Bread of Affliction

The sermon title today is a strange one, but a biblical title. The title of today's sermon is The Bread of Affliction. What will I be talking about? Let's go, if you will go with me, to Deuteronomy 16, verse 3. Read from the New King James Version. Deuteronomy 16, verse 3. We've all read this a little while back, but that's not what this is about. It says, "'You shall eat no unleavened bread with it.' Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it." That is the bread of affliction. The bread of affliction.

"'For you came out of the land of Egypt,' in haste, that you may remember, the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life." Well, we didn't come out of Egypt like they did. So how could this bread of affliction be about us? How could the Scripture be for us? Do we understand what bread of affliction means? Well, in this case, I would like for you to consider it an idiom.

An idiom is a term whose meaning cannot be determined from the literal meanings of the word it is made up of. That means there's something deeper into this phrase, bread of affliction. And I want to look at it because none of us like affliction. Am I right? Anybody here? Raise their hand.

Oh, yes, give me more. I don't think so. So what with this bread of affliction? Because here it's talking about them eating unleavened bread. Now, it's matzos. Matzos. They're not that tasty, but I wouldn't put them in the rank of affliction. Were they a reminder? There's another meaning. But the word affliction, there's a couple of meanings in the Old Testament, a couple words that have different meanings. One means to bind and the gird, and the other means like bad, adversity.

But the word affliction right here in this verse, words for affliction, refers to being in an oppressive state, such as hardship or poverty. Hardship or poverty. You may say, well, this sounds like a downer sermon already. I thought you gave positive messages here. Well, I think this one is. But perhaps you can look back, looking at the bread of affliction, and what that means to you or what you take out of that.

Have you ever felt that you have had to eat too much bread of affliction? Or had to eat it too often? Was there adversity in your life? Is there hardship? Or do you just not have enough money? Maybe that's a hardship. And so you look at it like, I'm living this life of bread of affliction. Maybe you've been put through hard times, and you roll it back to, well, the reason I'm having these hard times is, I'm obeying God. And so it makes you feel like a martyr. Yes. Well, the reason I didn't get that job is, God didn't want me to have it.

Hmm. Is that the bread of affliction? Road to the Kingdom of God, as I think Mac Davis said in one of his songs, is a rough and rocky road. Not going to be a smooth path. Mr. Stewart, in front of me, brought that out with the Scripture. Road and Bible be a little rocky, a lot be rough, a little narrow.

But I think we have to look at Psalm 34 and verse 19. Psalm 34 and verse 19. He's out for us. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Oh, man! Negativity again. Why is this Bible got to be so negative about us? Affliction! Can't I hear good thoughts? Positive affirmations? Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers Him out of them all. That makes you feel bad for a dozen. Okay.

I'm delivered. I'm delivered. But you may ask a question, but why so much bread? So many times, issues will come up. Problems will come up. Tests will come up. Trials will come up. Is God picking on you? You felt that way? We all know if we've been to school, we know there's always a bully in school. Who picks on you? Every one of us has had, unless you were so blessed to be the bully, I guess, then you picked on other people, but I'm sure you picked on people picked on you. Right? But we have to think about these things. Because God is working with us, not picking on us. He's kind of got that puzzle thing. Sometimes we scatter the pieces all over the place.

He's trying to pull them together for us. My grandmother, I bring that up, Dane, because when I was young, I used to go to Indiana for a month or so at a time. My grandmother had this big table just outside the kitchen, and she would have puzzles, and it would be a 500-700 piece puzzle.

And she would try to spend a week and get it done in a week. And I remember being, in case you wanted to sit there, can you imagine wanting an 11-12-year-old kid to sit and do a puzzle for two hours every night? Talk about bread and reflection! That was to me! So then I figured, because she was just, oh, and she'd get all excited because I found this piece and put it over here. Then I found out the only fun I was going to have was to slide a couple of those pieces in my pocket every night, and then she couldn't find them.

Yes, I was that kind of kid. I was bread and reflection for my mother, in case she's listening to this right now. She couldn't relate to that, but it was so fun coming towards the end. She goes, I just don't know where those pieces are. Let me stew it, Grandma! Put those in. What do you think about your bread and reflection? Ask the question to all of you. You're calling, my calling, our calling at this time. Is it really the best time? Wouldn't it be easier some other time? But God is designed to call us now. I've got to worry about this.

I've got to worry about that. Let's go, if you will, as we review our spiritual ancestors today in some scriptures, because they, like us, have been called to be kings and priests in the coming kingdom of God. Yes? Called to walk the same path. Or did they? Or do we? I'd like to do this. I'd like to... I'll be reading from the New Living Translation, but I'll have up here what most of you have in your hand, is the New King James Version.

