A study of Exodus: Birth of a Nation

#13 The Third Crisis of Israel In the Wilderness—Hunger:

The Two Great Sins of Israel, That of Grumbling

and Disobedience (Unbelief) Exodus 16:1-36

This week, I was reminded of the newspaper account of a Brinks armored truck, which was loaded with money which was nearly worn out and was on its way to be destroyed. The truck was involved in some kind of traffic accident, the result of which was that the doors flew open and the money was scattered in the intersection. It doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to visualize what happened. People jumped out of their cars, which they left to block the traffic, and frantically ran about, trying to gather as much money as they could hold.

Stories of human greed may strike you as amusing, but they are also relevant to the account of God’s provision of manna for the Israelites in the wilderness, described in Exodus chapter 16. Having run out of food in the desert, so that the Israelites feared they would starve to death, one can only imagine the zeal with which they harvested the first provision of manna.

There was enough manna, it would seem, for every Israelite to have filled his tent with it. From the account it appears that some tried, only to discover that it would not keep, turning foul and wormy. The efforts to hoard the provision of manna was in direct disobedience to God’s instructions. Their greed, like mine, and yours (admit it, you would have been trying to out maneuver me at that Safeway store), was evidenced in their attempt to hoard a surplus supply of manna, so that they could feel secure about the future.

In this passage, Israel is guilty of two sins: greed and grumbling. We discover that both of these sins are symptomatic of an even more serious underlying sin. It is that sin which is characterized, and which God works to cure, in our text.

The background of God’s provision of manna for His people is to be found in the final verses of the previous chapter. Not finding water for three days, the Israelites came upon the waters of Marah, which they were unable to drink because they were bitter. The people initially cried out to God, and then began to grumble against Moses. They demanded to know what they were to drink.

The Lord first made provision for the sweetening of the bitter waters of Marah (which means bitter), and then He spoke these words: “If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you” (Exod. 15:26).

God’s words suggest to me that there is a relationship between the plagues which are brought upon the Egyptians and the sweetening of the waters at Marah. For all intents and purposes, the “bitter” waters of Marah were as useless to the Israelites as the “bloody” water of the Nile after the first plague was brought upon Egypt. The Egyptians were plagued by God because they failed to heed the instruction of God to “Let His people go.”

When God’s command to the Egyptians was disobeyed, the plagues ensued. Now, God is laying down commands to His people, the Israelites. If they disregard His commands, they will be plagued, just as the Egyptians were. The response of Israel to the bitter waters at Marah reveals that the Israelites are sinful, too. God’s commands will be given to His people to test them.[1] To fail to obey will be to invite His judgments on them.

While God’s statement to Israel is a general command to them, the first of the “commands and decrees” which God refers to here are given in chapter 16.[2] These commands are God’s instructions regulating the gathering and use of the manna which He is about to provide for His people. It is these commands which serve as a test of Israel’s faith and obedience. It is these same commands which serve to strengthen Israel’s faith and to teach His people to obey Him.

After the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai and Israel’s failure to possess the promised land, Israel’s wilderness wanderings are a part of her judgment, due to her unbelief. But here, at the beginning of Israel’s journey from Egypt toward Canaan, the time spent in the wilderness is not disciplinary (the result of her sin), but didactic (intended to instruct), an occasion for teaching Israel the necessity of faith and obedience. Chapters 16 and 17 describe God’s “boot camp” for Israel. Keeping God’s commands and decrees pertaining to the gathering and use of manna will teach God’s people to trust and obey.

     One of the most basic needs of man is the need for food. Without food, a person starves to death. Consequently, when a person’s food supply is threatened...

·    he complains— grumbles and murmurs against the weather, some crop disease, or God.

·    he blames the circumstances, the government, the economy, the grocery store, the farmer, his employer—just whoever or whatever is causing the shortage of food.

     A person’s trust in God and others is soon lost when his food supply is threatened. Trust in God far too often crumbles when hunger or any other serious trial confronts a person. This was the very situation facing the Israelites...

·    that of hunger.

·    that of complaining, grumbling, and murmuring.

·    that of failing to trust God to meet their need.

     But these things should never be. We should never complain nor fail to trust God, not because of hunger nor because of any other serious circumstance that might confront us. God loves and cares for us. And God has promised to take care of our needs in every circumstance, even in life-threatening circumstances. God’s promise is clear:

      “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

     This is the great lesson of this passage: The Third Crisis of Israel In the Wilderness—Hunger: The Two Great Sins of Israel, That of Grumbling and Disobedience (Unbelief), Exodus 16:1-36.

     1.  The crisis of hunger: the first great sin committed again, that of complaining and grumbling (unbelief) (v.1-3).

     2.  The promise of God: to meet the needs of His grumbling people (v.4-15).

     3.  The test of the people: they failed the test—disobeyed God (v.16-30).

     4.  The manna (bread) memorialized: commanded by God (v.31-36).

Growling Stomachs and Grumbling Saints

A month passed between the time Israel departed from Egypt to the time when the nation reached the Wilderness of Sin.[3] Water had already been a problem (cf. 15:22‑26), and now they had run out of food.[4] Their growling stomachs soon produced grumbling lips. The whole assembly grumbled against Moses and Aaron (16:2). They said they would rather have died in Egypt than to have been brought out into the desert to starve to death (16:3).

 (16:1-3) Hunger— Complaining— Grumbling— Murmuring— Moses— Aaron— Israel— Sin: there was the crisis of hunger, and the first great sin of Israel was committed again, that of complaining and grumbling.

1.         The people left Elim and marched to the desert of Sin.  DEEPER STUDY (16:1) Desert of Sin: this was a place, the actual name of a desert in the days of Moses. The word “sin” must not be confused with the theological word sin. The “Desert of Sin” was probably taken from the word Sinai or the bush Seneh. The desert was probably named the “Desert of Sin” because of its terrain, most likely referring to a rocky area with thorn-bushes scattered across the landscape. The desert was most likely located in the southwestern Sinai, close to the area of modern Debbet er-Ramleh.

     Note that God’s people marched to the desert of Sin exactly one month after leaving Egypt. How quickly God’s people forget the deliverance, care, goodness, and blessings of God! Just one month earlier, God had miraculously delivered His people out of Egyptian slavery. Yet, here they were committing a terrible sin. Note what the sin was.

     2.   The people complained—grumbled and murmured—against God’s servants Moses and Aaron. Why? Because they were hungry: they had used up all their food supply. Before they left Egypt, they had apparently been instructed to take along one month’s supply of food, and now they had no food left. A crisis existed and the situation looked hopeless. Where in the desert could two to three million people possibly find enough food to keep them alive? Such an enormous food source just did not exist, not out in the wilderness of the desert. The people knew this, and they obviously began to talk about the problem among themselves. The talk soon became a complaint, and the people began to grumble and murmur against their leaders, Moses and Aaron.

