Abundant Provision

Manna. We don't know exactly what it was, but God's Word tells us that it came from His hand and was nourishing and satisfying for the hungry Israelites in the wilderness.


"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day...' The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, 'This is what the Lord has commanded: Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'" (Exodus 16:4, 31-32)


At that time, God's provision for His people was not extravagent. It was a wafer--bread from heaven that appeared every morning like dew on the grass. "Men ate the bread of angels; He sent them all the food they could eat." (Psalm 78:25). Though His provision was simple, it was sufficient for their nourishment. God provided what His people needed to survive.


I thought about manna as I explored the "shuk" last Friday.




The shuk is a huge, open-air market in the heart of downtown Jerusalem. It is a delightful (if not a bit chaotic) circus of fresh produce, meat, baked goods, spices, and the characters who sell them. Like any good circus, the shuk is constantly in motion and abounding with vibrant sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Look in one direction and your eyes are treated to a splendid array of colorful spices. Walk just a few steps and the waft of freshly baked pita and challah bread stops you dead in your tracks...but only for a few seconds before the hustle and bustle of eager shoppers and sellers moves you forward. Turn in another direction and you can't help but be drawn to the beautiful fruits and vegetables. It is a marvelous circus for the senses.


As I take it all in, I can't help but say out loud to my companions, Billie and Cybil, "Isn't God good?!" He doesn't have to lay out such an incredible smorgasbord. Simple manna would serve us well and be sufficient provision from His hand. And yet, He spoils us with a lavish feast of tastes, textures, colors, and smells... not because He has to, but because He wants to. Like any good father,our Father in Heaven delights in pouring out His abundance on us.




"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting." Psalm 118:1




Thank you Lord!

Points of Interest or Points of Entrance?

Last weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to visit two of the most precious Biblical sites to followers of Christ—the place where Jesus was born, memorialized by the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the place where He was crucified and buried, memorialized by Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. While tradition recognizes these as the actual sites of Christ’s birth and death, scholars have long debated their validity. Personally, I don’t believe that we will ever know for sure (this side of Heaven), and God has good reason for that. At these sites, people are prone to worship the creation, rather than the Creator.

At the Church of the Nativity, visitors from all over the world kiss a spot on the floor that someone hundreds of years ago identified as the place where Jesus entered the world. Hundreds of people line up every day to crouch on the ground and press their lips to a slab of stone.

And at the Garden Tomb, followers of Christ regularly leave locks of hair and other personal items in the place where it is believed that Jesus’ lifeless body was laid. Workers say that one of their primary tasks at the end of the day is to remove (with honor and dignity of course) the items that people leave behind for Jesus. If the gardeners didn’t clear it out, the small tomb would quickly become overrun with people’s stuff and inaccessible to anyone.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand the wonder and emotion one encounters in a visit to the Holy Land and to these holy sites. It is an awe-inspiring privilege to walk where Jesus walked and pray in the places where He may very well have breathed His first and last human breaths. But as Christians, we are to worship the Creator of the Universe and not His creation. The Holy Land and these precious sites should be considered “points of interest” to the faithful and not “points of entry” into the presence of God. As we journey to and through this land, that divine truth first spoken by angels more than two thousand years ago to the women at the tomb should ring in our ears and hearts.

"Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen” (Luke 24:5-6a).

He has risen indeed! Our faith is fueled not by the place from which He rose, but by the fact that He rose. Hallelujah!

With all my heart, I hope that those of you who desire to visit the Holy Land will have an opportunity to do so. It is an extraordinary adventure that has blessed me beyond measure. But be assured that to draw near to the Lord, you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to a far-off land and ancient ruins.

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:24).

You have no further to go than the distance from your feet to your knees. Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, the Son of God, God Himself, will meet you right where you are at.

“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b).

Digging...

