2016年1月27日
這是什麼? What Is It?
读经: 出埃及記16章11-31節
Reading: Exodus 16:11-31
以色列人看見，……就彼此對問說：「這是什麼呢？」-出埃及記16章15節
When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?"
Exodus 16:15
全年读经: 出埃及記16-18章;馬太福音18章1-20節
Bible in a Year: Exodus 16–18; Matthew 18: 1-20
我的母親教了好幾十年的主日學。有一次，她要孩子們明白上帝如何在曠野裡供應以色列人食物。於是，她就做了許多類似「嗎哪」的東西，就是把麵包切成小塊並沾上蜂蜜。她的靈感是來自聖經對嗎哪的描述：「滋味如同攙蜜的薄餅。」 （出埃及記16章31節）
以色列人初次在帳棚旁邊，看到上帝從天上賜下如霜一般的薄餅，他們「不知道是什麼，就彼此對問說：『這是什麼呢？』」 （15節） 希伯來文的「嗎哪」意即「什麼」，而這也就是這些食物被稱為「嗎哪」的原因。以色列人發現他們可將這些嗎哪加以磨碎、做成餅，或是放在鍋中烹煮（民數記11章7-8節） 。不論嗎哪是什麼，它們出現的方式無人知道 （出埃及記16章4、14節） ，具有獨特的一致性 （14節） ，而且保存期限十分短暫 （19-20節） 。
有時，上帝會以意想不到的方式供應我們一切所需。這提醒我們一件事，上帝的作為不會受我們的期待所侷限，我們也無法預測祂會選擇做什麼。我們只需要專心等待，定睛於祂，而不是去想祂該怎麼做。這樣，我們就能在祂的裡面找到喜樂與滿足。
親愛的主啊，無論祢以何種方式供應我，
求祢讓我能全然歡喜領受。
感謝祢在乎我，並滿足我一切所需。
等候上帝供應的，必得滿足。
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My mother taught Sunday school for decades. One week she wanted to explain how God supplied food for the Israelites in the wilderness. To make the story come alive, she created something to represent "manna" for the kids in her class. She cut bread into small pieces and topped them with honey. Her recipe was inspired by the Bible's description of manna that says it "tasted like wafers made with honey" (Ex. 16:31).
When the Israelites first encountered God's bread from heaven, it appeared on the ground outside their tents like frost. "When [they] saw it, they said to each other, 'What is it?' " (v. 15). The Hebrew word man means "what," so they called it manna. They discovered they could grind it and form it into loaves or cook it in a pot (Num. 11:7-8). Whatever it was, it had a baffling arrival (Ex. 16:4,14), a unique consistency (v. 14), and a short expiration date (vv. 19-20).
Sometimes God provides for us in surprising ways. This reminds us that He is not bound by our expectations, and we can't predict what He will choose to do. While we wait, focusing on who He is rather than what we think He should do will help us find joy and satisfaction in our relationship with Him.
Dear God, please help me to freely accept Your provision and the way You choose to deliver it. Thank You for caring for me and meeting my needs.
Those who let God provide will always be satisfied.