More Ebenezer Stones: The Bread of the Presence
“The LORD is my portion, says my soul,
therefore, I have hope in Him”
I love it how God will lead deeper into His presence by sensitizing me to a theme of something I'm to learn. It's like a lovely maze, or a game now, whereas I used to feel like it was a case study in repetitive lesson learning: “Oh yea, We’re still working on patience, are we God?” Now, this tutoring has become what unconditional love looks like after a while. I'm no Andre Seu Petterson, however.
These past few weeks, I have been guided to look deeply at the bread references in the Bible. There was the bread of the Presence in the Holy place, Representing...His presence. He tells us to eat His body (Matthew 26:26). Do we take His word into our spirit to sustain our soul? Man is nourished by bread. Bread is the staff of life, so they say.
This journey began inside with that verse that Jesus gives in response to the Devil in the desert:
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4.
It always impressed me how, of all the things Jesus could say to our enemy number 1 on earth, He replied with the word of God—-scripture. Curiosity beget questions, and the perplexity of the statement that mankind, who needs food to sustain him or he will die—- cannot live by physical bread alone, but needs life giving spiritual nourishment as imperatively as the physical.
Also, as I have followed the daily Bible reading plan (I choose Historical from “youversion" this year), I have gone through the Prophets already, and it was interesting to think about Elijah being fed bread in the desert, and also when he ran for 40 days and was sustained by God till Mt Horeb 1 Kings 19:8. That is what I think about when I read "man shall not live by bread alone…"
Additionally, Moses, on Mt. Sinai, living in the presence of God for 40 days without eating bread or drinking water (Exodus 24:18, Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9, Deuteronomy 9:18, etc). Moses was called a “friend of God” Exodus 33:11. It fills my heart with joy, to contemplate how God wants this type of relationship, this type of communion with us!
I also think of "take this bread... My body, which is broken for you” and combined with Jesus when He was at the well speaking with the Samaritan woman, and the disciples were amazed at him and wondered where/how he ate, and He responds "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" John 4:32: what is He talking about? Is He speaking about doing the work of the Spirit, and being “fed” by the Spirit? Was He nourished by God's word that day? The disciples respond with such finesse, like me learning lessons on patience “no one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” John 4:33. And Jesus cryptically answers them “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work” John 4:34. That’s enigmatic to me.
One of our dear Catholic friends gave James and I a book called Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, by Brant Pitre. Fascinating read, that I’m enjoying immensely.
Then I began chapter 4 of the Jewish Eucharist book. Then p. 81 caught me. Referenced Exodus16:16-20, where the Jews only got an Omer a day (about a liter). They had to trust God for a daily allowance, and as I read it, it was like a Rhema moment, where the Spirit of God just jumped off the page again: “give us this day, our daily bread” Matthew 6:11. What if Jesus is hinting at more than food in the Lord's Prayer; what if He's referencing His own body, the word of God, to nourish our soul?
As a Christ follower, I am part of a kingdom that was prepared for me and others, since the foundation of the world. Part of my task is simple and straightforward: be kind to those around who are in need. Give water, give food, give shelter, give comfort, because each act of kindness to those who have lesser is a direct act towards God Almighty Himself (Matthew 25:34-40). God knows my limits, and He has no limits when it comes to lovingkindness, so we are challenged to do what we can.
All humans have the image of God in them (Genesis 1:27). What if I began to view all my fellow image of God-bearers as souls instead of bodies? What if I began to share all the Bread/His Word (John 1:1) that He has stored up in my soul, like the loaves and the fishes, and I earnestly began to see the starving souls, so desperate for His nourishment, and simply start giving it all away? One of the first things that my favorite, beloved counselor, Randy Hamrick said to me was “I’m just one beggar, telling (you) another beggar, where to find bread”. What if I have this bread in me, and Being mindful of His everlasting Presence, I began to part with all my loaves stored in my heart, and I try to give this to fellow souls also? His word. His presence. His sustenance and life giving soul nourishment, along with my acts of service? "Give us this day, our daily bread"
Next week I will be writing about beer, friends, and fasting.
Here’s a tasty, simple bread recipe from another blogger, just to make this all the more savory.http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/11/07/my-mothers-peasant-bread-the-best-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make/
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