Exodus 16:1-12 Introduction When we left off last week, Israel had just come to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. (Exod. 15:27) So this week we pick up again in chapter sixteen: I. Exodus 16:1 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. When Israel first set out from the Red Sea, they went into the wilderness of Shur. (cf. Exod. 15:22) Now, as they set out from Elim, they arrive at the wilderness of Sin exactly one month and a day after they had observed the Passover (or Cover-over ) in Egypt. (cf. Exod. 12:6) Based on what Moses tells us in the book of Numbers, we can assume that the Israelites were travelling south into the Sinai Peninsula along the coast of the Gulf of Suez. (cf. Num. 33:10-11) This route was actually one of the principal roads for Egyptian mining expeditions [But] Egyptian activity at the mines occurred primarily during the months of January to March, while the Hebrews were traversing the territory after April. (Currid; cf. Stuart) After these thirty days of travelling, we read in verses 2-3: II. Exodus 16:2 3 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Last week, the Israelites grumbled against Moses because there was no water to drink. Now they grumble again against Moses and Aaron, this time because they re running out of food. Apart from any stores of food that they had brought with them out of Egypt, Israel may have been able to find some small amounts of food and sustenance growing in the desert. There may also have been some buying or trading with nomadic desert tribes. But these kinds of provisions wouldn t go very far to feed a people as numerous as the Israelites. And so now, after thirty days of travel, it s obvious to everyone that at the current rate, it s guaranteed they ll all soon die of starvation. Once again, we re obviously not dealing here with a luxury. Food is a necessity. And that means that when you see your food is running out and there aren t any visible prospects for getting more, it s easy to panic. But maybe we still wonder how Israel can possibly be panicking after all that they ve seen especially after the recent provision of water. Well, when Israel was in need of water, God took some existing, bitter water and made it sweet. So maybe part of the problem, now, is that they can t imagine how God can provide food for all of them when as far as they can tell there s nothing for God to start with. If so, that certainly wouldn t be so different from how we often are. How often do we limit God by what we can imagine? All the time! How often do we limit God by the possibilities that we can imagine even if we ve already expanded our 1
imaginations to allow for things we ve seen Him do in the past? We do this all the time! One of the biggest lessons we need to be constantly learning is never to put any limitations of any kind on the infinite goodness, and wisdom, and power of God except for those limitations that God Himself has revealed. If the Israelites have the problem of limiting God by what they can imagine, then even more to the point, they especially have that ultimate problem of arrogant and rebellious and sinful hearts. Last week, when they grumbled against Moses, they said: What shall we drink? (Exod. 15:24) They put the Lord to the test by basically saying to Moses: If you are Yahweh s servant, then give us water now. This time, the people go about things in an even more roundabout way. They should have cried out to the Lord and humbly asked for food acknowledging that this food is something no human being deserves from God. Instead, the people point out that it would have been an easier death to die along with the Egyptians in the tenth plague (while their stomachs were full) rather than to die a slow death of starvation in the wilderness. In other words, they wish that Yahweh would have killed them all in Egypt since they know now that Moses has purposefully brought them out into the wilderness to kill them with hunger. It s pretty clear that just like with the water, this isn t only panic and anxiety. This is arrogance and rebellion. It s putting the Lord to the test demanding and expecting that He should be providing them with food; not that He could (because they believe in His infinite power) and not that He would (because they believe in His steadfast love), but rather that He should (because they believe this is their right). And once again, how often are we guilty of thinking in the same way? How often do we fall into the trap of thinking that, at least in the most basic and essential areas, God is obligated to us though we d never say that out loud or in so many words. How often is our relationship with God characterized more by selfish expectation rather than by humble faith? There s a whole world of difference between these two, but sometimes the one is very easily put for the other. So what will happen this time? This time, will Yahweh put on Israel the plagues that He put on the Egyptians? Because they certainly deserve it. III. Exodus 16:4 5 Then the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily. What in the world just happened? Hasn t God already tested the people a second time? And haven t they just failed that test in just the same way that they failed the first one? And yet once again, God responds to the people s grumbling by promising to miraculously give them what they need in order that He might test them, to see whether they will walk in His law or not. Next week we ll come back to these verses to see what the test is, but for this week the only think I want to point out is that it seems at first like Israel s grumbling is working. Once again, they grumble and get what they want. Or is it really that simple? Before God miraculously provides His people with food, and so before the next test, there s this: 2
