God Gave Bread and Meat Exodus 16:11-15 God talked to Moses. He said, I have heard the murmurings of the children ... The Lord in mercy blessed Israel even after they murmured. He showed He was the Lord their God. At even the quails came up plentifully, and they had flesh to eat. A miracle. In the morning the drying dew left a small round thing covering the ground. (See Numbers 11:7-9.) The Israelites called it manna, or "What is it?" because they knew not what it was. Moses explained, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. Another miracle. The Sin of Murmuring To murmur is to grumble. One who complains is thinking only of himself, not of God. He is not acting like God Who is patient and kind. He is not being led by the Spirit of God. Israel continually murmured and complained, and Israel continually displeased God. Jude 16 says, such are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts. A murmurer cannot be walking in faith. The Israelites continued to doubt God after the wonders, miracles, and mercies they had received from Him. Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord, said Moses (verse 8). Some of us may consider complaining a small matter, but God judges it sin. Neither murmur ye, as some of them—the Israelites—also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer (1 Corinthians 10:10-11). Are not irritations opportunities? Opportunities to add to our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity? (2 Peter 1:5-8). Do all things without murmurings and disputings (Philippians 2:14). Through this we show the Spirit of Christ to those who do not know Him and attract them to Him. Sufficient Supply Exodus 16:16-18 The Lord instructed them to gather an omer of manna for each person, measuring just over a half gallon. They gathered unevenly, some more, some less, but when measured, all had just an omer per person. There is equality in the church. Second Corinthians 8:13-15 teaches us that both he with great understanding and ability and he with little may have a sufficiency of Christ and no over sufficiency. Exodus 16:19-21 Let no man leave of it till the morning. Some thought it better to prepare ahead and save work, or to be sure to have a supply for tomorrow. They hearkened not unto Moses. This was outward disobedience. It took only until morning for their sin to find them out. It bred worms, and stank. Disobedience always causes a stink to go up into the nostrils of God. After that, they obeyed. And they gathered it every morning. This manna had to be gathered early, before it melted. God had a reason for His rules. Manna was a type of God's grace, and the symbolism must not be ruined. The best time to receive grace for any day is in prayer early in that day. In these last days, the Gospel Day, God's grace will not be given today for the needs tomorrow. It must be gathered daily. (Read Matthew 6:34.) We cannot hoard grace, but must receive of Him continually (2 Corinthians 4:16). Exodus 16:22-24 These people found it difficult to learn to believe and obey the Lord through their leader, Moses. Some went on the Sabbath to gather manna and found none. The Lord patiently told them His rule again. So the people rested on the seventh day. God provided enough manna for both days—a miracle. The kept-over manna did not spoil—another miracle. All of God's work is miraculous. Obeying the Lord, Aaron laid up before the Lord an omer of manna as a memorial. Later, the pot of manna was kept in the most sacred place, in the ark with the Testimony (tables of Ten Commandments) and Aaron's rod (Hebrews 9:4). The fact that it kept for many years was still another miracle. Manna was Israel's food for forty years until they came into Canaan (Exodus 16:35; Joshua 5:12). JUST A THOUGHT Sin is self-will in the place of God's will.
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