John Kitto Morning Bible Devotions: May 21

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John Kitto Morning Bible Devotions: May 21


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Old Corn

Joshua 5

It is a very remarkable circumstance, that during all the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness, two of the prominent institutions of their law were entirely neglected. These were the rite of circumcision and the celebration of the passover. The former had, it seems, been entirely dispensed with, perhaps in regard to their pilgrim state; and the latter had been observed twice only since its institution—once in Egypt, and once in Sinai. Now, however, that they have entered the promised land, and were no longer in the pilgrim state—the reasons which had prevented these observances, whatever these reasons were, no longer existed; and their first care, on establishing the camp at Gilgal, was to impress themselves with the sign of the covenant, by circumcision; then followed the passover—celebrated, no doubt, with peculiar solemnity, from its being a new rite to most of the existing generation, and from its following so immediately the rite of the covenant.

It will be remembered, that the time when the Jordan overflowed its banks was the time of harvest; and it was at this time that the river had been crossed. Indeed, the passover corresponded with the commencement of the barley harvest; and on “the morrow after the passover,” they were required (Lev_23:10-11), to wave a sheaf of the first-fruits before the Lord as an offering, after which they were allowed to gather in and use the rest. Now, in conformity with this, we are told, that “they did eat the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn on the self-same day.” It was necessary to eat unleavened bread during the passover—and in this case it was made of the old corn of the land—such, no doubt; as had been found stored up in the defenseless villages from which the inhabitants had fled when the Hebrew host appeared in the plain. The parched corn was corn of the new harvest, burnt in the ear, which at the same time burns those parts that cannot be eaten, and parches the edible grain. This was like the “parched corn” which Boaz handed to Ruth at the meal eaten in the harvest-field. Corn thus parched is still much relished in Palestine, and is regarded as something of a delicacy peculiar to that season of the year; for it is new corn only that is parched. This must have been an interesting day to them; for probably more than two thirds of the people, that is, all not above forty years of age, had never eaten bread before in all their lives. It is true they had manna, and the manna was probably better than bread; but bread was a change, and therefore delightful to them.

The very morning after, the manna, which had not (except on the Sabbaths) ceased one day to fall for forty years, was no more found around the camp. This discontinuance of the supply by which the people had been so long sustained, no less marks the signal providence of God, than the original grant of it, and its long continuance. It came not one day before it was needed; and it was continued not one day longer than was really required by the wants of the people. This strikingly showed the Lord’s care, and evinced the miraculous nature of the supply. Such indications as this of the Lord’s presence and power, were little less than visible manifestations of Deity.

The life of the Christian believer does not lack similar experiences. In tracing his life back through its varied scenes, how plainly can he see that—however his heart may at times have failed him—his Lord has, under all circumstances, cared for him, even in the matters which belong to his daily bread. He can see that one resource has not failed him until another has been ready to open. Sometimes he has been supplied as by miracle; help was raised up for him, he knew not how, except that it was the Lord’s doing, and it was marvellous in his eyes. But then, as soon as he had learned the great lesson of child-like dependence upon his Father’s care, and had realized the assurance contained in the words, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,” the extraordinary sources ceased, and ordinary ones, sufficient for all his wants, were opened. Oh! what tranquillity of mind, what blessedness of rest, may be realized—what slavish fears, what harassing anxieties, may be avoided—if we will only let such experience have its perfect work, by inducing us to cast all our care upon Him who careth for us, leaving Him to determine what we shall lose or what retain, in the firm conviction, that he will decide well for us—better for us than we, who often know not what we ask, and who can never determine with certainty what may be eventually good for us, could decide for ourselves.

Again, “The manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither did the children of Israel eat manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” Thus extraordinary resources fail, when the common course of God’s providence becomes equal to the necessities of his Church. To have continued both together—to have had the old store of natural food and the manna—would have been a needless profusion of the Divine bounty, a waste of goodness and power such as we do not discover in the ordinary operations of the Lord’s providence. Had the manna been, in the first instance, bestowed in the midst of plenty, it had been viewed as no very striking interposition of Providence, nor have been very thankfully received: so now, had it been continued amid the fullness of Canaan, it had grown into disesteem, and have been regarded rather as an ordinary production of nature than as a special display of the riches of the Divine goodness. If the people had wantonly disparaged the manna, even in the time of their necessity, when they had no other food—if even then what was lightly obtained was lightly prized—how much more would they have contemned it in a land flowing with milk and honey? God will not be too prodigal of his favors, in so lavishly expending them as to allow there to be scorned as superfluous things. The manna ceased, never to be renewed again. It was no longer needed. To have continued the supply, or even to have afforded it under the exigencies of occasional scarcities, would have bred indolent and luxurious habits in the people. It would have been ruinous to their industry and to the cultivation of the ground; for men will not adequately labor in cultivating the soil, when it is not necessary to their subsistence and their safety. What can no longer serve the purpose of its bestowment may well be dispensed with. The Lord best knows how long and in what measure his supplies will be needed, and will regulate his dispensations accordingly. Many things—good things—have ceased never to be again renewed to any of us; but we have not found that there has been, in this case, any reason to complain. We have been no losers. Other blessings have been given in the place of those taken away, which have rendered their continuance or renewal needless. It may be that the things taken from us—the things of our first love—the things of our glowing youth—the things of our golden prime—are sweeter than those that remain to us, and we regret their loss. But if we consider closely, we shall find that, although these things were proper and becoming in those former states, and although we had blessings then which we have not now—yet we must not forget that we have others now that we had not then; and that we now enjoy, in ripened fruits and corn of old store, advantages which become the condition to which we have attained, and which strengthen our souls, and fit us for usefulness, as well, perhaps better, than the sweet and tender manna with which we were nourished when the dews of our youth were fresh upon us.