If you had to eat the same meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? For me, that is a more difficult question than it at first appears. My initial reaction is of course bacon covered bacon. But, as delicious as that sounds, eating bacon every day for the rest of one’s life probably will result in a rather short life. Something like Tofu soy salad would probably be better for you but eating tofu soy salad every day for the rest of your life would likely make you pray for death. I think you would have to pick a food somewhere between bacon and tofu because if the flavors are too distinctive or too bland, I think you would get sick of the food faster. I think you would want to pick something that is healthy but not horrible, tasty but not too tasty. I don’t know what food fits that description today but 3,500 years ago the food that best fit that description was called manna.
The echoes of Miriam’s song of praise should have still been ringing in their ears. It had only been a month and a half since the LORD, with 10 powerful plagues, had delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and with the miraculous parting of the Red Sea delivered them from death at the hands of Pharaoh. And as if that were not enough God lead them out of Egypt like a victorious army plundering wealth from the Egyptians as they went. “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and the rider he has hurled into the sea.”[1], Miriam and the girls sang. You would think Miriam’s song of praise would still be sung among the people, but three days after they left the shores of the Red Sea the whining started, “I’m thirsty” they grumbled. “I’m hungry”, they complained. Moses was probably ready to threaten to turn the car around and go back to Egypt. But it’s a good thing he didn’t use that threat because, inexplicably, that is exactly what the children of Israel wanted him to do. “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”[2]
What a bunch of spoiled brats! I mean who does that? After all the Lord had done for them; after He had set them free from slavery, after He had delivered them from death, after He had lined their pockets with gold, still they grumbled and complained. Apparently, it wasn’t enough. Apparently, they wanted more. Spoiled brats, every one of them.
Certainly, you and I are more grateful than they, right? God has set us free from slavery to sin, God has delivered us from eternal death and as if that were not enough God has lined our pockets with more gold than most. So, we would never grumble about what we don’t have; we would never complain that we want more, right? Isn’t it amazing how quickly we become discontent? Isn’t it amazing how closely we resemble the Israelites? ‘All my classmates back in Egypt have the new iPhone, Sambas, and Owala water bottles.’ ‘My Egyptian neighbors have bigger houses, newer cars, nicer clothes, and they go on more exciting vacations.’ Even with all we have, isn’t it amazing that we always seem to want more? We grumble and complain about what we don’t have because we too are spoiled brats.
After all the LORD had done for them, the Israelites grumbled and complained about what they didn’t have. In reply, our God of grace rained down bread from heaven for them. “13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.” Despite their grumbling and complaining about what they didn’t have, their God of grace rained down bread from heaven. The Israelites called the bread manna. They described it as a wafer made with honey (in my mind I have always pictured frosted flakes). The manna was healthy but not horrible, tasty but not too tasty which is good because for some of them this would be the only meal they would eat for the rest of their lives.
Despite our grumbling and complaining about what we don’t have, our God of grace continues to provide for the physical needs of spoiled brats like you and me. Though miraculous manna does not fall from the sky for us to eat, it is His sun that produces the photosynthesis needed to make things grow. It is His rain that hydrates the gardens and field and orchards. It is His soil that feeds nutrients to the grains and fruits and vegetables. Miraculous manna no longer falls from heaven, but our God of grace continues to provide for the physical needs of spoiled brats like me and you.
For 40 years, until they entered the promised land, our God of grace provided for the physical needs of the Israelites with manna. But manna isn’t the only thing our God of grace gave them. He also gave them maggots. You see, the Israelites were given instructions as to how they were to gather the manna. Moses told them, “16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer (about 3.5 pounds) for each person you have in your tent.’ ”… 19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” … Finally, Moses said, 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.” With these instructions our God of grace was providing for the spiritual needs of the Israelites. Basically, God told them, “you will have everything you need for today, don’t worry about tomorrow, and trust that when you make your God of grace a priority you will not be in want because of it.” Our God of grace says the same things to you and to me. In Luke 11:3 Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us each day our daily bread.” In Matthew 6:34 Jesus says, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Our God of grace was teaching the Israelites and through them teaches us not to depend on our physical blessings. Our God of grace wants us to enjoy the physical blessings He gives us, but He doesn’t want us to enjoy them so much that we chase after them, horde them, sacrifice our relationship with our God for them. “you will have everything you need for today, don’t worry about tomorrow, and trust that when you make your God of grace a priority you will not be in want because of it.” Our God of grace continues to instruct.
The Israelites heard the instructions their God of grace gave them. However, some of them tried to gather more than they needed, some of them tried to store up the manna, some of them went seeking for manna instead of observing the Sabbath. And that is when our God of grace gave them maggots. Mosses tells us, “20 some of them paid no attention…; they kept part of it (the manna) until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.” Our God of grace could have, rightly should have opened the ground beneath their greedy feet and swallowed these disobedient Israelites up. But He didn’t. Instead, He sent maggots to show them how temporary the things of this earth truly are. He sent maggots so that they might smell the stink of their own rebellion. He sent maggots so that they might learn to put their trust in God and God alone.
Our God of grace sent maggots to provide for the spiritual needs of the Israelites. Our God of grace continues to do the same for you and for me. The things of this earth are truly temporary. No matter what thing you think will give you give you pleasure, happiness, or security that thing won’t last. Automobiles breakdown, houses fall apart, clothes wear, tear, and fade. Eyesight grows weak, muscles atrophy, bones become brittle, unstable, and break. You can chase after the things of this world, horde them, sacrifice your relationship with your God to get them, but in the end the things of this earth, all of them, turn into maggots. Our God of grace fills our lives full of maggots so that we might also learn to put our trust in God and God alone. Our God of grace fills our lives full of maggots to provide for our spiritual needs.
Our God of grace gives manna and maggots to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of His people. But our God of grace has still more to give. Moses told the Israelites, “29 the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” There is a reason why our God of grace was so insistent the Israelites observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be a day of rest; a day when the people of God paused in their pursuit of manna and learned about their Messiah.
Here is where you and I have a significant advantage over the Israelites. From Moses and the prophets, they learned about the coming Messiah. Through the gospels and epistles, we learn of the Messiah Who has already come. In the gospel of John, we learn about a Messiah who is better than manna. Like Manna our Messiah came down from heaven. Like manna our Messiah sustains life. But unlike manna our Messiah was not, indeed could not be infested with maggots. Our Messiah was nailed to a tree where He suffered and ultimately died in order that our sins of grumbling and greed might be punished. Our Messiah was buried in the earth, where He should have been consumed by maggots. But with power that defied both death and devil our Messiah rose from the dead. Our Messiah ascended into heaven. Our Messiah now sits on His throne in heaven and from that throne our Messiah announces that your sins; your sins of grumbling like a spoiled brat, your sins of greedily chasing after the things of this world, and all your other sins as well, all your sins have been forgiven.
If you had to choose one meal that you would eat for the rest of your life, manna wouldn’t be a bad option. But all manna eventually turns to maggots. That is why I am so grateful we have something better than manna. We have the bread of life; we have Jesus our Messiah. Through Jesus our Messiah our God of grace provides for our eternal needs.
As He once did for the Israelites, He continues to do for you and for me. Our God of grace provides for our physical, spiritual, and eternal needs. Our God of grace gives us manna, maggots, and the Messiah. Amen.
[1] Exodus 15:21
[2] Exodus 16:3