REFORMED CHURCH, BELLVILLE: SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2002: MORNING SERVICE

Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Beloved, grace and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ through the mighty working of God the Holy Spirit.
AMEN.

Psalm of Praise: Psalm 84:1,2.

Creed: APOSTLES' CREED

1.        I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
2.        And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord;
3.        Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary;
4.        Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell;
5.        The third day He rose again from the dead;
6.        He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
7.        From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
8.        I believe in the Holy Spirit.
9.        I believe a holy catholic Church, the communion of saints;
10.      The forgiveness of sins;
11.      The resurrection of the body;
12.      And the life everlasting.
        AMEN

The Law
Psalm 65:2.
Prayer.
Scripture reading: Exodus 16:1-21.
Hymn 17:1,5,6.

Text: Exodus 16:4.
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction."
During Israel's journey through the wilderness to the promised land of Canaan, the Lord taught them how a child of God should live before the Lord. If we now follow the course of events on Israel's journey, we can also learn from these how we should look upon various aspects of life.

We notice that the Lord from time to time brought upon Israel a period of suffering so that they could thoroughly understand the lesson that God wished to teach them.

At the Red Sea the pharaoh cornered them. At Marah the water was bitter and undrinkable. In the passage which we will be dealing with this morning, there was once again a crisis. Their provisions had nearly run out. In the wilderness food was scarce. How would they survive?

The Lord used this situation to teach them something important. Just as at Marah, we again hear: "...I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction." What lesson were they to learn here?
"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day..."  (verse 4).
We should understand the situation as follows: When they experienced the problem of obtaining provisions in the wilderness, Israel longed for a return to the fleshpots of Egypt. Let us, first of all, understand what is meant by that.

In Egypt they were the slaves of the pharaoh. They had to work very hard, and in return they received from the pharaoh plenty of food and everything required for their keep: accommodation, clothing, medicines, etc. The pharaoh provided for his slaves, and in return they had to provide labour. He could have them driven with whips to work harder, but there was always enough food. We could thus say: they worked hard for their food.

Is the situation so very different today in our society? We are, of course, no longer actually slaves who are not paid for our work. We provide work, and are paid for it. With what we earn we can buy what we need. In essence the situation is still the same. Your employer decides what your services are worth to him and he pays you accordingly. If you want to earn more, you must become more valuable to your employer, or you must undertake additional work to earn more money. It amounts to this: your work provides you with a living - you earn your living. That is why so many desire to become rich, because then they need no longer work - then you would have enough to live on. In this way many people today become and are in fact also slaves. It is a hard world. If you earn nothing, you go hungry. To obtain money, that is what motivates people to work. You work for your living.

Is this a wrong outlook on life? After all, Paul told the Thessalonians:
If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat either. (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
From this it would seem that it is also the Biblical rule that one must earn one's living. Yet the Lord teaches Israel in the wilderness that they must live otherwise than in Egypt.

The Lord let bread rain from heaven every day to feed them. He instructed them to gather what He gave them. There was thus no uncertainty or anxiety about whether or not one would on any particular day be able to earn one's living.It was there; the Lord provided it. They just had to gather it. That made a great difference. They no longer had to earn their living. Their Father in heaven provided it. He Himself determined how much they needed. They received it from His hand like grateful children. By doing so they honoured Him by carrying out His instructions.

If we were to apply this in our own time and circumstances, it would mean: You do not work to earn a living; you live to work. The Lord gives you your talents and He provides you with the opportunity to apply these in service. You therefore work under His authority and instructions. You work for Him in order to honour and glorify Him. In this way you gather the manna with which He provides for your needs. He determines your income, your salary or your profits. You thus do not earn your income by working. By working you gather what the Lord wishes to give you. You can never say: This is my money, I earned it. It is always something bestowed on you by your Father in heaven and which you gathered by being obedient to Him.

This also applies to people who receive a pension or who live on the interest on their investments. The Lord provides that like the manna from heaven. You gather this every day when you receive it gratefully and live to serve and honour God.

This attitude requires of one always to take the Lord into account and to do as He says. He is your master and He is in control of your life. This is difficult for people to accept. One would prefer to earn one's living oneself. Then it feels as if one is in control of one's life. That is why we also frequently long for the fleshpots of Egypt. We think: The Lord does not take good care of me - I could do better. When you think like this, you are once again a slave and no longer a child of God. Then you must solve your problems on your own. Then there will always be the uncertainty: Will I have enough? You are then on your own, and there would be no point in seeking the blessing of the Lord.

That is then the lesson. It is the test God sets His children. God takes care of His children. Every day you must go forth to gather what the Lord provides for you. Jesus teaches us to begin this by praying: Give us this day our daily bread. Then you do not work to earn a living. Then you work to honour God.

Every time you have problems, or a setback or damage, or loss of work, or you think you cannot manage on your salary - then it is the Lord testing you: Are you a slave in Egypt, or are you a child of God? Are you earning your living, or do you gather what your Father gives you? Do you do everything you do just to be in your employer's good books, or do you pray to your Father: Give us this day our daily bread? These two viewpoints are directly opposed to one another. You must choose. If you earn your living you are again a slave in Egypt. If you gather what the Lord provides, and so live before Him with a grateful heart, you are His child, and He will solve your problems.

Jesus affirms this when He declares: I am the bread that came out of heaven (John 6:41). The manna in the wilderness points to Him. It shows how He is continually present in our lives. We find Him wherever we are occupied with our jobs and other daily concerns. Then we hear Him say:
"Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die." (John 6:47-50).
In this way faith in Jesus Christ becomes a way of life. One every day gathers manna and so lives as a child of God who acknowledges, serves and glorifies Him. This also gives you an outlook upon eternal life. But everyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ remains a slave - a slave of his work, a slave of his possessions, a slave to his desires.

Don't think: It is so very easy to gather manna. The manna consisted of tiny grains which had to be picked up from sandy soil. But there was no anxiety or fear that one would not be able to gather enough. Your Father in heaven sees to it that there will be sufficient for your needs.

If we look upon our daily task in this way it becomes a pleasure and no longer a tiresome duty. Then you live from moment to moment in close contact with your Father in heaven, and you will see the wonders of His works.  AMEN.

Closing prayer.

Closing Psalm: 31:15,17,19.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. AMEN.

Rev. J.A.Jooste (Emeritus),
Reformed Church, Bellville.
22 September 2002.
Scripture quoted from NASB.