     This God’s people should not have done. Instead of grumbling and complaining, God’s people should have gone to their leaders, presented the problem, and suggested that they all—both leaders and people—seek God together. The people should have trusted God, trusted His goodness and power to deliver them. But this they did not do. They showed unbelief in God...

·    distrusted His concern and care

·    distrusted His goodness

·    distrusted His power

·    distrusted His provision

     And note the terrible depth of their distrust and unbelief, the scorching heat of their sinful grumbling: they would rather have died in Egypt in one of God’s plagues than to die of starvation out in the desert. At least in Egypt they had meat and bread. The Hebrew has the idea of pots of meat—all they could eat.

     What audacity! What an affront against God! What rashness, arrogance, gall, rudeness, and defiance. What a terrible thing to say in the face of God! And after He had done so much for them.

Þ  Remember God’s wonderful deliverance from Egyptian slavery.

Þ  Remember God’s astounding power demonstrated at the Red Sea.

Þ  Remember God’s glorious provision of water to take care of their thirst

     All this had all taken place within the last thirty days. Time and again over a period of thirty days, God had gloriously delivered and provided for His dear people. But murmurers have short memories. And here they were wallowing around in the pit of sinful grumbling, showing that their hearts were full of...

·    selfishness

·    unbelief

·    distrust

·    carnal, fleshly thoughts

Our memories of the “good old days,” of the past, are often magnified and exaggerated. This was certainly true of the Israelites, and it is true of us. In looking back to their days in Egypt, the Israelites could not have had enough to eat. Meat and plenty of food are never a part of the everyday diet of slaves nor of the poor of any society. The Israelites had short memories and warped perspectives. They had forgotten their days of affliction as slaves to the world of Egypt.

     This shows the great crisis the Israelites were facing. They were facing starvation. A spirit of hopelessness gripped them. They knew there was no place out in the desert where enough food could be found to feed them, not two to three million people. Nevertheless, when a crisis arises for the believer—the genuine believer—he is to call upon God, not grumble and complain. In facing problems, we are to trust God—believe that God cares, that He loves us, that He will help us through the problem—no matter how severe the problem may be.

J. Vernon McGee has an excellent application of this point.

     “The children of Israel...despised God’s heavenly food and complained about eating it. They grew tired of eating manna. They longed for the fleshpots of Egypt. They wanted to go back to that from which they had been delivered.

     “That is the story, I am afraid, of some people who have been converted, and have been delivered out of ‘Egypt’ [the world, the old life]. Every now and then they take a side trip back to get the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. There are Christians today who need to make a complete break with the old life. Friend, you can’t go on living like the world, living on the things of Egypt, and be serviceable to God and have the peace of God in your heart. There must be a break with Egypt. We must live on the true Manna that comes from heaven, even the Lord Jesus Christ.” ⁷⁰

Characteristics of Israel’s Grumbling

Before we consider God’s response to the grumblings of His people, it may be worthwhile to point out some of the characteristics of Israel’s grumbling in this incident. Very likely, we will find that grumbling was not only a problem then, but that it is also a problem in our lives as well.

(1) Grumbling is a problem with pain or problems. Grumbling almost never occurs when we are experiencing pleasure, but nearly always when we are in pain. In our passage, there is a definite relationship between the Israelites’ growling stomachs and their grumbling lips. We grumble because we do not like the pain or the discomfort of the situation we are in. We grumble because we think that we should experience pleasure rather than pain, affluence and ease rather than adversity and deprivation.

(2) Grumbling is a problem of perception. Grumbling results from a difference between the way we perceive things to be and the way we think they should be. The problem is that when we grumble our perception of how things are is distorted. Grumbling invariably distorts the facts. In our text, Israel greatly exaggerated the benefits of Egypt. They said they “sat” (v. 3) by their flesh pots, and that they ate “all they wanted” of a great variety of foods and meat. This is, quite frankly, hard to believe. If the Egyptians made them gather their own straw and were attempting to kill boy babies, why would they be concerned to feed the Israelites so well? Also, their perception of their own imminent danger of starvation was greatly exaggerated. They believed that their hunger was starvation. No one had yet starved; at best, a few had begun to feel hunger. Worst of all, perhaps, they accused Moses of leading them into the wilderness in order to kill them. Their perception of Moses’ motivation was entirely distorted. Finally, Israel’s perception of God’s care and compassion is minimized to grotesque proportions. They failed to perceive the loving hand of a sovereign God in their sufferings.

(3) Grumbling is a problem of submission. The Israelites grumbled against their leaders, Moses and Aaron. The people had forgotten that it was God who was leading them, not only by Moses, but also by the cloud which was before them (cf. Exod. 13:21‑22; 16:10). Ultimately, then, Israel’s grumbling was a protest against God’s leadership, as Moses pointed out (16:7‑8).

(4) Grumbling is a sin of the tongue, which is closely related to disobedience. Grumbling occurs when we can’t control our situation. Disobedience occurs when we have an option and we choose to do other than that which God has commanded.

(5) Grumbling is a communicable disease. We are told in verse 2 that, “the whole community grumbled …” I would suggest that the grumbling of a handful of people spread into the epidemic plague of the grumbling of the whole congregation. Grumbling is not only a malady of the mouth, it is a malady which is spread by the mouth.

(6) Grumbling is the result of a failure in our faith. Grumbling is a sin, but it is a symptomatic sin. It reveals a lack of faith, for the grumbler does not see that good hand of God, refuses to accept the adversity, and sees disaster rather than blessing as the outcome of their circumstances. In fact we can go farther and say that grumbling is allowing our present circumstances to nullify our confidence in God’s purposes and promises.

God’s promise (Ex. 16:4-5, 8, 11-12)

In our pilgrim journey through life, we live on promises and not explanations. When we hurt, it’s a normal response to ask “Why?” but that is the wrong approach to take. For one thing, when we ask God that question, we’re assuming a superior posture and giving the impression that we’re in charge and God is accountable to us. God is sovereign and doesn’t have to explain anything to us unless He wants to. Asking “Why?” also assumes that if God did explain His plans and purposes to us, we’d understand everything perfectly and feel better. As you read the Book of Job, you see Job frustrated with God and repeatedly saying, “I’d like to meet God and ask Him a few things!” But when God finally comes to Job, Job is so overwhelmed he doesn’t ask God a thing! (See Job 40:1-5.) Can we begin to understand the ways and plans of God when His ways are far above us and His wisdom unsearchable? (Isa. 55:8-9; Rom. 11:33-36) Explanations don’t heal broken hearts, but promises do, because promises depend on faith, and faith puts us in contact with the grace of God.

(16:4-15) Complaining— Grumbling— Murmuring— Manna— Supply— Provision— Blessing— Testing: there was God’s promise to meet the needs of His grumbling people. God heard their murmurings and in His grace and mercy met their needs. He told them that in the evening, they would have flesh to eat (v. 8), and in the morning He would rain bread from heaven (v. 4). By giving them these special provisions, He was also testing them to see if they would believe and obey.

