Today's readings are Exodus 16.13-35 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ex.+16.13-35 ) and Hebrews 10.19-39 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Heb.+10.19-39 ).
Today we read about God's miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness. Recall that the Hebrew word "manna" is sort of a question, meaning "huh?" What is this stuff God has put on the ground here? It's like bread, but not quite. And it can be cooked in lots of ways, though it doesn't seem to need cooking. It's real nourishment. Tastes good too.
Isn't it just like us to go bargain hunting? If someone were giving out food, lying on the ground all around, and my job was to collect it, I'm pretty sure I would try to stockpile it. What? Just collect enough for one day? Why? That's silly. It's dry stuff. It will keep for days, even weeks! But what happens when we doubt God's provision and God's command? The manna turns wormy and inedible.
Once that lesson is learned, we just collect enough for one day. But one day God commands us to collect twice as much. It seems a foolish thing to do. We know what will happen. Some people collect enough for two days, but some don't. Some trust God's providential command, and some don't. And those who don't trust God's command are out searching for manna, showing clearly that they didn't take God at his word. See how this moves God's anger against the people of Israel. How long will they doubt him? What more does he need to show them?
Aren't we the same? God has given us provision for our daily needs. He gives us our daily bread. All that we have is the work of his hands. Yet we doubt his word. We decide that our reason and logic is better than his. We decide that our ways, not his ways, are superior.
As the passage in Exodus calls us to repentance by showing us our faithlessness and God's providence, the passage in Hebrews gives us assurance. We can live trusting in Jesus, the high priest we have. We know that his cleansing, the propitiation that he has made on our behalf, his perfect life, death and resurrection is what brings us life.
How long are we going to rebel against God? How long will we mistrust his provision? The grim reality is that we will be doing that as long as he gives us life on this earth. Yet our Lord has given us this promise in the person of Jesus, the bread of life. He is indeed faithful. Let us encourage one another in this.
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