Get Your Jar, You Have a Legacy

We have been sharing about God’s people and their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.  We have seen how God led them, spoke to them and how they missed the promise because of their complaining and unbelief. Today I am going to share how God was very concerned that their godly legacy would go from generation to generation.

I was blessed by having Godly and loving parents who trusted God for our very existence.  I can give you many examples of God providing as someone “just happened” to come by our home to give us food from their garden or a gift of money which we needed for a specific bill.  This never stopped when I married a minister and there were years of sacrifice and total trust for food and money. My boys know many examples of how God provided even their high school class rings.   I think today we have so much that we don’t see the miracles as previous years.

Get Your Jar makes sense to me.  We would can vegetables and fruit in jars so we could eat in the winter. I love what happened in Exodus 16 when God wanted to remind His people of what had happened so they would believe for what could happen. I want to explain how I feel God wants to preserve our experiences for future instruction and blessings. I know I have told a little of my story and yours may be so different. Perhaps you had a hurtful and painful past. I am so sorry, but I pray God will speak especially to you today! Your pain can be gain when given to him. 

In the last lesson I shared how “I Don’t Like Tests”. God’s people were tested to see if they would do what they were told. One way of testing is by placing a restriction on the amount of heaven-sent food that they gathered. Again, God always has a good plan for a good reason. It began as a daily requirement.

EXODUS 16:16 These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household shall gather as much as it needs.  Pick up two quarts for each person in your family.

1. GOD TESTED THEIR OBEDIENCE.

God promised to meet His people’s need for food, but he decided to test their obedience. God wanted to see if they would obey detailed instruction and learn to trust him.

We can learn by taking small steps of obedience.

• The Lord Supplied Daily.

The food came morning by morning on God’s timing according to God’s plan.

His mercies are fresh for us each morning.

Our walk is a daily walk.  We may be given a plan for the call and our vision of what God wants to accomplish in our lives, but we live it out each day, step by step and moment by moment.

• The supply cannot be stored except for the Sabbath.

This is a demonstration of His provision to meet the needs of his people.

Maybe we need to remind ourselves God will provide daily for us.

• Each Family Had all That is Needed.

This substance, manna, heavenly bread is Israel’s staple food not for one day but for 40 years. 

The manna appeared on the ground each day as thin flakes like frost. The people gathered it, ground it like grain and made it into honey tasting pancakes – it was just what they needed. 

This picture is in the Lord’s prayer, “Give us day by day our daily bread.”

Sometimes I think we dwell on “I want this every day not what I need every day.” 

2.  GOD GAVE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS AND A TIME FOR REST.

Being in ministry and leadership for years, I know what it is to work seven days.  In fact, Sunday was our “hardest workday”.

• I Give you a holy and rest day set apart for the Lord.

I will not write all about the sabbath and how we apply this to our lives.

I do know God wants us to set apart a day, a time for Him. God knows that our busy schedules and routines can distract us from worshipping Him and resting. 

• Take Time to Worship.

It can be so easy to seek family responsibility and recreation that we forget our time to worship.

V 29 – The Sabbath is God’s gift to you.

• Guard Your Time to Rest.

Jesus told His disciples to “come apart to rest.” I say we come apart or we will come apart! 

We must be intentional to rest, relax and enjoy the life that God gives us.  

When is your time to rest? Regular or irregular?

3. GOD WANTED THEM TO REMEMBER THIS DIVINE SUPPLY.

Verse 32-34 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded. Fill a two-quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants. Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set your free from Egypt. Moses said to Aaron, “Get a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Then put it in a sacred place before the Lord to preserve it for all future generations. Aaron did just as the Lord commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant.

One of my favorite verses is:

Psalms 145:4 One generation will praise your works to another generation and shall declare your mighty acts.

Symbols are to remind us of God’s work and are valuable aids to our worship.  I love to speak about these symbols, reminders and what we do matters. Godly Legacy is NOT MONEY but it is how we live our lives.

• We Live for the Future. 

We organize the way we live, single or married, that we will be a blessing to our families and others for generations to come.  Our resources will outlive and outlast our time on earth.

We live our lives with a deeper meaning than just for a few moments or for today. Our legacy stands after the winds of change have calmed, stands through fires and floods and forever.

• We Live so Future Generations will See and Follow What God has done.

You will live your life with the understanding that the things you do (seeds you sow) daily will become the seeds that will grow for tomorrow. 

The choices you make today will become the voice of the future in your bloodline and legacy. The enemy’s number one goal is to stop or distract your godly legacy.

CONCLUSION:

Maybe you feel, “it is too late for me, I have made so many mistakes, and my children are grown.” I have a statement that puts us on the same page.

I CAN NEVER CHANGE MY PAST LEGACY BUT I CAN CHANGE MY FUTURE. My past does not define me if I follow the Lord.

The sample of manna was more than a keepsake, it was a sign of the covenant.

God knew the future generations needed to see a reminder, this keepsake to help them remember what He had said, and His promises.

Maybe in this season of my life, this subject is more important to me.  But for you in leadership and ministry, take time to build your lives with your children and family.  One day they will be gone and living their lives. What they have seen and been taught will always be a part of them.

There is no greater joy than when you have lived God’s plan, shared God’s plan, and enjoyed doing God’s plan together.  A godly legacy is not filling a jar but going to church together, praying together, serving together, eating together, laughing together, and living life together.  Then you enjoy watching your legacy live out “his Plan” for their lives. It will look different but there’s such contentment and joy in seeing them live their dream and watching them continue that legacy to their children.

As Timothy said: I have what my mother and my grandmother had!

Where are you on your journey?  Maybe you feel you have failed in so many ways but our Father calls, restores and even today you can begin a new legacy.  There is a new beginning and God will multiply your time and effort.