Jehovah Jireh; God our Provider
Psalm 78 and Deut. 8
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
REFLECTION: Psalm 78 is a brief History of the first 500 years or so of Israel as a Nation under God’s Law. In it God spends the first 55 verses reviewing the Exodus and Wilderness wanderings in order to reveal a pattern which would be repeated throughout Israel’s existence.
Generally this pattern was repeated a dozen or so times over the 400 year period of the Judges.
1 Cor. 10:11 uses Israel’s History (Particularly the Exodus wanderings) to remind us that God desires that we learn from their mistakes and not repeat their “patterns.” :
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition,upon whom the ends of the world are come."
This “Pattern” is predictable:
1. Sin (They turned from God to Idols and immorality)
> This was often preceded by PROSPERITY. (See Deut. 8)
2. Servitude (God allowed their enemies to persecute them)
> This usually brought POVERTY.
3. Supplication (They eventually turned back to God and prayerfully sought deliverance.)> This often took the form of genuine PRAYER.
4. Salvation (God raised up a deliverer (Judge)
> This resulted in PROSPERITY and the cycle would repeat itself again the next generation.
AMERICAN HISTORY IS A MIRROR OF THIS PATTERN!!!!!
The Parallels between ancient Israel and America are amazing.
This pattern began when the People of Israel doubted God’s Faithfulness and Ability (After the Miracles of the Exodus.) Ps 78:19
"Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"
1. ISRAEL:
A. THEIR NUMBER: Estimated at 2,493,010
1) 603,550 fighting men over 20 able to go to war. (Numbers 1:46)
2) 22,000 male Levites who were not included in this Numbering: (Nu 3:39)
3) Wives of these men: (Estimated 620,000)
4) Children under 20: 1,247,460 (See below for assumptions)
Their were 601,730 men over 20 forty years later (not including Levites) (see Numbers 26) Let’s assume 22,000 Levites here as well.
Let’s assume the same number of girls were born as boys.
NOTE: Their number was cut in half during the Wilderness wanderings!
B. THEIR NEEDS: “can God furnish a table in the wilderness?”
1) Bread: (Total of 1.5 million semi truck loads over 40 years)
a) God provided an Omer of Manna a day per person. (Ex. 16:16)
Note: an Omer is about 2 quarts.
1) That comes out to about 5,000,000 quarts of meal each day.
2) It would take 100 semi trucks each day to supply this amount daily for 40 years!
b) Water: (At least a total of 18,000,000,000 gallons over 40 years in the wilderness!)
1) Under NORMAL circumstances a person requires ½ gallon of water each day.
2) That means God provided an average of 1,250,000 gallons of water each day for 40 years in a dessert!
c) Meat: (at least 12.5 million bushels of quail!)
1) At one time God sent enough quail so that the least a person gathered was 10 homers (the equivalent of 5 bushels) See Numbers 11:31,32.
2) That comes out to 12.5 million bushels of meat in one evening!
3) Exodus 16 implies that the Quail were a regular occurrence.
d) Guidance:
1) Predominately from God.
2) God redirected the nation away from the Philistines who were hostile. (Ex. 13:17)
3) God raised up Moses as the first human leader.
4) God sent Moses’ brother in law Hobab who was familiar with the wilderness to act as a counselor. (See Numbers 10:29-31)
5) Moses died before they entered the promise land so God appointed Joshua to lead them.
2. EARLY AMERICANS (Pilgrims)
A. THEIR NUMBER: 102 total on the Mayflower
NOTE: It is difficult to identify exactly how many of the people on the Mayflower were actually “pilgrims” because there were sailors and other Englishmen traveling to America for personal profit, etc.
1) This number was cut in half during the first 5 months in America. (51 died)
B. THEIR NEEDS:
1) Bread:
a) During their first exploration in the Plymouth area the men found a deserted Indian village and several bushels of corn buried in containers. This because their main staple during the winter.
2) Water:
a) They were originally trying to get to the Virginia colony where thousands had already died because of the disease from the swampy surroundings.
b) God led them to the Plymouth area where there were many rivers and springs.
3) Meat: Abundant supply of Fish, Turkey, Dear, etc.
4) Guidance:
a) God redirected them away from Virginia and the hostile tribes there.
b) God destroyed the aggressive tribe in the Plymouth area by a plague.
c) Governor Winslow was the first leader, but he died the first year.
d) William Bradford took over and led the colony for most of the next 20 years.
e) God provided Squanto to provide human direction about surviving in the wilderness.
