“Trust Always”

Scripture: Exodus 16:2-15

The story of Israel and their relationship with God, is also the story of humanity’s relationship with him. Sometimes, they were right in step with the Lord, and other times, they weren’t even heading in the same direction. And there are still people today, who I truly believe are well meaning, who think that their ideas and ways are far better and more appropriate than the Almighty’s! The plague of ancient Israel - their failure to follow God’s way, and their refusal to accept His Divine Truth - continues to live in the hearts and minds of our 21st century society.

Personally, that’s arrogance, and the only way that anyone can justify that attitude is by denying who God is. God is, as the Nicene Creed reminds us, the Creator of all that is, seen and unseen; he is King of kings, Lord of lords, and will be the ultimate Victor over evil; he is the one who suffered on our behalf, the one who accepted scorn, and hatred, and torture, and condemnation, and death, so that we might, by faith, live with him in eternity; he is the one who is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all- knowing), and omnipresent (universal in all time); he is the one who has established, and lived, the standard by which we all must live. How can any person, created by this God (and we all are!), believe that they are smarter and more capable than he is?

Israel, and humanity in general, have, with only a few exceptions, treated God as far less than he truly is, and has considered themselves as far better than they ever could be. And for some reason, that attitude has yet to change.

Read Exodus 16:2-3

The Lord God Jehovah had brought the people out of a life of servitude and slavery, and was leading them to freedom in the land that was promised to Abraham and his descendants. (Genesis 15:16-19) But the fact that God isn’t providing for the people in the way that they expect, or demand, leads to a mounting crisis against Moses and Aaron. The people Israel don’t directly complain about God, but instead, they direct their anger against the human leaders that God has placed before them. Jesus would remind us of the same situation - that others will hate us, simply because we have committed ourselves to follow the Lord’s way, and his alone. (Acts9:1-5)

Even Israel’s memory has faded – they seem to remember that they lived a comfortable life back in Egypt, with lots of food and other benefits. The truth is that they had no such thing. They were slaves, and as such, they were abused and oppressed! They may have been given barely enough food to allow them to work extremely long hours and to serve at the Egyptians command, but that would be about all. Their lives weren’t respected, and their existence was, at the very least, tentative and fragile! They had forgotten all of this, and they had forgotten that their mighty Yahweh has brought them out of that mess, and they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, turn directly to the Lord of their salvation to ask for nourishment.

The Lord had told them that he would lead them to a land that was overflowing with every good thing that they could ever want, if they would just follow him. Didn’t they believe him?

Read Exodus 16:4-8

The Lord hears their complaining, and immediately responds. They aren’t expected to repent of their lack of trust, they aren’t expected to pray for divine intervention, even Moses and Aaron aren’t required to make any sacrifice to Yahweh – God responds to and through his chosen leaders. I know that many folks want to hear directly from God, but that isn’t always the way he works. He sends preachers, he sends prophets, he sends all kinds of servants, and he even sent his Son Jesus to remind us of the relationship that is waiting for each of us. And still, people can’t seem to trust the offer.

Author Ian Lynch writes:
If we want to be delivered from the evil one, we have to trust God, we have to let Jesus take the test for us. It is like having a lightning rod to protect you. Not only does a lightning rod not prevent lightning, it attracts it! But, the lightning rod is grounded, so the powerful and dangerous electricity passes right through from the air to the ground without doing damage. Since we are pretty sure that we can't pass the temptation tests on our own, we have to trust the one who always passes to keep us safe.

--Ian Lynch, "Grounded," DarkwoodBrew.org, July 11, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2015.

This is the problem, that ”We can’t pass the temptation tests on our own”. We need a spiritual lightning rod! And that is what God, in Moses and Aaron, was for Israel. Even though the Lord was constantly working for the benefit of his people, they just couldn’t see it. They had been rescued from slavery; they had been promised a new and wonderful home; they were being led to that place because they didn’t know how to get there on their own; they had received water out of solid rock; they would soon begin being fed, and it would continue for the next 40 years; and in the very near future, they would receive instructions on how to keep from falling into dependence on earthly means again. And yet, the people didn’t see it.

The issue, at least in part, is that Israel didn’t trust God. The food would begin coming every day, but it would only last for each day. They would have meat in the evening, and bread every morning, but eventually, that wouldn’t even be sufficient – they wanted variety! And their “lightning rods”, Moses and Aaron, would continue to hear about all of the inadequacies, over and over again.

Read Exodus 16:9-15

Does God care about them? Of course he does, and he works to resolve their cares!
First, he hears their concerns and fears, and he understands, and he responds. The Lord knows that this life is filled with uncertainties and problems and needs, and that humanity has always feared the unknown. And yet, somethings can only be revealed at the right time, and not when we want to know.
Next, the purpose of God’s provision is not simply to care for our needs, but to reveal his presence among us. In verse 8, the leaders tell the people that by the giving and receiving of what they need for daily life, that they will both experience God, and will know that it is of God.
And third, they are to understand that their “wilderness” is not devoid of life, that life-giving food, life-giving water, life-giving glory is all around them, regardless of what may be apparent at the time. And all they have to do is trust in the Great Provider, if they truly want to see.

And when do they see the Divine Glory that had been promised? When they come together, when they gather to acknowledge the Lord, when they come to worship the true Giver. The New Interpreter’s Bible tells us this – “In drawing near, however, Israel dramatically turns its face away from Egypt and looks again toward the wilderness. It sees there what it always thought to see in Egypt, and what it never expected to see in the wilderness. It is not an empty, deathly place, but the [very place] of God’s sovereign splendor. The wilderness is more brilliant than Egypt, because Yahweh has “gained glory for [himself] through Pharaoh” (Exodus 14:4). By God’s rule, the wilderness is completely redefined.”

By God’s rule, the wilderness is completely redefined!
What do we see when sufficiency turns to wilderness in our lives? Do we only see desolation and destruction, insurmountable obstacles, no way out, no hope, only pain and loss and death? Or do we experience God’s preparation and deliverance at work on our behalf? Israel revealed to their Jehovah God their fear and their need, even though it came across in a negative light, and they received, not just what they needed, but far more. The Lord provided for their need, but he also gave them assurance of his presence and power, and showed them his glory.

The Bible is not just a story of faith, but is also the story of the lack thereof. It tells of what is available to all who 1) have faith, and 2) have trust. God doesn’t work on our time line or in our expectations – he provides all that we need when it is needed. Remember the prayer that Christ taught us – that phrase that reminds us to ask for “our daily bread”? We don’t pray for a bakery, or even for an entire loaf – we pray for that which we need right now.

And when we do, we will receive in the same way that Israel did – the need will be cared for in God’s way and in his time, and his presence will become obvious, if we are open to it. Faith in God goes far beyond simply acknowledging his existence – it must also include believing that his presence in our lives is for our benefit, and not for his. Faith in God goes far beyond believing in the words he spoke and the gifts he gave – it must also include living those words and sharing his gifts with those who are in need. Faith in God goes far beyond simply following – it must also include a willingness to follow when he says “Follow.”, and to lead when he says “Lead.”, and to not confuse the two with our own desires.

Trusting God must be complete in every way – placing not only our hearts and minds in him, but also our actions, our life, our present and our future in his perfectly capable and loving way. And each one of us must begin today.

Surrender, and know the joy of freedom in Almighty God.