     1.   God promised to provide bread from heaven for His people (Exodus 16:4). The only conceivable way two to three million people could be fed out in the wilderness of a desert—fed for over forty years—would be by a miracle from God. This was exactly what God was promising: to feed His people Himself, to feed them in such a way that His existence, love, and care could never be questioned nor doubted.

     2.   God would, however, test the faith of His people (Exodus 16:4). God was going to test their faith in two ways:

Þ  By charging His people to gather bread every day for that particular day. They were to gather only one day’s supply, no more and no less. By laying down this restriction, God tested their trust in Him. They had to trust God day by day for food.

Þ  By commanding that they gather twice as much food on the sixth day (Exodus 16:5). This commandment would test the obedience of the people. Would they gather twice as much as commanded and rest on the seventh day, or would they go out and work to gather their food on the seventh day? Just what the people did will be seen later (note 3—^§ Exodus 16:16-30).

     3.   God would prove Himself (Exodus 16:6-7). God’s servants went before God’s people and declared His wonderful promise:

Þ  In the evening, the Lord would use His provision to prove that it was He who saved them and brought them out of the land of Egyptian slavery (Exodus 16:6).

Þ  In the morning, the Lord would use His provision to prove His glory (Exodus 16:7).

Þ  Why was the Lord going to do this? Because the Lord was going to prove Himself—that He was truly the Lord—because the people had grumbled and complained against Him (Exodus 16:7).

     4.   Now note: God gave a warning. Grumbling is not against God’s servants but against God Himself (Exodus 16:8). This is true in two ways.

a.  God, not His servant, is the person who leads His people. God, not the servants of God, had delivered the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt (the world) and led them to begin their march to the promised land. God in His sovereign leadership had led the Israelites to be where they were, not Moses and Aaron. Therefore, their complaint, although spoken against Moses and Aaron, was really directed against God and His leadership.

b.  Complaining and grumbling show distrust in God, that a person does not believe God cares and will work things out for good. Therefore, when we complain and grumble, we are saying to God that we do not trust Him, do not trust that He loves us and will deliver us. Our complaining and grumbling is not against God’s servant, not really. It is against God.

     5.   God laid down the prerequisite for receiving the bread of God: the people had to come, to draw near God (Exodus 16:9-10). When believers sin against God by complaining and grumbling, they must come before the Lord and draw near Him. The idea is that of confession and repentance: the people were to draw near God, come before Him and confess and repent of their complaining and grumbling.

     Note that the people obeyed: they looked to the cloud which symbolized God’s very presence (Exodus 16:10). What they witnessed was a phenomenal sight: the glory of the Lord shone in the cloud (Exodus 16:10). How often God would grant a clear, intense sense of His glory and presence—if we would only draw near Him. If we would only spend long sessions of meditation and prayer in His presence. How much power would be present in our lives and ministries if we often got alone with God for long periods of time.

God’s glory (Ex. 16:6-7, 9-10)

The important thing was that Israel focus on the glory of God and not on their own appetites. If they walked by faith, they would glorify the Lord and bring honor to His name. It isn’t important that we’re comfortable in life, but it is important that God is glorified. When circumstances are difficult, we’re prone to pray, “Lord, how can I get out of this?” when we ought to be praying, “Lord, what can I get out of this?” It isn’t important that we get our way, but it is important that God accomplishes His purposes and receives all the glory (Matt. 6:33). God permits trials so that He can build godly character into His children and make us more like Jesus. Godliness isn’t the automatic result of reading books and attending meetings; it also involves bearing burdens, fighting battles, and feeling pain.

DEEPER STUDY (16:10) God, Glory of— Glory, of God— Shekinah Glory: the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. This was the Shekinah Glory, the cloud that symbolized God’s presence. It was the very cloud that had guided Israel out of Egypt and that was to rest upon the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38). The Shekinah Glory was also to rest above the mercy seat in the most holy place of the tabernacle. Scripture describes the glory of the Lord as follows:

     1.   The glory of the Lord is like a consuming fire.

      “And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel” (Exodus 24:17).

     2.   The glory of the Lord is like a pillar of fire that radiates light.

      “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (Exodus 13:21-22).

     3.   The glory of the Lord is like a fiery furnace.

      “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest.... For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:18, 29).

     4.   The glory of the Lord is like a light that radiates splendor, a light that is so full of splendor that Peter called it “the excellent glory.”

      “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1:17).

     5.   The glory of the Lord is a light so glorious and brilliant that there is no need for a sun.

      “Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.... And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Rev. 21:11, 23).

     6.   The glory of the Lord is a light so brilliant that no man can approach it.

      “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting” (1 Tim. 6:16).

     6.   God restressed the facts (Exodus 16:11-12). Note that He restated the facts to Moses: He had heard the people’s grumblings and He would meet their needs. But He was doing it for a very specific purpose: that they might learn the truth, learn more and more that He is the Lord their God. God wanted the truth driven more and more into their hearts and lives, that He and He alone is the only living and true God. He and He alone was to be their God, the Lord of their lives.

     7.   God fulfilled His promise (Exodus 16:13-15).

a.  God gave the meat He had promised. The quail came and covered the camp that very evening (Exodus 16:13). Imagine enough quail to feed two to three million people every day of the week for forty years. Moreover, imagine the quail always landing right where the Israelites were camped. The provision of the quail was beyond all question a spectacular miracle of God.

b.  God gave the bread He had promised—the manna from heaven (Exodus 16:13-15).

Þ  The next morning after the dew had melted, the ground was covered with thin flakes that looked like frost (Exodus 16:14).

Þ  The Israelites had never seen the thin flakes before. Thus they called it manna, which means “What is it?” (Exodus 16:15). Moses informed the people that it was the bread from heaven that had been promised by God.

Man is hungry, hungry for all kinds of things. But lying at the very base of his hunger is the craving for...

·    purpose and fulfillment

·    acceptance and recognition.

·    love and friendship

·    joy and pleasure

     The world offers food to satisfy and fulfill man’s hunger. And when a man looks at the world, he sees an appealing offer to feed him, to feed him with...

     But tragically, these things never satisfy; they never fill the deepest recesses of man’s heart. The world leaves man empty, leaves him with a sense of empty gratification and pleasure and with unfilled achievement and success.

     There is only one way man’s hunger can be satisfied: he must eat, partake of the bread from heaven: the Lord Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy the hunger of man’s heart. Only Jesus Christ can give life to man. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. He is the bread given by God to satisfy the hunger of man’s soul.

God’s Response to Israel’s Grumbling

Knowing that Israel’s grumbling was the result of her lack of faith, God responded to it in a way which I would not expect. Later on, the grumbling of the Israelites resulted in some painful chastisement. The difference between God’s response to Israel’s grumblings here in Exodus 16 and His more severe dealings in Numbers 11 is explained, I believe, by the difference in time spent with God in the wilderness. Here, the Israelites have spent but one month following God, and are relatively immature in their faith. Later on, God’s Law has been given, and His faithfulness to Israel has been repeatedly demonstrated.

