Exodus 16.13b-14, 31 
NASU
“...and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground.”
“The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey.”
Every day for forty years God rained “bread from heaven” (Exodus 16.4) sustaining His people during their travels in the wilderness. They were instructed to gather just enough “manna” to satisfy their hunger for that day. Except for the morning before weekly Sabbath, when they gathered double the daily portion, the Israelites were allowed an omer-ful each. That’s a little more than 2 quarts per person. It did not work to gather more and store it for a rainy day. Leftovers “got wormy and smelled bad” (Exodus 16.20 “The Message”).
About 1,500 years later Jesus Christ appeared as manna on the barren landscape. He became food for spiritually starved wilderness dwellers. He claimed, “I am the bread that came down from heaven” and “Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6.41, 58 NIV).
Jesus earned a following and taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6.9-11 KJV).
“Give us this day”...our daily portion of Bread who is Jesus. That’s how the Lord taught his followers to pray. This morning I am allowed an omer-ful of Jesus. He’s everything I need. Jesus gives me enough strength, peace, love, purpose, joy, patience, and courage to live victoriously for the next twenty-four hours. I am fed with the bread from heaven.
Incidentally, a typical adult human stomach can easily hold about a quart of food.[1] Apparently my daily dosage of one omer (over two quarts) of heaven’s bread is more than enough. No need to store up for tomorrow. I can gather more of Jesus then. But for now, an omer-ful of “the bread that came down from heaven” is all I need.
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
“I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
“...he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
“I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
“...he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Jesus, Matthew 6.11; John 6.41, 58
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[1] The stomach is an organ of digestion. Its capacity is about 1 qt (0.94 liters) in an adult. (Source: http://www.mamashealth.com/organs/stomach.asp.)
The famous image of a man offering prayer before a meal is entitled "Grace." It was originally a photograph of Charles Wilden, a saleman who showed up at Eric Enstrom's photographic studio in 1918. In Mr. Enstrom's words: "There was something about the old gentleman's face that immediately impressed me. I saw that he had a kind face... there weren't any harsh lines in it." Enstrom was preparing a portfolio of pictures to take with him to a convention of the Minnesota Photographer's Association. "I wanted to take a picture that would show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for." The photo was later copied in oil paint and was designated as Minnesota's state photograph in 2002.
[1] The stomach is an organ of digestion. Its capacity is about 1 qt (0.94 liters) in an adult. (Source: http://www.mamashealth.com/organs/stomach.asp.)
The famous image of a man offering prayer before a meal is entitled "Grace." It was originally a photograph of Charles Wilden, a saleman who showed up at Eric Enstrom's photographic studio in 1918. In Mr. Enstrom's words: "There was something about the old gentleman's face that immediately impressed me. I saw that he had a kind face... there weren't any harsh lines in it." Enstrom was preparing a portfolio of pictures to take with him to a convention of the Minnesota Photographer's Association. "I wanted to take a picture that would show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for." The photo was later copied in oil paint and was designated as Minnesota's state photograph in 2002.
(Sources: "Grace" by Enstrom at https://gracebyenstrom.com/wp/story/ and Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, chapter 1.1498 "State photograph," 2004 at https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/data/revisor/statutes/2004/1/1498.html).-
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3 comments:
Great breakfast conversation as always this morning. What we need to get for next week is some video footage from the 1959 Civil War Game with Dave Powell blowing through the OSU defensive line for two touchdowns. (I'm not making that up, it's a statistical fact)
My journal entry for Friday: (Actually wrote it down yesterday)
"The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name."
----Exodus ch 15, vs 3.
There is a belief among some that the church has become "feminized" in recent years. The focus, or so it is said, is on emphasizing the Jesus who is loving, gentle, kind and compassionate. Certainly he is all of those things and just as certainly we are called upon to be the same. Yet Jesus was and is also a warrior. He has to be or we would have to deny the doctrine of the trinity. In the book of John we read that "Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables and exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here. How dare you turn my Father's house into a market."
---John ch 2, vs 13-16.
A few things have to be noted here:
1) This is not the behavior of a person with an anger management problem. He didn't "fly off the handle." He actually stopped and thought about what he was doing long enough to make his own weapon. Which means:
2) He armed himself like a warrior, and
3) He clearly took command of the situation. All of which leads us to:
4) He referred to the temple as "my Father's house." He could have said: "our Father's house" but he didn't. He was clearly making a distinction between himself and everyone else in the temple. In other words, he both saw and sees himself as having a special relationship with God that you and I do not have. Jesus is God. Therefore:
5) What would Jesus do? He would kick butt and take down names. Jesus was and is a warrior in every sense of the word.
----CMM
Jesus is a warrior. Amen!
I enjoyed your post. We need warriors for Jesus. God Bless You.
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