Mat 6:9 Our Father which art in heaven…
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Yesterday we talked about the first half of this verse- Give us this day.
God wants us to ask Him for our sustenance because He is the life force we exist by. When we ask Him to provide for us we are acknowledging that we don't exist without Him. Yes, we talked about people believing they live without God just because they don't believe that He exists, but we know the truth. Everyone- good and evil exists by the grace of God. It won't always be this way though. Eventually all who exist will be good by the grace of God and evil will be done away with completely.
Jesus wants our prayers to include this plea to the Father in Heaven, to give us this day, the day of the prayer, our daily bread.
Let's look at a few verses of God providing for daily sustenance.
Exo 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Exo 16:16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
Exo 16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
Exo 16:18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
Exo 16:19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
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.
We know the story of the newly friend Egyptian slaves- the Hebrews having followed their deliverer out into the wilderness where they quickly realized there was no great plan for where they were going and what they were doing. Moses didn't lead them to some new land overflowing with sustenance, at least he didn't do it immediately and that's what they wanted. They wished to go from a life of slavery into a life of freedom with all the luxuries they imagined freedom meant having- those of their masters in Egypt who had been free- they lived in the lap of luxury. Being a freeman meant having wealth and so much more. The African slaves of America and elsewhere understood this as well. Being free was emotionally and in some cases physically gratifying but then the reality set in that they had to provide for themselves and their families and there wasn't much of a chance for that right away. Most had to turn around and work for the same people getting paid for it but the work, the life was just as hard if not harder. Nowadays we can all look back and see how the last 140 some years have completely wiped out that sort of existence for the African slaves and it was the same for the newly freed Hebrews, after a hundred and forty some years they probably could barely recall the horrors of slavery they lived under. NO, I'm not belittling what happened, I'm just trying to speak of facts here. Most of us here in the United States come from immigrant families, from slave families, all but the Native Americans. Most of us have hardships in our past- just because a person is free doesn't mean they haven't lived through other horrors life has to offer. For most of us living here now we don't live under the conditions of a world that existed a hundred and forty something years ago- technology alone has altered life so much it's barely possible to imagine that sort of primitive existence.
Anyway, I think enough has been said about all that, the point is that the newly freed Hebrew slaves weren't expecting to die in the wilderness by starvation- in fact they most likely wouldn't have followed Moses had they imagined the harsh reality they faced. But there they were, feeling the privations of not having food readily available. They had no gardens, no farms they could go to and get what they needed. They no longer had the Egyptians giving them of their bounty- not much of it- but enough to keep their bellies filled and people healthy enough for them to work. They didn't want to die of starvation and God never planned that they would.
Manna. Food from Heaven. Food that rained down from Heaven. Imagine it for a moment. Close your eyes and just imagine going to sleep at night and waking up the next morning and outside in your yard was food from Heaven - enough for all of your household to live on. NEVER having to worry again about having enough money to buy food. Never having to worry about food. Sure a lot of us might say we don't have to worry now, but more and more people whose incomes have been slashed or have disappeared and they are now scrimping and saving just to buy food - they understand. People in third world countries- they understand. Food from heaven, the miracle of it, the wondrous miracle God provided for the newly freed slaves who were no longer in bondage to Egyptian authority.
Did you catch that part up there at the end of the verses we read- how some people kept some of the manna left over- after God told them not to. Some didn't believe! Some didn't trust in God! Some believed they were being wise by setting some aside for later use- just incase this source of miracle food dried up on them. They quickly found out that it was IMPOSSIBLE to keep leftover manna. The very next day that food was stinking and rotten. God was endeavoring to teach His people to trust in Him for their very existence, for their daily bread.
