The LORD says, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.” (Exodus 16:4 KJ2000) For forty years in the wilderness Israel collected their food daily. They collected only what God provided. Each day they ate enough for their needs. If they saved any until the morrow because of lack of faith in God’s provision, it bred worms and stank.
During his life Jesus walked by this same rule. When he went out to preach to the multitudes he did not meticulously plan the logistics. He did not hire caterers and purchase mounds of food. He drew people by the thousands and when they were tired and hungry, he miraculously provided for them. He multiplied a few loaves of bread and a few fish so that all the people could eat, have enough, and have left-overs besides.
The only example in Scripture of men hoarding food for disaster appears in the account of Joseph in Egypt. Joseph ruled the kingdom directly under Pharaoh. Egypt itself was the greatest kingdom on earth. God revealed to Pharaoh that seven years of great harvest were coming and would be followed by seven years of famine. He gave Joseph wisdom to store the abundance of food during the seven full years so that food would be available in the seven lean years. During the seven lean years no one had enough food to live on so they had to come to Joseph to receive food to live. Joseph traded food for all their possessions, their cattle and their land. He thus made slaves of all the people in order to preserve their lives.
So, what does this story mean? Joseph represents (is a “type” of) Christ who rules the world under Pharaoh (who is a type of God the Father). Joseph rules the world for the good of the people and makes sure that provisions exist for all. Egypt, then, represents a type of the Kingdom of God. Those who come to Egypt for food depict those who willingly come to the Kingdom of God for “food.” I have shown repeatedly that “food” in Scripture usually means correct doctrine or truth. The starving poor in the Genesis account look prophetically forward in time to those who “mourn” over their spiritual proverty and so give up everything for God’s truth. Joseph gave the people their daily natural bread and this prefigures Jesus giving the people His daily spiritual Word. Remember, Jesus taught us that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Notice that this Scripture once again links food, or bread, with truth, God’s Word.
Thus we see that the whole idea of storing food for disaster and preparing hide-a-ways in the wilderness is contrary to all of God’s teaching. Ours is a day by day faith. God provides both our natural and spiritual food one day at a time!
