The TOP meal service
After the Israelites complained to their leader Moses about a lack of food, God set up the world’s best and most reliable meal service with daily deliveries. The only exception was the Sabbath. But as two portions arrived the day before, this did not affect the supply. How can we experience God as our provider?
Many men spent very arduous hours in military service. Once I wasn’t shaved well enough when bivouacking. As a result, I was woken up one of the next nights and had to be perfectly shaven and in full combat gear on the HV square within 10 minutes. There were lots of pointless exercises like that that brought the mood down to sub-zero. And yet, when men talk about the military in retrospect, everything seems forgotten and completely romanticised. Our memory has the ability to completely block out difficult experiences from the past. This effect also affected the Israelites. Their joy at their freedom soon turned into worry and lamentation, as they did not know how they would survive in this inhospitable environment. Plagued by hunger, they grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
Trust in God’s provision
«Here, too, the Israelites severely reproached Moses and Aaron. «If only the Lord had killed us in Egypt,» they complained, «at least there we had meat and enough bread to eat. Instead, you led us into this desert so that we could all starve to death here» » (Exodus 16:2–3 NLB). The captivity in Egypt was literally hell for the people of Israel, but their limited memory only included the pots of meat and the abundance they had there. It must have been a great frustration for Moses and Aaron. They did not impose themselves on the task of leadership, but were commissioned by God. Procuring food was definitely not one of their tasks and was also not in their power. In any case, the much-quoted sentence proves to be true: «It took one night to bring Israel out of Egypt. But it took 40 years to bring Egypt out of Israel.»
And once again the Israelites are confronted with their dependence on God. They do not have their own garden to grow vegetables and potatoes, but must learn to trust in God’s care.
One of the names of God is Yahweh Jirehwhich translates as «LORD my provider» is called. This name is God’s programme. That is why the final summary is: «For 40 years I have led you through the desert without your clothes and shoes being worn out» (Deuteronomy 29:4 NLB). God is still the provider today. No, it’s not our employers or the AHV. These are merely channels of divine provision. The example of the Israelites shows how difficult it can be for us humans to trust in God’s provision, especially in times of need and uncertainty.
God does not respond to the Israelites» complaints with anger or punishment, but with a miracle of provision. «And the LORD said to Moses, «I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them this: Towards evening you will be given meat to eat; in the morning you will be given bread and be filled with it. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God» » (Exodus 16:11–12 NLB). Every evening a flock of quail flew into the camp, and in the morning, after the dew had disappeared, fine grains lay on the ground like frost. «The Israelites called the grains manna (= what is it?). They were as light in colour as coriander seeds and tasted like honey cake» (Exodus 16:31 NLB). This is the best and most reliable meal service the world has ever seen.
The challenge was to collect only as much food as they needed for one day. No one was allowed to keep any of it overnight (Exodus 16:19). The request in the Lord’s Prayer «Our daily bread gives us today» is based on the same idea. Nobody should provide for the next day. Some wanted to stock up anyway, «[…] but the next morning it was full of maggots and stank […]» (Exodus 16:20 NLB). This daily dependence on God contradicts our human need for control and security. We tend to make provisions for the future, build up reserves and protect ourselves against uncertainties. Here God reminds us that all security is founded in Him and that we are called to live in trust.
The one-day carefree principle is deeply biblical. Jesus: «Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for each day brings its own burdens. Today’s worries are enough for today» (Matthew 6:34 NLB).
In psychology there is the technical term Future Tripping (future journey), which describes a fear of the future that can cause anxiety or stress. Future journeys are often based on the desire and the often unconscious wish that we can control a situation or an outcome, although in reality we cannot. Future Tripping makes today smelly and grubby. Corrie ten Boom also says: «Worrying takes nothing away from tomorrow’s suffering, but it robs today of its strength.» We worry about 1000 things, 999 of which will never materialise.
We may experience times of scarcity or uncertainty in our health, our work or our relationships. At such moments, we can be inspired by the story of the manna. It teaches us to trust in God’s daily care and not to allow ourselves to be paralysed by fear and worry.
The importance of the Sabbath
«Gather the grain for six days. But the seventh day is a day of rest, when there will be no manna on the ground for you. On the seventh day, some Israelites nevertheless went outside the camp to gather grain. But they found nothing» (Exodus 16:26, 27 NLB).
