But we also recognized that we need to place this episode in the context of The Story to understand it. So, we went back to the beginning of The Story. There we found two realms of existence. God placed man and woman in the Garden, where there was Life. Yet, Death loomed as an imminent possibility.

They faced a choice. They could trust God for Life, or take matters into their own hands, decide for themselves what was good, and pursue Life independently of God.

Of course, they chose control and independence over trust, but instead of finding Life, they entered the realm of Death.

Every character in The Story since has faced the prospects of Life and Death, and had to choose the path that they would take in hope of finding Life.

Will they opt for control and independence, or will they choose trust in God?

Each decision is influenced by the assumptions they hold — by their the worldview.

Which brings us back to the story of The Rich Young Ruler. We call it that because Matthew identifies him as a young man, and Luke identifies him as a ruler. However, we will be focusing on Mark’s account of the encounter. Mark identifies him simply as a man.

So, which worldview does this man bring to his encounter with Jesus? 

Let’s look at the clues Mark gives us (Mark 10:17-22).

First, we note that he greets Jesus as “Good Teacher.”

Now, while this may seem complimentary to us, when we place it in the context Mark’s narrative, the greeting comes up short.

Over and over, Mark has told us how Jesus words and deeds astonished and amazed people (1:22, 27; 2:12; 5:20, 42; 6:2, 51; 7:37; 9:15). They were so well known, that He drew a crowd everywhere He went (1:28; 33, 45; 2:2, 4, 13; 3:7, 9, 20, 32; 4:1; 5:21, 24; 6:33, 54-56; 7:14, 33; 8:1, 24; 9:14, 25; 10:1). They mark Him as something much more than merely a Good Teacher. In fact, they identify Him as the Christ (Matthew 11:2-5; Luke 7:18-23).

Yet, in spite of all of this, the man addresses Him as “Good Teacher.”

Now, here’s the problem. If the man sees Jesus as simply a teacher, he views Him as a mere mortal. Yet, he calls this Person he views as a mere mortal, “good”. Thus, in his worldview, men can be good.

Jesus rebukes this notion (Mark 10:18). Only God can be good.

As Jesus begins to address his question, He takes him back to the Commandments. What do they require?

Here, we see the young ruler’s belief in the potential goodness of man applied to himself. He claims that his performance has fulfilled the requirements of the Law.

Of course, from the rest of The Story, we know that no man can be justified by the Law (Romans 3:30; Galatians 2:16). It always brings condemnation. The only route to justification is through faith (Galatians 2:16; 3:11).

But he does not understand this. He believes that men can be good. And he believes that he can perform well enough to meet the requirements of the Law. This is the worldview that  he brings to his encounter with Jesus.

Now, Mark tells us that Jesus felt love for him, so, I assume that Jesus was not hostile toward him, as if he was antagonistic. The man seems sincere and earnest – both good necessary traits.

But he lacks one thing. Jesus tells him he must sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow Him.

Curiously, we tend to focus on the “sell everything, give it to the poor” part of these instructions, as if that were Jesus’ focus. It is not. That is simply the preliminary step that this man must take in order to do what do what anyone who seeks Life must do – follow Jesus.

Jesus previously told the crowds the same thing in Mark 8:34. The words were a little different, but the essence is the same – deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me. Consider the components of this invitation:

• Deny yourself – When we put this in the context of The Story, we see that the point is not denial for the sake of denial. As we saw last week in the Garden, we chose the path of being like God, of determining right and wrong for ourselves, of taking control of our own destiny, and living according to our agenda, thinking that this path would bring us Life. Instead, it brought Death. In order to find Life, we must begin by renouncing that decision, by suppressing our instinct for control – we must deny ourself.
• Take up your cross – At this point, Christ has not been crucified, so these words are not a reference to His death. They picture the act of carrying the instrument by which you would die to the place of your execution. It was similar to our concept of digging your own grave. They denotes absolute submission, regardless of the cost. Having denied ourselves, we must remain submissive to Christ, regardless of the circumstances that might compel us to re-take control.
• Follow Me – It is critical to note that this call to follow Him is linked with His identity as the Christ. Life can only be found in following Jesus as the Christ (Mark 8:27-38). We cannot follow Him like this if we don’t first renounce our agenda (deny ourselves) and submit to His leadership unconditionally (take up our cross).

In both cases (the crowd of Mark 8, and the young ruler of Mark 10) the ultimate goal is the same – for them to follow Him. And in both cases, there are preliminary steps they must take to be able to do that. The broadly applicable commands given to the crowd (deny yourself, take up your cross) are stated more specifically and personally in Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler.

Remember, this rich young ruler comes to Jesus, confident that men can be good. And he believes that he can perform well enough to meet the requirements of the Law. If he is going to find Life, he is going to have to renounce such confidence.

So, when Jesus speaks to his specific situation, He goes straight to the heart of his confidence – his possessions. They were a problem because they supported the notion of his own self-sufficiency. They gave him the illusion of control. On top of this, he probably also saw them as a sign of God’s blessing, evidence of God’s approval for all that he had achieved through his self-effort.

For him, denying himself meant, literally, letting go of everything which allowed him to live life on his own terms, by his own effort. And he would have to do this knowing that it would cost him all of his earthly possessions. In doing this, he would manifest the kind of submission required to follow as a disciple of Jesus. Such trust is the path to life.

So, we see that Jesus is not giving him a list of things to do in order to obtain eternal Life. In fact, Jesus does just the opposite. He tells him that if he wants to find life, he must let go of his self-effort, and trust Christ, following Him as His disciple.

Unfortunately, he is unwilling to do this, and goes away, sad. He has accumulated too much to walk away from. Rather than choosing the path of trust, leading to life, he choose to cling to control. In The Story, this always leads to death.

But there is more to this story. And we still haven’t answered the question of how this relates to going to heaven when we die. So, we’ll have to pick up the discussion here next week.

Now, let’s look at His interaction with the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30), where He will stretch the disciples further yet.

He is approached by a man whom Luke identifies as a ruler, asking Him how to obtain eternal life. Glancing ahead in the story, we see Jesus tell him, “Sell all you have, give it to the poor, and come follow me.”

So, let me ask you, when the man asks, “What must I do to obtain/inherit eternal life?,” what is the question you hear him asking?

If you’re like me, it sounds a lot like he is asking, “How can I go to heaven when I die?”

And, it sounds like Jesus is saying that to go to heaven when I die, I must sell everything I have and give it to the poor.

Which sounds a lot like works salvation, and goes against everything Paul says about justification by faith. It also misunderstands Jesus’ answer.

To rectify this, we must put it into the context of The Story.

As we have said before, through Scripture, God is telling us, not just a story, but The Story. It has plots, subplots, climax, conflict, suspense, mystery, heartbreak, triumph, and a myriad of characters, both heroes and villains – all of the things that make a story. And it has an ending. But to understand all of this, we need to know the beginning, because it is in the beginning that we find out what The Story is all about.

