30 PROVISIONS

EXODUS 16:1-18

16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” 9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud. 11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’” 13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’” 17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

The host of Israel left Egypt on the fifteenth of the first month and arrived at the wilderness of Sin on the fifteenth day of the second month. (1) It appears that they may have taken with them enough food provisions to last a month because now, after one month, that was used up, they need food and begin to complain again. Verses 2, 3 tell us this. “In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’” It appears that, if not the whole congregation, the greatest part of them, joined in this complaint. It was not openly against God that they murmured, but what amounted to about the same thing, they complained against Moses and Aaron, God’s representatives. They greatly overstate their complaint and count on being nothing less than killed in the wilderness here at the first appearance of disaster. If the Lord had been pleased to kill them, He could easily have done that in the Red Sea. But, no! He preserved them, and now could as easily provide for them. It is an evidence of great distrust in God, and His power and goodness, in every little distress and appearance of danger to despair of life and talk of nothing but being speedily killed. They charge Moses with an intention to starve them when he is the one who brought them out of Egypt. What he had done was by order from God and with a design to promote their welfare. Leader, it is no new thing for the greatest kindnesses to be misinterpreted and basely represented as the greatest injuries. The worst interpretations are sometimes applied to the best actions. They foolishly so far undervalue their deliverance that they wish they had died in Egypt, even by the hand of the Lord, too, that is, by some of the plagues which cut off the Egyptians, as if it were not the hand of the Lord, but of Moses only, that brought them into this hungry wilderness. It is common for people to say that of pain, sickness, or sore, when they don’t understand that God is first Cause. They accuse Moses and God of wanting them dead, when both are working together to give them life. Crazy madness! They would rather die by the fleshpots of Egypt, where they had provision but no freedom, than to live under the guidance of the heavenly pillar in a wilderness and be provided for by the hand of God! They pronounce it better to have fallen in the destruction of God’s enemies than to bear God’s fatherly discipline, a mere temporary test of the faithfulness of His children! We cannot suppose that they had any great plenty in Egypt, no matter how much they now exaggerate the pleasures of Egypt’s flesh-pots. Neither could they legitimately really fear dying for want in the wilderness, while they had their flocks and herds with them. Discontent magnifies the good of the past, and vilifies the evil of the present. Where is truth or reason in such a worldview? That was not as good as they make it out to have been and this is not as difficult as they pretend it is. It is foolish and absurd to talk as they do. Their impatience, ingratitude, and distrust of God, were so much the worse in that they had so recently received such miraculous favors, and convincing proofs at the Red Sea and Marah, that God could and would help them. They forget His wonders too soon. Psalm 106: 7-13 say,  “When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert. He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold.” I wish I could remember God’s kindnesses better! I must learn not to allow God’s mercies to me, which I don’t deserve, to spoil me or make me think I am entitled to them. They should rather teach me humility and I should remember them.

Let’s observe how kind God is to them. He might have justly said, “I will rain fire and brimstone on these murmurers, and consume them;” but, to the contrary, He promises to rain bread on them. First, God makes known to Moses His kind intentions, that Moses might, himself, be at ease and not tempted to wish he had left them in Egypt. God notices His people’s complaints. Verse 12 says, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’” As a God of pity, He was aware of their needs which were the cause of their murmuring. And at the same time in justice, our holy God was aware of their base and unworthy accusations against His servant Moses. He was displeased with that. When people begin to fret and be uneasy they ought to consider that God hears all our murmurings, even if they are silent murmurings of the heart. Bishops over pastors, pastors overseeing Christians, parents of children, employers of employees, these do not hear all the murmurs of the people for whom they are responsible. It is good that they do not, for perhaps they could not bear it, but God hears, and still works on the character of His people. We must not think that because God does not immediately take vengeance on men for their sins that therefore He does not notice them. No, He hears the murmurings of Israel and is grieved with that generation, and yet continues His care for them as the tender parent of an unwise, inexperienced child.


He promises them a speedy, sufficient, and constant supply in verse 4, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.’” Man being made out of the earth, his Maker has wisely ordered him food out of the earth as Psalm 104:14 says, “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth:” Whether grass, vegetables, fruit or manna, it all comes out of the earth from God. In this way He tested whether they would trust him, and walk in the law of faith or not; He tested whether they could live from hand to mouth, and even if they were concerned because their provisions were spent each day, could they rest satisfied with the bread of the day in its day and depend on God for fresh supplies to-morrow? In this way He tested whether they would serve Him, and be always faithful to so good a Master as He who provided so well for His servants. We can learn here how ungrateful people can be and how wonderful God is. The wise Isaiah says in Isaiah 26:10 “But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.” It is helpful to the Christian leader to be aware of this tendency and teach people of gratitude.

