Hello siblings
I truly appreciate it when we reflect together on God’s word. After our reflections yesterday, I got a response from one of you, who had connected the salvation to the Last Supper Y’shua shared with the disciples. I certainly didn’t think of that, but it is entirely feasible. Thanks Asenath. Now, we’ll shift our focus from the evening’s meat, to the ‘daily’ morning bread. I know you’re already beginning to think this through. Let’s see what we can deduce together as we consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Exodus 16:8 AFV
[8] And Moses said, “You will see when the Lord shall give you flesh to eat at sunset and bread to the full at sunrise, for the Lord hears your murmurings which you murmur against Him. And what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.”
Meat and Bread 2
We noted that the meat, whatever it would be, would rain down in the evening, and the bread in the morning. We also noted that the order of the food suggested a new creation was being instituted. And, while we reflected on the possible significance of the meat, we had not focused on the bread.
Despite their grumbling, access to food was a real concern. We recall that in those days, there were no shops, no Uber Eats, no Amazon, no fast food places, and nowhere to simply go find food. Bread was a staple in their era, and should have been fairly simple to make, especially if it was unleavened. And, if it were as dry as the unleavened bread we have today, a little bit goes a long way. It is no wonder that when they saw their stock dwindling, and couldn’t see the Land of Promise, they got grumpy, and forgot Who it was that rescued them from Egypt.
Self-Check
What triggers move us from faith to worry? Do we murmur about others in such instances?
Deeper Dive
So many biblical references come to mind in relation to bread. They include:
Y’shua’s famous quote in Luke 4, that, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord’
Y’shua’s other famous quote, one of His IAM Statements, also bears including, ‘IAM the Bread of Life, those who eat of me will never die.’ This quote appears in three ways in John 6, as Y’shua insisted that eating the Bread of Life alleviates hunger in verse 35, then stated once again that He is the Bread of Life in verse 48, and included eternal life as a reward for eating the Bread of Life in verse 51.
Of course, we can’t miss the obvious request in the prayer Y’shua offered as a model… ‘Give us today our daily bread’ in both Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3. I’ve noted before that this statement seems to have a direct link to the Exodus miracle.
Let us also remember that at that Last Supper, Y’shua presented both bread and wine as symbols of remembrance and hope. Y’shua instructed the disciples, and now us, to remember the sacrifice – His glory revealed – and anticipate His return.
What we hear then, is a caution to focus less on the fleshy desires, and to focus more on the One Who supplies our needs. When we recognise that Y’shua is all the bread we need, we will hunger only for Him, gaining eternal life in the process. (I can also hear that invitation from Isaiah 55:1-2 to come buy without money, to eat and drink to satisfaction.)
In the Great Feast, we are offered the memories of the various ways Christ has saved us, and we are invited to reflect on God’s glory through Calvary, as we prepare ourselves in the sure and certain hope of Y’shua’s return. So, we feast on Christ daily – He is our daily bread.
Of course, this does not fully offer us an explanation of morning bread. In that regard, some scholars connect it with God’s presence and provision of ‘enough’. Hence we sing, ‘praise God from whom all blessings flow ‘. If morning speaks to new beginnings after the night that was, it is possible to see God’s presence and provision as a reminder that as stark and grim as our nights may be, God makes a way in the morning.
So, as we face life changes: conflict, climate injustice, terror, famine, food scarcity, closed borders, domestic and other forms of violence and abuse, discrimination of all kinds, economic injustice, fear and danger… etc.,
God invites us to eat of the Bread of Life, recognising there’s plenty for all with baskets left over for the others yet to come.
Therein lies the revelation of God’s glory. When we can see that there’s enough of Christ for all of us, and more to spare, no one suffers lack in their times of crisis.
Point to Ponder
Having received the Bread of Life that forever satisfies, will we share with others who are hungry?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
