BEN F. VICK, JR.
By a mighty hand and stretched out arm, God delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, that Iron Furnace. God had made promise to Abraham hundreds of years before that his seed would be strangers and servants in a land that was not theirs, but in the fourth generation they return to the land in which he lived. In fulfillment of that promise, Israel having been delivered from slavery, having crossed the Red Sea on dry land, are led by Moses into the wilderness of Sin. They are carping and complaining about no bread to eat, wishing to be back in Egypt where they did eat bread to the full. In Egypt God had seen their affliction, heard their cries and sighs. He had observed their moaning and groaning under the yoke of cruel bondage. God did not save them from bondage to die in the wilderness for lack of bread. Moses wrote of God’s provision of bread for his people: “Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” (Exodus 16:4–5.)
Every morning for forty years of tramping, trudging, and tromping through that arid, dry, and dusty desert, the Israelites would arise and gather “angels’ food.” God sent them meat to the full (Psalm 78:25). It was manna in the morning, food for the day. On the sixth day of each week, they gathered enough for seventh day, the sabbath. The bread was fresh every morning. It was called “Manna” (marginal note: “What is it?”). It was a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. It looked like coriander seed, white; and tasted like wafers made of honey. Every man was to gather an omer, according to the number of persons in his tent. An omer was equal to about a tenth of a bushel. God amply supplied their needs.
The Israelites were an ungrateful people, but each morning the manna was provided for them. All they had to do was get up and gather it. Their daily need for bread was met each morning, regardless of their constant complaining. I do not know if they prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread” but it was provided, whether they asked for it or not. Their “carcasses fell in the wilderness” because of unbelief. They buried their loved ones in the sand dunes of that seemingly God-forsaken-wilderness; however, God, the Giver of Every Good and Perfect Gift, still rained down manna from above for them. God’s people did not need to worry about having bread for the next day.
However, as now, so then, Israel grew tired of God’s provisions. They forgot from whom all blessings flow. Nearing the end of that long journey through the wilderness, their souls loathed that “light bread.” God had enough of their carping. He sent fiery serpents to bite the people. Many died. When they pleaded with Moses to pray to the Lord on their behalf, Moses made intercession for them. God told Moses to make a brass serpent, put in the middle of the camp and all who looked upon it would live. Moses did this. The people were spared of more deaths. The next morning, God rained down manna for heaven once more. He gave them what they needed.
Many years later the Jews did not forget how God sustained their ancestors in that wilderness with bread from heaven. The Jews said to Jesus, “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, he [meaning Moses] gave them bread from heaven to eat.” Jesus corrected them. John wrote, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” (John 6:32–33.) They did not understand. They said to him, “Lord, evermore give us this bread.” They did not understand that Jesus was the true bread: “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35.)
Jesus is the staff of our spiritual life. He sustains us every day. He is fresh every morning. We must gather our “omer” full and partake of the Bread of Life each day by opening his word and meditating upon it. A day without Jesus is a day without strength for the day. Do we spend time in God’s word each day? Do we bow our heads and humble our hearts in thanksgivings and supplications to God through our mediator Jesus each day? Do we daily ask God to forgive our sins made possible by the precious blood of Jesus? Do we walk in the light of God’s word as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, our perfect Savior and Sustainer? He is the Bread of Life. Do we partake daily of his word?
Jesus said, “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:48–51.) Those who partake of the Bread of Life will not die spiritually; they will be sustained; they will ultimately live eternally with God in heaven.
Let us gather the True Bread each morning. Let us break Bread together on our knees.