So, let’s return to Genesis – to The Beginning.

Genesis is, itself, a series of smaller stories that tell us about the beginnings of many of the things that we will need to be familiar with to understand The Story

In the first story of Genesis (1:1-2:3), we are introduced to the beginning of the world in which we live. God orders and fills it, and places man in it to rule over it as His representative, and to continue to filling it. At the end of this first story, everything is good.

The next story (2:4-4:26) tell us what happened to this original creation. In it, God forms a garden with abundant food and water. It is full of provisions and beauty. He places man in the middle of all this, with instructions to care for it.

The man may eat freely of any tree in the garden, but if he eats from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he will die. The implication is that he has life, but will loose it if he eats of this tree.

Finally, God provides him a wife – someone to share life with, to compliment him, filling in areas where he is lacking. Both of them are completely naked and unashamed. No fear or hiding. No sense of vulnerability or fear of exploitation.

But then, along comes one of the creatures he is to rule over – a snake. This snake proceeds to upend the established order, convincing the woman, and through her, the man, that they can become like God. They just have to do the one thing that God told them not to do – eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So, they eat, and assume for themselves the right to determine what is good and what is evil.

But this didn’t go like they planned. The serpent had made being like God sound positive, but the results were anything but. Immediately, the world in which the man and woman lived changed. Where there had been freedom and vulnerability, there was now shame, hiding, and accusation. The oneness of the marriage relationship has turned to conflict. Abundant provision has become futility. And the prospect of living forever is now gone. Death is everywhere. They will return to dust. Animals are slaughtered to cover their shame. And they are barred from access to the tree of life.

From this point on, every character to enter The Story will face Life and Death.

In the realm of Life, there is abundant provision, beauty, relationships, freedom, and eternity.

On the other hand, the realm of Death brings, not only the prospect of physical death, but shame, hiding, accusation, conflict, sorrow, and futility.

And, just as there are two realms, there are two paths.

The path leading to the realm of Life requires only one thing – faith. That we believe in God and in His goodness. It is the path dictated by His agenda. It is a path of trust and dependence.

The other path involves the active pursuit of life. It involves taking command of your own destiny, making the right choices, being master of your own fate. It is the path of independence and control. But it is the path to death.

Throughout The Story, these are the only two options. And each character must choose.

And it is this choice which brings the  Rich Young Ruler to Jesus.

We will return to his question, and ours, next week.

This week, we want to return to the middle of Jesus’ ministry, to the time when the disciples returned from their mission.

Picking up the story there, we find them with Jesus, recounting their experiences (Mark 6:30; Luke 9:10). Jesus had sent them with the authority to cast out demons and heal, as a means to validate their message of the Kingdom. Undoubtedly, they would have been telling stories about those encounters, the messages they preached, and the responses of the various cities.

This had to have been quite an experience. Being sent out to announce that Messiah was near. And then, being able to validate that message with the same kind of miracles that Jesus had been doing … wow. Not to mention that through it all, they got to watch the Father provide for their needs as they moved from town to town. No doubt, the disciples returned feeling fulfilled, yet exhausted.

Mixed with these amazing experiences was unsettling news. Herod had just beheaded John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29).

So, put yourself in the disciples shoes – you have just returned from a ministry trip, excited but weary. You are grieved, and probably unsettled, by the news that John the Baptist, a central figure to your faith, was executed because the King’s wife didn’t like His message. In the midst of all this, there are so many people coming and going, that you don’t even have time to eat (Mark 6:31b).

Although the ministry has been good, you are feeling pretty depleted and Jesus’ invitation to go away to a secluded place to rest (Matthew 14:13; Mark 6:31; Luke 9:10) is more than welcome. You look forward to the chance to get away, and, rather than tend to the needs of others, to recharge a little yourself.

So, you all get in a boat, and head off across the Sea of Galilee.

Problem is, all these people see you, and figure out where your are going. When you get to the other side, there is a crowd waiting for you. 5000 men, plus women and children ( Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:33-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-14).

When Jesus sees them, He sees them as sheep with no shepherd, and is moved to compassion. He begins to teach them. Your vacation is going to have to wait.

As day moves toward dusk, the crowd seems oblivious to the fact that they are in an unpopulated area with no markets or inns. You and the other disciples urge Jesus to send them into the surrounding villages to find food and lodging for themselves.

We need to pause here to consider the irony of this.

The disciples had heard Jesus’ instructions in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34) – “Don’t worry about food and covering. Seek the Kingdom and the righteousness of God, and food and covering will be provided.” Yet it was not the disciples, but the crowd that had this mindset. They do not appear to be worried about food and covering. They are so drawn to Jesus that they seem unconcerned about these basic needs.  On the other hand, the disciples feel that these priorities are misplaced and need to be reoriented back toward food and lodging.

Seems backward, doesn’t it?

To be fair to the disciples, we need to remember that they were weary and ready for a break. They were headed for a retreat, but instead encountered over 5000 people in desperate need. Perhaps their desire to send the crowds away was at least partly motivated by the hope that they could get some food and rest themselves.

Nevertheless, John tells us that Jesus used this situation to test the disciples (John 6:5). Rather than sending the crowd away, Jesus makes the disciples responsible for feeding them. Consider the weight of His words in Matthew -

“But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!””

(Matthew 14:16 NAS95) 

Again, put yourself in their position. You’ve gone away for a little vacation, and now, suddenly, you have to serve dinner to 5000 men, not to mention women and children. Where would you come up with enough food for such a crowd?

The disciples reply that 200 denarii would not even begin to fill the need (John 6:7). A denarius was equivalent to one day’s wages for a soldier or day laborer. To put that in today’s terms, if we figure an 8 hour day at minimum wage (7.25/hr), it would work out to $11,648. And they had just returned from a trip where they took no money, food, or extra clothing. If you were them, where would you have come up with that much food?

All they could muster was two fish and five loaves of bread.

So, Jesus has them organize the crowd into groups of 50. Blessing the bread and fish, He begins to give it to the disciples, who, in turn, deliver it to the crowd. Remember, He has made them responsible  for feeding the multitude.

Now how much food do you think a disciple could carry on each load? How many loads to feed a group of 50? How many  groups of 50? How many times would each disciple have taken a basket of fish and bread from Jesus, to a group of 50, and then returned to Jesus for another load?

In the end, they not only fed the entire multitude, but fed them until they were completely satisfied. Jesus supplied them with so much that they had 12 baskets more than they needed.

Some time later, there was another, similar incident. A large crowd had gathered to Jesus, this time 4000 men, plus women and children (Matthew 15:29-38; Mark 8:1-10). They’ve been with Jesus three days, and He is concerned that they will faint if He sends them away. Again, the disciples don’t know where they could get enough food to feed such a crowd. This time, they are able to muster up seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. As before, Jesus blesses the food and begins to give it to the disciples, who distribute it to the multitude. And as before, not only is the crowd fully satisfied, but there is another surplus. There was more than enough by seven large baskets-full.

