24th.: No Food in the Wilderness of Sin, Part 2
Why no food!
God was training Israel.
God wanted to prove Israel by giving them the supernaturally produced grain called Manna.
God wanted to see if they would chose to obey him on a daily basis (Exo. 16:4).
Exo. 16:5-31 gives the story of the introduction, description, and rules for using Manna.
The Israelites had to eat Manna, for the next forty years, until they went into the Promised Land,
“And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the [Promised] land.” (Josh. 5:12).
For forty years, Israel had to look to God for food.
For forty years, God fed Israel with Manna.
Are we willing to look to God every day, year after year, for our basic needs?
Will we serve Jesus for the long term, or only while it is convenient?
If we will trust God to provide for the basic necessities of life (e.g. food),
we will believe him regarding the deeper needs of our souls as well.
How will this affect our prayers?
As complaints about His care for us?
Or as words of praise as He trains us?
“And he [the Lord] humbled thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knew not, neither did thy fathers know, that he might make thee know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord does man live.” (Deut. 8:3)
“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” (Heb. 5:8)