Scripture Daily

Context No. 2297 of 4322 · Exodus

Context · Reflection

Exodus 16:1-5: in context

1They took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; 3and the children of Israel said to them, “We wish that we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the sky for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5It shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

As Israel journeys in the wilderness and their food runs low, they grumble against Moses, wishing they had died in Egypt where they sat by the meat pots and ate their fill. God responds not with rebuke but with provision: I will rain bread from heaven for you. But he attaches a condition that becomes a discipline: the people are to go out and gather a day's portion every day, only what they need for that day. By this, God says, I will test them, whether they will walk in my law. The manna was to be gathered daily, teaching Israel to depend on God day by day.

The daily gathering of the manna was a deliberate discipline in dependence. God could have provided a great store all at once; instead he gave the manna day by day, to be gathered each morning, only enough for that day. The people could not hoard it or secure themselves against the future; they had to return each day for that day's provision, depending on God afresh each morning. This taught them a daily dependence, to trust God for today's bread and to return to him each day for the next. And it was a test, God says, of whether they would trust and obey him in this daily dependence. This holds a discipline for us, whose instinct is to secure ourselves against the future rather than depend on God day by day. We would rather have a great store laid up, enough to secure us against tomorrow, so that we need not depend day by day. But God often provides, as he provided the manna, day by day, teaching us a daily dependence, to trust him for today's needs and to return to him each day for the next. Give us today our daily bread, Jesus teaches us to pray; the prayer is for daily bread, taught day by day, not a store that ends our dependence. God trains us in a dependence that trusts him for each day. This daily dependence frees us from the anxiety that tries to secure the whole future at once. We can be consumed with securing ourselves against tomorrow, laying up against every possible future need, anxious to have enough stored to end our dependence. But God calls us to a daily trust: to depend on him for today, and to trust him for tomorrow when it comes, gathering our manna day by day. Do not be anxious about tomorrow, Jesus says; sufficient for the day is its own trouble. The daily dependence God taught Israel frees us from the anxiety that would secure the whole future at once, teaching us to receive each day's provision from his hand and to trust him for the next. This calls us to a daily dependence on God rather than an anxious securing of the future. Israel gathered the manna day by day, learning to depend on God each morning for that day's provision; and we too are called to a daily trust, receiving today's needs from God's hand and trusting him for tomorrow, rather than being consumed with securing the whole future at once. His mercies, Lamentations says, are new every morning; and we are called to receive them morning by morning, depending on God day by day, gathering our daily bread from his hand as Israel gathered the manna, and trusting him afresh each day.

Is my instinct to secure myself against the future all at once, laying up against every possible need so that I need not depend day by day, and can the manna, which God gave to be gathered daily, only enough for each day, teaching Israel a daily dependence, move me to a daily trust in God, receiving today's needs from his hand and trusting him for tomorrow, rather than being consumed with securing the whole future, praying and living, give us today our daily bread?

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