So, what were these miracles about?

Well, clearly, they were motivated by Jesus’ compassion for the multitudes. But there was also something that He expected the disciples to grasp from these experiences.

Soon after the feeding of the 4000, the Pharisees and Sadducees came to argue with Jesus and test Him (Matthew 16:1-12; Mark 8:11-21). They are looking for a sign, but Jesus refuses. He has already provided sufficient evidence that He is the Messiah (Matthew 11:1-6; Luke 7:18-23). The Pharisees and Sadducees should been able to read these signs (Matthew 16:2-3).

Leaving them, Jesus warns the disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus is warning against their teaching, but the disciples think that He says this because they have forgotten to bring any bread. This draws a sharp rebuke from Jesus. Their faith is not what it should be. All those trips carrying bread and fish from Jesus to feed the 5000 and, later, to feed the 4000, should have taught them that He would amply supply their physical needs.

They did not need to be concerned about what they would eat. Not only would they have enough for their own needs; He would provide more than enough so that they could share generously with others.

When He said not to worry about food, drink, or covering (Matthew 6:25, 31), was He speaking of worry as distinct from concern? Is it ok to be concerned about these things, as long as we are not worried?

When He said to seek His Kingdom instead of worrying about food, drink and clothing (Matthew 6:32-33), did He really expect us to reorient our attention away from our basic needs in order to focus completely on His Kingdom and the righteousness that we need to participate? Or is it ok to pursue basic provisions as long as they don’t keep us from serving Him?

And when He said not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34), did He literally expect us to focus only on the current 24 hour period of our existence, or is “tomorrow” a reference to an unspecified, more distant future?

Well, let’s look at His expectations for the disciples the Story progresses.

Some time after the Sermon on the Mount, He calls the 12 disciples together and sends them out to preach (Matthew 10:5-15; Mark 6:7-11; Luke 9:1-6).

When I read this, those early opportunities I had to speak at a Wednesday night or Sunday night service come to mind. Although technically, they were a chance to present a message, I doubt anyone really expected me to have much impact. I was simply practicing. And that is the image that I am tempted to impose on this sending out of the 12.

But as I look closer, three characteristics distinguish this as something very different.

The most significant is that Jesus begins by giving them authority. Authority over demons. Authority to heal. The 12 weren’t just practicing. They were going to engage the enemy. And they were given the authority necessary to accomplish their mission.

Which brings us to the second characteristic. Their mission was not to heal and cast out demons. Their mission was to announce that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. Which meant that the anticipated King was near.

The authority to heal and cast out demons was the validation of that message.

A little later, after Jesus finishes giving the instructions to the 12 (Matthew 10), John the Baptist’s disciples come to Jesus, asking Him if He is the Expected One, or if they should look for someone else (Matthew 11). Rather than answer them directly, He points to two things – healing and the preaching of the Gospel (11:4-5). As characteristics of the period during which Israel will experience renewed blessing (the Kingdom), they identify Him as the Anointed King who will rule over the Kingdom. So, He gives the 12 the authority to heal, in order to validate their message of the Kingdom.

What provisions were they to make for this trip?

None. No food, money, extra clothes, not even a daypack. Instead, in each town they came to, they were to look for a person who was receptive to their message and who would provide for their needs. If no one was receptive, they were to move on to another town. In other words, they would be dependent on God for their daily provision.

And this experience was not unique to the them. Several months later, Jesus sends out another group of disciples – 70 this time – with similar instructions (Luke 10:1-16).

In the cases of both the 12 and the 70, Jesus’ instructions are a direct application of the priorities He laid out in the Sermon on the Mount. Not only were they not to be worried about food, drink, and clothing, they were not to take any steps to address those needs. Focus on the Kingdom. Trust God each day for the provisions for that day.

So, what does this mean for us?

We will get to that, but not yet. There are several more things we need to look at first.

For the moment, we need to jump ahead in the story a bit, to the last night of Jesus’ earthly ministry, over a year later.

The disciples are eating the last Passover with Jesus, and are pretty cocky. This generates more instruction from Jesus. Then, after the exchange around Peter’s impending denial, Jesus reminds them of these experiences, when He sent them out with nothing (Luke 22:35-38).

Did they lack anything?

Not a thing.

With that reminder, He proceeds to instruct them to take along all of the things that were forbidden. He even tells them to get a sword.

The point was not what they had, or what they didn’t have. The point was to learn, just like Israel in the Wilderness, that God was their Provider and Protector.

Now, having experienced the Father’s provision and protection, the disciples were ready carry on in situations where their dependence was less obvious.

With the completion of the book of Nehemiah, the Story disappears into 450 years of silence. The next character to appear is John the Baptist, around 30 AD.

By the time John shows up, the Pharisees have become the dominant face of Israel’s worship. They were technicians of the Law who focused on the tiniest of details, but missed the heart. While they tithed off their herb gardens – mint and dill and cumin – they missed the essential elements of the faith – justice, mercy, and  faithfulness (Matthew 23:23-24; cf. Micah 6:8). Jesus did not view it as either/or. He says they should have done both.

This tension between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees is present from the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It underlies the message of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus first public discourse.

Jesus begins the sermon with a description of spiritually hungry people and promises them the Kingdom and it’s attendant rewards (Matthew 5:1-12). Their character is distinctive and must not be hidden (5:13-16). Implicit in this description is the question of what is necessary for a person to enter the Kingdom.

The answer?

Only those whose righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees can enter the Kingdom of Heaven (5:17-20). Jesus spends the rest of chapter 5 describing this righteousness. For a more developed discussion of the first part of The Sermon, see Loving Your Enemies: What Was Jesus’ Point? – Part 1.

The net effect of Matthew 5 is to explain that the required righteousness is not found in meticulous attention to the details of the Law, but reflects the attributes of God at the heart level. Later, as the Story unfolds throughout the rest of the New Testament, it will become clear that this is going to require both the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us, and our transformation by the Holy Spirit.

As the Sermon continues in chapter 6, Jesus looks at the pursuit of this type of righteousness, warning against two very significant dangers in this pursuit.

The first is practicing your righteousness before men, to be noticed by them (6:1). Three areas that He specifically address are giving to the poor (6:2-4), prayer (6:5-15), and fasting (6:16-18). In each case, He warns that those who practice their righteousness before men have their reward, but that those who keep such practices private will be rewarded by God (6:1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 16, 18).

This issue of reward brings us to the next danger. Just as we should seek reward in heaven over the praise of men, we should also seek treasure in heaven, over treasure on earth (6:19).

