The Fourth Sunday in Lent

“The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land…” — Joshua 5:12

During the Sundays in Lent, we have journeyed with the wandering Aramean, Abram and Moses. This Sunday we will be considering the generation of Israelites that entered into the land of Canaan. We are told in our text for this Sunday that as soon as they reached the border of the land that had been promised to them, the manna ceased.

This is an interesting episode in the life of God’s people and proves instructive for us today just as the other Old Testament readings during Lent have. What is the spiritual equivalent (if I can be excused for using such language) of shifting from manna to the produce of the land—from receiving dailly provision from God (miraculously) to the normal cycles of planting and harvest? Is this something that we Christians face in our own day? And what might our confession of God’s incarnation in Christ have to contribute to this?

I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!