Janvier 2010 - Foi et Lumière International

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January 2010

Extract of the Guidelines "Travelling with Moses, a people on the march"

The monthly topic to nurture our community meeting:
"Crossing the desert"

In order to reach the Promised Land, the Children of Israel have to cross the desert. Many dangers are waiting for them: their supplies are exhausted; their wineskins become empty; unexpected enemies rise up from nowhere. There are many more difficulties than they would have imagined. They hesitated, they wondered, they thought of going back. It was a testing time.

Scarcely had they left Egypt when they wanted to turn back. They attacked Moses: «Oh! If we had only died in Egypt! There we would have been seated around cooking pots full of meat and we would have had as much bread as we wanted! You have brought us out into this desert to starve us to death!» (Ex 16:3) Further on in the desert, they started to complain again recalling their life in Egypt: «Oh! What a wonderful memory! The fish! And the cucumbers, the watermelons, the onions!» (Num 11:5)

God decided to respond to the cry of His people and to show his concern for them. «They are only behaving in this way because they are human, he said to Moses. I will now act according to my nature. I will rain down bread from heaven for you». In the morning, the desert floor was covered in little white grains, tasting like honey cakes. «Mann hu?» they said to each other, which means: «What is it?» - «It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat», replied Moses. And this miraculous food became known as «manna».

In John’s gospel, the people asked Jesus to reproduce the miracle of the manna so that they would then believe in Him. But it was another bread that Jesus had come to offer. He was the bread which came from heaven, the bread which satisfies those who believe Him. To the people of his time who were asking for a sign, Jesus declared: «I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry» (Jn 6:35).

Continuing their march, the children of Israel set up their camp near Rephidim. But there was no water for the people to drink. Once more, they started arguing with Moses: «So why did you make us leave Egypt? Was it to let us die of thirst, us, our children and our animals?» (Ex 17:3) Tensions rose, to the point where Moses cried out: «Lord of all things, what am I to do with these ungrateful people? Once again, they are ready to stone me». However Moses interceded for the people and the Lord said to him: «Take your staff; strike the rock; water will flow from it». And he did as he was told. Moses struck the rock and water flowed out of it. This water which God caused to come out of the rock reminds us of the water of which Jesus would speak to the woman from Samaria, when He met her at Jacob’s well: «Whoever drinks of the water which I will give will never be thirsty again. The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life» (Jn 4:14).

But that wasn’t all. To add to their difficulties, they were now confronted by the redoubtable tribe of the Amalekites. How would they defend themselves from this army? Moses wasn’t a military leader. He wasn’t the sort to lead a body of men in battle. He gave instructions to young Joshua, his second-in-command, to go out and fight the Amalekites. He, himself, stood praying at the top of a hill, with the staff of God in his hands: «Lord of all, it is by my hand but by your power that you will deliver your people. This day, let your power give us victory, for my hand without your strength amounts to nothing!» And so it was. «Whenever Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning; whenever he lowered them, the Amalekites were winning» (Ex 17:12).

For as long as Moses continued in his praying, God made his people win. As soon as he allowed himself to relax, they began to lose. How could he hold his arms up all the time? No problem. Moses got help to hold out. Aaron and Hur, one of his close relations, held his arms up for him. A beautiful illustration of the power of prayer and of the faithfulness of God! As long as we put our faith in the Lord, He will give us the strength to hold out, to triumph over adversity.

Jesus encourages his disciples to persevere in their praying: «Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Yes, anyone who asks receives; anyone who seeks finds; and anyone who knocks at the door, will have it opened for him» (Mt 7:7-8).

All human activity goes through phases in the course of time. As time passes, it is easy for enthusiasm to fade and hope to lose its momentum. In these moments, it is a good idea to remember that the Lord remains ever-present, even when He seems absent. In the midst of trials and hardships, the children of Israel asked themselves the question: «Is the Lord in our midst, yes or no?» (Ex 17:7) It is normal for every believer, at some time or another, to ask himself the same question. Crossing the desert helps us to grow in faith.

Father Guy Vanhoomissen, sj
Illustrations: Brother Réginald Picke, Community of Saint John

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