So you can read this, or you can hear what I say. Because I want to tell a story up there. The New Living Translation seems to have a more story flow to it. Not that I want to take away. Am I doing that? No? Then it's your fault, Jeff. It's your fault. That's what's great about having a sister. I always blame somebody. Of course, I was his assistant at camp, so he could tell what he blamed me for. But let's look at some of those ancestors, our spiritual ancestors. And let's look at their bread of affliction. And see whose place we'd like to go.

Let's go there. I'll turn in the first one to Isaiah 20. Isaiah 20, verse 2. Like I say, I'll be reading from New Living Translation. And the Lord told Isaiah, son of Amos, Take off the burlap you've been wearing. Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like rough sitting there wearing burlap. And remove your sandals. Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot. I didn't do that. Naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. Talk about bread of affliction.

Besides not wanting to walk around for three years barefoot naked, I don't think anybody wants to see me walking around barefoot naked, maybe Mary, hopefully. It says, this is a sign, a symbol of terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia, for the kings of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and the Ethiopians as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks, bared to the shame of Egypt. There was a reason he was having Isaiah do this. It wasn't about Isaiah. It was about the nation he was trying to help. Go with me to Ezekiel. Go with me to Ezekiel 24.

Ezekiel 24. Bread of affliction of Ezekiel. Verse 15. It says, then, this message came to me from the Lord, Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death.

And then he says, do not weep. Let there be no tears. Grown silently. But let there be no wailing at her grave. Can you imagine that? Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning, or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends. So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife was dead. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do. Then the people asked, what does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us? So I said to them, a message came to me from the Lord, and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord says, I will file my temple the source of your security and pride, the place where your heart delights. Your sons and daughters, whom you left behind in Judah, will be slaughtered by the sword. Then you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not mourn in public or console yourself by eating food brought to you by friends. Your heads will remain covered, and your sandals will be taken off. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins. You will mourn privately for all the evil you have done. Ezekiel is an example for you. You will do just as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. Then the Lord said to me, Son of man, on the day I take away your stronghold, their joy and glory, their heart's desire, their dearest treasure, I will also take away their sons and their daughters. How would you like to be proclaiming this? How would you like this to be your job? Not only do you have to preach it and teach it and tell it, you also have to experience it personally. That's tough. That's a tough, dreadful picture.

And then we go to Jeremiah. And you might say, Oh my! Jeremiah! Get with me to Jeremiah 4. Jeremiah 4. Jeremiah was told. You've got a job to do. That's what I want you to do. Jeremiah 4 verse 5, Shout to Judah and broadcast to Jerusalem. Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land. Run for your lives. Flee to the fortified cities. Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem. Flee now! Do not delay, for I am bringing destruction upon you from the north. In verse 19. Verse 19. This is what Jeremiah said. My heart, my heart, writhe in pain. My heart pounds within me. I cannot be still, for I have heard the blasts of the enemy trumpets and the roar of the battle cries. Waves of destruction roll on and on. He was going to have to experience it. Holy person! You can see it was ripping his heart out. He was having to not only tell this, warn this. They didn't pay attention. And then he was going to have to experience this. Jeremiah 26. Jeremiah 26. Jeremiah 26 in verse 4. God told Jeremiah. Jeremiah 26.

Testing 1-2. Well, there we go. Well, didn't that solve everything? I hope we shall find out when you start reading again. It always takes place when I read. It's not working. No, just messing with you. Jeremiah 26, verse 4. God said, This is what the Lord says. If you will not listen to me and obey my word, I have given you. And if you will not listen to my servants of prophets, for I have sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them, then I will destroy this temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth. How would you like to be telling all the people that? The priests, the prophets, and all the people who listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord's temple. Are you talking about front and center? He is front and center of the entire nation. He is standing there. And they think they're okay. But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and the prophets and all the people at the temple, mobbed him, killed him, they shot him, killed him. What right do you have to prophesy in the Lord's name that this temple would be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed and left with no inhabitants? And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the temple? Talk about pressure. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people listening to him tell them what God said. And they've all said, Kill him. Kill him. When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over to the palace and sat down at the gate of the temple to hold court. The priests and the prophets presented their accusations to the officials and to the people, This man should die. They said, You have heard with your own ears what this traitor has said, for he prophesies against the city. Not an easy life. Talk about bread and affliction. Let's go to one more. Jeremiah 38 Let's go to Jeremiah 38. Let's find him over here. Jeremiah 38, verse 1. Now, as I'll skip through it, here you had a bunch of people with very long names that I don't choose to try to pronounce here. So these men with long names said, this is what, as he was talking to them, this is what Jeremiah said. This is what the Lord says, Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from the war, famine, or disease. But those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. The reward will be life. They will live. The Lord also said, The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. Who will capture it? So these officials went to the king and said, Yes, sir. This is Jeremiah. This man's got to die. He's already telling people, just surrender. Don't follow what the people were telling you. Surrender. That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor. King Zedekiah agreed. All right? Do as you like. I can't stop you. So he's saying, he'll kill him. So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty system. On the prison yard, it belonged to Malachiach. He was a member of the royal family. There was no water in the system, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.

