SABBATH: Rest in Divine Provision

The second mention of the Day of Rest in the Bible is found in Exodus (16:23-26), in the context of the food provision that God sent to the Israelites when they were crossing the dessert on their way to the Promised Land.

When they had eaten all the food they brought with them out of Egypt, the Israelites began to complain. Instead of crying out to God, they began to grumble against Moses as they remembered the food they enjoyed in Egypt. How could the Israelites forget so suddenly the anguish of the slavery which was the cost of the food they yearned for?

God had not forgotten his people. He knew they had to eat, but he put them to the test. God was expecting His people to call out to him; the Israelites needed to learn to look to God as their provider, instead of Egypt.

(Exodus 16:4-5) 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. (5) On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”

DAILY PROVISION

The message God had for His People was that he would send provisions from Heaven. However, He was not going to send so much that they would fill their sacs or barns, and feel at ease. He was simply going to give them their “daily bread”. He would give them just as much as each person could eat to be satisfied.

(Exodus 16:14-18) And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. (15) 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. (16) This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” (17) And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. (18) But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.

The food that the Israelites had gathered in the dessert was called “Manna” (literally: What is it?). The “bread from heaven” appeared on the ground every morning and the Israelites collected it, prepared it and ate it. This was their sustenance during all the years they were in the wilderness, until they entered the Promised Land (Jos. 5:11-12).

Every day, the Israelites had enough to eat… but only for one day.

Moses instructed them not to gather more food than they could eat on that day. But some wanted to gather more, to keep for the following day. They still did not trust in God, but in their own wit… to no avail.

(Exodus 16:19-21) And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” (20) But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. (21) Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

Why did God limit the food provision to last only one day, instead of sending enough food for a week, a month or a year? He did so because He wanted His People to learn to trust in Him. This is what God taught the Israelites in the wilderness, and the same goes for us.

The world teaches us to gather, and then to rest at ease trusting in our savings or in our financial insurance. But God wants us to rest in Him, not on our assets.

Does this mean that it is wrong to save? Saving in it of itself is not bad. The Bible teaches us to save in the times of harvest so that when winter comes we have food to eat (Prov. 6:6-8). What is important is that we do not forget that our security and trust should not lie in what we gathered, but in God.

A DAY OF DOUBLE PORTIONS

Every day Manna would appear on the ground, except during the Day of Rest (Hebrew: Sabbath). Does this mean that there would be no food for Saturdays? No. Instead, God provided a double portion on Fridays so that there would be enough food for the day of rest as well.

(Exodus 16:5) On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.

(Exodus 16:22-26) On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, (23) he said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” (24) So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. (25) Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. (26) Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

During the day of rest a miracle would take place: the provision that would normally be ruined if it wasn’t used, on that day was fine and was preserved for the next day.

Maybe in our time we don’t eat “manna”, but we still depend on God. If we dedicate that day to Him, won’t he be our provision? Do we trust that God will provide for us and that He will give us a double portion to supply for the time that we rest in Him? Have we learned to rest in God?

REST IN THE DIVINE PROVISION

What does the provision of the daily bread have to do with the day of rest?

The day of rest is a day in which we must stop from what has become a rat race searching for wealth and riches. Every day we have to do our job – and a job well done.  But one day a week we rest, recognizing that our provision comes from God. Although we are the ones that work, He is the one who blesses us.

Sabbath is the day in which we are “put to the test” to see if we really trust in God, or if we believe that we have done it all with our own hands.

(Deuteronomy 8:16-18) who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. (17) Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ (18) You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

This “rest” is not about having enough “savings” for unexpected expenses. But it is a rest that we find in God, who is in control of everything and who looks out for His children. We have to do our part and work for six days, doing everything as God commands, and then we rest knowing that God is in control and He will provide for our every need.

Sabbath is the day that we set apart to connect with God. By trusting in God, we can leave behind the restlessness of bringing bread to our table, and instead focus on eating the spiritual bread.

(Deuteronomy 8:2-3) And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. (3) And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.