Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”
On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”
(Exodus 16:25-29 ESV)
On this passage Robert Alter says:
Or, to put it another way, God gives us a bounty and we blow it off. God gave Adam and Eve the entire world, a lush garden, animals, each other, himself and they decided that that wasn't enough. They just had eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as well. God gave the Israelites manna and quail every day for six days with the promise that the amount gathered on the sixth day would be enough for the Sabbath. They just had to doubt, which also played out in greed and hoarding.
This happens in my own life. God has given me wonderful friends, good books, a fit body to play around outside, His Word, and what do I do? You guessed it, I'm selfish; I hoard; I have anxiety; I trade in the inestimable blessings God has given me at times for much lesser things or ways of spending my time and thoughts.
But what a good reminder from Exodus - just as God would miraculously keep the Manna over night for the Israelites will he not keep us in his favor?! Will he not protect us if we are faithful? Sure, things may temporarily, or physically look glum, but in terms of what really matters, will God not keep us and be faithful to us, always providing? Will not our minds be renewed if we spend time with Him in the Word?
How sad that while God gives us a bounty we stick our nose up and say that it is not enough. But how wonderful that He truly is enough and his atonement on the cross will always be enough for the worst in us and of us.
On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”
(Exodus 16:25-29 ESV)
On this passage Robert Alter says:
The refractory nature of the people - or perhaps one should say their anxiety and their greed - is manifested even in their response to this bounty from God that has come to answer their complaints. In this case, it turns out that the prohibition announced by Moses is actuated by a perfectly practical consideration: the manna will not keep overnight (except, miraculously, on the Sabbath).
Or, to put it another way, God gives us a bounty and we blow it off. God gave Adam and Eve the entire world, a lush garden, animals, each other, himself and they decided that that wasn't enough. They just had eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as well. God gave the Israelites manna and quail every day for six days with the promise that the amount gathered on the sixth day would be enough for the Sabbath. They just had to doubt, which also played out in greed and hoarding.
This happens in my own life. God has given me wonderful friends, good books, a fit body to play around outside, His Word, and what do I do? You guessed it, I'm selfish; I hoard; I have anxiety; I trade in the inestimable blessings God has given me at times for much lesser things or ways of spending my time and thoughts.
But what a good reminder from Exodus - just as God would miraculously keep the Manna over night for the Israelites will he not keep us in his favor?! Will he not protect us if we are faithful? Sure, things may temporarily, or physically look glum, but in terms of what really matters, will God not keep us and be faithful to us, always providing? Will not our minds be renewed if we spend time with Him in the Word?
How sad that while God gives us a bounty we stick our nose up and say that it is not enough. But how wonderful that He truly is enough and his atonement on the cross will always be enough for the worst in us and of us.
No comments:
Post a Comment