Exodus 16:15-16 When the people of Israel saw it they asked each other, "What is it?" And Moses told them,
It is the food Jehovah has given you to eat. Jehovah has said for everyone to gather as much as is needed for his household---about three quarts for each person in his home." [Living Bible translation]
Exodus 16:19-20: And Moses told them, "don't leave it overnight." But of course some of them wouldn't listen, and left it until morning: and when they looked, it was full of maggots and had a terrible odor; and Moses was very angry with them. [Living Bible translation]
1 Corinthians 10:31: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of GOD."
[New International translation]
Summary
In Exodus 16, the people complained about not having enough to eat. Although GOD had performed miracle after miracle and brought them out of Egyptian oppression, the people still lacked faith. They moaned, groaned, complained and they were often bitter about their circumstances. They were never satisfied. Instead of thanking GOD, and giving glory to GOD for what HE had already done for them, there was always something else they wanted.
But once again, GOD answered their prayer. HE provided food. In fact, HE provided DIVINE food---fresh food that descended from heaven. When the food appeared the people asked each other "What is it." Moses told them it was "manna." [Manna in Hebrew means "What is it."] * Moses instructed the people to gather only what they needed, enough for each person and no more. Nothing was to be left over. They were specifically told: "Don't leave it overnight." In other words, they were not to try to store it, hoard it or be greedy. This was an exercise in faith and trust, in believing that GOD would supply their needs daily.
But, some of the people failed the test. They disobeyed. Instead of glorifying GOD, with their obedience, they focused on themselves and what they wanted. Maybe some of them thought that once they gathered it, took it home and put it on their plate, it was "theirs" and, they simply forgot about GOD. Perhaps some saw the food as "hidden treasure." What they failed to realize was that the "true gold" was not the food but the WORD of GOD.
* In the great hymn "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah" manna is called "bread of heaven."
BENEFITS OF EATING FRESH
Freshness and Fitness
In "Chefs Share Skinny on Staying Fit," chefs Michael and Jacky Recchiuti state that one of the reasons why Parisians tend not to be overweight is that they shop every couple of days for what's fresh and seasonal and they walk everywhere. Commenting on the importance of eating light meals, exercising portion control, not eating late at night and eating vegetables, another chef noted:
Hibernation is excellent for bears, but eating a big meal just before slumber
is a colossally bad idea for humans...
Light meals throughout the day are a much better option, she says, and winter
doesn't mean the end of salad season, not when the farmers markets are so full
of kale, kohlrabi, daikon, radishes and escarole.
"Kale salad has become the new 'Caesar' of our time,"1 Murray says.
See, "Chefs Share Skinny on Staying Fit, They practice moderation, exercise to fight temptation" by Jackie Burrell, Contra Costa Times, "Timeout" January 5, 2012.
Fresh Foods Taste Better
Fresh foods generally taste better. Some of the best restaurants tend to have chefs use fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables from nearby gardens. Freshly picked ripe tomatoes generally taste better than tomatoes that have been picked, boxed, trucked across county or harvested in another country. It is one reason why many grocery stores try to buy locally grown fruit and vegetables, whenever possible.
Freshly picked foods also taste better because they are generally not waxed. Some of the waxes used on fruit and vegetables include storage wax (to increase shelf life); high shine wax (to improve the attractiveness of the fruit); and pack-out wax (for immediate sale). Some waxes are even petroleum-based. Vegetables that are commonly waxed include cucumbers, tomatoes and apples. In "Wax, Pesticides, and Pathogens: Quick Tips to Prep Your Produce," January 27, 2010, Web MD notes that the Food and Drug recommends thoroughly washing all vegetables as part of the prepping process of all produce prior to consumption. See, www.webmd.com.
AVOID CANS
Another reason why eating fresh is better than eating canned foods is because some canned food liners contain BPA. Bisphenol A [often called BPA] is a chemical found in some hard plastics and the coatings of some food and drink cans. BPA can also be found in many products, including some water bottles, some baby bottles and other food and commercial products. According to Medical News Today some of the possible adverse health effects of BPA include:
- Male impotence - BPA was found in one study to be linked to erectile dysfunction and other male sexual problems.
