2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
We have learned how God provided bread for both physical and spiritual sustenance. Our journey continues as more of God’s teachings are revealed. It is important that this journey be more than a head trip for us though. So, as we travel the road it takes us on, keep in mind the question: how does this apply to my own life? I’ve been thinking about this question ever since this journey through the Bible on the subject of bread began. The biggest issue for me has been knowing that what God provides is sufficient for my needs. I can trust Him. It’s the same lesson that the Jews of the past had so much difficulty learning that an 11-day trek on foot from the Goshen area of northeastern Egypt to the southern border of what was then Canaan (Israel today) took them 40 years!
You all know I have said that God hasn’t given up on His chosen people, the Jews. He created those He calls to faith to spread His light to others. Even thought the history of the Israelites has been fraught with disobedience, there has always been the faithful remnant who remain obedient to Him. Since the time of Paul’s ministry, God has made the Gospel available to Gentiles too. However, there have been some groups who, with some exceptions, are excluded from the Lord’s people. This is revealed in DT 23. I should mention that hospitality is considered an important facet of Jewish culture. DT 23: 3-4, “No Ammonite or Moabite-or any of their descendants even in the tenth generation-may be included among the Lord’s people. They refused to provide you with food [bread] and water when you were on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor, from the city of Pethor in Mesopotamia, to curse you.” [You can read the story of Balaam in NU 22-24]. When we put this in the context of RO 8: 28, the impetus to obey God and be faithful to Him can’t be lost.
People who are faithful no matter what period of history they live in don’t forget the lessons of the past that God revealed. A beautiful example of this is Nehemiah, the Jewish captive who was sent by the Persian king Artaxerxes in about 445 BC to lead the first wave of Jews to return to their homeland, to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and to govern Judah. This signaled the end of the first dyaspora or scattering of the Jews. Once the wall was completed, he led the people in a prayer of confession. NE 9: 15 is significant because of a reminder of what came before in EX 16: 4-15, EX 17; 1-7, and DT 1: 21. NE 9: 15, “When they were hungry [the Jewish people], You [God] gave them bread from heaven, and water from a rock when they were thirsty. You told them to take control of the land which you had promised to them.” This paradigm is given to us as a reminder that we, too, need to know the lessons of the past and be blessed by making them a part of our lives.
David also understood the need to learn from what God revealed in his past. PS 104 is a song in praise of the Creator. PS 104: 14-15, “You make grass grow for the cattle and plants for man to use, so that he can grow his crops and produce wine to make him happy, olive oil to make him cheerful, and bread to give him strength.” David was reminding us where all that sustains us is from, God the Creator. When Paul was describing the unfaithful in RO 1: 18-32, he spoke of them worshipping the created instead of the creator. An observation of what is going on in a humanistic society today really brings this lesson into the present. As parents and grandparents, God has given us a tough job to do. We need to make young people aware of the trap that a materialistic society sets for them. We need to help them discover God’s tools of faith to combat this spiritual warfare that is in progress. While not an easy task for us, it is certainly of critical importance.
Since materialism is a form of idolatry, I would be remiss in not citing the passage in Isaiah in which it is ridiculed. Look for the mention of bread in this and consider its spiritual significance. IS 44: 15, 18-19, “A man uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he build a fire to warm himself and back bread; with the other part of it he makes a god and worships it.” “such people are too stupid to know that what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth. The maker of idols has not the wit or sense to say, ‘Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!’ “ Christ deals with this issue in MT 6:24, “No one can be a slave of two masters, he will hate one and love the other; he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” In tomorrow’s message God is prompting me to take a look at the citations which really connect our Savior with bread. So, be patient Dear Ones, as He sheds light on the spiritual significance of the bread in all these OT citations that we’ve looked at over the last few days.
PRAYER: O Lord, You are to be praised and thanked for revealing meaningful lessons for our lives through the models set by people who have come before us. You teach us the value of obedience by the experiences of the Jews wandering in the desert and show us why some people are rejected by You by the experiences of the Ammonites and the Moabites. Because of Your love for us, You show us the negative consequences of idolatry not matter what form it takes. You also show us the value of not forgetting what You reveal by the experiences of people like Nehemiah and encourage us to worship You, not what You created. How blessed we are that You are the Lord of our lives! In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will really see how our Lord Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. Peter and I send you our love and prayers that every day of your lives will be God-led and richly blessed.
Grace, Peace, and Love in Christ,
Lynn