Consequently, God responded gently and graciously to the grumblings of the Israelites. Rather than to rebuke them for their complaining, He did two things, both of which were intended to demonstrate His presence with His people in their affliction and adversity. First, He revealed His glory to the Israelites by some special manifestation of Himself in the cloud by which He had been leading them (16:10). Second, God provided His people with quail[5] and with manna (16:11‑14).

The Nature of God’s Provision of Manna

As usual, there are many who attempt to demonstrate that the manna which was provided for the Israelites was not miraculous at all.[6] This is very difficult to believe in the light of what the text tells us about the manna which God provided for His people.

(1) The manna which God provided appears to be very nutritious, as would be required for desert rations. Israel was given nourishment and energy for the rigorous task of desert travel. It may not have had the most exciting flavor, or at least the Israelites eventually tired of it, asking for something more spicy (cf. Numbers 11:4‑9).

(2) The manna which God provided could be prepared in different ways. It could be baked or boiled (v. 23).

(3) The manna was not necessarily the only item which constituted Israel’s diet.[7]

(4) The manna was provided in abundance, so much so that limits had to be placed on how much was gathered (cf. vss. 13‑21).

(5) The manna was miraculously provided. It was “rained down from heaven” (v. 4). It was like nothing the Israelites had ever seen before (v. 15). It appeared every morning, except on the Sabbath. At the end of Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness it ceased falling (Joshua 5:12).

(6) The manna appeared in the morning and disappeared in the heat of the day.

(7) The manna would not keep, except over the Sabbath.

(8) Some of the manna was miraculously preserved, as a memorial of God’s provision for future generations (vss. 31‑36).[8]

God’s Regulations Regarding Manna

When God provided the Israelites with this “bread from heaven” (16:4), He also gave instructions as to how this bread was to be gathered and used. These instructions were intended to test the Israelites as well as to teach them obedience and increase their faith. We will therefore review these instructions briefly and then consider their role in promoting Israel’s faith. Since God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33), whenever He starts something new, He always gives the instructions necessary to make the venture successful. If we obey His instructions, He will bless, but if we disobey, there will be disappointment and discipline. The principle is still, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).

To begin with, the Jews were instructed to gather their manna daily, but only as much as each person in the family could eat (v. 16). An omer was a Hebrew dry measure equivalent to about two quarts. The manna was especially nutritious because eating it sustained an adult for a day’s march in the wilderness. It appears that the members of each family pooled their supply each day and never lacked for sufficient food.^6-5 Since the Jews marched and camped by tribes (Num. 1–2), no doubt each clan and family pooled the manna they’d gathered and saw to it that everybody was adequately fed.

It was important that the Jews got up early to gather the manna, because the hot desert sun would melt it (Ex. 16:21). There was no place in the camp of Israel for the sluggard who stayed in bed while others gathered his food. There’s a lesson here for believers today: we must start the day with the Lord, gathering spiritual food from the Word, because if we wait too long to meet God, the day will become cluttered, we’ll get distracted, and we’ll suffer from spiritual malnutrition. The “early risers” of the Bible include Abraham (Gen. 19:27; 21:14; 22:3), Jacob (Gen. 28:18), Moses (Ex. 8:20; 9:13; 24:4), Joshua (Josh. 3:1, 6), Samuel (1 Sam. 15:12), Job (Job 1:5), David (Pss. 57:8; 108:2), and our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:35).

Lazy Israelites might plan to save some manna so they could sleep in the next morning, but Moses warned them not to do so. Some of the Jews did it anyway, and their manna soured, smelled, bred maggots, and had to be thrown away. Not only were these people disobedient to God’s instructions, but they were living contrary to God’s own practice, for the Lord arranged for the sun to melt the manna that still lay on the ground. It doesn’t pay to rebel against what God says in His Word and the example He sets in His creation.

Again, there’s a personal warning here for God’s people today: We can’t hoard His Word and try to live on yesterday’s spiritual nourishment. It’s good to hear the Bible preached and taught on the Lord’s Day, but we need fresh manna each day if we want to be healthy Christians. There’s no substitute for a daily time alone with God, gathering fresh nourishment from His Word.

 (1) Israel was to gather only what was required for that day (v. 16).

(2) It would appear that every Israelite was required to gather manna for his own needs (v. 16).

(3) Manna was to be gathered daily, and only enough for that day was to be gathered. Any excess from that day was to be disposed of at the end of the day (v. 19). In other words, manna could not be stored up or hoarded.

(4) Israel was to gather twice as much on the sixth day, and to gather none on the Sabbath (vss. 23‑26).

God’s faithfulness (Ex. 16:13-15)

That evening, the quail flew over the camp of Israel and the people caught them, dressed them, and cooked them. They had asked for fresh meat, and God provided it. The Jews had seen wild fowl before, but what happened the next morning was altogether new, for the manna appeared on the dew on the ground. God prepared a table in the wilderness and shared “the bread of angels” with His people (Ps. 78:17-25).

The word “manna” comes from the question the Jews asked that first morning: “What is it?” (In Hebrew, man hu.) Manna was to be their food for the next forty years, until the new generation entered the Promised Land and the manna ceased (Ex. 16:35; Josh. 5:11-12). Each morning the Jews participated in a miracle as they emerged from their tents to find all the nourishment they needed waiting on the dew. The manna was small, like a seed, but it tasted sweet like honey (Ex. 16:31).

(16:16-30) Disobedience— Test - Testing— Manna— Hoarding: the people failed the test of God. They disobeyed God. God gave the people three different commands concerning the manna. Note the response to each command.

     1.   God’s first command was obeyed (Exodus 16:16-18). He instructed the people to gather only the amount of manna that was needed for each person within a tent, an omer (two quarts) for each person. Note:

Þ  The people obeyed. Each person gathered exactly what was needed (Exodus 16:17).

Þ  The people strictly obeyed: they actually measured the amount gathered. No person kept more nor had less than what he should (Exodus 16:18).

     2.   God’s second command was disobeyed (Exodus 16:19-21). The servant of God (Moses) declared God’s command: the manna was not to be kept overnight. Why? The reason is obvious: this was the test of God.

Þ  This was one of the ways God was going to expose the human heart, that it is selfish and carnal.

Þ  This was the way God was going to teach His people that they must trust Him day by day, trust Him for the provisions of life.

     Picture what God’s people were being asked to do: to go to bed at night without a morsel of food in the house, to trust God totally for their daily bread.

     But keep this fact in mind: they were expecting to march straight to the promised land of Canaan, expecting to be in the desert for only a brief period of time. They had no idea whatsoever that they would be wandering about in the wilderness for forty long years, no idea that they were being asked to trust God for their daily bread for so long a period, for forty years.

