From Pyramids to Promises - Sermon notes from Exodus

Bread from Heaven Part 2

Exodus 16

As we see the Israelites wandering through the wilderness we see a lot of ourselves on a very similar journey. Those who aren't yet believers are still metaphorically in Exodus 1, but the good news is there is someone far greater than Moses who can save them and that is Jesus Christ.

We've already seen the grumbling people and God's grace towards them, we know how God heard them, but the Israelites didn't listen to God.

1. Bread

The main problem is the people are very hungry. In the desert with no sign of food it's understandable that they would grumble. And so they grumbled to Moses and after he spoke with God, God graciously gave them flakes of manna falling to the ground to eat.

A) From God

"When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat." Exodus‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬. This bread wasn't something that just normally showed up, it's clear that this was directly received from God.

B) Plenty

We're told the group of people leaving Egypt was around 600,000 men, and that's not even including all of the women and children meaning this is potentially 2 million people that are to be fed in the desert. But yet even with this massive number and need from everyone, enough manna was there so that all could eat and none would grow hungry.

Our God doesn't give us just enough to scrape by, he's a generous God who gives us more than we even need and will continue to give and provide for us.

C) Delicious

This bread is actually Israel's lifeline, without this bread they all would starve and wouldn't survive out of the desert. With that being said they could have done with any type of bread, it could have tasted good or mid or even disgusting but as they were in that much need they would've taken anything to survive. But our God still decided to provide the people with the very best tasting bread he could possibly produce. Let's also see how gracious and kind this is when we remember how the Israelites have been interacting with God, they certainly didn't deserve this but yet God's kindness and love shines through.

D) Remembered

"And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations." As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept." Exodus‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬-‭34. This is meant to be a reminder for the Israelites to constantly think about God providing them bread every step of the way through the wilderness. Remember this bread is the reason that they are alive, they need to remember the full importance of it.

John 6:30-41 says: "So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven.".

We can see yet again that the Jews still grumbled even here but what a teaching Jesus gives us in this passage showing us that as those in Exodus had their bread that allowed them to live, we have Him as our bread of life too.

It shows us that whoever comes to Jesus will never be cast out and all those who believe and trust in Jesus will receive eternal life. There is no shortage of grace, no running low on mercy or forgiveness. There is plenty to go round just like the manna in exodus, even us with all our sin can be saved.

The life Jesus promises us with Him in heaven is one without pain or sadness, one that will be sweet, far far sweeter than these honey and coriander seed flakes. Jesus too is meant to be remembered like the pot of manna showing that the Lord always provides, that's why we have things like communion as a remembrance.

2. Rest

A) A Gift

Do we still keep a sabbath today, a day of rest? The position people take varies a lot, with some strictly limiting things they can or can't do whilst others will say that Sunday is no different to any other day and that we aren't under that law anymore.

To the people who say the sabbath is only a part of Old Testament laws, we see that this was something done even before the Ten Commandments were given to Moses. The principle of having one day of rest in a week goes back long before the law and into the very beginning of creation with God resting on the 7th day.

But have we lost sight on the reason behind this law? There are many random rules we still have today which we don't know why they exist. It can be easy for us to do the same and see the sabbath as just a list of rules to obey, many people who do this try and find ways around them. However by doing this they are not realising the true meaning behind it.

The sabbath shouldn't be a burden to us, "we should be resting, we're not allowed to do this", instead it is meant as a gift from God as a time to relax as God provides.

B) Requiring Faith

This day of rest actually requires faith, the Israelites had to trust that God had given them enough manna the day before the sabbath to last them 2 days. It's the same thing with our school work or other work, we have to trust God that we'll get the time during the week instead of getting it all done on a Sunday. Taking a day of rest means that we trust God.

Rather than believing that God would provide for them, some Israelites went out to work on the sabbath and not only missed out on their day of rest, their gift from God, but also went hungry. The sabbath is a time for us to sit back and just let God, trust Him.

C) For Our Good

Jesus says that the sabbath is made for man not man for the sabbath, it is meant to be a compassionate gift from the God who knows us. It was made for our own good in mind.

D) To Be Taken Seriously

Just because the sabbath is a gift it doesn't mean we should choose to ignore it. The fact God gave it as a gift doesn't mean we should treat it like it doesn't matter.

Why did God give the Israelites a rest?

Because he gave them a double portion of food the day before so that they could have a rest. Our Sunday should be a time of rest and to get away from the pressures and struggles of normal life.

Let's not waste our rest, we need to make the most of the gift that God has given us. For some of us we completely ignore the sabbath and miss out on rest, for others they completely forget that the sabbath is a gift and are strict in keeping all the rules, but by doing so they miss out on the rest that was given for them.

The people that began this book as slaves have been freed and on this journey they received bread and rest. They have the food they need to give them the energy and also the rest to get them through it. We too have been given these gifts from God, let's not neglect these two gifts, the Jesus the bread of life who fills us and our time of rest.

19/3/23 Evening