That I May ProveThem

Exo 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Exo 16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.


The Lord wanted to PROVE the children of Israel that He'd just delivered from slavery in Egypt. Would they walk in his law or no? Would they listen to God or not? What was the test?


Manna.


The people needed food, God would provide food but there was a catch. God would place conditions on this food. The people were NOT to store the food from heaven over night, there were to be NO leftovers allowed. Not all people listened though, some did try to keep leftovers and this happened when they did…


Exo 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.


The leftovers were covered in worms and stank.


Praise God it was only SOME of them and not all, because if all of them hadn't listened, well who knows what might have happened.


God would feed His people but they had to obey Him if they wanted food from Him - it was that simple. This food would not keep overnight. You were to take ONLY that which you could eat that day and no more.


But that wasn't all--


God had laws and He wanted His people to have these laws, these commandments, and God wanted to know whether or not the people were going to obey Him.


God told the people through Moses to gather TWICE as much on the sixth day.


Why?


Because God had a law, God had a commandment that was first instituted in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, a commandment the people had not been at liberty to keep as slaves. That law, that commandment was to REST on the SEVENTH DAY.


GOD who needs no rest created a REST DAY for man. God created a day for man to remember HIM- their Creator. This day was so important that God conditioned the food He would give people upon it. Is there any better reminder than to condition food- life's sustenance upon- upon this command of God's?


We eat daily. We were created to eat daily. God provided food for every single day- but not ON every single day.


On ONE special day God would double the allotment of food, why? So people would have food on a day God only wanted them to rest upon and NOT go out to gather the food.


God wanted to PROVE the people to know whether or not they would obey Him. If they would obey him in this then there was a chance they'd obey Him completely- He who only had their best interest at heart, He who loved them, created them and would redeem them.


Why do we believe that God no longer proves His people?
Why do we believe it was a one time thing?
Why do we believe that God no longer cares what we do?
Why do we believe God's laws no longer matter?
Why do we believe that God Son decided that God's law were no longer any good?


We want to believe that we can do ANYTHING, that we can live ANY way we choose, that we don't have to follow ANY laws, ANY commandments. We are in essence believing God created His holy laws for no reason, it was a meaningless act He could do away with on a whim.


Every one of His commandments is still in effect today and that's the truth.


We are still being proved.


Exo 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.


Could it be possible that God offers us salvation through Christ daily- the Bread of Life- and He does so to prove us? On the Sabbath Day we have that which we have gathered double on the preparation day. EVERY DAY the food is available the distinction being made that on one of those days the BREAD from HEAVEN will already have been gathered for that day, the time spent gathering the food would now be spent solely upon God. As we go from day to day studying and praying, seeking to know more of our Savior and to live for Him as He would have us live- on that seventh day we are to set aside ALL the ordinary distractions that we can so we can devote that day to a deeper study, a deeper prayer.


We are proved by God whether we will walk in His law or not.
By the grace of God we will, because it is only by the grace of God that we can.


God hasn't changed.
God's desire for a people that love Him as He loves them remains the same.


By His grace.


Amen.