Exodus 15:22-16:36
Dear RTB’ers,
Let’s continue to pray for Mary G. as she recuperates from knee replacement surgery – for her, for Len, for her medical team, and for her recovery.
Today, wilderness wanderings, grumbling, quail, and manna. Yesterday we saw the first incident of the people grumbling against Moses (Ex. 14:10-11). Today we see two more: So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (Ex. 15:24) and The sons of Israel said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!” (Ex. 16:3) We will see more! I couldn’t help but notice the word “grumble” and its derivatives – it appears eight times in eleven verses (Ex. 16:2-12), spoken by the narrator, by Moses and even by the Lord. Moses has the bottom line, that should have shut the people up, “Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.” (Ex. 16:8b)
Quail and manna. Although the Lord provides both quail and manna for the people to eat, it is manna that becomes symbolic as the Lord’s provision for his people. We’ll see it mentioned again in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and even quoted by Jesus in John 6:31 and John 6:49. It shows the peoples’ disobedience when they gather more than necessary and it becomes foul (Ex. 16:20), then it remains edible when it is held over for the Sabbath (Ex. 16:24). It is described in detail (Ex. 16:31), and a jar of it is saved (Ex. 16:33) and later placed into the tabernacle. Even today manna is a common term, well known as a reflection of God’s provision for our needs. Finally I particularly like Paul’s quote referring to Ex. 16:18, “…your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, ‘Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.’” (II Corinthians 8:14-15) Manna, bread from heaven…!
Blessings!
See also: January 22 (2023) / Exodus 16-18