“Go out and gather each day ...”: implications of the ethics of Exodus 16 for modern consumerism

Abstract

"Go out and gather each day ...": implications of the ethics of Exodus 16 for modern consumerism This article focuses on the implied ethical principles of the history of the manna in Exodus 16 and the relevance of these ethical principles for the contemporary culture of consumerism. The principles that can be derived from this history are the principle of labour and rest, of sharing, the ethical principles of responsible consumption, the protection of creation and of remembrance of God's concern for humankind and creation. Modern consumerism with its underlying neo-liberal economic philosophy appears to violate these principles in many ways. The implied ethical principles of the manna history is thus highly relevant in the ethical discourse about economic planning, labour and rest, the environment and God's involvement in the modern world. Opsomming "Gaan elke dag uit en maak bymekaar ...": implikasies van die etiek van Eksodus 16 vir die moderne verbruikerswese Hierdie artikel fokus op die etiese beginsels wat uit die ge-skiedenis van die manna in Eksodus 16 voortspruit en die bete-kenis van hierdie beginsels vir die groeiende verbruikerskultuur van ons tyd. Die beginsels wat hier ter sprake is, is dié van arbeid en rus, verantwoordelike verbruik, mededeelsaamheid, die beskerming van die omgewing en die herinnering aan God se besorgdheid oor die mens en die skepping. Die moderne "Go out and gather each day …": implications of the ethics of Exodus 16 … 172 Koers 76(1) 2011:171-192 verbruikerskultuur met sy onderliggende neo-liberalistiese filo-sofie druis skynbaar teen hierdie beginsels in op veelvuldige wyses. Die etiese beginsels van die mannageskiedenis is dus besonder relevant in die huidige etiese diskoers oor ekono-miese beplanning, arbeid en rus, die omgewing en die vraag oor God se betrokkenheid in die huidige wêreld.