The Bread of Life | Exodus 16

Introduction

December, 2020. I think it’s possible that when most people hear that, all they hear is the year 2020. What a year! What a wild, strange, revealing year that was. That year is memorable to me for many reasons, as I’m sure there are reasons you remember 2020 as well—but it was that year, specifically in December of that year that I received a call from Greg Dirnberger, saying something to the effect of, “What do you think about leaving that nice set up you have down there in SC and moving to Louisville, KY for 10 months and then back to Sioux Falls to join the team here at Emmaus Road Church?” Woof.

That conversation sent Jami and me down a path that has led us all the way to where we are now. And if, as it was for most of our country, the year 2020 represents a year of uncertainty of the future, that would definitely be true for our family. For the next 7 months we discussed, argued, prayed, made lists of pros and cons, asking should we do this? What would it even look like? We were very comfortable right where we were: beautiful home in sunny and warm South Carolina, right down the road from her wonderful parents, near family with cousins, the beach is 2 hours away…how are we going to survive with no income for 10 months in a city and state we have only driven through before, and now we have a baby on the way!? There’s no way.

Maybe you can relate to us. Big decisions loom ahead of you, and whatever you do will have significant effects on you and those around you. Or you are in a season of suffering and are wondering where God has gone? Do you remember back in 2020 when the first rumblings of a lockdown were beginning? Everyone where we were did 1 of 2 things (and probably both): bought guns and ammo and toilet paper. The rush to the grocery store and the gun stores was incredible…so much so that rationing on those 2 things was happening everywhere! Why those 2 things? The future was uncertain, and people did not want to be caught unprepared.

And now, we look at what’s happening globally, what’s happening in our financial systems, what’s happening locally in our schools and hospitals and jobs…one might be tempted to wonder “what is happening?” and “where has God gone?” Will he provide for us? How can I continue to pay $5 for a dozen eggs?!

I found it to be true in my own life that nothing destabilizes my faith in the Lord faster than financial worry. That brings a unique suffering that causes me to doubt God’s goodness and provision. But, as we’ll see with the Israelites, when I doubt God and his provision in the future, I have to first forget all he has done for me already. I forget that he has always kept his promises, and he has said that he will hold me fast until the very end. So do I trust that?

The book of Exodus so far has consisted of the Israelites, the promised people of God dwelling in slavery in Egypt and God announcing his intentions to save them (ch. 1–5). In chapter 6, that rescue plan was executed through the display of the Lord’s divine power in the plagues, his gracious mercy in the Passover, and the Israelites eventual plunderous exodus from Egypt, culminating in the incredible parting of the Red Sea and destroying the Egyptian armies, and ending last week in chapter 15 with the glorious and majestic song of Moses, sung by the entire nation recounting the wonderful saving works of God.

But if you’ve ever been to a concert or a sporting event or a movie where something incredible has just taken place…there’s always this awkward moment when the lights come up and everyone starts filing out, back to their daily lives. Here at the end of chapter 15, through chapter 16, and into the beginning of 17 we have a new scene in the story…the glow of the exodus is starting to fade and the Israelites are staring at the harsh reality of the Sinai desert. God has made good on his promise of getting them out of slavery, but will he make good on his promise to bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey? That feels like a long way to walk with 2–3 million people.

The narrative shifts at the end of chapter 15, and what is recorded next is 3 separate scenes of Israel grumbling and complaining and God graciously and patiently providing. All this takes place in the first month after their exodus from slavery. Today, we are going to zoom in on the second and largest section. So, out of reference for God's holy and authoritative word, would you stand if you are able and follow along with me as I read Exodus 16.

It is worth remembering that the book of Exodus was written to the 2nd generation of Israelites. The ones recorded here in chapter 16 are their parents and grandparents who never make it to the promised land. And I believe Moses is meaning to communicate to those 2nd generation Israelites and ultimately to us this main point:

The Lord proves himself faithful in the midst of our fears, and he deserves our unwavering faith.

