Exodus 20:3-6 -- God must be your God.

Exodus 20:3 Do not have other gods besides Me.

This is pretty self explanatory.  The Lord God must be the only God we follow after.  It leads directly into the second commandment:

Exodus 20:4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.

If we keep God first in our hears and minds, we will not make idols of anything to take his place.  Here God gives a specific punishment and reward to breaking and keeping this law.  If you bow to another idol, whether physically or mentally, you will be punished, your children will be punished, your grandchildren will be punished and so on.  Those who keep the command will be blessed, with their children and grandchildren and so on.

God is jealous.  He wants all of our hearts and minds.  Not part.  Not this little piece over here, he wants it all.

Leviticus 19:4 Do not turn to idols or make cast images of gods for yourselves; I am Yahweh your God.

Here the command is repeated, this time without the consequence.  He says do not make idols because I am Yahweh your God.  I am God.  That is all the excuse He needs to want your full heart and mind and obedience.

Again there is greater incite to this command:

Deuteronomy 4:15 “For your own good, be extremely careful—because you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb— 16 not to act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of any figure: a male or female form, 17 or the form of any beast on the earth, any winged creature that flies in the sky, 18 any creature that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the waters under the earth. 19 When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the array of heaven—do not be led astray to bow down and worship them. The Lord your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.20 But the Lord selected you and brought you out of Egypt’s iron furnace to be a people for His inheritance, as you are today.

The Lord chose us to be his.  This alone should keep us from making idols.  The Lord said that when he appeared to the Israelites, he did not show them His form.  He was just a smoke cloud to the people.  God did not reveal his true form, so the people cannot make a form and call it Him.  We were made in God's image, but we did not create God, so we cannot conform God to an image we know.  He has chosen not to reveal that to us at this present time, so we should not attempt to create an image of Him.  He also says we should not worship the sun, moon and stars.  God placed them on earth for all to enjoy.  They are His creation.  We should not worship something that was created, but worship the one that did the creating.

Time after time though out scripture, we see where Israel turns from God and becomes an adulterous nation by putting other gods in place of the one true God.

Exodus 32:7 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly. 8 They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘Israel, this is your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’”9 The Lord also said to Moses: “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave Me alone, so that My anger can burn against them and I can destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

This is probably one of the most recognized stories of idolatry among the Israelites.  Moses did not return when the people expected.  The wanted something to worship and Aaron make them a golden calf.  Aaron... Moses's brother.  The one who stood beside Moses and saw how all the plagues happened, crated the golden calf for the people to worship.  God wanted to completely destroy the people for doing this.  Moses interceded and God chose not to completely destroy them.

2 Kings 21:10 The Lord spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, 11 “Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed all these detestable things—greater evil than the Amorites who preceded him had done—and by means of his idols has also caused Judah to sin, 12 this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I am about to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that everyone who hears about it will shudder. 13 I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line used on Samaria and the mason’s level used on the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a bowl—wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and hand them over to their enemies. They will become plunder and spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done what is evil in My sight and have provoked Me from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until today.’”

The punishment here was quit severe.  Jerusalem was wiped clean.  All the was detestable and dirty was taken away.  Manasseh's son was just like his father and he was killed in his own home.  The above are just a few examples of Israel's disobedience.

God takes his place in our lives seriously.  He wants it all.  He does not want us to follow after anyone or anything but Him. That was true for the Israelites and that is true for us today.  God's punishment for not obeying and following him completely are always severe.  Complete destruction.  The Israelites who followed after idols gained God's wrath and vengeance and were ultimately destroyed, while today, if we do not obey God fully, while we may not suffer now on earth, we will suffer for eternity.

1 Corinthians 6:8 Instead, you act unjustly and cheat—and you do this to believers! 9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.

Exodus 20:1-17 -- The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
3 Do not have other gods besides Me.
4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.
7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.
12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 Do not murder.
14 Do not commit adultery.
15 Do not steal.
16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

These are the ten commandments given to Moses by God while he was up on the mountain.  Every Jew was to follow these laws, all of these laws, with no exception.  Over the next few posts, I will explore the commandments on by one, but for this post, we will focus on the law and what that means for us today.

We today, are not held under these laws.  We are not under the law of the Old Testament.  We are under Christ.

Matthew 22:34 When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together.35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”
37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Christ commands us to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  If we do these things, we will follow the commands from the 10 commandments.  If we love God with all we are, we will keep him first in our lives and not create idols to take his place.  We will observe His holy days and keep them holy.  We will not misuse the name of God if we love him with all we are.  If we love our neighbor, we will not steal from him, commit adultery with the spouse we coveted against the spouse we may have, we will not lie to or about our neighbor, we will not kill him in our thoughts or deeds.  We will keep the commandments.