IV. Exodus 16:6 12 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us? And Moses said, When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling. And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God. Did you notice all the repetition? The repetition isn t meant to be monotonous. It s meant to drive home a point. And in this case, I think, the point is a warning for the people. Remember how the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, just like at Marah the people grumbled against Moses. (cf. Exod. 15:24) So in that light, how can we not sense a very clear warning when we read five times in seven verses: [The Lord] has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us? The Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD. [The Lord] has heard your grumbling. And then the Lord Himself says: I [the Lord] have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Can t you feel the strong undercurrent of warning here? It s not yet explicit but it s no less clear. When we complain, or when we grumble, we may not think we re complaining or grumbling against the Lord. We may not want to think that we are. And yet when we understand that it is the sovereign Lord who ordains all things in our lives, how can we not see that all complaining, and all grumbling is always directed against the Lord? And if that s true, then how sobering it must be to know that as surely as we ever complain or grumble, it is always the Lord Himself who hears? Remember how the people said to Moses: For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger as though it was all Moses, and not really the Lord Himself who brought them out? It s in this light that we notice yet another repeated theme in these verses: At evening [when God provides meat] you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt. In the morning [when God rains bread from heaven] you shall see the glory of the LORD. 3
And then the Lord Himself says to the people: At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God. The people complained about their dwindling food supplies by accusing Moses of being the one to bring them out into the wilderness to kill them with hunger. But that s not so much an attack on Moses as it is a total disregard for the glory of Yahweh a glory which they had seen, how? In their deliverance at the Red Sea, and in the provision of water at Marah. So how does God respond to this disregard of His own glory? He chooses to reveal His glory yet again in and through His provisions for His people. At evening [when God provides meat] you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt. In the morning [when God rains bread from heaven] you shall see the glory of the LORD. Where will the people see the glory of the Lord? In His kindness in His faithful and miraculous provision of food. But what good will this do? The people have already closed their eyes to the true revelation of God s glory at Marah. Won t they just do the same thing here, when God rains bread for them from heaven? We read in verses 9-10: Then Moses said to Aaron, Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, Come near before the LORD And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. In some sense, the glory of the Lord was always appearing in the cloud; but now, at this particular moment, this glory is revealed in even a more obvious, and extraordinary, and powerful way than usual. We might imagine a flash of light bursting forth from the cloud, and revealing the majesty of God, (Keil) or as someone else suggests: a blinding fiery brilliance. (Stuart) 1 Remember that God graciously reveals His glory to us by hiding it. God s unveiled glory is always deadly to frail and sinful flesh like we are. And so, mercifully, the thick cloud was a veil and a covering for the consuming fire within. But what happens when God is gracious to reveal His glory by hiding it? Well, we begin to treat that glory lightly. Israel did. Do you see how we can turn God s mercy and kindness into the occasion for sin, when it should be entirely the other way around when it should be the occasion for an even greater fear, and reverence for the Lord? In their sinfulness, the people of Israel began to presume on the glory of God precisely because He mercifully veiled it! Can you see now that that s what all grumbling and complaining is? It s a presuming upon God, and a treating lightly of His glory. It s no small thing. And so now, in response to this grumbling, not only will God reveal His glory again in the provision of food, but the people are also called to come near before the Lord, and behold 1 The Israelites apparently had no trouble sensing that God was right among them in real power and substantial presence. We possibly should understand the verse to imply that God s glory caused them to turn and look at the cloud even though they had been facing Aaron because it was so impressive that they sensed it even with their backs turned. (Stuart) 4
