer, 4th Petition
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