Exodus 16:1 – 3 “On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. And there in the desert they all grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”
The Israelites are at it again! Never mind that God has miraculously delivered them, never mind that God has sweetened the bitter waters at Marah, and never mind that God has given them the chance to stop at Elim with all its springs and palm trees. Now the Israelites are furious because their food is BORING!!! Notice what they DON’T say; they don’t say that they have run out of food. Nope, the Israelites are mad because they can’t get all their favorite foods when they want them. Roughly two million people are having a massive pity party, and they want to make sure that Moses and Aaron know just how disgusted they are!
Despite the fact that the Israelites are free men and women, all they can think of now is the food they ate as slaves. They are so wrapped up in self – pity that now they are wishing that they had all died in Egypt! “Say what???” And they are blaming Moses and Aaron for bringing them into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!” Hmm. Back in Egypt on the night of Passover, nobody was forcing anybody to leave; in fact, there was a “mixed multitude” that went along with the Israelites because they feared what God might do next.
APPLICATION: Ever find yourself in a tough place and realize that you are the one who has chosen to be there? That’s really what has happened with the Israelites. The price of freedom is turning out to be higher than anticipated, and poor Moses and Aaron are getting the blame. Good things don’t come easy; something that the Israelites are going to have to learn the hard way. And another thing the Israelites are about to learn: don’t play games with God!!!
v. 4-10 “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. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we that you should grumble against us?”
And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’” And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared.
Whoops! It was so easy when all the Israelites had to do was to rain insults on Moses and Aaron. But now the God who delivered the Israelites from Egypt is showing up, and He is disgusted!
v. 11 – 21 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”
That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. (“Manna literally means “what is it?”)
So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. You may take an omer for each person in your tent.’”
So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less. When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.
Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning.” But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. Each morning they each gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.”
WOW! Bread and quail! God has really come through in a big way! Are the Israelites grateful? Are you kidding? Not only are they not grateful, but they won’t even follow instructions about not keeping manna overnight. Good thing Moses doesn’t know that he’s going to be stuck with these people for forty years!
Application: How many times have we behaved just as badly as the Israelites? We BEG God to help us and God does. Do we thank Him? No! And we don’t even follow his commands. Never is God’s mercy more in evidence than in these times of our ingratitude and disobedience.
PRAYER; Father God, thank you for your gracious provision for our lives! Forgive us for our ingratitude. Help us to truly be thankful and to be obedient even in little things. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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