Jesus’ command is not vague. Do not store up treasures on earth. The first problem with earthly treasure is that it is so vulnerable. Moths, rust, and thieves all threaten our earthly accumulations (6:19). From these threats, it is clear that Jesus’ warning covers the accumulation of any material possessions, not just money.

By contrast, these threats do not exists in heaven. This should be the location of our treasure (6:20).

But the problem is deeper than durability. The value of anything is measured by the time, attention, and energy we devote to it. And we cannot give value to anything without giving it our heart as well. If our treasures are earthly, then our heart will necessarily be devoted to those treasures (6:21).

So, faced with the two options – treasures stored up on earth, and treasures stored up in heaven – we must choose. But on what basis? Can we trust what we see?

Jesus says the eye is the lamp of the body – the means by which light enters our body – that is, it is the only means by which our body benefits from the primary function of light – to see clearly so that we can choose our way.

If our eye is good – healthy – our whole body benefits from the light.

If it is bad – unhealthy – we do not have the benefit of light to choose our way.

If what we think is light – what we are choosing to guide us as we make our way – is really darkness, then our darkness is most severe. A blind person that knows they are blind at least knows to proceed carefully. But if they think they can see, and proceed on that assumption, the potential for destruction is great. They are worse off than the person who knows they are blind.

In context, the person that thinks they can see what to pursue, and sets their heart on earthly things is worse than blind, because the “light” guiding them is really darkness. Not only are they pursuing things that will not last, but in setting their hearts on it, they have made it their master. And you can only have one master – either God or money (v. 24).

If Jesus would have stopped here, it would be easy – even reasonable – to argue that He was warning against the excesses of the greedy and the miserly. But in verses 25-34, His application of these principles touches potentially everyone, including the poor. Even concern for the basic essentials – food, drink, and clothing – is to be avoided (vv. 25-31).

But don’t we need these things?

We do. But unlike believers (Gentiles), we have a heavenly Father Who knows our needs (v. 32). Rather than being controlled by concern for these needs, our priority is to be the pursuit of His Kingdom and His righteousness (v. 33a).

This doesn’t mean that we somehow bring about the Kingdom. It means that every decision we make is controlled by how it will impact our participation in the Kingdom. As we have already seen, entrance to this Kingdom will require a righteousness greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees, so pursuing the Kingdom also involves the pursuit of the kind of righteousness described above.

With this as our priority, we are promised that the Father will provide our needs as well. Therefore, we are not to worry about tomorrow; it will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (v. 34). Just like Israel experienced with the manna in the wilderness, our relationship with God is rooted in our daily dependence on Him as our Provider and Protector. Through the centuries, the message remains the same.

• As God brought Israel out of Egypt, and began to form them into a nation, He used the manna to teach them that their continued, daily existence was absolutely dependent on His active decree. They were kept alive, not by the food they ate, but by the words that proceeded out of His mouth (Deuteronomy 8:3). He was preparing them for life in the Promised Land, where He would bless them abundantly. In the midst of that blessing, they must not become confused and forget that He, not their own effort, was the source of that wealth. Such confusion would lead to the worship other gods (Deuteronomy 8:5-19).
• While the manna only lasted for 40 years, the lesson was perpetuated in the system of the Sabbaths (Leviticus 23-25).
• The Sabbath system included a Sabbath year as well as a Sabbath Day. Every 7^th year, they were to let the land lay fallow and trust that God would cause it to produce enough in the 6^th year to last them through the 8^th year. In this, they would be reminded of their dependence, and experience His provision.
• However, there is no biblical record of them ever celebrating a Sabbath Year. By the time we get to 2 Chronicles 36:20-21, they owed 70 Sabbath Years, and Yahweh sends them into captivity for those 70 years. For 490 years, the people of Israel refused to trust God as their Provider. Thus, they became proud, and chased after other gods, just as Yahweh said they would. But that was the effect, not the cause.
• The cause was that they lost the core of their relationship with God. The did not recognize Him as their Provider and Protector.

So, the Exile was God’s discipline to reinforce His message to them from the very beginning – He was their Provider and Protector, and was to be the sole object of their affection.

Which raises the question, “Did Israel learn their lesson from the Exile?”

Let’s see.

The Exile began with multiple deportations (605 BC – 586 BC) that culminated with the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple. Likewise, the end of the Exile and the Return to the Promised Land was progressive -

• Babylon, who had carried Judah into captivity under Nebuchadnezzar was overthrown by Persia. In 538 BC, the Persian king, Cyrus allowed the Exiles to return to their land.
• In 537 BC, the first group of about 50,000 exiles returned to the Land. They laid the foundation of the Temple in 536 BC (Ezra 1-6).
• In March, 515 BC, the completed Second Temple was dedicated (Ezra 6:15).
• In 458 BC, a second group of about 5,000 exiles returned (Ezra 6-10).
• In 444 BC, a third group of about 42,000 exiles returned (Book of Nehemiah).

During this period, Yahweh spoke to Israel through the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. In their messages, it is clear that Israel still had significant problems.

Haggai prophesied in 520 BC, addressing the first group of returnees, during the period when the Temple was being rebuilt. Because of opposition, work on the Temple had stopped for 16 years. By the time of Haggai, the people were were unwilling to make the Temple, God’s house, a priority (Haggai 1:2) although they had built luxurious houses for themselves (1:3). As a result, God frustrated their efforts to provide for themselves (1:6, 9) and withheld His blessing (1:10-11). In spite of all of this, the people of Israel did not repent (2:14-17). Note how He characterized their problem in this passage – it was not just that they refused to build the Temple; it was what that refusal represented – a failure to return to Him (2:17). Conversely, making the completion of the Temple a priority (1:8; 2:18) would bring His renewed blessing (2:19).

Malachi writes sometime later, probably during the events of the book of Nehemiah, which covered 445-420 BC. Here again, the people of Israel do not respond to God as their Provider. Instead of bringing the best of their flock for sacrifices, they were bringing the leftovers – the blind, lame, sick, even stolen animals (Malachi 1:7-14). Instead of acknowledging their dependence on Him by giving Him the first 10 percent of their crops, they were withholding their tithe, robbing Him (3:8-9). As a result, the yield of their crops was insufficient. But, again, if they would make His house a priority, He promised to provide abundantly (3:10-12).

So, throughout the post-Exilic period, Israel continues to struggle in their relationship with God.  Instead of making His agenda a priority, they cling to what little they have, unwilling to trust His promises. Israel persistently returns to this path throughout the Old Testament.

While these struggles are manifested in their failure to perform activities that we think of as religious, the problem is not ritualistic. The problem is that they do not see God as Provider and Protector.

Ergo, the solution is not more or better religious activity. The solution is to abandon any hope not rooted in God’s provision and protection, and simply trust Him. This is the essence of obedience, and the heart of the worship that God desires.