Our hope and salvation is not placed on keeping the law.  If it were, we would all be damned to hell.  There is no person alive today, or ever, apart from Christ who ever kept the law perfectly.

Romans 4:14 If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise is canceled.15 For the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all.

Galatians 2:15 We who are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners” 16 know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified. 17 But if we ourselves are also found to be “sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild the system I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ 20 and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Galatians 5:1 Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Take note! I, Paul, tell you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. 3 Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.

Scripture is clear in so many more places than this that the law is not what saves us, Christ is.  In the last set of scriptures, Paul says that if you argue that one part of the law must be kept, then you must keep it all.  By doing this, you are alienated from Christ.  Christ came and freed us from the law.

James goes on to say:

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all. 11 For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker.

If we even break one part of the law, we are guilty of breaking them all.  God made all of the laws, from the simple to the difficult, from the not so bad to the really bad (in human eyes of course).  Killing is just as bad as adultery, which is just as bad as lying.

Our law under Christ is to love God with all we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  If we do these two things, we can obey all that God would want from us.  Christ came to crush the law.  He came to offer salvation apart from following the law.  Christ's salvation is a gift from God to us.  We receive this gift so we can live as Christ, outside the Old Testament laws and in a life that is rich and overflowing with Christ's love.

Exodus 19 -- Moses Speaks with God

Exodus 19:1 In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 After they departed from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
3 Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain: “This is what you must say to the house of Jacob, and explain to the Israelites: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. 5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

Moses was instructed to tell the Israelites that if they keep the Lord's covenant, he will be their God and they will be His holy nation.  A people set apart for him from among all the people of the earth.

Exodus 19:7 After Moses came back, he summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 Then all the people responded together, “We will do all that the Lord has spoken.” So Moses brought the people’s words back to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always believe you.” Then Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord. 10 And the Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes 11 and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

The Lord has asked all the people to be consecrated and made clean before they can see the Lord.  The Lord is holy and pure, so it would be right for us to make ourselves and clean and pure as we can before coming to the Lord.

Exodus 19:12 Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you don’t go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain will be put to death. 13 No hand may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows. No animal or man will live. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.”

The people could only come so close to God.  God made a barrier for the people not to cross.  The must not touch the base of the mountain, let alone go up the mountain until the horn blast.

Exodus 19:14 Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 He said to the people, “Be prepared by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with women.”

Why were they told to not have sexual relations with women?  Well, one reason is that the people needed to be focused on God.  They needed to keep their minds free from distractions and concentrate solely on Him.  It was also customary for Israelites to not have sexual relation with their wives during times of war, so they could stay focused on battle and not thing about what they can do when they get home.

Exodus 19:16 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a loud trumpet sound, so that all the people in the camp shuddered.17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.

What an awesome site to behold.  God descended on a mountain in a cloud of smoke and fire, speaking to the people in a voice of thunder.  

Exodus 19:20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai at the top of the mountain. Then the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up. 21 The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.22 Even the priests who come near the Lord must purify themselves or the Lord will break out in anger against them.”
23 But Moses responded to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since You warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy.” 24 And the Lord replied to him, “Go down and come back with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out in anger against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Moses was instructed to bring Aaron back with him, but that the people must stay back or see the wrath of God for their disobedience.

After seeing this display of God, it is a wonder to me that the Israelites ever doubted their God.  It causes me to pause and wonder why they ever build the golden calf, or whined about this or that.  They saw their God in smoke and fire, but still, somehow managed to forget him.

Exodus 18 -- Jethro's Visit

Exodus 18:1 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3 along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land”) 4 and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword”).

So Moses had sent his wife and two sons back to her father's home, probably to protect them from any harm from the Egyptians and Israelites.  The Egyptians being angry about the plagues and the Israelites angry about their increased work.

Exodus 18:5 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. 6 He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been and went into the tent. 8 Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the Lord delivered them.
9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when He rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. 10 “Praise the Lord,” Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods, because He did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.”

Jethro heard the story of how God delivered the people from Egypt and he believed.  He said that he knew Yahweh was greater than all other Gods and that he was a just god by punishing the Egyptians who acted arrogantly against the Israelites.

Exodus 18:12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in God’s presence.

After hearing all that the Lord had done for Israel, after hearing of the wonderful and magnificent acts of God on Israel's behalf, Jethro felt the need to sacrifice to the Lord.  He felt the need to acknowledge the power and worthiness of God.  He felt the need to worship.  Isn't that how we should react when we hear of the awesome work and power of our Lord?  We should feel a need to acknowledge his power and worthiness.  We should feel a need to worship Him.