the glory of the Lord appear[ing] in the cloud. I m reminded of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration when the glory veiled by His flesh was just partly unveiled for the disciples to see. And so here in the desert, we imagine the veil of cloud pulled back for just a moment, revealing to the people what they had willfully chosen to forget was there all along the consuming, devouring fire of God s glory. God s glory is his awesomeness his divine greatness that is often felt in terms of fear, awe, amazement, and the sense that one is in the presence of someone who is truly the essence of eternal authority, worthy of worship and adoration, and dangerous to oppose. (Stuart) And so what the people are meant to understand is that it s this same fearful glory revealed in the cloud which is also revealed in the miraculous provision of their food. Even in the very moment of getting what they need, the people should learn to feel that there is also in this provision cause for trembling. Here in God s miraculous provision is not only His mercy and His grace, but also the revelation of His glory the very same glory that would consume them if it were not veiled and hidden by the cloud. I think of the account in the Gospels when Jesus told Peter to put his boat out into the deep and let his nets down for a catch: Luke 5:4 11 And Simon answered, Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets. And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. How much better is it to learn to tremble at the glory of God through His miraculous and gracious provisions rather than through His terrible acts of judgment? There on the Sea of Galilee, there was no vision of consuming fire. There wasn t any blinding radiance brighter than the sun. And yet by God s grace, Peter was able to see in the provision of a miraculous catch of fish the all-consuming albeit veiled and hidden glory of God. Conclusion Because God is merciful to veil His glory, how often do we then treat His glory lightly? Because God veiled the consuming fire of His glory in the humanity of Christ, how often do we fail to let the miraculous provision of our salvation actually cause us to tremble, and produce in us an even greater fear of the Lord? One commentary speaks of a salutary fear of the majesty of [the Lord]. (Keil) In the olden days, salutary meant health-giving or perhaps we could even say life-giving. So today it means something beneficial, profitable, advantageous, and good. Does the grace, and mercy, and kindness of God in Christ daily produce in us a salutary, health-giving fear of the allconsuming albeit veiled and hidden glory of God? Does it cause us to tremble? Or do we dare to turn God s merciful veiling of His glory in Christ into the very occasion for our sin? God forbid! May it never be! And yet we do. And so we re emboldened to grumble and complain. 5
We re emboldened to show our dissatisfaction with God s laws and commands and with what God has ordained for us today by pursuing our own happiness in our own ways, or even by presuming to require our happiness from God. How often do we fall into the trap of thinking that, at least in the most basic and essential areas, God is obligated to us though we d never say that out loud or in so many words? How often is our relationship with God characterized more by selfish expectation rather than by humble faith? Our grumbling and complaining is no small thing. So the Apostle Paul can write in light of things still to happen in the book of Numbers: 1 Corinthians 10:9 10 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. And yet I know Paul would also say to the Christians in Corinth: Hebrews 6:9 (cf. 1 Cor. 1:1-9) Though [I] speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, [I] feel sure of better things things that belong to salvation. The antidote to all grumbling the remedy for all complaining is a salutary fear of the allconsuming glory of God a glory which we daily see revealed in the grace and redemption that are in Christ Jesus. And so the opposite of all grumbling is a perfect contentment and joy in living out all of God s laws and commands. The opposite of all complaining is a perfect confidence that in all that God ordains for us, He is at all times seeking our good to fit us and prepare us for that eternal weight of glory which far exceeds all our momentary and light afflictions. (cf. 2 Cor. 4:17) The opposite of all grumbling and complaining is the ability to sing with the hymn writer: Have we not seen how our desires all have been granted in His wise ordaining. The Apostle Paul writes: Philippians 2:12 15 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Let us be careful of treating lightly, or presuming upon the glory of the Lord precisely because He has mercifully veiled it! Instead, may the grace, and mercy, and kindness of God in Christ daily produce in us a salutary fear of the all-consuming fire of God s glory. 6