Bible Study The one who gathers

[cyberjosh]

Someone at work who always reads a passage of the Bible each morning before coming to work blessed me with this Scripture today, and sent it to me as-is with no comment:

"The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

Something about it just warmed my heart, exactly as it stood. On the surface this evidently means that God always provides. But what other spiritual truths and lessons can we draw from this story and principle?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

P.S. For additional trivia, which scripture(s) does this occur in?

God bless and keep you,

Josh

 

[cleanfreak]

Someone at work who always reads a passage of the Bible each morning before coming to work blessed me with this Scripture today, and sent it to me as-is with no comment:

"The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

Something about it just warmed my heart, exactly as it stood. On the surface this evidently means that God always provides. But what other spiritual truths and lessons can we draw from this story and principle?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

P.S. For additional trivia, which scripture(s) does this occur in?

God bless and keep you,

Josh

Exodus 16:18

Great Scripture. The rest of the verse is key. They only gathered what was needed. :yes

 

[Jake]

Someone at work who always reads a passage of the Bible each morning before coming to work blessed me with this Scripture today, and sent it to me as-is with no comment:

"The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

Something about it just warmed my heart, exactly as it stood. On the surface this evidently means that God always provides. But what other spiritual truths and lessons can we draw from this story and principle?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

P.S. For additional trivia, which scripture(s) does this occur in?

God bless and keep you,

Josh

Hi Josh,
As the Israelites gathered manna, not too much, not too little, "manna" is bread, Jesus is the bread and He is also the Word. So we read the Word everyday, not too much and not too little, but enough to get us through the day!
God bless -
Jake

 

[Nathan]

Sometimes threads get lost right in front of my face. Did not see this one till just now.

That is a great bit of recorded history. In fact, if you think about it, its kind of a 'positive' in the midst of a bunch of 'negatives'. You definitely see the provision of God, but the udder disobedience of the people. In the midst of their wonder and amazement you would think that there would be one ounce of faith shown.

But wouldn't you know it. No sooner did they gather the manna, that not even a 24 hour period later it was rotting. I think we misunderstand the message behind this.

The people went out to gather. They gathered as much as they could eat. However, it was not till they had stopped gathering did they measure it and find out that it was just the right amount. Sometimes we think they were out there doing exactly what Moses had told them about measuring it. Wrong. Even in that they were disobedient.

This could get into a lot of interpretations of the passage, so I am not even going to argue that point. But if we just look at what the words on the page say we see a people that were selfish, but a God who was merciful. Its a great passage alright, a great passage to learn what not to do. lol. 1Corinthians 10.

Hey, it has to do with the passage, but don't you find something interesting? Its the first time the Sabbath is mentioned as such. But what is more interesting than that? It is that it is mentioned as being a law and commandment of God before they had ever got to Mnt. Sinai. And what else do we find interesting? That this was all done to test the people of God.

The reason behind the whole manna experience was one of testing. But how often do we think about that? Most of the time we think about it being about Gods provision. It was, but the Scripture is explicitly clear it was meant for testing.

Exd 16:2-4 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." 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.

I do not want to be negative nathan here, but truth is only truth when we don't try to change it. God's righteousness shines forth in this passage, right in the middle of a bunch of sinful behavior from man. There is a lot to learn from this, not just a little.

 

[Elijah674]

Someone at work who always reads a passage of the Bible each morning before coming to work blessed me with this Scripture today, and sent it to me as-is with no comment:

"The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

Something about it just warmed my heart, exactly as it stood. On the surface this evidently means that God always provides. But what other spiritual truths and lessons can we draw from this story and principle?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

P.S. For additional trivia, which scripture(s) does this occur in?

God bless and keep you,

Josh

Hi, surely we are programed from birth to.. 'get ahead'! education, wealth, beautiful church's + SURELY LARGE NUMBERS! (and much else such as position in life) Yet, even though this could be good, 'i' see this not really doing the Lord's Kingdom much good?? Broadway & Narrow way. Even the early on ones lived around 1000 years old, then the flood, S.&G., & on & on it goes. So with the Sacrifice of Christ, most might wonder how much good did it do?

SO: my thoughts of:
"The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

When God tell's us that His way are not our ways, but are much much higher, then I see (slightly!) Isa. 55 in His Context! Note verse 11..
'So shall My Word be that goeth out of My mouth: [It shall not return unto Me VOID, but IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT I PLEASE, AND PROSPER IN THE THING THAT WHERETO I SENT IT].'

It seems that numbers +, are not that which matter most to God, huh? One might read from verse 6-11.

We surely do not know how the Godhead measures the worth of just one soul saved, nor the hudge cost of the Godhead to save just one soul, if that had been the case. And 'i' do believe that Christ would have died for just yourself, or me. And in comparrison to the fallen angels + mankind, there will be just a Remnant that.. 'was not too litle'!


--Elijah

PS: Perhaps this needs tacking on as well!
Isa. 53

[4] Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
[5] But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
[8] He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
[9] And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
[11] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

 

[cyberjosh]

Thanks for all your comments and thoughts guys.

To answer my own "trivia" question about where this verse occurs, it also is quoted in 2 Corinthians 8:15, where Paul applied it as a principle of being willing to give to others in the body of yourselves that there may be equality. As Paul said in the preceding verse: "At this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality". It is interesting that in the original verse in Exodus it was God providing of his miraculous manna, whereas Paul applies it here as a moral principle to give of our own natural posessions to others in the spirit of love and giving. This is comparable to the principles Jesus expressed in Luke 16:9, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings."

Just as James and Paul were able to quote the same verse about Abraham's faith and focus on completely different (though compatible) aspects of it in Romans 4:2-3 and James 2:21-23, it seems that Paul is able to quote that verse here to focus on the "result" aspect of the outcome of the blessing and apply it to another form of blessing (human giving) rather than focusing on the supernatural "cause" aspect of the original story. This is perfectly legitimate use of Scripture, and infact shows Paul's versatility and creativity to apply the Scripture in a wholesome way. Interesting things to ponder on.

God Bless,

~Josh