Year in the Bible Week 6

Moses Strikes Water from the Rock from the ceiling of Scuola Grande di San Rocco by Jacopo Tintoretto, 1577

It’s a been a week of plagues and protection, and terror, redemption and victory.

This week started with the entire nation of Israel as slaves in Egypt and ended at Mount Sinai with them dependent of the Lord for their daily survival.

The vivd descriptions of each plague, were hard to read. Certainly, many goodhearted Egyptians were caught up in the wrath of God. Sometimes as Christians we feel like we are collateral damage in God’s retribution on someone else, but we have the comfort of knowing that God loves us, and that his plans and purposes are for his glory and our good. This can keep us courageous in difficult seasons.

I’ve always found the biblical account of manna fascinating. Lately I’ve been dieting and losing some weight, and it means that very often I’m eating the same thing day after day. But can you imagine eating the same thing every single day for forty years? The people seem ungrateful as they complain about the miracle of manna, and God calls them out for it, but I would encourage us to put ourselves in the Israelite’s shoes. God’s grace and provision don’t necessarily look like comfort and abundance, do they? The manna was their daily bread until they crossed the Jordan and tasted the promised land. I’ll bet the food of Canaan was delicious to them after forty years of the same thing! But remember that obedience bring that ultimate blessing. Later we will read about a fit of discontent where Moses ruined his chances of tasting the delicious food of Canaan by not following God’s instructions precisely.

This week God gives us the 10 commandments, and starts to build the foundations for civil law in his people. We also so early military victories by the Israelite men; fueled on manna alone! God is growing His nation!