     But note: this was exactly what God’s people are supposed to do: trust Him day by day, trust Him every day of their lives.

a.  What did the Israelites do? Some of them disobeyed God and kept a portion of manna overnight. They were not quite sure that God had actually provided the manna, that there would be manna available the next morning. They just did not trust the promise of God, did not believe God would continue to meet their needs. They acted selfishly, coveting and hoarding the manna.

b.  Note what happened: the manna was full of maggots and stunk—was unfit to eat—when the disbelievers arose the next morning.

c.  The servant of God, Moses, was justifiably angered with the people (Exodus 16:20).

d.  But God demonstrated His mercy: He continued to provide for the people, continued to give the manna—the bread from heaven—to them (Exodus 16:21). And note: the people gathered the manna every morning, day by day; and when the sun came up, the manna melted.

Two very important lessons can be learned from the disobedience of the Israelites, from their unbelief, their distrust of God.

1)   We must learn to trust God for the provisions of life, day by day, every day of our lives. Trusting God does not mean trusting Him now and then, here and there, for a while as we wish. God demands that we trust Him always, every moment of every day.

2)   We must arise early every day and gather the manna of God, the Bread from heaven. To stay physically healthy, we have to eat every day. The same is true spiritually. To stay spiritually healthy, we must seek the spiritual nourishment to strengthen and carry us through the day. That is, we must arise early enough every day to spend time with the Lord Jesus Christ...

·    in worship and devotions

·    in feasting and partaking of Him

·    in nourishing ourselves spiritually, nourishing ourselves enough to last us all day.

     Once the sun rises, the manna is melted. The activities of the world begin when the sun rises; the hope of having time to gather the manna of spiritual nourishment is slim. The suggestion of God’s Word is strong: we should arise early—before the activities of the day crowd in upon us—to gather the manna of spiritual nourishment.

Þ  Jacob arose early in the morning to worship and pray.

                        “And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it” (Genesis 28:18).

Þ  Samuel’s parents arose early in the morning to worship and pray.

                        “And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her” (1 Samuel 1:19).

Þ  Hezekiah arose early in the morning to worship and pray.

                        “Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD” (2 Chron. 29:20).

Þ  Job arose early in the morning to worship and pray.

                        “And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” (Job 1:5).

Þ  David arose early in the morning to worship and pray.

                        “Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early” (Psalm 57:8).

Þ  The Psalmist arose early in the morning to worship and pray.

                        “I prevented [preceded] the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word” (Psalm 119:147).

Þ  Jesus Christ arose early in the morning to worship and pray.

      “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).

Þ  Scripture had predicted that Jesus Christ would be awakened morning by morning to listen to God His Father.

      “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” (Isaiah 50:4).

There is a strong lesson here about storing up and hoarding the manna. We must never hide nor hoard “the bread from heaven,” Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only spiritual food that can satisfy the human heart. We must therefore share the bread of life, Jesus Christ, with the world.

     3.   God’s third command was also disobeyed (Exodus 16:22-27). God commanded the people to gather twice as much bread on the sixth day, two omers (four quarts) for each person.

In verse 23, the Sabbath is mentioned by name for the first time in Scripture. It’s called “the seventh day” in Genesis 2:1-3 and commemorated the Lord’s rest after six days of creation. It seems obvious that the Jews were taught to observe the Sabbath even before God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

While many sincere people call Sunday the Sabbath, this isn’t biblical, for the Sabbath is the seventh day and Sunday is the first day of the week. The Sabbath was a day given especially by the Lord to the Jewish people as a reminder of His covenant with them (Ex. 20:8-11; 31:12-17; Neh. 9:13-15). The word “sabbath” in Hebrew means “to cease working, to rest” and is related to the Hebrew word for “seven.”

So they didn’t have to work on the Sabbath, the Jews were supposed to prepare their meals in advance, and this included the gathering of the manna. They were permitted on the sixth day to gather twice as much manna, and whatever they saved up would not become rancid. Not only was the giving of the manna a miracle six days a week, but the preserving of the manna for the seventh day was an additional miracle. There are always some people who don’t really get the message. Some of the Jews went out on the Sabbath, looking for manna, and they found none. They didn’t obey Moses’ instructions! Remember, the gathering of the manna was a test from God to see if His people would obey the Law He was about to give them (Ex. 16:4). If they wouldn’t obey a simple thing like gathering manna six days a week, how would they ever obey the statutes and laws that Moses would bring down from Mt. Sinai! It was a privilege to eat “the bread of angels,” sent from heaven; and it was an insult to the Lord to disobey the instructions He had given.

Note what happened.

a.  The people gathered twice as much bread on the sixth day and the rulers gave the good report to Moses (Exodus 16:22).

b.  The people were supposed to cook what was needed for the Sabbath on the sixth day (Exodus 16:23). Why? Because the Sabbath was a day of rest, a holy day to the Lord.

c.  Did the people obey God? Some did. And the manna did not stink nor get maggots in it (Exodus 16:24).

d.  Now, note what the messenger of God did. He restressed, reemphasized the third command (Exodus 16:25-26). The point is clear: the Sabbath day was to be a day given to the Lord (Exodus 16:25).

Þ  Six days were to be used for gathering food, but no food was to be gathered on the Sabbath day (Exodus 16:26).

     God had His messenger stress the command time and again. There could be no misunderstanding: the people knew exactly what they were to do.

e.  Again, did the people obey God? Some did not: they disobeyed God (Exodus 16:27). Despite the clear, unquestionable command of God, some of the people deliberately chose to act on their own, to do their own thing. They rebelled against God’s command and disobeyed Him. They went out on the Sabbath day to gather manna. But note: they found none.

f.  What was God’s response? He rebuked the people and gave a strong charge to them (Exodus 16:28-30).

Þ  He rebuked them with a question: How long would they disobey him and His laws (Exodus 16:28)?

Þ  He gave them a strong charge: they must keep in mind that the LORD Himself established the Sabbath. The facts were clear:

·    The Lord had given six days to gather bread, to work (Exodus 16:29).

·    The Lord demanded that everyone rest and worship on the Sabbath day (Exodus 16:29).

·    Note: the people obeyed (Exodus 16:30).

Two clear lessons are seen in this experience of Israel.

1)   We must obey God. God means what he says, and He expects us to obey Him. We must never disobey Him, not deliberately, not in rebellion.

2)   We must keep the Lord’s Day every week (Exodus 16:23). The Lord’s Day is...

·    a day of rest

·    a holy day to the Lord (Exodus 16:23).

      We must, therefore, guard the Lord’s Day. We must not gather, that is, work on His day. We must set aside one day a week for rest and holy worship just as He commands.

a)   We are to keep the Lord’s Day.

      “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

      “Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest” (Exodus 34:21).

      “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil” (Isaiah 56:2).

b)   We are to do good on the Lord’s Day.

