Exodus 16:1-10
~16 min read
TRANSCRIPT
In our previous message based on verses 1 to 3, we have considered the great danger of a complaining spirit. The children of Israel first complained about the lack of water, then they complained about the lack of food. But we have learned that their complaints were untrue and without basis. Why? Because at this point in time, remember, they still had their cattles. So, if necessary, they could have killed their own animals for food. So they were not really starving; they were not craving for the food essential food for their survival, but rather, they were craving for the food they desired.
Secondly, their complaints were an exaggeration of their situations. They claimed that they used to sit by their cooking pots in Egypt and they ate their meats and bread to the full until they were satisfied. Surely, the Pharaoh would not be so gracious to provide all the meats and bread. If ever the Pharaoh would provide extra food, it would be for the purpose of making them work harder and longer. So, it was not true.
Thirdly, their complaints led them to falsely accuse Moses and Aaron that they were bringing them into the wilderness to kill them. Ultimately, their complaints and dissatisfaction were directed at God. Moses and Aaron said, ‘Who are we? We are just servants and messengers of God. You are not murmuring against us; you are murmuring against the One who sent us.’
Tonight, we want to see from this passage how God responded to the complaints of the children of Israel. And we want to draw some spiritual lessons about who our God was, His characteristics, and how He responded and the reason why He provided for the Israelites. The title of our message is "God's Response to Israel's Complaint."
I. God's Patience
Our first point is God's patience. Remember, the children of Israel were oppressed as slaves in Egypt, and they cried out to the Lord. He responded by sending Moses to command the Pharaoh to let the people go. That triggered a negative response from the Egyptians, who increased their workload, which lead the Israelites to complain that their jobs were made harder instead of easier because that was not the kind of deliverance they had anticipated.
Then the Lord demonstrated His power in the Ten Plagues, and through His mighty hand, He brought them out of Egypt. He was their pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, and He lead them through the Red Sea. But after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they went into the desert for 3 days. There was no water, again they murmured and complained. And God graciously turned the bitter water in Mara into pure sweet water, so they could drink to their satisfaction. Then again, they complained that there was a lack of food and they complained about God's servants, Moses and Aaron, that they had brought them into the wilderness to kill them.
In fact, throughout their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, they were complaining most of the time. Murmuring and complaining was Israel's besetting sin. We would have thought that God would have had enough of their complaints, He would destroy them, or at least punish them for being so ungrateful. But instead, He patiently listened to them and gave them what they asked for. Four times in this chapter, we see this phrase: ‘The Lord has heard your murmurings’ (verses 7, 8, 9, and 12).
Dear friend, what can we learn from here? Is it not true that you and I have also murmured and complained? In good times, we give thanks to God. Even then, often times we forget. In difficult times, we are prone to complain, ‘Why God, why me?’ Perhaps we have lost our jobs and we complain. But we forget that all this while we have been gainfully employed and we are able to provide for our families. Or we are sick and complain, but we forget that all this while we have been enjoying relatively good health and strength. When we add the number of times we have complained about the situations and circumstances of life, we are no different from the Israelites.
If there is one important lesson for us to learn from the sin of our complaints, it is the patience of God. Once, twice, three times, ten times, a hundred times we have complained, and yet God is still so patient with us. Isn't it true? May the Lord forgive us.
II. God's Providence
Our second point is God's provision. Let us look at verse four: “Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.” Instead of punishing them, God graciously provided for them. This bread from heaven was the manna. “…and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them” - which means test them - “whether they will walk in my law, or no.” Verse five, “And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” In other words, the people would go out each day and collect a certain amount of manna, an homer of manna, or about two litres, which was more than sufficient for each person. They must not collect more. If they were to collect more, it would rot. But on the sixth day, the day before the Sabbath, they were to collect twice the amount, which means two homers, or about four litres. And that was in preparation for the Sabbath because they were not supposed to work on the Sabbath. We will learn more about that in our next message.
Some Bible critics have tried to explain that this manna was produced by an excretion from a certain species of insects. Others explained that this manna was produced by some kind of a plant. By giving all these natural possibilities, they were downplaying the miraculous aspects of this provision. There are some obvious problems with all these theories.