While the manna only lasted 40 years, the lesson was perpetuated in the system of the Sabbaths, laid out in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 23-25). Israel was to rest in God’s provision and protection. That was the core of their relationship with Him.

Unfortunately, Israel’s history through the Old Testament is, for the most part, the history of a people who repeatedly failed to grasp this very basic aspect of their relationship with Yahweh.

This failure is so offensive to God that He depicts it as whoredom (Exodus 34:15-16; Leviticus 17:7; Hosea 1:2). We can track this whoredom from the time of the Exodus all the way up to the Exile, almost 1000 years later. 

God tells Moses that, after his death, Israel will play the whore with the gods of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 31:16). After they settle the Land, their whoredom shows up during the period of the Judges (Judges 2:17; 8:27, 33), and then, during the period of the Kings (2 Chronicles 21:11, 13). By the time we get to Ezekiel, who prophesied during the Exile, God’s description of her unfaithfulness is intense -

“Then the Babylonians came to [Judah], to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.  When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister [Samaria]. Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.”

Ezekiel 23:17-21 (NIV)

Earlier, in Ezekiel 16, He gave a parable depicting her unfaithfulness. A little history review is in order to fully appreciate the story.

After the reign of David, and then Solomon, civil war divided Israel into two parts:

• Israel, the Northern Kingdom  – 10 tribes who broke off in rebellion – ruled from Samaria
• Judah, the Southern Kingdom – made up of Judah and Benjamin – ruled from Jerusalem

Israel, the Northern Kingdom, never had a king that honored Yahweh. He used the Assyrians to judge them, sending them into captivity in 722 BC. By the time of Ezekiel, the Northern Kingdom had ceased to exist.

In contrast, Judah, the Southern Kingdom, had some faithful kings. Nevertheless, she failed to learn from the example of Israel, and persisted on the same path that lead to their captivity.

By chapter 16 of Ezekiel, this path has brought Judah to the place of impending judgement and destruction. This chapter is a parable addressed to Jerusalem, the capital of the Southern Kingdom. Although the parable follows the development of Jerusalem as a city, her path and heart are representative of the rest of the remaining nation, and so the message is applicable to the entire nation.

• Verses 1-7 – Jerusalem’s “birth” predated the days that Israel possessed the Land. The reference to her Canaanite, Amorite, and Hittite ancestry speaks of a wicked, pagan pedigree. She was left to die of exposure, like an unwanted baby, but Yahweh coaxed her to life.
• Verses 8-14 -As she reached the age for love, Yahweh chose her as His own, cleaned her up, adorned her with fine apparel, and made her a queen.
• Verses 15-22 – Rather than remembering Yahweh, her Husband, Who had blessed her such, she used the things He gave her to whore herself out. The imagery is startling. She is pictured as using the gold, silver and jewels Yahweh had given her to make phallic images to have sex with. She offered the food He had given her to these false gods as sacrifices. The children He had given her, she slaughtered and offered as sacrifices to these gods. In all this, she forgot His care for her, His blessing and provision.
• Verses 23-29 – She was not only a whore toward the gods of other nations, but toward the nations themselves, chasing after Egypt, Assyria, and Chaldea. The promiscuous way she threw herself at any potential lover was embarrassing to even the Philistines, who, although they worshipped idols, were at least faithful to their own gods.
• Verses 30-34 – Her behavior was more outrageous than a typical whore. A whore gets paid for her services, but Jerusalem was the one paying, bribing her lovers.
• Verses 35-43 – Because of her lewdness, God would use these lovers to humiliate and judge her, and stop her whoring ways.
• Verses 44-52 – Her behavior was so wicked that she made even Samaria and Sodom appear righteous.
• Verses 53-59 – In order that she might bear her humiliation and feel ashamed, God would send her into captivity.

And, indeed, God did send them into captivity — for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12).

Now here’s the point. Israel’s dependence on God was at the core of their relationship with Him. He was to be their Provider and Protector. This was emphatically demonstrated in the lesson of the Manna, and of the Sabbaths. If they ever forgot this, God said they would become proud, forget Him, and go after other gods, to worship them (Deuteronomy 8).

And, as we have seen, this is the very thing that happens.

Does that make them bad? God says it made them whores.

So, what should they have done differently? Been more “spiritually minded”?

I don’t think so.

Remember the Sabbath system? Remember that there was not only a Sabbath Day, but a Sabbath year as well. Every 7^th year, they were to let the land lay fallow and trust that God would cause the land to produce enough in the 6^th year to last them through the 8^th year. In this, they would be reminded of their dependence and experience His provision.

But here’s the thing. There is no biblical record of them ever celebrating a Sabbath Year. By the time we get to 2 Chronicles 36:20-21, God says they owed 70 Sabbath Years, and sends them into captivity for those 70 years. For 490 years, they were unwilling to trust God as their Provider. So, they became proud, and chased after other gods, just as Yahweh said they would. But that was the effect, not the cause.

The cause was that they lost the core of their relationship with God. They did not recognize Him as their Provider and Protector.

• As Christians, we tend to be ok with the idea of dependence in theory, but practically manifest an ongoing desire to live independently of God. This is most evident in the area of provision and protection. The fact that we see money as the most immediate path to provision and protection suggests that it, not God, may be the true source of our confidence.
• In the stories of Adam and Noah, we see God revealed as the One who Provides for and Protects those He has chosen.
• In Israel’s wilderness wanderings, God used manna to teach Israel that man is not kept alive by food, but by the active and intentional will of God. The manna was for testing and humbling Israel, so that when He brought them into the land where they would prosper, they would remember that it was God who gave them the power to make wealth. Israel’s ongoing recognition of this was to be expressed in their continued worship of, and obedience to, Yahweh. The worship of other gods would be proof that they forgot this lesson. Thus, their entire relationship with God rested in the recognition that their minute-by-minute existence was a result of His active provision and protection.

But the lesson doesn’t end with the 40 years in the wilderness. How were the succeeding generations to remember this truth?

To answer this, let’s take another look at Exodus 16:22-30 and the lesson of the manna.

“Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, then he said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. “Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.” 

It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions? “See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.”

(Exodus 16:22–30 NAS95)

To review, God gave manna to Israel to vividly demonstrate that He was their Provider. In order to teach them to rely on Him, not the manna, He caused any left-over manna to spoil overnight, so that they would have to trust Him each day for the provision for that day. However, on Friday, they were to gather enough for two days – Friday and Saturday. On Fridays, what they gathered would not spoil overnight. It would last through Saturday. Note the reason for this – Saturday was to be a Sabbath – a day of rest.

If you have been around church much, the concept of the Sabbath is probably something that you have been very accustomed to, without really understanding where and how it came into the story.  It is easy to just assume that it was always there, and that God somehow took pleasure in our practice of it, although many of us fear that maybe we should still be keeping the Sabbath today.  