      “How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days” (Matthew 12:12).

      “And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?” (Mark 6:2).

      “If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?” (John 7:23).

c)   The early disciples worshipped God on the Lord’s Day.

      “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7).

      “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Cor. 16:2).

(16:31-36) Manna— Memorial: there was the command that the manna—the bread from heaven—be memorialized.

     1.   Note the description of the manna (Exodus 16:31).

     2.   God commanded that an omer (two quarts) of the manna be kept as a memorial for future generations (Exodus 16:32-34). God wanted a testimony for future generations: a testimony that declared how He had fed His people after He delivered them out of Egypt.

     Note that Moses instructed Aaron to do as God had commanded (Exodus 16:33), and that Aaron obeyed. He kept a jar of manna until the Ark of Testimony was built (Exodus 16:34). Note: three items were to be kept in the Ark of the Testimony or what we usually call the Ark of the Covenant (which was to be built in the form of a chest) (cp. Hebrews 9:4).

Þ  The manna which was kept in a gold pot.

Þ  Aaron’s rod which budded (Numbers 17:10).

Þ  The two tablets containing the ten commandments.

     3.   God’s provision of manna lasted for forty years, a phenomenal miracle. God provided manna for His people until they reached the fertile, fruitful soil of the promised land (Exodus 16:35).

     4.   And note: God’s daily provision was abundant. One omer (two quarts) was provided for each person. The faithfulness of God should be memorialized in the heart of every believer. God is faithful to us. If we obey Him, truly follow Him, He fulfills His promises to us. He looks after us and takes care of us.

God’s Son (John 6:22-59)

The day after He fed more than 5,000 people with five barley loaves and two small fish, Jesus preached a sermon about “the bread of life” to a crowd in the synagogue in Capernaum. They wanted Him to prove He was the Messiah by duplicating the miracle of the manna (vv. 30-31), but instead, He declared that He was “the true bread” that came down from heaven. The Old Testament manna was a type^6-3 or picture of God’s Son who came to give Himself as the Bread of Life for hungry sinners.

The Jews in the synagogue were following Jesus mainly because He gave them food for the body, but what they needed even more was food for the soul (Isa. 55:2). Jesus is the Bread of Life, and the only way to be saved is to receive Him into our inner being just as the body receives food. God gave the manna only to Israel, but He sent Jesus for the whole world. The manna only sustained their physical life in the wilderness, but God’s Son gives eternal life to the whole world. Just as the Jews had to stoop and pick up the manna, and then eat it, so sinners must humble themselves and receive Jesus Christ within. The Jews ate the manna and eventually died, but whoever receives Jesus Christ will live forever.

There’s a second application to the miracle of the manna: each day, you and I must “feed on Jesus Christ” by reading the Word, meditating on it, and obeying what it says. The Jews in the synagogue thought that Jesus was speaking about literally eating His flesh and blood (John 6:52-56), something that was contrary to Jewish law.^6-4 Jesus made it clear that He was speaking in spiritual language and referring to receiving His Word (vv. 61-63). However, Peter got the message (vv. 67-68), and so must we. God’s Word is the heavenly food that nourishes our spiritual life, and we must feed on it daily (Job 23:12; Jer. 15:16; Matt. 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2; Heb. 5:12-14).

Remember the lessons God teaches you (Ex. 16:32-36)

The instructions in verses 33-34 anticipate the giving of the Law (or “testimony”; 31:18; 32:15) and the making of the ark of testimony (25:16, 22; 26:33) and the construction of the tabernacle. The information in 16:35 was added years later to complete the account. At that time, Moses wouldn’t have known how many years Israel would march in the wilderness.

As we shall see later, the ark of the testimony was the throne of God in the camp. It stood in the holy of holies in the tabernacle, where the glory of God dwelt; and within the ark were the two tablets of the law, Aaron’s rod, and the golden jar of manna (Heb. 9:4). Only the high priest could enter the holy of holies, and that only once a year, but the Jewish people knew what was in the ark and taught this truth to their children. Each of these items reminded the nation of an important truth: that He is King and Lawgiver; that He established the priesthood; and that He fed His people because He cared for them.

God gave the Law to Israel because He loved His people. They needed a light to guide them, and God’s Law is a lamp and a light; and obeying the Law means life (Prov. 6:23). When the people disobeyed, they needed a priest to help them be forgiven and reconciled to God. They also needed to be reminded that it was God who provided food for them, and that they didn’t live by bread alone but by the Word of God (Deut. 8:1-3).

Most people are prone to forget the way God has dealt with them, and they have to learn again the lessons they’ve forgotten. Some keep a journal and review it regularly, while others keep a “spiritual diary” in the margins of their Bible, noting special verses and experiences related to them. A photograph that may mean little to us conveys treasures of spiritual truth to the owner who knows why the photo is on the shelf. However we do it, we need to “nail down” the important lessons of life and permit them to influence us to walk with God and obey Him.

When by faith we walk with the Lord, then life is a school; and the successful pilgrim/students pray with Moses: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).

Are you among them?

The Meaning of the Manna

God was not imposing needless rules and regulations on the Israelites, as we sometimes accuse our government of doing today. God’s rules always have reasons. The purpose of God’s provision of manna and for His exacting rules regarding its collection and use, can be best understood in the light of the rest of the Bible, beginning with the Book of Deuteronomy and ending in the Book of Revelation. I will briefly survey the major references to manna in these texts, and then summarize their relevance to our lives today.

The temptation of our Lord (Matt. 4:1‑4; cf. Deut. 8:1‑3). Israel was led into the wilderness to be tested by God for forty years (Deut. 8:2). Our Lord was led of God into the wilderness to be tested (including hunger also) for forty days (Matt. 4:1‑2). At the end of the forty day period, Satan approached our Lord to tempt Him. The first attempted temptation[9] centered around food. Since our Lord was hungry after His forty day fast, it seemed only logical that He should eat. Satan challenged Him to prove His deity by satisfying His human need for food, doing so by the exercise of His divine power.

Our Lord’s answer was to refer Satan to Deuteronomy chapter 8, which was a theological reflection of incidents such as that recorded in Exodus chapter 16. The lesson drawn from Deuteronomy 8 was that one’s physical needs are secondary to one’s spiritual responsibilities—namely to be obedient to the will of God. Our Lord’s hunger, like Israel’s, was the will of God. To satisfy the physical need for food and, at the same time, to disobey God’s will, was wrong. In point of fact, Jesus was saying that obedience to the will of God is more life‑saving for a hungry man than is the eating of bread. Obedience to the will of God is the basis for survival, and is of higher priority than the act of eating. The pertinent principle is this: Submission to the will of God is more important than the satisfaction of our physical, bodily, needs.

