Bread from Heaven Part 1

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by bearerofChrist

by bearerofChrist

Exodus 16

1. Persistent grumbling

Previously Israel had grumbled and God had answered above and beyond with what they'd asked. You'd think the Israelites would be saying "sorry Lord you proved we can depend on you" in this chapter, but now in verse 2 they're here grumbling once again.

There's two reasons why the Israelites grumble, the first is that they don't remember. They make it sound like they were eating 3 course dinners every night in Egypt but they've forgotten something extremely crucial, they were slaves. They can remember the food they ate but not the feeling of whips on their back.

The other reason is that they don't know. The words 'then you shall know' come up very often as you flick through exodus but most of the time it's being said to Pharaoh. So the fact that God says it to the Israelites should worry us, they clearly don't know God yet. It's almost as if they're just as bad as pharaoh, God is constantly providing for them and showing He is God but still they are the same. What we need most is not bread or meat but to know and trust in the Lord because every good gift comes from Him.

If we know the Lord there is no reason for us to grumble, He will provide and He is good.

2. Persistent grace

The people didn't ask for these things nicely or with faith but moaned to God all they wanted. Surely this time God wouldn't do what they wanted, but surprisingly He again decided to, giving a rain of bread and meat. Yet again God answers their grumbling with His grace.

The Israelites had this idea that Egypt was where the food was overflowing and everything was good and this path God was taking them on was the one of starvation. But they got it the complete wrong way round. God's way is where they experience this persistent grace and every day they will be taken care of all the way to the promised land.

Satan is here giving fond memories of the slavery to sin and how things were in the past, he's made them remember the great food but not the shackles and chains. When we're tempted to look at life before being saved we need a reminder of God's persistent grace. Just as God is giving the Israelites all they need on the way to the promised land, He will give us all we need on our way to Eternal life. God's grace is sufficient for the Israelites and His grace is sufficient for us.

3. The God who hears

Verse 9 is just one of the many verses where it says God hears the Israelites. Maybe they were just muttering to each other but God still hears every word they and we say. Our almighty God who holds our lives in His hands hears every word of gossip we whisper or mutter to ourselves. How careful are we with our words? Because our God hears is one who hears.

It's terrifying but comforting because it means that God knows what we need before we even ask. The Israelites never actually grumble it to God but God still hears them. He hears the words that run around our head at night and wants to give us peace.

4. The people who don't

V19-20 How much do the Israelites trust God? They are told they are only allowed to collect enough manna for the day and they have to trust that God will do the same for them tomorrow. But the people don't listen and are left with a rotten stinking mess. We see this happen all amongst us in our society today, we see what happens when people don't listen to God and the mess that comes from it.

What's crazy is that this isn't the only time they don't listen in this chapter, on day 6 they're told to take enough manna for 2 days because the next was the sabbath. But on the 7th day people still went out for manna but of course found none. Do we hear what God says to us? There's a difference between hearing something and listening to something. These people all heard clearly but they refused to actually pay attention to what they heard.

Matthew 11:15 - "He who has ears to hear, let him hear".

We see there are consequences for not listening here, they went hungry and had no food. Well just like that there are consequences for not listening to Jesus, to be blunt, that is hell. Refusing to listen to God has eternal and horrifying consequences, the hunger the Israelites felt is nothing compared to that.

Matthew 7:26 - "And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand."

Anyone can choose to open a Bible and hear God's word, but will they listen and react? That's a choice we have to make.

5/2/23 Evening