So, how does it fit into the story, and why is it important?

Later, Yahweh will elaborate on the details, but here at its introduction, we see that the Sabbath is about resting totally in God’s provision.

Again, it is important to pause and consider what God did in using the manna to introduce the Sabbath. If He had simply introduced the Sabbath as a “rule” to be followed, Israel would have likely done what they tended to do with all of the other aspects of the Law, selectively follow it as it suited them, if they followed it at all. But recall the situation in which God introduces it. They are in the wilderness, in fear of starving to death. There are no other options for them. The only thing to eat was the manna God provided. Any manna they tried to keep spoiled overnight. They couldn’t store it up. They had to trust Him daily. But their focus had to be on Him, not the manna. Which meant that they had to follow His instructions and gather enough on Friday to get them through Saturday. On Saturday, they did not have any choice but to rest. There were no other options. They had to observe the Sabbath. For 40 years God used the manna to clearly demonstrate that He, and He alone, was Israel’s Provider. Once they got into the Land, the manna stopped (Joshua 5:12), but the observance of the Sabbath continued, intended to be a recognition and observance of the fact that Yahweh was Israel’s Provider and Source of all that they had.

However, the concept of the Sabbath was much bigger than just resting one day a week. In the giving of the Law, Yahweh detailed all of the instances in which Israel was to rest in Him (Leviticus 23-25). Although we are most familiar with the Sabbath day, we must note that the Sabbath concept also involved a Sabbath year, every seventh year, and then at the end of seven groups of seven years (every 49 years) there was to be an additional sabbath, the Year of Jubilee.

Just as on the Sabbath Day, the Sabbath Year was to be a time of rest. In the case of the Sabbath Year, the focus was on the Land, and letting it rest, but the effect was that Israel would have to trust Yahweh’s provision for the entire year. In this year, they were not to plant any crops, prune their vineyards, or even harvest any crops that came up as a result of seed that had been dropped in the fields from previous years. In addition to these things, in the Year of Jubilee, everyone who had sold themselves into servitude were released, and all land was returned to its original owners. In giving the instructions regarding the Sabbath Year and Year of Jubilee, Yahweh specifically addresses the concern of how they are to take a so much time off from farming and still survive:

“‘You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land. ‘Then the land will yield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it. ‘But if you say, “What are we going to eat on the seventh year if we do not sow or gather in our crops?” then I will so order My blessing for you in the sixth year that it will bring forth the crop for three years. ‘When you are sowing the eighth year, you can still eat old things from the crop, eating the old until the ninth year when its crop comes in.”

(Leviticus 25:18–22 NAS95)

Just as Israel had to learn to trust Yahweh to make the manna of the 6^th day last through the 7^th day, so they were to trust Him to make the produce of the 6^th year’s crop last through the Sabbath and the Year of Jubilee.

So, we see that the system of Sabbaths was to be a perpetual reminder of the lesson of the manna. At the core of Israel’s relationship with Yahweh, it was His intention that they recognize Him exclusively as their Provider and Protecter. This recognition was to manifest itself in their worship of Him and Him alone.

Next week, we will look at how well Israel grasped The Lesson of the Manna and The Sabbaths.

We looked at some of the highlights of this theme, as The Story unfolded through Genesis. Through these events, God is revealed as the One who Provides for and Protects those He has chosen.

This week, we want to pick up with the next major event in the Story – The Exodus.

Abraham had Isaac, who had Jacob, who had sons that became the 12 Tribes of Israel. Because of a famine, they went down into Egypt, where they spent 400 years growing into a nation. Now God is ready to bring them out of Egypt and back into the land that He first promised to Abraham. After He magnifies himself through the plagues, Pharaoh finally lets Israel go, only to change his mind and chase them down as they are trapped against the Red Sea (Exodus 14-15). Here Yahweh manifests Himself as their Protector, parting the Red Sea to allow them to escape, and then destroying the Egyptian army as they pursue Israel through the Sea. With this, their deliverance from the threat of the Egyptians is final, at least for this stage of their history.

Now, the focus of the story turns to Yahweh’s as Provider – His provision of the Land He has promised, and more fundamentally, His provision in their day-to-day existence, even as they are traveling to the Land. 

The account of the parting of the Red Sea is immediately followed by the people’s grumbling about the biter water at Marah, which Yahweh turned sweet, and then, their accusation that Moses brought them into the wilderness to kill them with hunger.

This sets the stage for the introduction of one of the most vivid and enduring object lessons given by God. In response to their grumbling, He gives them something called “manna”, which literally means, “what is it?”. As a test of their obedience (Exodus 16:4), and thus, their trust in His provision, God provided a unique food – His special provision – which only appeared for the forty years they walked in the wilderness.

The uniqueness of this food was not limited to it’s physical characteristics. It was also unique in that it had a variable shelf-life. On Sunday through Thursday, each man was to gather as much as each person in his tent would eat (Exodus 16:16). This amount is further specified as an omer (perhaps 2 quarts). The significance of this should not be overlooked – on Sunday through Thursday, each person was to gather enough for each person in his tent to have enough for the day. The text goes on to say, that some gathered much, while others gathered little (verse 17), presumably based on the various appetites of the individuals in their tent, but that when it was measured with the omer, the one who gathered much had no excess, and the one who gathered little had no lack (verse18). Now, this is followed by the command not to leave any of it until morning (verse 19).

We should pause here, to consider the situation this command anticipates. Regardless of how much was gathered, there was enough for each person for that day. The only way that there could be some left over is if you ate less than you actually needed for the day.

Why would you do that?

The only apparent reason is because you were afraid that there would not be enough the next day.

Of course, Israel violated this command, saved some of it back, and it bred worms and rotted. Saving manna was not acceptable. Each day’s provision was sufficient for that day, and the Israelites were to trust that God would provide what was needed tomorrow when tomorrow came.

That is, until Friday. On Friday, they were instructed to gather and cook enough for Friday and Saturday, because Saturday was to be a Sabbath – a day of rest. Unlike the other days of the week, Friday’s manna would not spoil overnight – whatever they had gathered and prepared on Friday would last them all the way through their day of rest each week.

How do we understand this variable, but absolutely predictable, shelf-life? If the variation were random, we could consider various factors – temperature, humidity, storage methods, etc. But the only variable here is the day of the week – every Sunday through Thursday, it spoils overnight; every Friday, it lasts through Saturday.

