The Bread the Lord has Given

Exodus 16:2-15, Psalms 105:1-6, 37-45

The Israelites after praising God for deliverance from the Egyptians are now complaining about the lack of food. So, God sends down meat in the form of quails and manna which Moses calls the bread the Lord has given you.

Throughout the forty years it took them to reach the promised land God provided. He gave then shoes that didn’t wear out, a cloud for direction, and fire for light at night. Psalm 105 praises the Lord for God’s provision. The psalmist talks about the cloud and fire by night, the quails, and food in abundance. This was the bread the Lord had given. It also talks about getting water from the rock. God did all this because the Lord remembered the holy promise to Abraham.

It is questionable if these always to complain people were brought out in joy and singing as they took possession of the land. It is said this provision – a place to live was given so they might keep God’s statutes and observe God’s laws. The rest of the Old Testament tells how well or how badly they did so and the consequences that came their way when they didn’t live out these statues or observe God’s law.

But our Psalm is a praise to God’s faithfulness to Israel telling of God’s guidance and sustenance during the exodus from Egypt.

I was touched by Moses’ description of manna being the bread the Lord has given. I think of all the provisions the Lord has brought into my life: a house to live in, food on the table, a job I love, and guidance when making decisions. When we ask God for our daily bread in the Lord’s Prayer we are asking for the provisions we need in our lives. May we never forget that all these provisions are the “bread” that God rains down on our lives. Thanks be to God.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Buist 2025 Christmas Newsletter

2025 will be remembered in the Buist household as the great remodel. We are remodeling both bathrooms, our kitchen, floors, and walls. We are literally camping out in our house having to go out to eat or barbeque in our outside kitchen where the microwave lies. Next year we’ll hopefully have photos of our newly redone house. This is my last year before I have to retire from my church’s appointed ministry due to my age. I will work until November 1, 2026 and will return as a volunteer. I will also retire from subbing in 2026 when my credential runs out. It’s been 25 years! I published the 3 rd and final book in my Lone Trilogy, Grace aLONE. Find it on Amazon under Merrijoy W. Buist. I took two trips this year. I flew up to Seattle and took the Clipper ship with my friend Christy to Victoria, Canada. There I toured the beautiful Butchart Gardens, had high tea, and shopped. Then I spent two days at my brother Brian’s and his wife Terri and we had a mini-Seattle family reunion at Ma...
Read more

Walking in the Light

Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14 Isaiah prophesied in chapter 2 about people going up to the mountain of the Lord where God would teach them God’s ways and that they can walk in the Lord’s paths. The prophet beseeches the house of Judah to come and walk in the light of the Lord. In Romans Paul tells them to throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. By doing this they will walk decently by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ making no provision for the desires of the flesh – to step back into the darkness. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ is a phrase that comes from a baptism liturgy which implies taking off meaning repenting and putting on Christ as spiritual enlightenment and empowerment to live in the light. The early Roman church must have struggled with the items Paul condemns and tells them not to engage in. Many devout Christians today don’t revel, get drunk, have illicit sex, or are licentious. However, many can be caught in quarreling – insisting on your wa...
Read more

Not Being Weary in Doing Good

Isaiah 12, II Thessalonians 3:6-13 Isaiah has just told in chapter 11 about how the remnant of the Jews will return to Jerusalem. Their exile and hard life has come from worshipping foreign gods and not living God’s laws, not doing what is right. However, in chapter 12 he tells how God’s anger has turned away and has comforted him. The Lord is his strength and salvation and he praises the Lord for God has done gloriously. The time has come when the Israelites have returned to the Lord and are doing what is right. Our II Thessalonians passage exhorts the new brothers and sisters in Christ to not grow weary – or become tired of doing what is right. They are to keep away from those not living righteously according to the tradition they were taught by the apostles. These irresponsible folks are not doing any work. Paul tells how his apostles were an example to imitate since they worked day and night to support themselves, eat their own bread, to not burden the church. Paul and his fell...
Read more