Focal Passage: Exodus 16:11-19; 17:1-6
The flesh is a demanding taskmaster. Whether it wants to pursue excessive pleasure or have lunch on time, the flesh will dictate your life if you do not walk by the Spirit. After crossing the Red Sea, the immediate demands of the children of Israel were water, bread and meat. We can understand their thirst and hunger, but each occasion quickly escalated to sin against God and rebellion against His appointed leader.
When the manna fell, the Israelites were once again faced with the challenge to walk by faith and trust God for their daily needs. Sadly, they walked by sight, hoarded more manna than they needed, and soon found the extra manna to be rotten and full of worms. This catastrophe happened because they did not listen to Moses (Exodus 16:20).
Rust
Notice the text does not say that they failed to listen to God. While God was the ultimate source of direction, the leadership of Moses was a key part of His provision. Moses noted that the response of the children of Israel included both quarreling with him and testing the Lord (Exodus 17:2). Our flesh wants to push back when we read, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account” (Hebrews 13:17a), but we must submit to the authority of Scripture, including the parts our flesh does not like.
When the Jews demanded a miraculous sign so that they might believe in Jesus, they pointed to the manna in the wilderness as evidence of Moses’ authority. Jesus had already explained to these previous observers of His miracles that they only followed Him for the food! When they asked how they could perform the works of God, Jesus replied, “This is the work of God — that you believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29).
Surprisingly, they asked Him for another sign, which opened the discussion about manna in the wilderness. Like the children of Israel, most of the Jews living during Jesus’ earthly ministry could never see enough proof to lead them to walk with God by faith. Jesus continued with their historic example by stating, “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died … I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever” (John 6:49, 51).
Jesus proceeded to share words even more shocking: “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves” (John 6:53). What did Jesus mean by this saying?
He explained in quite memorable terms that the Israelites had a history of wanting what God could give them materially instead of wanting God Himself. Rather than just feasting on the manna God provided, they needed to find their satisfaction in God’s spiritual provision which culminated in Jesus.
Sadly, many disciples stopped following Him that day (John 6:66). Why? The treasure found in following Jesus is Jesus Himself. If you are not seeking to know God, you may take all the stuff God gives but you will never give your life to Him and experience the ultimate provision of eternal life. B&R
