Faithful During Uncertainty

September 15, 2019 Background Scripture: Exodus 16 Lesson Passage: Exodus 16:1 – 15 The book of Exodus provides many interesting details about God’s deliverance of the descendants of Jacob (Israel) out of Egypt after over four hundred years. We know that many of those years were spent in bondage under Egyptian enslavement. What is often overlooked in the book—and yet, perhaps more important—is how God carefully led them so they could develop an everyday faith in His protection and provision for them. A close study of the first five books of the bible makes it clear that God was protecting and providing for them even during the four hundred years. Indeed, God makes all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them. One of the things that can be observed about Israel, soon after they were freed from slavery, is how they had become dependent on their enslavement for basic necessities. As a result of their dependence, at the Red Sea, they felt vulnerable and defenseless. Defending themselves was not a necessity while they were enslaved. At Marah, they thought they would certainly die of thirst because they found no water suitable for drinking. Again, the Egyptians made sure they had water available to drink. And one month into their freedom journey, they had apparently consumed all of the provisions they brought with them from Egypt. Now they were convinced they would die of starvation in the wilderness. Some of them even reminisced about the “good ole days” back in Egypt when they could depend on some meat being cooked in the fleshpots. There’s nothing like hard times and uncertainty to make you forget about the misery of the past! How quickly the children of Israel had forgotten the dehumanizing conditions of enslavement. Many of them were ready to trade their newfound freedom for future enslavement so that they could eat the meat from the pots until they were full. They had forgotten the bitter rod of chastisement, the unfair burden of quotas, and being treated as less than human. A time of uncertainty had dulled their sense of reality. At this point in their journey, slavery seemed to have more benefits than freedom. Because of the uncertainty of their present situation, they could only remember positive things about their past. What God asked of Israel was for them to listen to His voice, do what is right in His sight, and keep the statutes He gave them. In return for their faithfulness, God promised to be their healer and not to afflict them with any of the diseases He cursed the Egyptians with. There are two things that are common to the Red Sea, Marah, and the Wilderness of Sin. God purposely led them into all of those situations where they experienced uncertainty, and in each situation, they experienced a great need. None of those places were reached accidentally or haphazardly. God led them to each place purposely. God had provided for them what they needed at each place, but they could not see it until He revealed it to them. God was teaching them how to be faithful to Him by demonstrating His protection and provision for them—even during times of uncertainty. Robert C. Hudson August 15, 2019