Firstly, this manna was not something common. Look down to verse 15: "And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was” - which means they did not know what it was. And Moses had to explain to them, “This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.” In fact, the word manna means ‘What is it?’ So, it is something that was not common, not something that they would see from day to day, something they had never seen before.
Secondly, if they had collected more than they should, the manna would decay, except the double portions they collected on the sixth day. Only on those specific times, those manna would last for two days. So, it was a miracle.
Thirdly, one has to consider the massive quantity. Take a moment and consider how many insects or plants it would take to produce the manna that would feed an entire nation - an entire nation of 2 million. But the biggest problem was how long the manna continued. The Israelites ate the manna for 40 years until they reached the Promised Land. So, it was a genuine divine miracle. As the Bible said, ‘This was the bread that came down from heaven.’
Perhaps some of us may be wondering, ‘Indeed, that was a miraculous provision, but today, God no longer provides for me like the way He provided the Israelites with manna from heaven.’ Well, it may be true that God does not rain manna down from heaven; He can if He wants to. But His provision for you and me is no less a miracle — from providing us with jobs and opportunities, to sustaining our jobs, to giving us the strength to do the jobs. At every step of the way, He is providing for us in a most miraculous way.
By way of testimony, when the Lord first called me to serve Him full-time, I was supported by a Christian organisation, which gave me $250 a month. At that time, my wife Hye Yong was serving in a Korean church. We were not married yet, and she was paid slightly more than me, $400. Humanly speaking, it was impossible to get married, to have children, to build a family, to buy a house, to put bread and butter on the table. But step by step, God provided for all our needs. Today, as we look back, what can we say? It was truly a miracle. The way He provided for us was truly miraculous.
Some of you here are in your retirements. When you look back, how God has graciously provided you with jobs, sustained your jobs, given you the strength to do the work set before you at every step of the way until this very moment, whereby you can enjoy your retirements. Are you not like the Israelites whom God has provided manna for 40 years? He has also provided physical manna for you, though in a very different way.
Not only did God provide the manna in the morning, He also provided the quails that came in the evening. Quails only came in the spring and autumn seasons. They would fly low and they would be carried by the wind. According to historians, quails were a delicacy at that time. The people would catch those birds in nets. However, for the Israelites, these quails would fly directly to their camps. All they needed to do was to go out and pick them. The quails came to the right place at the right time and in the right quantity, sufficient to feed almost two million people. Again, this was a genuine divine miracle.
You see, God not only provided for the children of Israel, He provided for them abundantly. Remember in verse three, the children of Israel had complained that they used to sit by their cooking pots in Egypt to eat their meats and bread until they were full, until they were satisfied, until they were fulfilled. But we know that was an exaggeration.
Now look down to verse eight, God used the same word “to the full”. “And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full”; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
In other words, although the Israelites were exaggerating how they used to eat in Egypt - which was not true - here God, in His infinite patience, promised that He would feed them until they were really satisfied. His provision would be abundant. His provision would be much more than they deserved.
Dear friend, that is how gracious our heavenly Father is. In spite of how we have been so ungrateful and unreasonable to complain and murmur against Him, He remembers that we are His blood-bought children. He who has saved us, will He suffer His children to be hungry? Will He not provide for all our needs? Most certainly He will provide, and He will provide abundantly.
III. God's Glory
What was God's purpose in performing this miracle? It was not simply because His people begged for it. Ultimately, it was for His glory. This brings us to our third and final point: God's glory. Look at verse six, “And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt.” God had already showed the Israelites who He was by performing the Ten Plagues and opening the Red Sea. If that was not enough for them to know who He was - that He was the one who had brought them out of the land of Egypt - He would now provide food for them in the wilderness, in a place where there was no vegetation, in a place where it was impossible to provide for an entire nation.
Verse seven, "And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?” Once again, Moses reiterated the fact that their murmurings were not against them per se, their murmurings were against the Lord, and He had heard their complaints. Instead of punishing them, He would graciously provide for them for His glory.
Therefore, Moses commanded Aaron, who was His mouthpiece, to say to the children of Israel to come before the presence of the Lord. Look at verse 10, “And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.” In other words, Aaron gathered the people and pointed them to the shekinah glory of God, the glory of His presence in the pillar of cloud. It was as if Aaron was saying to the Israelites, ‘Look, this is the glory of the Lord.’ Whatever God did, it was for His glory. God has saved you for His glory. God has performed all those miracles, whether it be the Ten Plagues or the opening of the Red Sea, they were for His glory. Now He's going to provide for you quails in the evening and the manna in the morning, and they were also for His glory. But sadly, the children of Israel would soon forget this important truth. When they take their eyes away from the almighty God, they take their eyes away from the glory of God, they will only focus on the provisions, only on the physical manna.
