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Once More: Faith, Wealth, & Possessions |
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Page 9 of 13 "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also," Jesus warned (Matthew 6:21). But how do we pray? Bless our business. Help us get this house or that car or this raise or that promotion. Basically, help us heap up treasures on earth (Singer, 39). It is refreshing to find in an apologetics book on the person of Jesus this kind of emphasis. But, then, we need it desperately. It is regrettable that Singer has to state the truth of Scripture and Jesus’ teaching in contrast to what is found in our churches. That this teaching is emphasized throughout the Old Testament as well as the New Testament becomes evident when one carefully reads Exodus. In His provision of manna for the Hebrews, God was very particular about how it was to be gathered. In Exodus 16 we read: 4 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. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days"....
13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’"
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.
19 Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."
20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much - two omers for each person - and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’"
24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 January 2007 )
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