By Wim van Klinken, Presiding Bishopric
The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
One of the primary purposes of scripture is to provide guidance on becoming a community pleasing in the eyes of God. Or stated differently, scripture serves as a guiding rod, shaping us into a new community as God intends it to be. This is particularly true of the Torah, the Law of Moses found in the first five books of the Bible, which tell the story of Israel’s formation and its call to faithful living.
Although the Torah reached its final form after the exile in Babylon, it depicts a people in transition: from a life of bondage under Egyptian rule, where food was provided but freedom was absent, into a life of abundance—a place of milk and honey—where accountability for one’s actions was paramount.
As recounted in Exodus 16, only weeks after their liberation, the Israelites began to complain, longing for the time when food was provided. In response, God provided manna. But this gift came with clear instructions. For six days they were to gather only what they needed—no more and no less—except on the sixth day when they gathered a double portion in preparation for the seventh day, “a day of rest, a holy sabbath of the Lord.”
Scripture instructs us to only take only what we need rather than accumulate excess. Numbers 11:31–34 narrates, in stark terms, the consequences of taking more than enough. Even today, the Lord’s Prayer continues to challenge us to seek and receive daily bread—no more, no less.
The manna story reminds us that God’s economy is not built on scarcity but on sufficiency. It calls us to pause, to rest, and to recognize that all we have is a gift from God, entrusted to us not for possession or accumulation, but for stewardship and the flourishing of all creation.
Prayer Phrase
“Happy are those who observe justice” (Psalm 106:3).
Healing and Reconciliation
Gather a small mound of stones. Meditate on the stones as symbols of differences and destructive acts that continue to separate and wound the human family. Name and anoint each “stone wound” with a drop of water or scented oil. Offer them to God in a prayer for healing and reconciliation.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.