That's what he got. Leave him to die.

You know, if you could put yourself in their shoes, you wouldn't put yourself in your shoes. Right? But I said, yeah, you know God, I'll take my bread and flip you, wouldn't you? Couldn't you? Acts 14 and verse 22 says, We must, we must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God.

I don't like it. I don't like it. Through many? We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. You know the thing about it, though? God doesn't care what I like.

See, God's the big puzzle maker, and he puts them all together. And he knows his kingdom. He even says, I go to prepare a place for you in the kingdom.

He knows what we need. And he knows how much of it we need.

I'd like to turn to one other scripture, if we can. If you'll go with me, because I don't want to leave these spiritual ancestors out of the picture. I think it would be disrespectful to leave them out. So if you will, turn with me to Hebrews.

Hebrews 11. I'll read from, like I say, the New Living Translation.

And you'll be glad to know if you're writing all these scriptures down. This is the last one. You're looking going, you're going to get out early. Like camp. And you saw, early you saw the kids smiling. Not exactly. Let's go to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, verse 35.

Women receive their loved ones back again from death. Well, that's a good thing. That's some great affliction. Woo-hoo! Let's hope that's going on. No. But others. You ever look at somebody else and say, you know, why do they have it so good? Why are they God's teacher's best? But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. God's kingdom of God.

Some were jeered at. Ever been jeered at? Not so bad. And their backs were cut open with whips. No.

Others were chained in prison. Some died by stoning. Some were sawn in half. And others were killed with a sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.

They were too good for this world.

Wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves, and hiding in holes in the ground, like animals. Our spiritual ancestors. We're in affliction. But now, let's look at our bread of affliction. I have some graphics. I have some pictures of our, in this 21st century, our bread of affliction.

First one. Air conditioning. You know, I had a time where this thing, I had an air conditioner, went out for two days.

And it was hot. And I had to wait two days for that guy to come and fix it. I know bread of affliction.

I'm going to transportation.

Car.

Shoot.

You want to swap?

Because the people I just read about didn't have cars. But you know what happened to me during the last week? I can tell you about bread of affliction. I've got a low tire, and so every third day I had to go and put air in.

And one time it wasn't free.

So I do know. Today's bread of affliction. And then there's Publix.

I have to drive all the way across town. Well, a mile and a quarter. Pick up an aggression.

And Publix, they don't always have the bogo's I want. If I want to get one. So I sometimes have to drink the wine that I don't want. Because it's buy one, get one.

Bread of affliction. We have so many, so many Publix here, that I think they said when this vaccine came out or when you... In fact, there was 80% of the people in Florida were within five miles of the Publix.

Oh, no, it's not in the Publix.

What do you like to eat?

Can you get it at Publix? You know, this morning I had breakfast, it wasn't this. Mary didn't get up in time enough to fix me this.

Maybe next Sabbath.

But think about it. There's like a dozen different places you can go to. A place tomorrow and have Sunday brunch. At a dozen different places. It's not free. But as the kings at their time could feast daily like we feasted the Feast of Tabernacles, right?

How blessed are we today?

Our bread of affliction. And I noted to someone here when they once asked me about, because of different islands I travel to, that there's grocery stores on different islands.

But the grocery store is small and you get... there isn't a dozen different kinds of cereal you can buy.

Some of them are one or two.

What was there? 2,500 years ago. What we read. Go out into a field. What you had.

In this country we don't even eat day-old bread.

Bread of affliction. We all have to answer that question, don't we? Feast. Feast of Feast.

How about where we live?

That's not my house. Somebody's in my house knows that's not my house. That's a nice house.

It's not a shack. It's not a tent. You know, I tell many people for thousands of years, they were happy in a cave or a tent.

I've been to Haiti many times and I've been to some shacks. That the people were content. Paul said, I found myself be content, whatever state.

