One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Exodus 16:15. God has provided food for a hungry people and they look at it and mutter, “What is it?” How often has God tried to give me a gift and I looked at it and wondered, “What’s going on? What is it?” When God answers my prayer in a way different from what I expect, I might not recognize the gift God wants to give.
The Hebrew children called this bread “manna” (Exodus 16:31). The funny thing is that “manna” is the Hebrew mān hū for “What is it?”
Exodus 16:16 offers some wisdom for us to use in the distribution of food in the twenty-first century. God’s will (“The Lord has commanded...”) is that everyone has enough and no one has more at the expense of those with less. The church I attend has a “Little Free Pantry.” It is a large container that is always unlocked. It has in it all sorts of daily foods. Located in the church parking lot on a busy city street, it is emptied almost every day. I was inspired by what I heard one of the “clients” say the other day. He said, “I could probably use another can of beans and some of that soup, but I think I ought to leave it for someone who hasn’t got here yet.”
Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 8:8-15. Those verses are the insights of the apostle Paul on this matter of the fair balance between abundance and need. It is interesting to note that Paul offers his observations not as a commandment (v. 8), but as a way of testing the genuineness of our love for others.
Maybe I do not have extra food resources to share. Maybe I do not have spare financial accounts. Maybe I do not have clothes that pile up unused. But, what about my time? Can I share some of it with a lonely person? But, what about my prayer energy? Can I expand the range of those for whom I pray? But, what about my joy in church fellowship? Can I invite an “outsider” to be part of the gathered community?
In this Exodus text, there is a steady prompt to handle things differently on the Sabbath (vv. 22-30). I see this as a reminder that the final focus in all of this is to be on God, the God of us all.
What Someone Else Has Said: In Daily Devotions for Die-Hard Fans (Extra Point Publishers), Ed McMinn has written: “Whether it’s fast food or home-cooked, everything we eat is a gift from God secured through a divine plan in which some plants and animals have given up their lives....That’s worth a thank you!”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “You provide, O Lord...”