Dear friend, God did what He did. He did the way He did it for His glory, not just for the children of Israel, but for all of us as well. God has saved us for His glory. Each time God takes care of us and protects us from danger, it is for His glory. Each time God enables us to repent and to believe in His promises, it is for His glory. Each time God strengthens our hands that we may do the work set before us, it is for His glory. Each time God did things in such a way that seems impossible, it is for His glory, and we see more and more of His glory. If we do not give glory to God, something is terribly wrong. If we do not give glory to God, what more would it take us to give glory to Him? May the Lord forgive us. We must always give glory to all the things that God has done in and through our lives.
Although the manna was a physical miracle, there is something more important than that. The purpose was to teach the spiritual lesson that the Israelites must depend on God 100%. They must depend on Him absolutely, that God was their source of life. That was why Moses said in Deuteronomy 8:3. Maybe you can turn with me to Deuteronomy 8:3. Allow me to read for you: ‘And God humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
These words immediately remind us of what our Lord Jesus said to Satan in the wilderness. Jesus had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. As 100% man, He was hungry, and so the devil tempted Him to turn the stones into bread. But Jesus answered, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus knew our deepest need is not something physical but it is something spiritual. What we really need is God, and if you and I have God and His word, that is what we need. That is what we need to have in life — God and His word.
This truth was best illustrated by Jesus when he performed the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, which I think most of us are familiar with—the feeding of the 5000s. Remember, after the people were fed, they wanted to follow Jesus. But He knew that they wanted to follow Him for the wrong reasons. They wanted to follow Him because of the physical bread. Therefore, Jesus said to them, ‘You must not seek the physical bread, but rather you must seek after the food, the bread that endures to eternal life, which only the Son of Man will be able to give you.’
The people were puzzled because they were still thinking about the physical bread. They were still thinking about the bread their forefathers had eaten in the wilderness, in the book of Exodus. So they said, ‘Our forefathers did eat of the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: He gave them bread from Heaven.’ The same verse we have read a moment ago, quoted by the Jews in Jesus' time because they were focusing on the physical bread. That was when Jesus said to them in John 6:32-35. Let me read for you, verse 32 of John 6: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”
Jesus was talking about himself. Obviously, he could do much more than just multiplying physical bread. He was the bread, the spiritual bread from Heaven that gives life to the world. Although the people were still unsure of what Jesus was talking about, they said to him, ‘Lord, if this bread could give us life, then give us this bread.’ That was when Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Your forefathers did eat the manna in the desert, but they were all dead.’ In other words, do not look to the physical bread, the physical bread that would only enable you to survive from day to day. But look to the spiritual bread, the one who offered Himself on the cross of Calvary and shed His precious blood to give you salvation and eternal life—the spiritual man is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear friends, Aaron pointed to the shekinah glory of God—the glory of His presence in the cloud that they could look up to. But instead, the Israelites only looked to the physical bread. That was the reason why later on they went out and they failed the test. They gathered as much as they could, and all those manna rotted, decayed, they were meaningless. Likewise, you and I must not only look to the blessings we have received; whether it be our jobs or our houses, our resources, or the things we have accumulated - praise God for all these blessings we have received - but we must look to God Himself. Once we forget Him, then everything would be meaningless. Do not look to the physical bread but look to the spiritual bread—that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
For those of you who have not truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, once this life ends and you swing into eternity, you will be lost forever and ever. There's only one who can save you. Jesus said, ‘He who comes to me will never hunger; he who believes in me will never thirst.’ Come to Jesus today. Today is the day of salvation. Do not procrastinate. Believe in him, and you shall be saved. Jesus said, ‘Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.’ Do not reject, believe in Him.
For those of us who believe in Him, we must always look to Him. Not to the physical things in this world because all these things, no matter how good and alluring it may be to our eyes, soon they will perish. Only God and His glory will last forever and ever.
