The Corporate Burden – Exodus 16: 27-30 ESV

On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day. (27-30)

You have probably heard the statement, “No man is an island.” Yet, in our increasingly introverted and individualistic society, many would not agree with that. While many in America value their privacy and resist anyone meddling in their personal affairs, this is not the case in much of the world. Other cultures tend to understand the need for relationships and the price that comes with interconnectedness.

The Israelites were individuals with individual responsibilities, yet they were connected in a way that was extremely significant. No one lived to themselves, and their actions affected the entire nation. Notice the language of this text, “some people went out to gather,” and God confronted Moses and said, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments?” Moses had not broken the law, and the entire nation had not broken the law. Yet, the actions of a few were laid at the feet of the many. This is what it means to be in a body, and this is what it means to live in a corporate community.

Consider your faithfulness to your church, your behavior within your family, and your personal holiness before the Lord. Whether you realize it or not, as a believer, you are a member of a few communities, and your actions reflect on the rest of the group. How you live your life matters. How you give, how you serve, and even your personal holiness and integrity reflect on all of us. In many cases, God holds the entire body accountable for the actions of the one. We need you to be who God calls you to be. We should consider the corporate burden as we live our lives and ensure that we are the solution to the church’s problems instead of the source of the problem.