- Heart disease in adults - another US study linked Bisphenol A to diabetes and heart disease in adults.
- Type 2 diabetes - A UK study linked higher levels of urinary BPA to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities.
- Brain function, memory, learning - US researchers linked BPA exposure to loss of connections between brain cells in primates, potential problems with memory and learning, as well as depression.
- Women's eggs - Californian researchers found that exposure to Bisphenol A may affect the quality of a woman's eggs retrieved for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
- Breast cancer - A Yale School of Medicine study found a possible increase in breast cancer risk among females exposed to BPA and DES (Diethylstilbestrol) in the womb.
- Asthma - A US study suggested a link between increasing asthma rates and a particular threshold of BPA.
See, www.medicalnewstoday.com. , "What is BPA (Bisphenol A)?" "Is BPA Harmful?" April 4, 2011.
For example, researches at the Harvard School of Public Health found that BPA levels were drastically higher in people who had eaten canned soup**. Karen Michel, senior author of the paper, noted that:
It's unlikely that soup caused BPA levels to remain high very long...because the body
tends to excrete most BPA within a few hours. But she says levels could stay high for
people who regularly consume foods and beverages from cans.
Emphasis added. See, "Eating Can Soups makes BPA Levels Soar," by Jon Hamilton, NPR Food Blog.
** The Harvard researchers used different brands of Progresso-brand vegetable soup.
According to Environmental Working Group, in an article " Bisphenol A: Toxic Plastic Chemical in Canned Food: Consumer tips to avoid BPA exposure," BPA is sometimes found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters "PC" recycling label #7:
BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters "PC" recycling label #7. Not all #7 labeled products are polycarbonate but this is a reasonable guideline for a category of plastics to avoid. Polycarbonate plastics are rigid and transparent and used for sippy cups, baby bottles, food storage, and water bottles.
Safer plastics have the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom:
Safer products and uses: When possible it is best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for children's food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. Find baby bottles in glass versions, or those made from the safer plastics including polyamine, polypropylene and polyethylene. Soft or cloudy-colored plastic does not contain BPA...
Other articles suggest #5 containers are also safe. People eating canned foods and who store them should also be mindful of the date stamped on the can, indicating that the food inside the can should not be eaten after the date.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
As your review your spiritual and physical goals in 2014, meditate on the lessons of Exodus 16. Let us each think about our own relationship to food and GOD. Do we think of food as "treasure?" Do we "reward ourselves" with food? Are we treating our bodies (the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT) in a way that gives glory to GOD? Are we hoarding food? How many left over meals rather than fresh meals do we generally eat?
In terms of spiritual freshness, how "fresh" is your diet of "GOD's WORD." Was your last "spiritual fresh meal" [i.e., when you yourself actually studied THE WORD] go back to your adolescent Sunday school days or some distant past years? Is your bible moldy and stale in some drawer because of "lack of proper daily prep for the day?" Does your spirit feel undernourished because it only gets "canned" television sermons [without the benefit of questions, interaction or discussions] or because it only gets fed 3 or 4 Sunday sermon a month?
Are we more excited about eating physical food than spiritual food? How many times in the past 6-12 months have you invited someone to share some spiritual food (e.g. join you in Bible study or Sunday school)? On the other hand, how many times in the past 6-12 months have you invited someone to lunch or dinner? When was the last time you invited someone to your house for Bible study as opposed to a home cooked meal?
In 2014, let us all pray to be better stewards of our bodies in terms of our physical and spiritual health. Let us thank GOD daily for feeding us physical fresh food and spiritual fresh food, HIS HOLY WORD. Let us allow GOD's HOLY SPIRIT and HIS GOODNESS to "fall fresh" on us every day!
Let us ask for a fresh relationship to food, especially GOD's Word, and Be Blessed!
__________________________
1For eight kale salad recipes, see: http://food52.com/blog/8802-8-kale-salads. Just paste in your browser. See also instructions on how to prep kale.