For the past week, I have been “digging” at an archaeology site that is believed to be Ai—the Old Testament city that Joshua conquered and burned in the 15th Century BC (Joshua 7-8). It is back-breaking, grueling, hot work…hours and hours spent in the Israeli heat hunched over a trench, picking through thorns, dirt, rocks, and rubble, digging for evidence that this site is, indeed, Joshua’s Ai. Every bone and joint in my body (including ones I didn’t know existed) have been screaming at me, “Who cares?!” Is this painstaking effort to unearth a little city that was allegedly destroyed and burned by Joshua 3400 years ago worth all of the toil and trouble? In a word, yes! And in response to my aching left big toe, right pinky, back, and all other unhappy body parts that seem to be demanding an answer to the “who cares?” question … I believe that God cares. Thank goodness, so do many dedicated men and women who are committed to unearthing the evidence that supports Biblical Truth. We live in a world that seeks to dismiss the Bible as simply a good book of stories with no historical proof. The work of Biblical archaeology is invaluable in the effort to refute the critics of God.

Archaeologists look at a site like the one I’ve been at and ask several questions of it. Does the location fit with the Biblical narrative? Can the ruins and artifacts be dated back to the time in question (approx. 1400 BC in the case of Ai)? Is there physical evidence, like an inscription, that proves it is the site in question? Without finding some sort of inscription (which hasn’t been found at Ai), we cannot know with absolute, 100% certainty that it is Ai. However, the other evidence is mounting. Geographically, it makes good sense within the context of the Biblical narrative. Pottery dug out of the site dates back to the time of Joshua. And, it appears that the city endured a major fire which again fits with the Bible’s account of Ai. It is not definitive that this is Ai, but the evidence is pointing in that direction. If we can make a strong case that this is Ai, then we have further evidence to support our belief that the Bible, God’s Word, is historically reliable and trustworthy. So, archaeologists and volunteers will be back again next summer for another grueling season of digging to find the truth.

I have made a life of digging for truth, and have always found it to be really hard work. As a reporter, I dug for journalistic truth. Little did I know that during my journalism days, the Lord was equipping and preparing me to dig for a higher purpose—the knowledge and wisdom of God. It doesn’t come easy. It requires a commitment to studying His Word, seeking His face, and pursuing the things of Him. In a world that is constantly telling us to run after riches, fame, and human approval, the pursuit of the knowledge of God seems pointless to some. Like the critics who dismiss Biblical archaeology, arguing that the Bible has no historical truth, the ungodly see the pursuit of the knowledge of God as a worthless or vain effort. Our time on earth is better spent, they believe, striving for fame and fortune. In fact, as Job 28 tells us, man will go to the very core of the earth, risking life and limb to extract earthly riches.

Man’s hand assaults the flinty rock and lays bare the roots of the mountains. He tunnels through the rock; his eyes see all its treasures. He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light. (Job 28:9-11)

It seems to be a natural human endeavor to strive for the things of this world. And, God has given man the ability and ingenuity to do that. But, He also offers us the opportunity to pursue something greater than anything this world has to offer—His Wisdom—a treasure that man cannot find on his own.

God understands the way to it and He alone knows where it dwells. (Job 28:23)

The wisdom and knowledge of God is found only with God’s help, through His Word and a relationship with Him. And, I believe that it is worth the effort. If man is willing to go to extreme measures to acquire the things of this world (like fortune and fame) that have no eternal value, how much more of an effort should we be willing to make to acquire the things of God that will last forever?!

And so….I dig. For the last three years, I have been digging in an academic setting—unearthing theological truths through my grueling studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. This summer, the Lord has blessed me with a much-needed change of dig location. As they say in archaeology, I’ve “opened a new square” and am digging for God’s Wisdom in the Holy Land. It is a refreshing change of scenery and I look forward to finding the treasures He has for me here. As I used to say in my journalism days… stay tuned. I will let you know what I find. Meantime, I pray that you are experiencing a purposeful, fruitful "dig" of your own as well this summer. :)

Shalom! k