Exodus 18:13 The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”

Moses sat as a judge for all the people.  The people see him has knowledgeable in the laws of God and want him to settle disputes according to God's law.  Moses is doing this all on his own.  There was no one there helping him.

Exodus 18:17 “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. 18 “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. 19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him.20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. 23 If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”

Jethro gave Moses some great advise.  Divide the work among able and God-fearing men.  Let them judge small groups and let them handle to easy cases and you take the hard ones.  Everyone can have their case heard quickly and not have to wait and Moses could have a rest.  Moses, being the one who God gave the law to can instruct the people the laws and statutes of God so that they know what is to be done, but he should not do the whole task of teaching and judging on his own.  

Exodus 18:24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

Moses did as Jethro recommended.  Moses was no longer doing it all on his own.  He had help.  He had those he could trust around him to help judge the disputes of the people.

Exodus 18:27 Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land.

It says that Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law and he went back home.  I am guessing that his wife and sons stayed with him since he did not say goodbye to them.

Exodus 17:8-17:16 -- Staying Focused on God

Exodus 17:8 At Rephidim, Amalek came and fought against Israel. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Select some men for us and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.”
10 Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 12 When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.

This was the first battle the Israelites had to fight after they left Egypt.  Joshua was told by Moses to choose men and go and fight.  Joshua obeyed.  Moses went to the hilltop and held up the staff of God, and as long as the staff remained in the air, the Israelites could push back the other army.  If Moses put the staff down, the other side began to win.  Aaron and Hur went with Moses and supported his arm when it became tired to the staff could stay in the air at all times, so the Israelites would be victorious.

Exodus 17:14 The Lord then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.”
15 And Moses built an altar and named it, “The Lord Is My Banner.” 16 He said, “Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward the Lord’s throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Moses built an alter to the Lord there.  He had to keep his hand lifted towards heaven for the Israelites to be successful in battle.  He had to keep his focus on God.  When he needed help, his brothers helped him.  This is what we need in our lives today.  We need to stay focused on God.  When it seems too difficult to keep our hands lifted to him, we need someone to come along side us and hold our arms up to God, so we do not loose our battle.   We need to keep our focus on Him.  We will sometimes need help, and we should be humble and accept the help from our fellow believers.  Together, we can all help each other keep our focus on Christ so that we too can win the battle.  If Moses had not been humble enough to let Aaron and Hur help him keep his arm lifted, the Israelites would have surely lost or the battle could have taken much longer.  Moses could not keep his arms up long enough alone.  He became tired.  By allowing the others to help, he could keep his arm up for the victory to be won.

I seem a theme in my last couple of post of keeping focused on God.  It has been in the book I've read, the sermons I've heard, my daily devotions...  It has been everywhere the last couple of days.  I know God is telling me to be more focused on Him.  I need to keep my focus on Him and not all the everyday distractions I can so easily follow after.  Please pray for that for me.  Our church family is entering (or has already entered) a time of deep prayer, in which we are specifically praying for God to move in our midst and do great things within our church and community.  In order for us to do this successfully, the whole church must be focused on God.  We must hold each other's arms towards God and encourage one another to keep focused so we can do the things God would have us to do.  I have been attending all the meetings and while at church, Bible study, and in my devotions, I am very focused.  It is when those things are over that I tend to wander.  I need to stay focused all the time, not just when I'm participating in a "church" activity.

Exodus 17:1-7 -- More Provision

Exodus 17:1 The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.”
“Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing the Lord?”

So, this is the second time the Bible mentions that the people did not have water to drink.  What happened the first time?  God gave them drinkable water by turning the bad water to good.  This time there was no water at all that could be seen.  The people then complained to Moses about having no water.

Exodus 17:3 But the people thirsted there for water, and grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you ever bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

Now they are complaining that they will die of thirst because they left the land of Egypt.  Oh, why Moses?  Why did you bring us here to die?!  We could die just as well in Egypt!  Do they not realize it was God who told Moses to bring them out of Egypt?  There grumblings against Moses, God's servant, is really against God, though they direct it towards someone else.  The people of Israel did not have their focus on God.  It was their physical needs they were focused on.  Even after being shown several times that God was going to provide their physical needs, so God could keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the people still grumbled and complained.  They did not see their provision as being from the Lord.  When we take our focus off of God, we fail to see how he will provide (or has provided) for our every need.  We need to stay focused on His and know that all we have and receive is from Him.  Our grumbling and complaining about needing this or that are us grumbling and complaining against God thinking he hasn't given us what we needed, or better yet, what we THINK we need.

Exodus 17:4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!”

The people became so upset at Moses that he felt his life was threatened.

Exodus 17:5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go. 6 I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

God sent Moses and the elders of Israel to a rock.  Moses hit the rock and water poured out.  The people drank, thanked God and went on their way.  Soon, they would grumble again, as if forgetting all that has happened here!