People had some wood they scraped together with some feet metal.

William, you remember? I've been in the back of our church building there. And we live, most of us live in, not quite this nice, but we live in this four walls. We have air conditioning right? Most of us.

Bread or a fletching should make us think.

Should make us thankful.

Sometimes the comparison is really good for us. And this sermon is not made to make you feel bad because you don't feel bad.

Just to make us thankful.

For this time, this life, and this calling at this time. Because sometimes we can complain. And you know what? The greatest, greatest benefit.

And if I could say maybe our bread of affliction is...

Bible? You realize, except for the last 200 years, nobody really had one of these.

Couldn't read.

Besides, they couldn't have a Bible. God's Word had to be taught to them.

We have usually more than one Bible in our house. Let me ask a question. How many of you have more than one Bible in your house? That's almost all of you. How many of you have five Bibles or more?

The Third? Third of the people? We can have God's Word however we want. When Bibles were banned, the Middle Ages, nobody could have one. They hadn't started printing, but even the scrolls. There were actual families that their children... This is history. I've read stories about people who went to visit them. And children had a scroll that was once shown to them, and they had it for a month or two. And they would memorize the entire book of Isaiah. One child, and another would memorize the book of Genesis.

Because they were not allowed, because if they were found to have any scrolls or anything, the Bible, they were put together. So they had to have it up here. They had a study about five years ago that said 75% of all American homes had a Bible in them. 75%? That's pretty impressive. But yet, only 30% of the people said they read it once a week.

Mmm.

Bread of affliction?

Something we have to deal with.

And they say now, well, people aren't reading books. Get everything online.

That's what it's coming to.

What do you think is going to be read?

Think everybody's going to turn?

Well, now I can read the Bible! Because I can read it on my cell phone, my laptop.

Think that's going to happen?

Another bread of affliction. I'm at a hospital.

Yes. We have to go down there. We get sick. They put us in. And you know, if we're really sick, they're going to keep us.

And then, the worst part of it all, the biggest bread of affliction, and anybody, how many people have been in a hospital in the last five years?

You know exactly what I mean.

They make you wear some unbelievable little gown.

That you can't cover up with. You don't know what it's like here, and it looks so feminine, and it's like this. They make me wear that.

That is tough. That's a bread of affliction.

Think about a hospital 2,000 years ago. What did they do with headaches?

They drained your blood. You had too much blood that day.

Amazing. Amazing. How about FPL? How about FPL?

I had the other night, we were having to be watching something, and electricity went off. Now it was only for about 10 seconds, but it was a bad 10 seconds I was trying to watch.

We have electricity. A question came up the other day. I forget. I think I was talking to Clark Earl as I was talking to him about this sermon. I said, if you had a choice, which would you choose?

Having a car or having electricity?

What would you choose? Think about it. Think about it.

Until the last 120 years, and really the last 100 years, nobody had electricity. Hardly any. There were a few. So for thousands of years, mankind got up when it was daylight, and you went to bed, basically, when it got dark. Now, for some of you who like to sleep a lot, that's pretty good.

But there was a lot to do.

200 years ago.

Electricity may be one of the greatest blessings we have ever enjoyed.

Go without it for a week or two. How many? Where's Chris? Chris knows in the back when we get a hurricane. You were out of it for how long? Two weeks?

Two weeks?

But there's a generator. Hm.

Finally, I want to...

Another bread of affliction. Water. Running water.

How many people like to have running water? Okay. I got a joke at the end. They like running water. Did any of you ever grow up on a farm or out somewhere where you had the old pump? Yes? Who did? Okay. Bruce did. Was it only us old folks? Oh, Barry did. You remember how you had to prime it? You had to put stuff down in it and you pumped? And it was cool and good water, wasn't it? But it died. That's a lot of work.

Think about the bread of affliction when you take your shower. Hopefully you will.

Take shower, that is.

And think of it. The bread of affliction.

We are so black.

We called it a time.

When we have this, we have water, we have lights, we have cars. Anybody walk here?

You walked from the parking lot. Now that's bread of affliction.

Right?

So I bring this sermon to you today because I thought about it.

I thought about all those as I was reading this. I'm your pastor. I'm a preacher. I'm a teacher. But nobody told me to stand in front of the whole entire nation and tell them just how we are. What a lousy example and godless people they are. I never had anybody tell me, kill him! Well, maybe Mary's lost a temper. She didn't say that.

But no, just think. Think of who we are, where we are.

And this next week, it might just be the right thing to thank God for your bread of affliction.