As we journey through this narrative, we are going to see 3 separate components to this scene: the protest, the promise, and finally, the provision.

The Protest

After the tremendous victory of God at the Red Sea, Moses now turns the people East, and then begins the journey to Mt. Sinai, and ultimately the Promised Land. And as we saw, it didn’t take long for the glow of victory to fade off their faces and for them to realize that they are in the middle of nowhere walking into the middle of nowhere to a destination…out there.

3 days later, they already recognize there are significant logistical issues—namely, watering a nation. You can see the fear taking root in them in 15:24…

And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

Overall, this complaint seems fairly respectful and necessary…v. 22 says they could not find any water. So they murmur and grumble (and after 3 days hiking in the desert and finding no water, I imagine there was some legitimate panic), but they ask Moses what they should do, Moses inquires of the Lord, and the Lord provides! Exodus 15:25…

And [Moses] cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

However, in chapter 16 we find that 3 weeks have gone by and they are hungry. Notice how this protest differs from their inquiry about water, 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.”

What was at first just “the people” murmuring in chapter 15 has now turned into the “entire congregation of the people of Israel” complaining and grumbling against Moses, Aaron, and ultimately the Lord himself. This is another instance where the Israelites reference back to their slavery as if it were better to be there then in their current situation. 3 weeks! Commentator Victor Hamilton puts it this way,

As [John] Goldingay remarks, “Only a few weeks’ distance has given a rosy hue to their experience in the slave house.” God wants to use this experience to orient his people to the future, but they are locked into their past. God wants his people to remember what can be. They only remember what it was like. The idea of security, but outside of the will of God, seems preferable to insecurity and uncertainty, but inside the will of God.

Isn’t that just like us, though? It is tempting to read the Israelites grumbling in the wilderness and say, “How could they grumble? Didn’t they just see God save them from the Egyptians by splitting the Red Sea and destroying the Egyptian army? And not only that, didn’t they just witness not 1, not 2, but 10 mighty acts of God in the 10 plagues? Don’t they know who this God is? Is he not greater than Pharaoh? Why do they think that he would’ve gone through all of that work just to let them die in the wilderness?” 

It’s easy to think that…but remember 2020? This is human nature! One hint of a potential disruption in the supply chain and what do we all run and grab? Toilet paper. That’s the most essential item. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Those are the things that will get us through this uncertain pandemic.

Or what about when the market plummets, whipping our years of gain on your 401K overnight? Or inflation spikes and everything has gotten more expensive but your income hasn’t changed. Or medical bills come in, or you lose your job…what about then? With each of those things, question marks are inserted into our faith. And if you’re like me, when those things come in, I feel my heart rate quicken, I feel my temperature rise as anxiety and ultimately fear begins to grow in my heart…and like the Israelites, what I’m prone to do is doubt God. Because at the core of it all, that’s what we are doing—doubting God, his provision as well as his care. Has he left me to die out here on my own?

Fear, like faith, is future-oriented. It looks at the present circumstances, and then looks out into the unknown and says, “I don’t know what is going to happen next. I am not in control.” The future is scary because it is unknown to us. And all the scary things around us promise to knock us out—and we often believe them. And when fear sets in, unbelief in the God who is in control is quick to follow.

We are like the disciples in the boat with Jesus in Mark 4. The chaotic windstorm kicks up quickly around them, catching them off guard. And as Jesus sleeps in the stern, seemingly wholly unconcerned with the seriousness of the situation, the disciples cry out, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Do you not care? And Jesus, graciously, patiently awakens, calms the storm and looks to them, and ultimately to us and asks, “Have you still no faith?”

But in the midst of our doubting, of our fear and anxiety about the future and in the midst of our grumbling, God makes abundant promises to us, and he does the same to the Israelites.

The Promise

Like all complainers, the Israelites had exaggerated their situation. They were not on the verge of starvation…in the very next chapter they are going to complain about not having water for their livestock! So we know they had access to food, but they didn’t want that food. Psalm 78:18, commenting on the history of the Israelites confirms this…

They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.

