Topical Bible: The Gifts of God: Temporal: Food and Raiment

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In the Christian tradition, the temporal gifts of food and raiment (clothing) are seen as essential provisions from God, reflecting His care and sustenance for humanity. These gifts are not merely physical necessities but are also imbued with spiritual significance, reminding believers of God's ongoing provision and faithfulness.

Biblical Foundation

1. Food as a Gift from God

The Bible frequently acknowledges food as a direct provision from God, emphasizing His role as the sustainer of life. In Genesis 1:29, God provides the first humans with every seed-bearing plant and tree for food, establishing His provision from the very beginning: "Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food.'" .

The Israelites' journey through the wilderness further illustrates God's provision of food. In Exodus 16, God provides manna from heaven, a miraculous sustenance that underscores His care: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day.'" (Exodus 16:4).

In the New Testament, Jesus teaches His followers to trust in God's provision, as seen in the Lord's Prayer: "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). This petition reflects a reliance on God for daily sustenance and acknowledges Him as the source of all nourishment.

2. Raiment as a Gift from God

Clothing, like food, is portrayed in Scripture as a provision from God, symbolizing His care and protection. In Genesis 3:21, after the fall of man, God provides garments for Adam and Eve: "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." . This act signifies God's continued care even after humanity's disobedience.

Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, reassures His followers of God's provision for their needs, including clothing: "And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these." (Matthew 6:28-29). Here, Jesus emphasizes that if God clothes the grass of the field, He will surely provide for His people.

Spiritual Implications

The temporal gifts of food and raiment serve as tangible reminders of God's faithfulness and care. They encourage believers to trust in God's provision and to live lives marked by gratitude and dependence on Him. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy, underscores the importance of contentment with these basic provisions: "But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these." (1 Timothy 6:8).

Moreover, these gifts call believers to a life of stewardship and generosity. Recognizing that all provisions come from God, Christians are encouraged to share with those in need, reflecting God's love and care to others. The early church exemplified this in Acts 2:44-45, where believers shared their possessions to ensure that no one among them was in need.

In summary, the temporal gifts of food and raiment are not only essential for physical survival but also serve as profound symbols of God's provision, care, and faithfulness, inviting believers to trust, gratitude, and generosity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 6:25-33
Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Temporal Advantages.
... I will attempt to show that these gifts of the ... we forget the overruling power of
God's providence, and the ... And moreover, these temporal advantages, as they are ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon v temporal advantages.htm

To Monna Colomba in Lucca
... has nor held nor retained the favours and gifts and great ... you had two, you might
give one to God and the ... Be a dispenser to the poor of your temporal substance. ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to monna colomba in lucca.htm

The Good Steward
... Eternal things only are our own: With all these temporal things we are barely ... If
he so account of himself as a steward of the manifold gifts of God, let him ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 51 the good steward.htm

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness," &C.
... If ye seek this kingdom, all temporal things shall be laid to your hand, all ... must
come from above by Jesus Christ Grace and glory are the gifts of God. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xv but seek ye.htm

On God's vineyard
... Used the gifts on each bestow'd ... in the morning, and six or seven in the evening,
that their temporal business may ... O souls bowed down to earth, and void of God!". ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 107 on gods vineyard.htm

The Christian Prayer
... If men know how to give good gifts to their children ... the fact that we are dependent
upon God for daily ... shelter and all that belongs to our temporal necessities ...
/.../sell/studies in the life of the christian/study vii the christian prayer.htm

The General Service to Two or Many Monk Martyrs.
... was great and still greater the gifts,-do supplicate for ... of the world and of temporal
food, and therefore ... odes, standing all together before God; having also ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter xix the general service.htm

The Duty of Self-Denial.
... how unlike is he to one who had a temporal promise ... unlawful, yet we must not use
God's earthly gifts to the ... corrupt our hearts, and to seduce us from God, as to ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon vii the duty of.htm

On the Feast of the Epiphany, iv.
... world: so that they hoped for a temporal leader while ... systematic adoration, observed
this method in offering their gifts? ... of them in the mercy of God have been ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/sermon xxxiv on the feast.htm

To Brother William of England of the Hermit Brothers of St. ...
... we be sanctified in Him, therefore giving His gifts. ... seeking private consolation,
spiritual or temporal, but, as ... he sees the greatness of God's goodness more ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to brother william of england.htm