Think about this principle as it helps us to understand our study of the Book of Exodus. Egypt was the bread basket of the world, both in the days of Joseph, and in the days of Moses. When Pharaoh, his officers, and the Egyptians disobeyed the command of the Lord to “let His people go” that “bread basket” was virtually emptied. The plagues show the progressive agricultural and economic devastation of that nation. Thus, disobedience to the will of God brought the Egyptians to physical hunger.

On the other hand, the barren desert was no place to find food, but because the Israelites obeyed God and followed Moses and the guiding cloud, God provided the hungry Israelites with a bumper crop of manna, six out of every seven mornings, for forty years. Disobedience turned a bread basket into an empty basket. Obedience turned a barren wilderness into a breadbasket. Submission to the will of God is of higher priority than the meeting of our physical needs.

The words of our Lord’s prayer in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:11). Our Lord taught His followers to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). Given the backdrop of God’s daily provision of manna in the wilderness for forty years, it is almost impossible to conceive of this prayer being unrelated to the purpose of the giving of the manna in Exodus 16. I would suggest to you that the divine daily provision of manna in the wilderness taught the Israelites to look daily to God for their daily sustenance. The Israelites had to trust God very literally for their “daily bread.” Those of us who are not living “hand‑to‑mouth” need to look to God as the source of our life, whether or not we have a supply of food adequate for the week. Dependence is a daily matter, and our prayers should demonstrate this kind of dependence. Whether or not we have a surplus of goods is not the issue, so much as on whom or what we have our sense of dependence. As Paul instructed Timothy, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Tim. 6:17).

The feeding of the five thousand and the resulting discussion and discourse (John 6). The crowds had followed our Lord to a desolate place (dare I say a wilderness? cf. Mark 6:35), where there was no food available. Our Lord gave them bread and meat (fish) to eat, just as God had given the Israelites bread and meat (quail) in the wilderness in Exodus 16. The response of the crowd was to look to the Lord Jesus to become a “meal ticket” for them for the rest of their days: “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread” (John 6:34). In response, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe” (John 6:35‑36).

Jesus not only fed the 5,000 to meet their physical needs, He sought to show them their spiritual needs, which He had come to supply. Like the manna in the wilderness, which saved the lives of the Israelites from physical death, He was the “bread of heaven” (a play on words which goes back to the manna which God “rained down from heaven,” Exod. 16:4). Unlike the “bread from heaven” which God gave the Israelites (the manna), the new “Bread from heaven” would give men eternal life. Jesus was not only claiming to be bread, but to be better bread.

If the parallel is not clear enough, we find that just as the Israelites grumbled in the context of the manna which God gave in Exodus 16 (and later on, cf. Num. 11, esp. v. 6), so, too the Israelites grumbled about our Lord as the “bread from heaven”: At this the Jews began to grumble about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:41). The New Testament therefore shows us that the “bread of heaven” is the instrument of God’s salvation. The former “bread of heaven” preserved men’s physical lives. The final “bread of heaven” is Him who saves men's souls from eternal death. This He has done by giving His life as a sacrifice. It is no wonder that one of the two symbols present at the Lord’s Table which we partake of each Sunday is bread.

The teaching of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10 and 2 Corinthians 8:14‑15. The Corinthian church was a self‑indulgent church. There were those living in sexual immorality (cf. 1 Cor. 6). The church even condoned a man living with his father’s wife (1 Cor. 5). Not only was the church self‑indulgent in matters of their sexual appetites, they were also self‑indulging in the area of food. Rather than to abstain from certain foods for the benefit of a weaker brother, some of the Corinthians indulged in the sumptuous meals which were related to pagan worship and sacrifice (cf. 1 Cor. 10:14‑33). Even at the Lord’s table, some did not have sufficient self‑control to wait for those who had to come later (1 Cor. 11:17‑34). In taking a public role in the worship meeting of the church, many indulged themselves to the exclusion of others, depriving the church of edification (1 Cor. 14).

Paul speaks to the Corinthian self‑indulgence by turning their attention back to the exodus of the Israelites:

For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them, God was not well‑pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved. And do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty‑three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer (1 Cor. 10:1‑10).

I would suggest that while there is much more referred to here than just the events of Exodus chapter 16, there is a common theme, a common element—that of self‑indulgence in matters of the physical appetites. That is why the verses immediately preceding this section pertain to the self‑discipline required of the Christian (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24‑27).

The manna which God provided in abundance in the wilderness provided the Israelites with the opportunity of over‑indulging, but God’s commands pertaining to the harvesting and use of it prohibited such excesses. The manna was thus given to give God’s people a lesson in self-restraint. When Paul refers to the “spiritual food” of the Israelites, he does so in the context of self‑control, and no wonder. That is what manna was all about—self‑control.

The warnings and promises to the church at Pergamum (Revelation 2:12‑17). The church at Pergamum had fallen into an error which our Lord referred to as “the teaching of Balaam” (v. 14). We know from the context that this involved “things sacrificed to idols,” and “acts of immorality,” the very same evils as were present in the Corinthian church (see above). To those who were faithful and would be overcomers, our Lord gave this promise, “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna” (Rev. 2:17).

I would like to suggest that our Lord is promising His “hidden manna,” that is His provision of the inner needs (not just physical needs) of those who were faithful, and who exercised the self‑control necessary to deny the fleshly lusts which were being peddled by the false teachers referred to as the “teaching of Balaam.”

DEEPER STUDY (16:31) Bread, From Heaven— Jesus Christ, Bread of God— Manna: God promised to feed the Israelites with bread from heaven. The Israelites called this bread manna. Manna looked like resin or a coriander seed. The coriander seed is a small white grain that is used for seasoning. Manna tasted like honey wafers (Exodus 16:31) or like wafers made with olive oil (Numbers 11:8). The manna could be ground with a handmill or crushed in some form of mortar and cooked or baked in pots (Numbers 8:7-8). Note three significant pictures—three important lessons—that can be drawn from the manna.

     1.   The manna was the bread given by God to save Israel from physical death (starvation). Jesus Christ is the Bread of God given to save man from spiritual death. This means the manna was a type of the Bread of Heaven, a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Note what Jesus Christ claimed for Himself:

a.  Jesus Christ claimed that He is the true bread from heaven.

      “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32).

b.  Jesus Christ claimed that He is the bread of God who came down from heaven.

      “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world” (John 6:33).

c.  Jesus Christ claimed that He is the bread of life.

      “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

      “I am that bread of life” (John 6:48).

d.  Jesus Christ claimed that He is the living bread which came down from heaven.

      “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.... This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever” (John 6:51, 58).

e.  Jesus Christ claimed that whoever ate, that is, partook, of Him as the bread of life would live forever.

      “This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever” (John 6:58).

f.  Jesus Christ claimed that whoever came to Him would never hunger nor ever thirst.

      “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

     2.   The manna was sent by God, but the people had to gather it. Jesus Christ was sent by God, but we have to receive Him.

