Bread From Heaven
When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” because they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given to you as food to eat. (Exodus 16:15)
After the Israelites fled from Egypt, they went into the desert, where there was no food for them. They became hungry and complained against Moses for bringing them out into the wilderness to starve to death. They did not appreciate that God had freed them from their slavery, nor did they trust that God would provide for them. Already they were grumbling about their situation and wishing that God had left them alone in Egypt.
God heard their grumbling and he told Moses that he would send food for the people. In the evening, God sent quail for the people to eat, and in the morning, he sent bread from heaven. The Israelites called the bread “manna.” And God gave them specific instructions on gathering the manna. They were only allowed to gather enough manna for that day. If they kept more than that, it would go bad. But on the sixth day, they were to gather enough for two days. This was so that they could rest ont he seventh day, just as God did when he created the world. But some of them did not listen to God. They went out to gather on the seventh day. THe seventh day was the day to focus on God’s grace and mercy to his people. It was a day to praise God for providing for them.
God gives us food to eat, clothes to wear, shelter from the elements, and so much more. He provides us with more than we need. And sometimes, we grumble against God for providing us with such great blessings. When that happens, we need to take time to rest. We go to God’s Word where we find the spiritual food that he gives us to nourish our souls. It is that spiritual food that feeds our faith to trust in the God who provides for us. God’s Word is the spiritual bread that the Lord has given to us as food for our soul. Let us not starve ourselves, but instead be filled with this heavenly food. Amen.
The song for today is “Bread of Heaven” by Jesse Manibusan