Exodus 16 -- Manna from God

Exodus 16:1 The entire Israelite community departed from Elim and came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt. 2 The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!”

First they were thirsty.  Now they are hungry.  Didn't the Lord provide them with plenty of water when they were thirsty?  Now they wish they had died in Egypt instead of being hungry in the dessert.  

Exodus 16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”

God says he will provide food for the people, just like he provided water.  He has instructed that each person gather enough for what they will eat in one day, except the sixth day.  On the sixth day, they gather enough for two days, since the seventh day is a day of rest.

Exodus 16:6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites: “This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt; 7 in the morning you will see the Lord’s glory because He has heard your complaints about Him. For who are we that you complain about us?” 8 Moses continued, “The Lord will give you meat to eat this evening and more than enough bread in the morning, for He has heard the complaints that you are raising against Him. Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”

The people grumbled against Moses and Aaron, but they were really angry with God.  Why are they suffering in the dessert?  God should have just killed them in Egypt with the Egyptians.  Moses says God will show them his power by providing food for them everyday.  A physical food to satisfy their physical hunger.  God has also provided us with food as well.  Here in the US, we have the bible and access to many resources for our spiritual hunger.  We can have our spiritual hunger satisfied if we go and take it, just like the Israelites can have their physical hunger satisfied is they just collect the food provided.

Exodus 16:9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.’” 10 As Aaron was speaking to the entire Israelite community, they turned toward the wilderness, and there in a cloud the Lord’s glory appeared.
11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God.”
13 So at evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, there were fine flakes on the desert surface, as fine as frost on the ground. 15a When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was.

What is it?  Manna.  Manna is the Hebrew for "what is it?"  That is why it is called manna today.  

Exodus 16:15b Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’”

There was a limit on what they could have.  The people could not be greedy.  That is a sin.  The people had to be fair.  They only could take what they needed... NEEDED... to eat to be full.  Not over full.  Not stuffed.  But satisfied.  Each person was allowed 2 quarts.  Just enough to be full.  It was a test, as we read earlier, to see if the people could obey the Lord.

Exodus 16:17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. 18 When they measured it by quarts, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat. 19 Moses said to them, “No one is to let any of it remain until morning.” 20 But they didn’t listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. Therefore Moses was angry with them.

Some of the people did not listen.  They did not trust that the Lord would provide for them everyday as he promised.  They saved some to eat for later, so they would not starve. In their minds, they did not want to risk being hungry later.  So they saved some of what they gathered to eat the next time they needed food instead of trusting in God's provision.  This just hit me.  Not trusting in God's provision.  I know I am guilty of that.  Thinking that building a savings fund will somehow keep us financially stable or stocking up on food can help us save in the long run.  I can become too focused on trying to be monetarily comfortable, but I need to trust that the Lord will provide all we need.  If we need anything, the Lord will provide.  It may not be what we want, when we want and how much we want, but he will provide.

Exodus 16:21 They gathered it every morning. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat, but when the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts apiece, and all the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.23 He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and set aside everything left over to be kept until morning.’”
24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses commanded, and it didn’t smell or have any maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you won’t find any in the field. 26 For six days you may gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

So, just as the Lord rested on the seventh days of created, he also rested on the seventh day of each week the people were in the wilderness.  He did not provide food on the seventh day, but instead he provided enough for two days on the sixth.

Exodus 16:27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any.28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My commands and instructions? 29 Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day He will give you two days’ worth of bread. Each of you stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.”

Some people still did not rest.  They tried to go gather even when told there would be nothing to get.

Exodus 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The house of Israel named the substance manna. It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Two quarts of it are to be preserved throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
33 Moses told Aaron, “Take a container and put two quarts of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be preserved throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the testimony to be preserved.

So two quarts of manna were preserved for all generations.  I wonder where it was put?  It was placed before the testimony to be preserved.  A commentary I read said it was placed in the ark after it was built.  And we know that has disappeared.

Exodus 16:35 The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they reached the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (Two quarts are a tenth of an ephah.)

The Lord was faithful to provide for the Israelites each day what they needed to eat.  He is also faithful to us to provide what we need as well.

Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. 3 He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not wear out, and your feet did not swell these 40 years.

Yes.  We do not live on bread alone but EVERY word that comes from God.

John 6:30 “What sign then are You going to do so we may see and believe You?” they asked. “What are You going to perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
32 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always!”
35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry,and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.

Christ is out manna today.  He is our bread of life that will sustain us through this life until we reach our promise land of the New Jerusalem.   Once we reach our promised land, we will never go hungry for our Lord.  He will always be there!