      “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

      “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

    3. The manna was the daily bread for the redeemed, the bread upon which they were to feast. And note, they had to arise early to gather the manna or else the sun melted the manna. The picture is clear: believers must arise early every day to gather the manna of God, the Bread from heaven. We must arise early to receive our spiritual nourishment through prayer and the study of God’s Holy Word. And we must remember: when the sun rises, the manna melts. The activities of the day begin to press in upon us when the sun rises. The point: we must arise early to feed upon the Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must seek Him in prayer and in the study of His Word, seek Him early every day.

Conclusion

From the New Testament references to the manna of the Israelites, I would suggest that several principles were being taught in the provision of this “bread from heaven” which are just as applicable to Christian living today as they were for the Israelites.

(1) Manna teaches us the priority of submission to the revealed will of God. The great danger which Israel faced was not starvation in the midst of a wilderness, but the wrath of God. God could make a breadbasket into an empty basket, as He had just done to the Egyptians. God could also turn a desert into a breadbasket, as He did with the manna. As the closing verses of Exodus chapter 15 reveal, Israel’s reaping of God’s blessings and her healing from Egypt’s judgments are dependent upon her careful obedience to the commands and decrees of God. It is our response to the revealed will of God that results in either life or death, blessing or judgment.

This points out the importance of our Lord’s self‑revelation as the “bread of heaven.” Our Lord came from heaven to save men from the divine wrath of God, which we all deserve. God offers healing to all who will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, as the one who died in their place, and who bore the penalty for their sins. Just as God’s provision of manna, the “bread from heaven” was not “steak and ale,” it was the only means God had provided for her life. So, too, Jesus Christ is God’s only provision as the “bread from heaven” whom we must partake of in a personal way, if we are to be delivered from the wrath of God. Obedience to the revealed word of God is a matter of life and death.

(2) Obedience to the will of God is diametrically opposed to the self‑indulgent orientation of our culture. Obedience to the word of God therefore requires self‑denial and self‑discipline. Few cultures have been more oriented toward self‑indulgence and self‑fulfillment than our own. In this sense, our culture is diametrically opposed to the Word of God. The self‑sacrifice of our Lord (cf. Philippians 2:5‑8) is the pattern for every saint, who must “take up his cross daily” to follow Christ (Luke 9:23). Obedience to the Word of God is our highest calling, even if this means physical deprivation or even death.

Our obedience to God therefore requires self‑denial, and self‑denial requires self‑discipline. If we would be obedient to our Lord, we must obey His commands. Since He has commanded us to deny ourselves daily and to take up our cross (Luke 9:23), we must have self‑discipline to replace self‑indulgence (encouraged both by our culture and our fallenness) with self‑denial. More and more I can understand why God did not immediately lead His people from Egypt into Canaan. They did not have the discipline necessary to survive either the adversity or the affluence of the land of Canaan.

The more I read the New Testament, the more I see the importance of self‑discipline, which, you will recall, is one of the manifestations of the Spirit of God: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self‑discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7).

Reading through Paul’s second epistle to Timothy, along with his letter to Titus has underscored in my mind the vital role which self‑discipline plays in the Christian’s life. And, incidentally, it is also noteworthy to observe that one of the common characteristics of the false teacher is self‑indulgence: “These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage” (Jude 16, cf. also v. 18; 2 Pet. 2:10, 13‑22).

I would like to suggest two very practical outworkings of self‑discipline in our daily lives. I must warn you, they are not easy, nor are they pleasant (which is exactly why self‑discipline is required). The first suggestion I would make is that we must learn to do without those things which we cannot afford. Such a suggestion is so obvious, you may wonder why I make it. The reason is that contemporary advertising and credit buying consistently encourage us to buy what we neither need nor can afford. We are told that “we owe it to ourselves,” “we are worth it,” and in addition, we are given credit sufficient to enable us to buy those things which we don’t have the money to buy. I am not saying that all credit buying or borrowing is wrong. I am saying that most of us buy things we cannot afford, simply to indulge ourselves.

The second practical suggestion I would make is that we need to develop the ability to deny ourselves of some things which we can afford. I have a negative illustration from personal experience. This week, a friend took me and another friend to lunch. It was a buffet, so that once you paid, you could eat all you wanted. I ate two pieces of angel food cake, with gooey icing. Affording the cake was not the issue. Let’s face it, I indulged, I over‑indulged. All of us need to learn to say no to things which we could have, but need to do without for the sheer discipline of it. That is what God required of the Israelites. They could have harvested huge quantities of manna, but He told them to take only what was required for that day.

(3) Self‑discipline is not something which man can produce from within himself, but comes from God. When I speak of self‑discipline, I want to be clear that I am not speaking of the teeth‑gritting, self‑effort which is merely a form of “works” which is displeasing to God. There are those who engage in self‑denial, in a way that is offensive to God.

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self‑imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence (Col. 2:20‑23).

No, we are not talking about the kind of self‑denial which we generate within ourselves, feeling that such asceticism makes us more holy in God’s eyes. We are talking about the self‑control which the Spirit of God works within the believer and which characterizes those who are mature in their faith and sets them apart from false teachers (cf. 2 Tim. 1:7; 2:1‑7; 3:3; Titus 1:8; 2:2, 6, 12). We are talking about that discipline which is motivated by our love for God, and our love for men.

The tension which we face here, with regard to self‑discipline, is a part of the broader tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. The manna God provided Israel in Exodus 16 illustrates the fact that divine sovereignty and human responsibility are inter‑related. God provided the manna which Israel needed, but He commanded them to collect, cook, and keep it, in accordance with His instructions. So, too, self‑control is something which God produces in the saint through His Spirit, but it is something in which we participate as well.

Let me attempt to draw these matters of self‑indulgence and self‑control to a conclusion by summarizing several principles which relate to them:

(1) The Christian frequently must choose between immediate pleasure and eternal blessings. Self‑indulgence inclines one to pursue the former, while self‑discipline is required to gain the latter. Hebrews chapter 11 is filled with the names of those who chose to deny themselves of immediate pleasure for the certainty of God’s eternal blessings.

(2) The Christian who would rid himself of self‑indulgence must learn to be content with the condition and the circumstances in which God has placed him (cf. Phil. 4:10‑13; 1 Tim. 6:6‑10).

(3) The Christian who would overcome the tendency toward self‑indulgence must develop a sense of daily dependence upon God to meet his every need (cf. Matt. 6:11). For those of us who have enough food for today and tomorrow and the next several weeks, we must recognize that it is God who is our provider. We must seek to avoid a false sense of confidence based upon our material wealth (1 Tim. 6:17), and we must be free to share out of our surplus (2 Cor. 8; 1 Tim. 6:18). We must recognize that we are dependent upon God daily for our life, for health, and for the grace to deal with all that comes our way. These are things which money cannot buy.

May God give us the grace to learn to live with affluence, and to avoid the perils of self‑indulgence by the development of self‑discipline and self‑denial in our lives.