Exodus 16:2-15
16:2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against
Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
16:3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the
hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots
and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this
wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from
heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather
enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will
follow my instruction or not.
16:5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it
will be twice as much as they gather on other days."
16:6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the
evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of
the land of Egypt,
16:7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD,
because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are
we, that you complain against us?"
16:8 And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the
evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has
heard the complaining that you utter against him--what are we? Your
complaining is not against us but against the LORD."
16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of
the Israelites, 'Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your
complaining.'"
16:10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the
Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the
LORD appeared in the cloud.
16:11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
16:12 "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to
them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall
have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your
God.'"
16:13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in
the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
16:14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the
wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the
ground.
16:15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What
is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It
is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
Maybe if the Israelites hadn't been so focused on their complaining
they would have been able to recognize the manna God had provided
them. Isn't that the way it is in the church a lot of
times...grumble...grumble....gripe....gripe.... but do not go to the
Lord in prayer to find guidance and answers to the problems.
Gripe...Gripe... Gripe....it's always easier to just gripe. Pastor
in Ks.
It's not simply in the church that it's gripe after gripe, it's all
over the place. What amazes me no matter how many times I read
through the journey of the Israelites is how many times God provided
and rescued, yet they kept complaining. How incredible God is to
keep on forgiving, to keep on providing.
It is the same with us as we wander through our own wilderness. We
can ask why the Israelites were so slow to get it, but we must ask
the same question of ourselves! katinPA
Michael Kelly Blanchard wrote a wonderful song about this text
called, "Quail". One line in the refrain goes:
"Taking our curses and turning them 'round. Filling our ears with
those ungrateful sounds. Unworthy to stand, I bow down."
How do we respond to God's grace - undeserved favor?
John near Pitts (looking for a digital copy of Blanchard's song.)
Hi,
My current plan is to preach from Ex. 16: 1-21. From my early
studies, three themes are developing. “Pitiful” with questions will
give me an opportunity to encourage self evaluation and recognition
of the problems that develop from gripping and complaining. I intend
to be open about some of my weaknesses. “Provision” with periods
will be an attempt to look at our situation more objectively. I am
convinced that we can see God’s action and provision in our lives
when we look with objectivity rather than self-pity. Finally I will
turn to the Psalms from this lection to remind us to “Praise” with
exclamation. (I know I may be too enthralled with all the “P’s” and
I may change these as I get closer to a final draft.)
1) Pitiful? Aren’t we pitiful? Isn’t all the crying and complaining
about life pitiful? I think my childhood poverty still leaves me
with a sense of personal and financial insecurity—I am embarrassed
by the pitiful state of my personal growth due to this weakness—why
haven’t I over come this pitiful state? What is pitiful in your
life? Is the pity necessary or a hindrance? Is it time for all of us
to leave self-pity behind? 2) Provision. God provides. He provides
enough. He does not provide excess. He expects responsible use of
his provisions. He provides enough for a tithe. We need to share the
provisions to make sure everyone has enough. 3) Praise Him! Read the
praises in the Psalms from today’s lection! The psalmist, many years
after the exodus, found praise in the retelling of this story! Oh,
praise Him! Ps. 105: 43 & 45 He brought out his people with
rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy…that they might keep
his precepts and observe his laws. In summary, let’s all quit
complaining because it is not good for us and is unnecessary.
Instead, look what good things God has done and give generously as
He has given. He is so good that we can’t stop shouting for joy!
As I work to develop, clarify and focus these ideas I would
appreciate any help from you.
Leon in NC <><
Leon in NC. Pitty Party - don't we all get caught in that place
sometimes. My belief is that "feeling sorry for yourself" is one of
the most devestating wastes of time, energy, resources and life!!
God has such a generous heart and abundant resources just waiting
for us to turn our Face toward God and recieve. Our attitude is the
wall between us!
jmj in MT
From my easy middle-class existence, it is easy to get a warm, fuzzy
feeling about how God will meet every need. I wonder if the Hebrews
felt that same warm, fuzzy feeling. Even when gathering manna, there
was always the possibility that there wouldn't be any there
tomorrow. The quail could disappear as easily as they had appeared.
It was the history of God's provision that gave them hope that God
would provide again tomorrow. I think of a phrase that has been used
to spawn at least two hymns: "We've Come This Far by Faith." God's
actions yesterday become the basis for my belief that God will act
today and tomorrow. -Dale in Chattanooga
I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with this yet, but the Hebrews'
question, "What is it?" puts me to mind of family vacations, when I
like to eat at local restaurants (PLEASE! travel 500 miles to eat at
Mickey-d's?). My son would always react by whining that he didn't
like this place (though he'd never been there in his life), and
usually react to the food when it was served with, "Whit's this?" He
almost invariably liked it once he tried it. I think we often react
to God's gracious providence the same way. Ken in WV
