Patience in Our Disobedience

Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. The LORD asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? They must realize that the Sabbath is the LORD’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day.
Then Jesus said to them,“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”
I grew up in the 1980’s.  During that time computers were first becoming common place.  The Apple and Apple II made their place in school.  My school used the TRS 80, or “Trash 80s” as we called them.  There were news stories that within the decade there would be no more need for the 40 hour work week.  Individuals would be able to produce as much work in 20 to 30 hrs as they would in 40 hrs before computers.  Instead the work week became longer.  Today it is common for people to work 60 hrs or more a week.  Working seven days a week is common in some jobs.  It is interesting to me that it has been shown in studies that “as the work week gets longer (whether by hours in a day or days in a week), the week’s productivity tends to remain exactly the same.”(1)
In Mark 2, Jesus was defending his disciples from the Pharassis.  His disciples had broken off heads of grain while walking on the Sabbath, or Shabbat.  “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”  The Lord made man.  He provided the “user's manual”.  Proper care of the man requires rest every six days.  The French attempted a ten day week following the revolution.  The Soviets also attempted a ten day week.  Both of these fail spectacularly.
Before the Commandments were given on Mr. Sinai, the LORD had directed the people to gather manna for six days and not on the seventh.  This seventh day was to be a shabbat, or rest.  Proper care and maintenance of man requires rest every six days.  The LORD knows this.  The people ignored the direction of the LORD regarding the bread He provided in His miraculous way and attempted to gather manna on shabbat.  There was no bread.  Rather than justly punishing them, He gave them mercy and instruction.  The manna from the LORD was given to Israel until they had entered into Palestine.  From one month following freedom from slavery until 40 years latter, the LORD gave them bread from heaven.  There are numerous failures by Israel as they wandered in the wilderness, but the manna always came.

  1. Do you trust God for your needs?
  2. Do you work harder and longer then you should?


--Zine Smith

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