15 April 2010
Psalm 18:1-20; Exod. 16:10-22; 1 Pet. 2:11-25; John 15:12-27

The provision of manna that first day must have been incredibly confusing and strange. White flakes lying on the ground become food for the entire nation, no matter how much you gather it is the same amount and if you leave it overnight it turns rancid. Strange stuff to say the least, but it was provided by God out of nothing. It certainly seemed to whet their appetite for more, but not enough to trust God for the land as we will see later. It was never meant for forty years of sustenance, that was a choice the people made.

God has offered His Son for the people yet they have rejected Him. Jesus has spoken of Himself as bread from heaven and they didn’t want God’s offer, they wanted material bread not spiritual bread. The work of the disciples and now us is to offer that bread to the world. Jesus warns the disciples that they will suffer the same fate as He will, rejection by some, they should not expect to be welcomed by all. We are offering the bread of life and yet it seems unpalatable to some who want more, not understanding that there is nothing more, nor could there be. The offer of Jesus is His life and for some that is not enough, it is as incomprehensible that a man who died on a cross could be the Son of God, a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice for our sins, as was the manna in the wilderness. There is still a choice to make regarding this bread.

We need to recall that we are aliens and exiles. It is that identity that will allow us to abstain from the desires of the flesh that lead to sin. Manna was food for exiles prior to coming to their own land, but the people wanted the foods from Egypt, frequently recalling the bounty of that place and longing for what they once had rather than what is to come. Jesus has given us the example of how to live in this world while pointing towards the next and He has given us His Spirit to enable us to follow that example. He has taken away our burden, the burden of sin, so that we might travel with strength. Our desire is to be for Him and His kingdom.

I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.