FRESH EVERY MORNING

~Exodus 16: 17-21~

In-person service at

Second Baptist Church

2412 Griffith Ave.

Los Angeles

William S. Epps, Senior Pastor

Sunday, August 4, 2024

¹⁷And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

¹⁸And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. ¹⁹And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. ²⁰Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. ²¹And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. Exodus 16:17-21

Introduction

We are a people of promise from a land of promise in a place of promise with a book of promise to fulfill the potential of our promise in Christ to build the body of Christ. 

We have the opportunity to be discovered by the promise of our lives and the world in which we live. Biblical history begins with the notion of life being a promissory pilgrimage. 

Listen to the way the Bible expresses that reality. The beginning of biblical faith in sacred writ reminds us that the Lord seeks us and we respond with our yes to our discovery of the Lord’s presence. Abraham says the Lord encountered him redirecting the course of his life and legacy. Abraham acknowledged what he discovered with his positive response to it. (Genesis 12:1). In the vernacular of some who acknowledge what they have discovered about the presence of the Lord, they say “the Lord can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 2:20).  

The children of Israel were in bondage and captivity in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40). They were on the precipice of being freed. Imagine the thrill that must have filled their hearts and imagination. And immediately as they thought they were on their way, they find themselves in a situation in which it appeared they could not win nor escape. They were trapped by the Red Sea. Mountains were to their right and left, the open valley to their rear Pharaoh’s army plunging toward them. It appears they were boxed in, nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. The Lord delivered them in a desperate situation from which advancement appeared impossible and escape was improbable. Yet, they were delivered miraculously. The sojourn in the wilderness begins. 

Consider what it means to be a people of promise from a land of promise

in a place of promise with a book of promise to fulfill the potential

of our promise building the body of Christ.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Firstly, we discover that we are found by the freedom we are seeking in life from captivity. 

You see a way was made out of no way. When they were at the end of the road, they were shown a new path forward. Just when they thought it was over, it was just a new beginning. The basic lesson of the Exodus is the reality of the discovery of the powerful pervasive presence of the Lord. The basic event and seminal situation in all of scripture is the liberation of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. They described it in language that captures discovering the presence of the Lord in life making a way out of no way.

I am sure that we can attest to that reality as we look at our sojourn in this country from 1619 to the present. Look at all the barriers we have overcome, the hurdles we have had to jump, the challenges of disgraceful discrimination then and now we’ve endured, yet we have accomplished the unfathomable in every area of life whether athletic, entrepreneurial, educational, finance, films, music, theater and you name it. Just tour an African American Museum - whether in the nation’s capital or in designated areas around the country chronicling the accomplishments of those who were brought here in shackles, demonized, denigrated, devalued and yet as Maya Angelo says, still we rise.  

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise

Consider what it means to rise from whatever it is that would

prevent you from making the most of your life.

The Israelites came out of captivity where they did not have what they wanted. People in captivity want freedom. Freedom comes at a price. The price of freedom is costly. There is no freedom without commitment, determination and sacrifice. Their story reminds us of our story. 

They, as well as we, were found by what could inspire us to accept, embrace, receive and trust what they have been given, a choice, an opportunity and possibility of a different life. They and we were found by what many are looking for, the power that comes with a faith that determines a more meaningful existence free of the bondage and captivity from a life of shame to a life of satisfaction about accomplishments attained. Life doesn’t have to be this way and continue as it is;

life can be different with freedom and liberty and possibilities and potentialities far beyond what we imagine or think. 

The strangest thing is that there are always those who reflect on what they had when they were miserable in captivity when compared with the challenge of the present to make a choice for something different. Strange how to some their captivity looks better than venturing forward through the uncertainty of challenges they face.

Consider what it means to have the power that comes with a faith that

will not shrink though pressed by every foe, that will not tremble on the

brink of any earthy woe / that will not murmur nor complain beneath the chastening rod but in the hour of grief or pain will lean upon its God.  

Secondly they discovered that provisions were made available to them.   

They also discovered that the Lord would provide what they needed as they were journeying on their way in faith through the unpleasantness of scarcity.

(a) They had direction as “a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.” (Exodus 13:21).  

(b) In their complaints provisions were made available for them. The Lord provided fresh everyday what they needed for each day. They were told to take for each day but they doubted that each day’s supply would alleviate their anxiety about the uncertainty of future developments. 

(c) Fueled by their anxiety to secure for themselves, they gathered more than was required for their need each day. Isn’t that where we all live between today’s supply and whether it will sustain us through what happens tomorrow and beyond?

Consider what it means to have direction, provisions and still be

fueled by anxiety that leads to worry about whether today’s

supply will sustain you through tomorrows.  