Of course after their wilderness journey ended people were required to work farms, producing their own food- God had led them to a land perfect for doing just that. Did God teach the people that they no longer had to rely on Him? No. By the time the people were established in the promised land they had God's holy commandments- one in particular would be a HUGE reminder to them of their days eating manna. On the sixth day they all had to gather TWICE as much manna because the seventh day was the SABBATH of God, a Sabbath God made for man way back in Eden. Miraculously the manna that was leftover that next morning wasn't rotten and it didn't stink, it was kept fresh by God proving even more that what God commands is what we should do. The people in the promised land were to forever carry on honoring the Sabbath- it was the fourth of the ten great commandments. So the people were truly to remember their wilderness journey and God's providing- always. The Sabbath is a GREAT reminder of God in many, many ways and it was meant to be that way throughout time. God never taught the people they didn't have to rely on Him, never.
Let's read a bit more about manna-
Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Joh 6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Joh 6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
How wondrous! Jesus teaching that manna symbolized physical life and it really did, but it also symbolized the TRUE bread from heaven to come. God rained down food to give life to His people and God came down from heaven to give eternal life to His people.
Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Joh 6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Joh 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
Joh 6:42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
Joh 6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Joh 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Joh 6:48 I am that bread of life.
Joh 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Joh 6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Joh 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Joh 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Joh 6:58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Joh 6:59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Joh 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
Joh 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Joh 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
The words I speak unto you they are SPIRIT and they are LIFE. Jesus was NOT telling us to eat his physical flesh or drink his physical blood! Jesus was speaking of SPIRITUALLY eating and drinking of all that HE is. We can't for ONE moment believe that Jesus wanted people to physically take a bite out of Him- HE DIDN'T mean that and NEVER meant it! He tells them plainly- The words I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life! We have everlasting life through the sacrifice of our Savior's life. Later on before He died Jesus would initiate a ceremony that symbolized this very thing and people throughout time had to pervert even that into a belief that bread and wine are altered into REAL flesh and blood, but Jesus never meant that- NEVER. The symbolism was introduced and was to take place of old covenant rituals pointing to the Messiah's arrival. This new symbolism was to represent the new covenant in Christ- pointing to His life, His death, and His everlasting life and the fact that we will share in everlasting life with Him one day.
No, I haven't gotten sidetracked, at least not too much, hehe.
Give us this day our daily bread. Yes, this was to be a DAILY reminder of Christ- our Heavenly bread, better than manna that sustained physical life. Our daily bread for eternal life- our Savior! Yes, God the Father- give us this day our Daily Bread!
Does this mean we aren't to ask God for our physical needs? No, God wants us to ask, but God also wants us to realize that more important than physical life is spiritual life. If we had to choose between physical life and spiritual life- we must choose spiritual life which will lead us to eternal life. Physical life will NOT lead us to eternal life other than the fact we were born, we were brought into existence.
Read this--
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1Ti 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Follow after RIGHTEOUSNESS, GODLINESS, FAITH, LOVE, PATIENCE, MEEKNESS!
Fight the good fight of FAITH.
Lay hold on ETERNAL LIFE.
We are not to focus on the physical.
Some people are starving right now! Do you think they are all God-less people undeserving of eternal life? That some how God has abandoned them to their fate of death eternal because they aren't provided for right now physically? NO! And NO! We can't understand all the whys and wherefores of all God allows- that's not for us to question. We have to have faith that 'ALL things work together for good to them that love God...' Ro. 8:28 This isn't a Bible promise for riches and ease of life. This is the promise that no matter what we face in this world- whether we are among the starving, the dying, the tortured, the hated- it will be for good towards our ETERNAL life in God- loving God forever and ever!
If we pray as Jesus is teaching us to pray and we ask our Heavenly Father to give us this day our daily bread- and then we go another day without any food- does this mean our Heavenly Father isn't answering our prayer? NO! We have to believe in the HEAVENLY BREAD and ask daily for this HEAVENLY BREAD, God will not deny us the right to life, the right to be filled spiritually until we can be filled no more, God will fill us to overflowing with the richness of His glory in Christ!
We aren't asking God to provide our *wants* or even our physical needs - not first and foremost, we can't, we have to desire eternal life in Him before all else, we have to desire to be with fully reunited, fully one with our God again without sin separating us. By His grace! In His love! Forever!
Amen.