To understand this, we need to fast forward in the story a little bit, to the end of the 40 years that they wandered in the wilderness and the end of God’s provision of the manna. In Deuteronomy 8, Moses is giving the Law to a new generation of Israel. The generation that came out of Egypt failed to trust Yahweh for His provision of the Land at Kadesh Barnea, so He made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years, until all of that generation died (Numbers 14:20-35). Now they are all gone, and Yahweh is ready to bring this new generation into the land. Moses is reviewing Yahweh’s relationship with Israel, and is giving them the Law so that they can walk in it, as they now go into the Land. Consider Moses’ words to them:

¹“All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your forefathers. ² You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. ³ He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. ⁴ Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. ⁵ Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. ⁶ Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. ⁷ For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; ⁸ a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; ⁹ a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. ¹⁰ “When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 

¹¹ Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; ¹² otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ¹⁵ He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. ¹⁶ In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. ¹⁷ Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ ¹⁸ But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. ¹⁹ It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. ²⁰ Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God. 

(Deuteronomy 8:1–20 NAS95)

The key to understanding the variable, but absolutely predictable, durability of the manna is found in verse 3. Yahweh was using the manna — the “what-is-it” — to teach Israel that “...man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD (Yahweh)”. It is not bread, not food, that keeps a man alive, but it is every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh.

Note the way that this is stated. It is not some decree of God made long ago that determines how long you and I live, it is every word. You get the sense that the words of God that keep us alive are present tense, active and ongoing. We exist, not because of food, but because God actively, currently wills it. This is the truth that Yahweh was teaching Israel through the manna.

So, how does the variable nature shelf-life play into this? Well, let’s consider how Israel’s original experience of the manna unfolded.

Israel grumbled about being brought into the wilderness to die of starvation, so Yahweh provides this manna. But it comes with specific instructions – instructions to daily gather enough for each person for that day, and not keep any of it back, except on Friday, when they were to gather and prepare enough for Friday and Saturday, because Saturday was to be a day of rest.

As you remember, Israel ignored these instructions and kept some of it back for the next day.

Why would they do this?

Because they were focused on the manna as the solution to their problem, not on Yahweh, who provided it. To thwart this reliance on the manna, He caused it to breed worms and spoil overnight.

So, they seemed to get the message, but then we come to the first Saturday in the cycle and, contrary to God’s instructions, some of the people go out to gather manna (Exodus 16:27-29).

Again, why would they do this? Again, because they were still focused on the manna, not on Yahweh, Who provided it. If they had been focused on Him, they would have paid attention to His instructions and been careful to obey them. So the point of the variable shelf-life of the manna was to drive home to Israel that He was their Provider.

But the lesson is not limited to them. Approximately 1500 years later, Jesus shows up, and as His ministry begins, one of the first things that He experiences is to be led into the wilderness to be tempted by The Enemy (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). He had been there, 40 days without food, and was obviously hungry. Satan comes, tempting Him to turn stones to bread (v. 3 of both accounts). Each of the temptations were temptations to receive things that Jesus had a legitimate claim to, but to achieve them independently of God’s provision. Jesus’ response to the temptation to satisfy His hunger independently of God’s provision is to quote verse 3 from Deuteronomy 8 -

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’””

(Matthew 4:4 NAS95)

This verse is often badly mishandled, and, as a result, the very important point is missed. Jesus is not saying that we need to read our Bibles every day. He is saying that bread (food) is not what keeps us alive. It is Yahweh’s active and present will, His every word that keeps us alive. This was true of Israel in the wilderness, it was true of Jesus, and it is true of us today. The recognition of this requires that we worship Him alone and no other.

This recognition takes us back to Deuteronomy 8, and the larger point that Moses is making to the new generation of Israelites. His overarching concern is that they be very careful to obey the commands he gave them (vv. 1, 2, 6, 11) — God’s commands — commands that were integral to their relationship with Him.

In this context, he reminds them of their 40 years of wandering and the things they experienced – both their experience of need, and their experience of God’s provision. In these experiences, God tested their obedience and taught them that their daily existence was absolutely dependent on Him (vv. 2-6).

These lessons were vital because it prepared them for what God wanted to do for them. He was preparing to bring them into a land of abundance (vv. 6-9), and it was essential that they remember and acknowledge Him as the source. He then highlights the very significant danger that, in the midst of such abundance, there is great risk of becoming confused about the source of their wealth and forget Yahweh (vv. 11-14).

Again, he reflects on God’s leading of Israel in the wilderness for the last 40 years, pointing out that God’s desire was to do good for Israel in the end (v. 16).

There is a significant point here. The manna was never intended to be a “normal” experience of God’s provision for Israel.

The manna was for testing and humbling Israel, so that when God brought them into the land where they would prosper, they would come in with the understanding that it was God who gave them the power to make wealth. In the wilderness, God’s provision expressed itself in the manna, but in the land, His provision would express itself in the power to make wealth. Israel’s continued recognition of that was to be expressed in their continued worship of, and obedience to, Yahweh. If they began to worship other gods, it would be because they forgot this lesson. Thus, their entire relationship with God rested in the recognition that their minute-by-minute existence was a result of His active provision and protection.

And this is Jesus’ point when He quotes Deuteronomy 8 to Satan in the wilderness. Our very existence is dependent on God’s active, minute-by-minute provision and protection.

But the lesson doesn’t end with the 40 years in the wilderness. Next, we need to look at how the succeeding generations were reminded of this truth. We will pick the story up there in the next article.

I will be taking next week, the last week of the year to retreat with God, reflect on this past year, and prepare for 2012, so the next article will be posted January 3, 2012.

Y’all have a Merry Christmas!

Now, realistically, I expect that if you are reading this article, at a very minimum you will already acknowledge God and and our dependence on Him.  So, why the need for this examination?

Well, I think there are two things we need to explore:

• The depth of our dependence -  It is quite possible to acknowledge the idea of our dependence, while at the same time, minimizing the degree or significance of that dependence.
• The areas and ways in which our independence continues to manifest itself – Even among believers who claim a firm commitment to Christ, I find attitudes and beliefs that I have come to suspect are at odds with the true nature of our dependency.

Why do I think this?

Well, in my years of seeking to walk with God, I have discovered a number of areas where the values and beliefs of popular Christian culture were at odds with Scripture. One of those areas is the area of money and possessions – how a Christian should view and handle finances. This is significant to our discussion because I have come to realize that it is in money and possessions that our pursuit of independence is most prominent.

In general, I would describe this typical Christian view of money and possessions as plain old fiscal conservatism, plus giving.  If I were to personalize this attitude, I would say it this way – “The more spiritual I am, the better I will manage my money” – meaning, I will have a budget, I will not have any debt – at least not any consumer debt, I will have savings to provide for major purchases, emergencies, and retirement, I will live on less than I make, and I will give 10 percent or more to my church.  Of course, this comes across as a biblical position, with all of these points supported with Scripture.

And therein lies part of the problem.  If we are to have the mind of Christ, it is not enough that we state our conviction and then give verses to support that conviction.  This methodology leads to a multitude of different “biblical positions.”  But only one position can truly reflect the mind of Christ.  And that is the goal. Not simply to develop a belief that is supported by biblical passages, but to be transformed as our minds are aligned with Christ, so that His attitudes become our attitudes.  This occurs when we consider all of the revelation of Scripture. We cannot cherry-pick passages.  We must consider all that He has said, and place it in the proper context of His unfolding revelation.

