Matthew 15:21-39; Leviticus 26-27; Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26
The stories of Jesus feeding the thousands is amazing and has some significance beyond God doing the amazing. The disciples gave Jesus all the food they had—even though it wasn’t much—and in his hands it blessed many. If I give Jesus all I have—my heart, time, gifts, money—in his hands he will use it to bless people and bring glory to his kingdom. God likes to do things in a way that makes us rely on his power. If there had been a grocery store there, it would have not produced a miracle. Instead, the disciples had to rely completely on God to do an amazing thing. When we get to the end of our ropes, I think God wants to use those opportunities to show his power. When we have none, he gets to step in an do everything. I think he likes to do that.
The list of blessings that God will give if people only obey him is tremendous. He will provide sustenance for their bodies so much that they will never go hungry. He will keep them safe from attacks of enemies—enemies of humans or of sin. Not only will he keep them safe, but he will help to attack and destroy those things that are evil in the world, not matter how big a problem or how evil it is. And God will live among his people, in close communion, sharing in life. How could a person choose anything else? The warnings for disobeying the Lord are incredibly descriptive and terrible. One of the sad things is that God doesn’t just say “if you rebel” and then finish, but he knows that humans will not just rebel and then turn back to God, but they will keep sinning, again and again and again. Each of these images could have modern significance. The fact that the dead bodies will be piled on top of their idols—I just imagine people being killed by something they worshipped like drugs, alcohol, materialism, sexual diseases. It is true: when people turn from God, they are destroyed by those things that God forbids. It isn’t that God is trying to keep people from having fun, but protecting them from the things that will destroy them.
But, God is a God of redemption and of unlimited love. No person is too far gone to turn back and be saved. That he promises and what an amazing promise!
This passage says the best thing I can do on earth is to enjoy eating, drinking, and working. And I think this is more than just enjoying the buffets and punching the clock. I think it is about eating with people, sharing lives and stories over food prepared with kindness and care. I think drinking is not about getting drunk, but enjoying the special things in life, and taking time to relax and unwind. And working is not about earning the money, but making a difference—those are the things that Solomon said were what God put us on earth to do.
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