We are learning about Christian leadership from the good example of Moses. See how quickly Moses directed Aaron to assure the people. Here Aaron was evidently still his prophet, as he had been to Pharaoh. Moses directed Aaron as verse 9 says, “Then Moses told Aaron, ‘Say to the entire Israelite community, “Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’””  It is possible that while Aaron was giving a public announcement to the congregation to come near before the Lord, Moses got alone with God to pray, and that the appearance of the glory of the Lord, described in verse 10 was an answer to Moses’ prayer. “While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.” Certainly this was in accordance with God’s word to Moses and an answer to Moses’ prayer. God condescends to give even murmurers a fair hearing. Christian leaders should follow God’s example and listen to people. Job 31:13-15 says, ““If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me, what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” Moses listened to them, but also convinces them of the evil of their murmurings. They thought they insulted only Moses and Aaron, but here they are told that they actually struck at God when they complained. Verses 7 and 8 make this clear and it is good for Christian leaders today to remember this. “‘. . . and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?’ Moses also said, ‘You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.’” When we murmur against those who are agents or representatives of God who may make us feel uneasy because of their authority, whether justly or unjustly, we do well to consider how much we reflect on God by it; men are but God’s hand. Those that quarrel with the reproofs or instructions of their superiors, when they are touched in a sensitive issue, do not know what they are doing, because they are only striving with their Maker. Let this forever stop the mouth of murmuring, that it is brazen pride to murmur at God, because He is God; and gross absurdity to murmur at men, because they are but men.


Moses also assures them of the supply of their wants, that since they had harped on the flesh-pots so much they should for once have flesh, quail, in abundance that evening, and bread, mannah, the next morning, and manna from there on every day. Many there are of whom we say that they are better fed than taught, but the Israelites were fed that they might be taught. Deuteronomy 8:3, says “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Besides this, here are two additional things mentioned, which He intended to teach them by sending them manna. First, that it was not Moses, but the Lord, who brought them out of Egypt. “So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt,” It was short-sighted to think that it was Moses who brought them out. They should not complain to Moses. Now God sent them manna, to prove that it was no less than infinite power and goodness that brought them out, and this could perfect what was begun. If only Moses had brought them out of Egypt, he could not feed them this way; they must therefore acknowledge that it was the Lord’s doing. Jesus later taught in John 6:32, “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.’” Second, as found in verse 6, “So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt,” And also in verse 12, that God was the Lord their God. “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”” This gave proof of His power as the Lord, and His particular favor to them as their God. When God plagued the Egyptians, it was to make them know that He was the Lord. but when He provided for the Israelites, it was to make them know that He was their Lord. This was as though to say, “So, stop complaining against Moses!!” God did it and God is God.

The travelers begin to be provided for by the immediate hand of God. He makes them a feast, at night, of delicate fowl, not locusts. Psalm 78:27 says, “He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like sand on the seashore.” Then, the next morning he rained manna on them, which was to be continued to them for their daily bread. What was provided for them was manna, which descended from the clouds as dew, so that, in a figurative sense, they might be said to live on bread from heaven. It came down in dew that melted, and yet was itself of such a consistency as to serve for nourishing strengthening food, without any thing else. They called it manna, manhu, “What is this?” That question could mean: “What a poor thing this is!” despising it: or, “What a strange thing this is!” admiring it. The more important consideration is that no matter what it is, it is something our God has allotted us, and we will take it and be thankful. Verses 14, 15 say, “When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” It was pleasant food; the Jews say that it was palatable to all, however varied their tastes. It was wholesome food, easy to digest, and according to one medical source, was very healthful to cleanse them from any disorders with which it was possible that in their time of bondage they became infected. A healthy meal was more important than a dainty or luxurious meal. By this practical, healthy and plain diet we can draw a lesson of healthy eating.


They were to gather it every morning as verse 21 says, “Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.” In this way they must live on daily provision just as the fowls of the air. Jesus seems to be alluding to this daily raining and gathering of manna when He teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The Bible is very practical and beneficial to us. It teaches us of prudence and diligence in providing food convenient for ourselves and our household. What God graciously gives we must industriously gather with quietness working and eating our own bread, seeking neither the bread of idleness nor deceit. Even God’s bounty leaves room for man’s duty when manna was rained. They had to gather it each day; they could learn this important principle regarding contentment and satisfaction with sufficiency. They must gather, every man according to his need. Enough is enough. Enough is as good as a feast and more than enough is bad for our health. Those who have more than enough still can only eat what their stomachs can hold. Those who have many clothes still can only wear one set of clothes at a time. With manna, the one who gathers much has nothing left over, and he who gathers little has no lack. Jesus’ idea of daily bread is practical. Christian leaders can use this story to help people become content with that they have. Consider the benefit of being content with what God provides. That too is good leadership.


We see two important lessons for leaders in this story. 1. Leaders must learn to deflect people’s complaints away from themselves and toward God. 2. God’s provisions are likely to be only one day at a time so we must learn to continue to trust.