In the course of my journey down this road, I have discovered that, in addition to making adjustments to what I believe, I also have to redefine the categories in which I think.

Let me illustrate. In my pursuit to define a biblical position on money, I discovered that “money” was my category, and that while scripture speaks of money, it is not the fundamental issue.  A more fundamental issue is provision and security.  Money is simply how we have tended to deal with provision and security.

So, starting at the beginning of the Bible and reading through Genesis, the first reference I found to anything remotely financial was in Genesis 12:5, which says, “Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan…” Now, if I were just going to focus on money, I might begin here, but recognizing that provision and security is the more fundamental issue, I had to ask the question, “Was provision and security not an issue for those who show up before Genesis 12 – most notably, Adam and Noah?”

Adam & Noah

Having adjusted my categories, I discovered that the issue of provision shows up for both Adam and Noah.  In the Garden, God provided Adam with “every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:9) and invites him to “eat freely” (Genesis 2:16).  Unfortunately, because Adam and Eve decide to pursue life on their own terms rather than according to God’s agenda, God drove them out of the Garden, and so, the abundant enjoyment of God’s provision was forfeited.  Nevertheless, the provision of green plants for food remained because when we get to Noah, over 1650 years later, after the Flood, God mentions that provision, and adds the provision of animals (Gen. 9:3).

Again, because we have been so conditioned to think that provision begins with money, it is easy for us to miss God’s provision in these references, but it is there.  In fact, if we look closely, I think we will see that God’s original design was that provision was much more organic.  Per His original design, His provision was the actual plants and animals that we would eat.  The introduction of the medium of money was our modification of the system.

Abram

So, now we come to Abram/Abraham, beginning in Genesis 12.  After his genealogy, the first thing we learn about him is that God unilaterally promised to bless him – that is, God was going to bless him because God wanted to bless him.  This blessing was not contingent upon Abraham pleasing God (Genesis 12:1-3).

So Abraham takes “…all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired…” and sets out for the land of Canaan.  In Canaan, he finds himself in the midst of a famine, and so, goes down to Egypt. When he gets there he lies about Sarah being his wife. She is beautiful and he is afraid they will kill him to get her if they know she is his wife.  Indeed, Pharaoh does find her beautiful, takes her into his house, and treats Abraham well because of her, giving him much livestock and many servants.  At this point, God struck Pharaoh’s house with great plagues, even though Pharaoh apparently acted in ignorance.

In these events, we see God fulfilling His promise to bless Abraham, and to curse those who oppose him (12:3).  We also see God acting to protect Abram, in spite of Abram’s actions.  As a result of this incident, Pharaoh sent them away with all of their belongings (12:20), so that Abraham is now described as “very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold” (13:2).  In fact he had so much livestock that he and his nephew, Lot, couldn’t live in the same area – the land could not sustain both of them.  Abraham lets Lot take his pick of the land, so Lot chooses the lush Jordan valley and moves to Sodom.  God then promises to give all of the land to Abraham that he can see, and tells him to walk through the land and survey it (13:14-18).  In all of this, God’s blessing of Abraham is manifested in His generous provision.

In the next chapter (Genesis 14), Sodom and the surrounding cities are attacked by a coalition of kings from the region of Babylon, and Lot is carried off as a captive.  Abraham led a small army, described as “trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen” and, with the help of two allies, recovers all that the invading kings had captured, including Lot. Upon his return, he is met by two kings – the King of Sodom, and the King of Salem. It is noteworthy that the King of Salem, Melchizedek, had no stake in this battle.  He is identified as a priest of God Most High, and seems to come specifically to meet Abraham.  The structure of this passage (14:17-24) sets these two kings, and Abraham’s interaction with them, in contrast. Though the King of Sodom is mentioned first, Melchizedek, King of Salem speaks first. He blessed Abraham (Abram):

““Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.””

(Genesis 14:19-20 NAS95S)

Note that there are two elements to his blessing. The first links Abraham with God, who is identified a “Possessor of heaven and earth”. The term “Possessor” is significant.  The Hebrew word is qana, and, though some translations render it “Creator”, it has the root meaning of “get, acquire”. The focus in this passage is not so much on how God “acquired” heaven and earth (He “created” it), but on the result of the acquisition – it is now His “possession”. The implication of connecting Abraham with “God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” is that all that Abraham has is the result of this connection. The second element of the blessing attributes Abraham’s victory to “God Most High”.  Thus, in the Melchizedek’s blessing, Abraham is reminded that God is both his Provider and Protector.

Following the blessing by Melchizedek, the King of Sodom tells Abraham to keep all the loot, and just give him the people back.  This is not the response of a grateful king, but the response of a politician trying to spin the circumstances to his benefit.  Consider the situation. Sodom and four allies had been defeated in battle, having lost all their people and possessions. But Abraham is able to do what the King of Sodom could not – defeat the attacking armies from Babylon. And yet, the King of Sodom assumes the superior position, trying to appear magnanimous toward Abraham. The hubris of this king is clearly evident.  Abraham sees it, and refuses to play along.  He does not let the King of Sodom usurp God’s position as Abraham’s “Provider”.

We should note the significance of Genesis 12-14 in the overall story.  In Genesis 1-2, God creates us to represent Him, and as His representatives, to fulfill two roles – rule on His behalf and fill the earth.  In Genesis 3, we decided to abandon this identity and significance to pursue life on our own terms.  Genesis 4-11 are the consequences of that decision – a death-spiral into utter evil and hopelessness.  Only when God comes along in Genesis 12:1-3 and promises to unilaterally bless Abraham, and through Him, all the descendants of the world, do we find hope. As we watch God flesh out the blessings He promised to Abraham, the first thing He does is establish Himself as Provider and Protecter.  Beginning in Chapter 15, the focus shifts to offspring, and that will get extensive treatment.  But the very first thing that needs to be established is that, in this blessing, God is Provider and Protector.

As we move forward through the succeeding smaller stories that make up The Story, we find God showing up in the role of Provider and Protector over and over.  He protects Lott, even in the midst of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19).  As a result of God’s provision of the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac, Abraham calls the place “Yahweh Will Provide” (YHWH-jireh).  As a result of God’s blessing, Isaac’s crops produced 100 fold, and he became exceedingly wealthy (Genesis 26:12-17).  Such blessings were extended to Jacob, who, in spite of Laban’s treachery grew very rich (Genesis 30-31).  Such stories are so prevalent, that they almost become common-place, and we run the danger of missing the theme – God is providing for and protecting those He has chosen.

And in this provision and protection we see the even more fundamental issue of dependence. We cannot find blessing independently of God; only death and the curse. If we are to experience life and blessing, it must be given us by God.