Maggots

Exodus 16:20 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.

Correcting the behavior of another person can be difficult. Ask any parent if this isn’t true. Ask any spouse! Ask anyone! We can work at controlling our own behavior, but when it comes to someone else’s, that is another story. The other person has a vote in what they do or don’t do.

We see this played out in so many areas of life. If a product designer could just control their potential customers, they could make a fortune. Bud Light has learned a hard lesson. They couldn’t control the political and ideological beliefs of its customers. They customers voted by withholding their money.

Political figures have tried to control people on all sides of the issues in every country of the world. But people have a stubborn way of thinking independently. They defy the powers that exist and continue to go their own way, some even in the face of grave personal costs. Remember the “tank man” from Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 5, 1989.

Those with power will go to great lengths to cover up their work to control others. They delete files, forgetting that the can be ‘undeleted’ and recovered. They can control the media, not just here in the US, but around the world. Even deadly diseases can be used to further their political games.

I remember hiding some food when I was very young. But when I returned to retrieve it, I found that it had molded. I guess it wasn’t a Twinkie. I thought, maybe if I wrap it up better next time, it won’t go bad. But it did!

Our text tells us the story of the provision of Manna, a special kind of bread-making substance that the LORD would provide the Israelites during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. It was provided because of the Israelites’ complaining and grumbling.

But some of them wouldn’t obey the simple instructions. It will be provided, so just trust and do what the LORD says. The LORD knows what you need and will provide it.

The sad thing is, if they hadn’t rebelled, Manna would never have been needed. They would not have been on the weeks-long journey for forty years. A weeks-long journey wouldn’t require this kind of miraculous provision. They would be eating from the abundance of the Promised Land before too long.

But their disobedience led to maggots and smell.

What maggots and smell does your life have? Or is their only sweetness and Febreze?