God had led the Hebrews across the Red Sea. He had destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptian army. And the Hebrew children were singing and praising God for His goodness to them.
Exodus 15:20-21- And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Everything was going good. But, it was time for the Hebrew children to enter God's boot camp. God was going to turn these slaves into a mighty army. And He had to get them to learn to obey what He said, even if it didn't make sense to them.
Exodus 15:22-24- So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
Not long after this great song fest, the children of Israel came across their first hardship. After travelling for 3 days, they came to a place with water, but the water wasn't good to drink.
They people started to complain and whine to Moses! What do you think Moses, the Egyptian prince, would have done? He killed an Egyptian! I don't think he would have done so well leading these people. But God didn't call an Egyptian prince!
God called Moses, the Shepherd. For 40 years Moses took sheep around a wilderness. He made sure they had food and water. He protected them from wild animals and thieves. He searched for the wandering, lost sheep to bring them back to the fold. He healed their sickness and bound their wounds. This Moses was just what the people needed!
Exodus 15:25-26- And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
God showed them that He could provide their needs. He gave them water. And He promised them that if they would keep His commandments that they wouldn't have to deal with any of the diseases that the Egyptians had to deal with.
Exodus 15:27- And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
God took them to a nice place to rest and recouperate for a while. But they weren't there to stay. God had promised to bring them into the land of Canaan- the land that He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Exodus 16:1-3- And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Only a month after leaving Egypt and the people were whining about how they should have stayed there! They started talking about all the food they had to eat. Hold on! Did you forget that you were slaves?
Exodus 16:4-5- Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
God was going to show them that not only could He provide water, but that He could provide food. But, they had to learn to do it God's way!
Exodus 16:6-12- And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings. And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
This may be the first time that the Hebrews had heard the voice of the Lord! They had seen His wonders in Egypt and at the Red Sea, but up until this point God had only talked to Moses and Aaron.
Exodus 16:13-27- And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
God gave the people Manna. It was small, round white thing that they could make bread out of.
But, God had rules to be followed. They were to gather enough for them and their families for 5 days (Sunday through Thursday). And then they were to gather enough for 2 days (Friday and Saturday).
This food was to make them healthy, not fat. It would only last one day, except when it was the Sabbath (Saturday).
God was trying to teach them how to obey His commandments. But, they were not doing too good of a job following His directions.
Exodus 16:28-30- And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.
God knows that we need a day where we aren't working. We need a day to rest. God also knows that we should set aside a day to worship Him. And that is why He created the Sabbath. He created the world in 6 days and rested on the seventh. He rested to be an example for us, not because He was tired.
Exodus 16:31-34- And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
Moses tried very hard to describe Manna for us. He had never seen Manna before, and he didn't know what it was. Do you know?
Psalm 78:24-25- And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
God fed the children of Israel angels' food, the corn of heaven- that's what Manna is.
Moses had Aaron gather some up to keep so that they could remember how God provided for them.
Exodus 16:35- And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
