When I read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, the first thing I always think of is a Sunday School teacher reading the passage, then exclaiming, “But wait! There’s more!” like a television infomercial. “Did you catch that? The men numbered five thousand. There must have been triple or quadruple that when you add the women and children!”
To my Sunday School teacher, this information served to amplify the already stunning miracle, adding to our awe of Jesus. Feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish is impressive enough, but what if it were really fifteen or twenty thousand?
But for me, one of the best gifts of reading Scripture, especially familiar stories, isn’t these amplifications. It’s how new things rise to the top when we read and reread. In today’s reading, the parallel stories of Numbers 11 and John 6 stopped me in my tracks. I’ve read both of them dozens of times, heard them taught from my earliest Sunday School days, and yet, the way they mirror each other captivated me today. Scripture is such a sprawling web of connections and references and adjunct stories; beginning to untangle it never gets old.
In Numbers 11, the Israelites have fled from slavery in Egypt. But when they are alone in the desert, they have nothing. Nothing to eat, nothing to drink, no schedule or plan or anything. So they, naturally, begin to complain and ask Moses if there’s a plan. Moses presses the Lord for a response:
“But Moses replied, ‘I’m in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers, yet you say, “I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.” If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?’” (Numbers 11:21–22).
Jesus and the disciples share a similar back-and-forth. Philip says, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little” (John 6:7). Then Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish and feeds everyone, with abundant leftovers.
We often bring our own needs before God with the same doubt and scoffing as the Israelites and Philip. We ask for much with little faith. In these two stories, we see the Lord provide because our God is a God of abundance, not scarcity, He cares for us lavishly. He doesn’t offer the bare minimum, only what we need to survive. He provides “everything required for life and godliness” through the gift of Jesus (2Peter 1:3).
I, too, fixated this morning on John 5:39-40. “You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.” I often fall prey to calling out words & not calling unto Jesus. It’s too much of a head game & not heart gain. My meditating on the Word is superior to my studying the Word by itself. My reading shouldn’t be rushed, or void of reflection & response. Or simply riding on the surface. More “beauty, goodness & truth” is to be mined. Christ Jesus, help me push words, for words sake, aside. Help me be a better hearer & bearer of Your Word. Teach me to sit still with every sign pointing to You & adherence to You. To enter into the “ beautiful mosaic unfolding” (Jennifer Loves Jesus said) & “searching the OT & NT daily, with open mind & open heart” (Sharon Jersey Girl said). As many Shes said, reading & re-reading Scripture is meant to do more than build memory muscle. And as Melanie wrote in her devotional…to remain awestruck by “scripture as a sprawling web of connections, references, adjunct stories…such that beginning to untangle it never grows old”.
The one thing I like about SRT is how I learn new things about the Bible all the time. The references in Numbers and 2Kings.
This is one of my favorite stories. Can you imagine being that boy and going home and telling your mom what happen to your lunch? Mom would probably say something like, “Joshua, I’ve told you what would happen if you told lies.” Then mom goes out and hears the same story at the market and other places. WOW!!!
Sisters be blessed and share your faith story.
“Our God is a God of abundance not scarcity” Jesus didn’t rip those five loaves into thousands of tiny pieces like “here’s a bite for you, and one for you”. No, He provided enough for everyone to be FULL and had baskets left over!! He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!! (Ephesians 3:20) ❤️
Reading these verses remind me of this simple fact: Jesus knows what He is doing! Too often we criticize God for not doing things in the “perfect” way that we want them to be done (or pray for things to be done in our own way). In this way, we are being selfish.. no matter how “good” our intentions. We might not understand the way that God solves things in the moment.. but in the future, when we look back we will understand. That’s why I think we should let God be the driver of our lives at all times, never us.
Provides when we are not seeing how possible can this be. Thank you Lord.
Glory to the provision of God, not just in ministry (for the 5000+ men and others coming to hear the teachings) but daily needs (of His people through Moses). God not only gives us spiritual food for growth but actual physical food when we are hungry or in need. And I have witnessed finance supernaturally coming through to afford physical lack of those God is reaching, including us. If it’s a project God ordains for you and me to carry out, He will take care of all the bills, just like back then and just like now. It is more blessed to give, and where your heart is, there your treasure is also. May we be faithful stewards for Him, having hope in the full provision of things hoped for, evidence of things not yet seen, knowing the Lord’s arm is never too weak.
“He doesn’t offer the bare minimum, only what we need to survive“. This is so true in my own personal life. In my journey as a single parent now for over four years, I have seen God provide in the most amazing ways. I remind myself, I am a child of the most high King. He has never left me or abandon me. I live a pretty simple life but I have what I need. Food. Shelter. And the loves of my life my two beautiful children Caleb and Alyssa. MOST importantly and I can never do life without HIM, I have JESUS, my-true-love!
God bless you, SISSY…I’m glad the words were a blessing to you and pray God will continue to work in our lives!!
*Quick request*: Hubby has a bad cold; a father figure of mine is being buried this week and I think hubby will be asked to be a pallbearer…need to do the Covid test this afternoon to see if he can even attend :( … please pray.