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank thee for enabling us to consider this portion of scriptures. Indeed, help us O Lord, to be reminded of these three important lessons. That so often we are just like the Israelites, we have always been murmuring and complaining. In good times, we forget; in difficult times, we are prone to complain. We are just like the Israelites. But even in our sin of complaining, we learn this most important lesson—that is thy patience. Thou art so patient to us. O Lord, in spite of us, thou art so good and patient. Forgive us.
And we also learn of thy provision. Thou provides for all our needs. But so often we forget that Thou art the one who has blessed us so abundantly. Often times we think it is our hands that wrought all the good things we have. But truly it is the almighty God who has blessed us with so much good things.
And we also learned that the purpose, the reason why thou has wrought such a good work in our lives, is for Thy glory. Thou has saved us for thy glory; thou has led us, provided for us, protected us in every situation for Thy glory. And as we live through each day of our lives, we see more and more of Thy glory. Help us not to take our eyes away from thee and Thy glory. Help us always to focus on Thee. Help us not to be like the Israelites who only looked to the physical bread and forget the spiritual bread. Help us always to focus on Jesus, the one who came for us, died on the cross, shedding His precious blood which is able to wash away all our sins. We look to Him and Him alone, the author and the finisher of our faith. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.
THE BOOK OF EXODUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
The Faith Of A Beloved MotherThe Faith Of A Beloved MotherExodus 1:22-2:10; Hebrews 11:23
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeExodus 21:18-36
The Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsThe Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsExodus 22:1-15
The Character Of GodThe Character Of GodExodus 22:16-20
Reaching Out To The Down-And-OutReaching Out To The Down-And-OutExodus 22:21-24
Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthTruth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthExodus 23:1-9
Remember Who God IsRemember Who God IsExodus 23:10-19
What Must We Do To Have VictoryWhat Must We Do To Have VictoryExodus 23:20-33
How We Ought To Worship GodHow We Ought To Worship GodExodus 24:1-4, 7
On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?Exodus 24:4-8
Responding To God’s InvitationResponding To God’s InvitationExodus 24:9-18
The Right Attitude Of GivingThe Right Attitude Of GivingExodus 25:1-8
There I Will Meet YouThere I Will Meet YouExodus 25:9-22
Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Exodus 25:23-30
Let Your Light So Shine Before MenLet Your Light So Shine Before MenExodus 25:31-40
The Veil That SeparatesThe Veil That SeparatesExodus 26:1-37
A Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandA Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandExodus 27:1-19
Who Can Represent Us Before God?Who Can Represent Us Before God?Exodus 27:20-28:14
How Can We Know God’s Will?How Can We Know God’s Will?Exodus 28:15-30
Is Our Worship Attire Really Important?Is Our Worship Attire Really Important?Exodus 28:31-43
The Ordination Of PriestsThe Ordination Of PriestsExodus 29:1-21
The Provision For PriestsThe Provision For PriestsExodus 29:22-29
Remind Us For We Always ForgetRemind Us For We Always ForgetExodus 29:36-46
Sweet Hour Of PrayerSweet Hour Of PrayerExodus 30:1-10
The Danger Of The Number GameThe Danger Of The Number GameExodus 30:11-16
The Importance Of SanctificationThe Importance Of SanctificationExodus 30:17-21
The Anointing Of OilThe Anointing Of OilExodus 30:22-38
No Such Thing As An Unimportant Calling Or GiftNo Such Thing As An Unimportant Calling Or GiftExodus 31:1-11
The Most Ignored CommandmentThe Most Ignored CommandmentExodus 31:12-18
We Forget So QuicklyWe Forget So QuicklyExodus 32:1-6
Guilty As ChargedGuilty As ChargedExodus 32:7-14
Who Is To Be Blamed?Who Is To Be Blamed?Exodus 32:15-24
Who Is On The Lord’s Side?Who Is On The Lord’s Side?Exodus 32:25-29
I Will Die For You If I CanI Will Die For You If I CanExodus 32:30-35
I Will Not Go With YouI Will Not Go With YouExodus 33:1-11
If Thy Presence Go Not With Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not With Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
I Will Show You Who I AmI Will Show You Who I AmExodus 34:1-7
What It Means To Be In A Covenant Relationship With GodWhat It Means To Be In A Covenant Relationship With GodExodus 34:8-17