We like to hoard and store stuff against the uncertainty that is so prevalent in life. In our insecurity we find that there is never enough to offset uncertainty. Therefore, we become greedy. That is an indication that we doubt what we are told about having what we need will be provided daily, fresh every morning. The reality is that whatever you need to manage your life day-by-day must be gathered fresh every morning. This was Jesus’s antidote for anxiety, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. KJV (King James Version). Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” ASV (American Standard Version).

Notice how anxiety fills our lives with not having enough.  Our lack of trust creates anxiety leading us to collect more than what we need creating the worst in us such as fear of not having enough, making us greedy that causes us to gather too much, which leads to taking advantage of whoever gets in our way getting as much as we can for ourselves depriving others of what they need. Lack of trust leads to selfish inclinations that are detrimental. Maybe the basic problem of life is that we have made available to us each day all that we need to face what happens in life, yet we don’t believe it. 

.  

Notice what happened when more was gathered than what was needed; what they gathered bred worms and stank. We live with the stench of greed poisoning our society and lives, creating unnecessary poverty where the victim is blamed for their victimization. Greed destroys the give-and-take dynamic that’s important for healthy relationship, collectively, individually and personally. Greed damages relationships of all sort, leading to maladaptive behavior that is harmful including anger, cruelty, hatred, jealousy, resentment, and revenge to name a few. 

Unfortunately, we in our doubt and mistrust, permit society to be structured to create haves and have-nots as a fact of reality; a less compassionate society with the mantra, "it’s a dog eat dog world" wherein fierce competition has people harming and taking advantage of each other in order to get what they want; compassion is circumvented by competitiveness, help with harm, and sharing with selfishness.

Consider what it means that doubt and lack of trust leads to greed and maladaptive behavior that is harmful as it promotes promoting anger, cruelty,

hatred, jealously, and resentment.

Thirdly, the Lord makes available what we need each day to manage life in all of its many changes and challenges. 

The focus of this passage for us says,

They gathered it every morning, each person according to need. Then the sun heated up and it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about four quarts per person. Exodus 16:21-22

I want to share with you a salient aspect of the text which begs to be heard and heeded. What is necessary for life and living fully must be gathered fresh every morning. Remember Jesus and the prayer He taught us to pray has a line to “give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11). In other words, give us what we need to survive and thrive.  

The manna narrative affirms that there is an abundance given by God beyond the administration of Pharaoh; that abundance is beyond the measure or control or even the awareness of Pharaoh and any other ruling authority. This suggests that the assurance of abundance is something of a secret kept in the memory of God's people; it is a secret that may make one immune to the demands of a dominant society where greed in prevalent. (Walter Brueggemann / Gift and Task / page 142).

This passage suggests that what’s most needed in life must be gathered fresh every morning. 

We live life day by day or rather moment by moment. We can never with certainty look over the rim of one day so as to see what will happen on another day. Each day has its own peculiar alterations and variations. One day is smiling, another is gloom, every hour, every place has hues of its own. Each day brings its own demands. Each day will require new self-adaptations. The Lord gives what we need each day to survive and thrive. The Lord gives faith as sure as the day, hope as varied of the day and strength as long as the day.

Consider what it means that the Lord gives what we need each day, faith as sure as the day, hope as varied as the day, and strength as long as the day.

The Lord gives

Fresh

Regularly

Everyday

Supplying

Help

The ABC'S of Fresh Every Morning:

Awareness must be gathered fresh every morning

Belief must be gathered fresh every morning

Courage must be gathered fresh every morning

Discipline / determination

Encouragement

Faith must be gathered fresh every morning

Grace

Hope

Kindness

Love must be gathered fresh every morning

Mercy

Patience

Conclusion

The composer would but it in these words:

I don’t know about tomorrow

I just live from day to day

I don’t borrow from it’s sunshine

For it’s skies may turn to gray

I don’t worry o’er the future

For I know what Jesus said

And today I’ll walk beside Him

For He knows what is ahead.

Every step is getting brighter

As the golden stairs I climb

Every burden’s getting lighter

Every cloud is silver lined

There the sun is always shining

There no tear will dim the eye

At the ending of the rainbow

Where the mountains touch the sky

I don’t know about tomorrow

It may bring me poverty

But the One who feeds the sparrow

Is the one who stands by me

And the path that is my portion

May be through the flame or flood

But His presence goes before me

And I’m covered with His blood.

Many things about tomorrow

I don’t seem to understand

But I know who holds tomorrow

And I know who holds my hand

Consider what it means to trust the Lord each and every day to make available what you need to manage your life with all of its alterations, iterations and variations.

Second Baptist Church Los Angeles

2412 Griffith Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90011 

Phone: (213) 748-0318