We are living in exciting times. Exciting isn’t necessarily a good word. It can also mean scary. Are you afraid? I’ll be honest with you: I am. I’m not afraid of the COVID-19 virus itself. I’m afraid for what I see happening in society.
As I see all I have ever known begin to crumble around me, I am reminded of the Lord’s words:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21, NASB). The word translated “treasure” is the Greek word “θησαυρός” (thay-sow-ros’), which means “a deposit, that is, wealth (literally or figuratively): - treasure” (Strongs).
What is the point? Where we put our trust will dictate how we behave. If we only put deposits into the “bank” of the world, eventually something is going to come along, break into that bank and remove what is placed there. However, if we put our trust in the Lord, if we continue to deposit our time, energy, and resources into the bank (kingdom) of God, then nothing will able to remove that treasure.
Last week, I made an announcement that I had a standing offer for a position with a company in Richmond. I have subsequently decided to accept that position. Am I afraid? YES! Changing jobs is scary enough—especially when I have been with the same organization for over 20 years, but changing jobs now, with what is going on in our society, is heart-melting! However, as my wife often reminds me, we put a lot of prayer into this. This crisis has me asking whether I truly trust God. I am evaluating what is important to me. Is it my job? Have I placed trust in my things, my house, car, or bank account? What happens when all those things are stripped away? What do I have left? Do I trust that God will take care of me?
During the past few weeks, we have been going through the “God Is” series. We have explored the reasons why it is so important for us to know who God is. The three angel’s messages of Revelation 14 are about worship. The question is, how can we worship a God we don’t know? We explored how God made a perfect world, making a covenant with man (not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil) and as long as man kept that covenant, he could live forever. However, humankind broke that covenant. Instead of immediately passing divine judgment and carrying out the sentence, we see God come down to the garden to investigate. Think about this: God came here. He didn’t demand we come to Him to face judgement; he came to us. Lastly, before handing out the sentence, God gave us the gospel; that one would eventually arrive that would make everything right and crush the head of the serpent.
We see later God creating a covenant with His chosen people. He declared that they should make Him a sanctuary that He may dwell among them. He did not say “so they may come to me,” but rather, “That I may dwell among them” (Ex 25:8). Ultimately, we see the fulfillment of this system in Christ: God coming as a man to dwell among us—"Emmanuel, God with us.”
The ark of the covenant contained three items: The 10 commandments, the jar of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded. For this discussion, we will focus on that jar of manna.
Have you ever wondered why that jar was in the ark? Certainly, it makes sense why the 10 commandments were in there. They were written by the finger of God. After they were read to the people, they proclaimed, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do” (Ex 19:8). Both parties were agreeing to the set of rules that would govern their relationship. So, this item went into the box. But why was that jar in there?
Think back to what had happened. God had just delivered His people from Egypt. They had been there 400 years. For many generations now, God’s people had been living in a foreign land. After all that time, it would be easy to forget God. It would be easy to get lulled into a comfortable state (as comfortable as being a slave can be anyway). The comfortable state is one where we accept how things are; we don’t try anymore, we believe and put trust in the only system that we have known. However, God had another plan. He broke them out. Imagine being a part of that group of people as you watched society crumble around you. Everything you had known for your entire life fell apart. The Hebrews were poor, but they watched as the wealthy Egyptians had their lives and wealth ripped from them. I imagine they were asking what they could trust.
God led them out. They left their homes and the land they grew up in. They passed from that land (which historically was very plentiful and rich), and were led into a desert where there was nothing. There was no food; there was no water; there were no stores. There was nothing in that place for them to rely on. There was nothing they could do to ensure their survival. The only thing they had was trust in God.
As we read the story, we see that God did provide. Every morning He provided them with enough food for one day (except Friday, where He provided enough food for two days). God took care of them. The jar of manna was a representation of God’s commitment to save His people. The 10 commandments were a covenant of rules that would protect their relationship, while the jar of manna represented a promise from God to save them.
When they needed it, God sent the manna in the morning to feed them. In likewise, when we needed it most, God sent His son. “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal 4:4-5, NASB). Christ tells us, “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:57-58, NASB).
That manna was God’s promise that one day He would send the true manna, as Christ, who would ultimately save us from death. [Side Note: The word manna means, “what is it?” Likewise, do any of us really know what the incarnation truly entailed?]
These are terrifying times. We can watch people’s hearts melt in fear as everything they have is systematically being stripped away. Yet, we have hope. Hope that our redeemer lives, and He is coming back. Is this the beginning of the end? Is the great time of trouble about to fall on us? I don’t know. What I do know is this is an opportunity to reflect on where our treasure is.
Lastly a blessing:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace” (Num 24-26, NASB).
Amen.