Today, I am reading and commenting on  Exodus 16-18.

There are two things which strike me as noteworthy about today’s passage.  One of them concerns the way in which God fed the Israelites in the wilderness with manna.  The second concerns the advice which Moses’ father-in-law gave him.  I will start with my thoughts today about the manna.  We will see if I get to writing about the advice which Moses received.

When God provided food for the Israelites in the form of manna, He also included  a test on who would follow His instructions.  As I read this passage I believe that this test was a teaching test.  I am not sure if you are familiar with this concept, but when I was in school I had one or two teachers who administered tests which were designed as much to help us learn and master the material as to demonstrate how much of it we already knew.  He was testing how well the Israelites would listen to His instructions, but He was also providing them a lesson to help them understand that His instructions were for the best, even when our understanding made us think otherwise.  So, when the people went out to gather, God had told them to gather a “cup” of manna for each person in their tent (I am using “cup” to indicate a unit of measure).  Some people gathered a lot and others just a bit, but when they actually measured what they had gathered they discovered that they all had just a “cup” for each person in their tent.  Then God had told them not to keep any until the next morning, but some of them did anyway.  Those that did discovered that it had gone completely bad.  However, on the sixth day when they gathered manna, they all discovered they had twice the amount they usually collected.  God told them to keep the extra for the following day, the Sabbath.  On this day, the manna which they saved was still good in the morning.

So, let’s go over this more closely.  God told them to collect a specific amount.  Some of the Israelites were lackadaisical in their collection efforts and just grabbed a little bit.  Others were industrious and gathered lots.  However, once they returned from gathering it turned out they had the amount God told them to collect.  This was the first test.  God corrected their mistake in not following His instructions. Then God told them they should eat all that they had collected that day, but some of them saved a bit for the next day.  In the morning they discovered that it had gone disgustingly bad.  This was the second test.  Here God made the correction more obvious.  Then God gave them extra on the sixth day and told them not to go out to collect any on the seventh day.  Nevertheless, some went out to collect and found none.  God gave them a simple, easy primer on following His instructions.  Some understood it right from the start.  Others needed the first test to understand following God’s instructions.  Some needed the second test, a few more the third test.  And some still didn’t get it even after seeing all three examples of what it means to follow God’s instructions.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Exodus 16-18.

Once again we have the people of Israel grumbling because of some hardship they faced, complaining that they would have been better off if they had stayed in Egypt.  And once again, God provided their need.  Throughout Exodus we learn the lesson that we should trust God to meet our needs.  We should not fall into the temptation to complain about the hardships we face.  Instead, we should just pray to God for resolution of our problems.  When we face difficulties, God has a plan to reveal His glory through the way in which He removes them for us.  There is another lesson for us in this passage.  When the people gathered manna, they gathered what they needed.  Five days a week, they gathered only enough for that one day, and if they put any aside for the following day, it went bad.  But on the sixth day, they gathered twice as much and the extra was still good the following day.  Then on the seventh day, there was none to be gathered.  If we put our trust in God, He will provide for our needs, but may not provide more than we need.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Exodus 16-18.

I want us to think about this passage a bit and how we do similar things.  The people of Israel left Elim, which was a rather pleasant place, but would not support their numbers for very long, especially not with their flocks.  As they travelled in the desert, they complained about the lack of food.  So, God provided them with manna.  Now, let’s think about how this worked.  Those who needed a lot because they had a lot of mouths to feed, found that they had enough.  Those who needed less found that they only had what they needed.  Those who put some aside for the next day found that it spoiled by the next day, but there was more to be gathered the next day…except on the sixth day, when there was two days’ worth and it did not spoil over night.  Get that: five days a week there was enough manna for one days’ meals and if you tried to put some aside for the next day it spoiled. On the sixth day, there was two days worth of manna, and it did not spoil if you kept it for the next day.  Finally, on the seventh day there was no manna to collect.  This continued until they entered the Promised Land.

Despite receiving this daily and weekly reminder of God’s miraculous providence, when they came to a place without water they complained that they were going to die of thirst.  They had complained that they were going to die of hunger, and God provided.  They were still experiencing that provision in a way which should have reminded them daily, or at least weekly, of God’s great power.  Yet, now they were complaining about the lack of water.  How often do we do something similar?  All too often, instead of recognizing how God has provided for our needs, we fail to have faith that He will do so again.  We worry, fret, and complain.  Let us strive to trust that God will provide for us, as He has done in the past (and is likely doing in other aspects while we are complaining about a new problem).

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 16-18.

Generally, I believe that most miracles are about timing, not about something where natural laws are suspended.  That is, many times God’s providence is demonstrated by Him arranging for completely ordinary things to happen at just the right time.  However, the story of the Israelites collecting manna in the wilderness does not fit into that.  The account tells us that for six days of the week there was manna on the ground each morning, but on the seventh day there was none to be found.  Furthermore, for five days of the week if they kept any of the manna until the next morning it went bad overnight, but on the sixth day they could keep it for the seventh.  I know of no purely natural mechanism which works in such a manner.  It tells us a lot about human nature that despite this Divine provision for their needs, the Israelites still complained and worshiped other gods.