Another important aspect of this story is the introduction of the Sabbath as a holy day of rest and reflection. God gives the Israelites clear instructions that they are to gather manna on six days, but not on the seventh day, the Sabbath. On the sixth day, they were to gather twice as much to honour the Sabbath. This shows the importance of rest and trust in God’s care. The Sabbath is a gift from God, a day of rest to remind us that our lives and our provision ultimately depend on God.
At the last delegates» meeting of Viva Church Switzerland, a brain coach gave a keynote speech. The woman emphasised that many neurological studies have shown that interruptions – such as the Sabbath – are extremely important for the brain. The Hebrew word Sabbath means in German stop, interrupt. The Israelites did not have to think about collecting food for a whole day.
The Sabbath is the test of trust in God. In my family of origin, this day was strictly observed. My father refrained from haymaking on this day, even though the grass had to be dried very well back then. Trusting in God, he left the machines in the shed. That left its mark on me. For example, I never studied on a Sunday, even during intensive periods at the technical centre. It may be that I was beaten on one or two Monday tests. But I am convinced that my long-term memory and performance was better as a result. The Sabbath doesn’t make you better, it makes you longer. Is it possible to trust in God in such a way that we can really live in today without worrying about tomorrow? Yes, it is – but only if we get to know God, as Moses and Aaron did. We don’t need to know what the future holds for us, but we do need to know WHO holds it for us.
The Sabbath is the test of faith and the one of the Ten Words that is repeated the most times in the Bible. It is part of the maturing process of a follower of Jesus that he learns to organise the Sabbath as an interruption to his everyday life. This is a big task that doesn’t just fall into our laps.
Gratitude and satisfaction
Comparing is typically human. We usually compare ourselves with people who have more, look better and are more talented than us. We deliberately overlook the fact that these people also have difficult sides or life circumstances. This is a typical distortion of reality, resulting in dissatisfaction and ungratefulness.
The Israelites also experienced such a distortion of reality: They completely ignored the fact that they were literally «dragged through the mud» in Egypt and only saw the flesh pots. Slavery was perhaps 99% cruel and 1% pleasant. They never had to worry about meat and bread. The Israelites grumbled because they did not have what they wanted, even though God miraculously provided for them.
This Egypt phenomenon teaches us to be grateful and content with what God gives us. We should not focus on what we don’t have, but be grateful for what we have been given. I heard about a person who sleeps on the hard floor once a week. This action should help us to be grateful for the many good things in life.
Paul writes: «True faith and the ability to be content with little are indeed great riches. After all, we brought nothing into the world with us when we were born and we can’t take anything with us when we die. That is why we want to be content as long as we have enough food and clothing» (1 Timothy 6:6–8 NLB).
With such modesty and frugality, we would not be heading for an ecological catastrophe. Unfortunately, humans function according to the principle of greed. Like the farmer who replaced his old barn with an even bigger one after an excellent harvest. He «tightened his belt a little» and believed that this would enable him to look forward to a carefree future. God’s view of this behaviour is snubbing: «But God said to him: «How stupid of you! You’re going to die tonight. And who will get all this then? You see how stupid it is to amass wealth on earth and not ask God for it» (Luke 12:20–21 NLB). Humility and contentment are important characteristics of a follower of Jesus.
The manna contained all the substances that the desert travellers needed for life. In the New Testament, Jesus presents himself as the bread of life with reference to the manna in the desert. The same applies here: Jesus is everything a person needs. Peter recognised this when he said: «Lord, to whom should we go? Only you have words that give eternal life» (John 6:68 NLB). We want to get to the bottom of this mystery in the communion meal that follows.
Possible questions for the small group
Read Bible text: Exodus 16
- In the Bible, God presents himself as Lord of the Provider Do you really believe that? How does this change the way we deal with our need for control and security?
- How do you organise your Sabbath? Is it a day of interruption? How do you want to take God’s urgency on this topic more seriously?
- Where does the human reflex to «tighten your belt» manifest itself in your life? How can you counteract this reflex?
- God likes to provide daily with the necessary needs in all areas of life, such as livelihood, health, work, etc. Where do you still find yourself Future Tripping?
- Where are you challenged to trust God, even if the future is uncertain?
