In 8:2-3 Moses tells the people, "... you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna... that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
One purpose of testing is to find out what something is made of: "to know what was in your heart." Now, I don't believe God needed more information, or that he was waiting with a worried look on his face to see how things would turn out. I believe he knew what was in their hearts and what they would do. But THEY didn't know. They had said,
"All that the Lord has spoken we will do." Exodus 19:8.
And then they had Aaron make them a golden calf, and then they grumbled and complained, and then they believed the bad report of the ten cowardly spies instead of Joshua and Caleb, and refused to advance into the Promised Land, etc. They did NOT know. So God took them through the wilderness to show them their hearts and to humble them.
Another purpose of testing is to teach. This is closely related, and almost the same as the first. It includes the first, because the first thing we must learn from testing is what we have to work with, what our basic, default (without God) situation is. Above, I have already listed some of the failures of character of the people of Israel that resulted in wrong actions. Other good descriptions which we can generalize for ourselves are in Ephesians 2:1-3
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."
and Revelation 3:17
... you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
These statements about our natural condition are important, but most of us also need to hit the pavement with our chins a few times to really understand. Besides teaching us what we are made of, what is in our heart, through trials God also shows us our weakness and inability to provide for ourselves. He teaches us that we are completely dependent on Him. The provision of manna for the Israelites is a beautiful and powerful picture of how directly dependent we are on God. But the manna wasn't "necessary" and wouldn't have been wanted in Egypt. It was only out in the desert, when they were starving, that they needed and ate the manna. It is interesting to me that Jesus quotes these words to Satan when he is being tempted to miraculously provide bread for himself after his fast in the desert. What a contrast! The Israelites as they wandered in the desert had to be taught in a practical, graphic, life-threatening way just how dependent they were on God. Jesus, who had the ability in himself to produce bread by his word, said (in effect): "No. I have been led by the Spirit to this desert to fast and be strengthened to conquer your temptation. I look to the Father and his word to guide all my actions, and to supply all my need. I will not allow my hunger to cause me to listen to your word and follow your suggestions."
So here we have two reasons to be humble: our natural sinful character, and our weak dependence on God for everything. Trials are key in showing us and thoroughly convincing us of both.
Lastly, testing and trials produce more than understanding. The are the practical means of our purification. We are like impure ore that has dirt and unwanted minerals and less valuable metals in it. Some of the dirt can be washed off, but eventually we require the refiners fire.
No comments:
Post a Comment