This article was written by my good friend and brother in Christ, Tony Kettle, and is published with his permission on my blog site as a guest writer.
Matthew 6:11 (ESV - emphasis added)
“Give us THIS day our DAILY bread,”
Have you ever wondered why Jesus, when He prayed what we know as the Lord’s Prayer, referred to the supply of bread as being a “daily” event? He was probably alluding to the time of the Exodus from Egypt, when the Israelites complained to Moses that they were hungry (Exodus 16:2-3) and God provided them with manna:
Exodus 16:4 ESV - emphasis added
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a DAY’S portion EVERY DAY, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.”
Significantly, Jesus took the matter further in declaring:
John 6:31-35, 47, 49-51 ESV - emphasis added
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
47Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.””
These were highly controversial words in view of the prevailing ‘legalistic’ religious culture - in fact the Jews regarded them as blasphemous (John 6:41-42). But Jesus frequently ‘pushed the envelope’ against ‘legalism!’
John 6:41-42 (ESV)
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jesus identified Himself as the “Bread of Life” and this has a wider implication - because He is also THE WORD OF GOD.
John 1:1-2, 14 (ESV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Revelation 19:13 (ESV)
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
In the original Greek, the English term “word” is “logos”, which basically means “the expression of a thought” and is applicable to both the Person of Jesus and the WRITTEN Word of God.
John 17:17 (ESV)
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Colossians 1:25-26 (ESV)
of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.
1 Timothy 4:4-5 (ESV)
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
Revelation 1:1-3 (ESV)
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
This is why the written Word of God - the Bible - is regarded as spiritual “bread”:
Matthew 4:4 ESV - brackets added for distinction only.
“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread (physical food) alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (spiritual food).’””
Therefore, it is pertinent, in terms of biblical typology, to visualise manna - the original “bread from heaven” - as representing the Word of God. Consider this in the light of certain passages in Exodus 16:
(a) The manna was to be collected each day. The only exception was that on the sixth day the people were to collect twice as much manna, as the next day was the Sabbath when they were not allowed to do any work (Exodus 16:4-5).
We, as believers, need to read, and meditate on, the written Word of God EACH day. We really need to see it as our “DAILY bread!”
(b) Except for the sixth day, nobody was allowed to keep any of the daily supply of manna until the following day. If they did, it would deteriorate, breed worms and stink (Exodus 16:19-20).
I believe the lesson here for us as modern-day believers is that we should be committed in our study of God’s Word. If we neglect to make this a daily practice and only do it occasionally, God’s Word could become ‘stale’ in our hearts. It needs to be ‘fresh’, day by day.
There are obviously other aspects of Exodus 16 that can provide wonderful insight and input for Christians today, but I don’t want to make this article too cumbersome. Nevertheless, there is one particular question I would like to pose - why did the Israelites complain that they were hungry when they had numerous flocks and herds of livestock with them.
Exodus 12:38 (ESV)
A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.
Various scholars have suggested that, as a result of the years of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites had become so conditioned and influenced by Egyptian customs that they had largely forgotten their own heritage. The Egyptians worshipped animals, so even after they left Egypt, the Israelites possibly either did likewise with their livestock, or regarded them as a source of income - of wealth - to be traded - not eaten! Remember, they eventually built a golden calf:
Exodus 32:4 (ESV - emphasis added)
“And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden CALF. And they said, “These are your GODS, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!””
I believe this scenario points to an important spiritual lesson for today’s Christians: Egypt typifies the “world” (Greek “kosmos”) and if we allow ourselves to be ‘captivated’, ‘entranced’ by ‘worldly’ things, our Christian ‘walk’ and commitment will be adversely affected as Israel’s was when they bowed down and worshipped the golden calf and engaged in worldly revelry, drunkenness and debauchery.
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
James 4:4 (ESV)
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Interestingly, the term “manna” literally means “what is it?”, because this is what the Israelites asked when they first saw it on the ground.
Exodus 16:15 (ESV)
When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
Manna is also described in scripture as the “grain of heaven” and the “bread of angels”
Psalm 78:24-25 (AMP)
24 And He rained down manna upon them to eat
And gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate the bread of angels;
God sent them provision in abundance.
Furthermore, as a source of food it was obviously very tasty:
Exodus 16:31 9ESV)
“Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”
Again, this correlates closely with the way in which the Word of God is described:
Psalms 19:9-10 (AMP)
“…The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”
Psalm 119:103 (ESV)
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
Let us ensure that we faithfully partake of our “daily bread” - the Word of God - as our long-term spiritual ‘nourishment’ depends on it!
Revelation 2:17 (AMP - emphasis added)
“He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], TO HIM I WILL GIVE [THE PRIVILEGE OF EATING] SOME OF THE HIDDEN MANNA…”
Prayer
Dear Father
Thank you for Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. I thank you that He is the Word and the Bread of Life. Give me this day, Lord, my daily bread. Help me Lord to make time to ready and study your Word for myself and to not just really on what others read and teach. Teach me your ways, O Lord, and continually fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may grow in faith and bring glory to Jesus! Amen.
To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!
Jesus the Name above all names!
Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!
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