And in their exaggeration, the Israelites show the depth of the problem to the Lord. Getting Israel out of Egypt was easy—getting Egypt out of Israel was going to be more difficult. The issue in the camp was not their circumstances, but their sinful, doubting hearts in the midst of the circumstances. Imagine if our children were to complain to us as the Israelites complained to God…”why did you bring me to Costco, just to die of starvation?!” Hard to believe, I know…chances are we would not respond the way that God responds to the Israelites.

Instead of handing out judgment or discipline, the Lord responds to the grumbling of the people with a promise…(v 4) 

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you.” 

What a promise! The destructive hail the Israelites witness being rained down from heaven back in Egypt is now to turn to the benevolent and gracious provision from the Lord. The power of the Lord is undeniable. The warrior king was the subject of the triumphal song sung just last week. But it certainly matters whether you are a friend or foe of this king. 

And notice what is promised…abundance. “I will rain bread from heaven for you!” The promise of God is not to give them just enough for survival, or just enough to quiet their grumbling stomachs and make their grumbling mouths quiet, but it is a lavish pouring out. This God gives good gifts to his children.

However, you will notice that the Lord includes in this promise a condition. Like every promise God ever makes, there is a necessary condition…and it is that of faith. Look again at v. 4…

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.

The Lord is ready and willing to pour blessings on his people, to care for them and to provide for them, but he sets conditions to see if they will trust him or not. Are they willing to submit to him or remain their own gods? He promises them food in plenty, but just for that day. He will give them their daily bread, but they must trust him and his word that he will provide the next day, and the next day, and the day after that, just as he said he would. 

Put yourselves in Israel’s shoes. You’re hungry. You’re tired. It’s hot. And Moses declares to you that the Lord has heard your cries (again) and he has promised to provide (again)! After the cursory thanks, I would be tempted to begin to store up some of this provided food in my pantry…just in case. Yes, God, thank you for your provision, it is appreciated, but just in case you decide to NOT keep your word, I’m going to have a backup. I won’t be caught unawares and unprepared. Like Americans during the pandemic who stocked up on toilet paper, you never know how much you might need. We don’t know the future.

But just as the miraculous works of God back in Egypt were meant to be a revelation of the power of God, so too is this miraculous provision. Notice the purpose of what God is achieving in this in the text…

(v. 6) 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…

(v. 11) 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.’ ”

According to Moses, this miraculous provision is meant to continue to reveal the Lord and his character to the people. They see his glory and character and his care throughout. And God not only promises to provide for them now, in the wilderness, but he has promised to bring them out of Egypt (which he already has done) and to bring them to the promised land. Look at the promise God made to Moses all the way back in chapter 3 at the burning bush…

Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to (the wilderness to die of hunger? NO!) a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 

The Israelites are fearful about the future. That’s understandable. But they are not following a god who is unknown to them, or hasn’t proven himself true to his word yet—no! This God has shown over and over again that he is faithful! He is working all things in accordance with his will for the good of his people! He hasn’t failed them yet…look at what he just did in the Exodus! What they just sang about! He hasn’t failed them yet, and he won’t fail them in the future.

So the question before us is this—what about me? When uncertainty about the future and fear about what comes next takes hold of us, we need something sure. We need some objective, external anchor for our souls to rest in. We need a God who is faithful to his promises, and who has made glorious promises to us! And friends…we worship and know such a God in Christ Jesus! Look at what Jesus says in Matt 6:25ff…

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The promise of Christ is to rest in him and his provision this day. Jesus knows that fear is future-oriented. But so is faith. Faith looks to the future and acts, not blindly hoping that some unknown thing will catch us, but faith looks to the future assured that God will do what he said he will do BECAUSE of all that he already has done for us. And what the Israelites saw with their own eyes, we have something even more sure. We have Christ crucified. As Paul amplifies it in Romans 8:32…

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

So trust the promises of God now, right now, because he cares for you. And because our God is a good and faithful God, his promises come true. 

The Provision

Sure enough, God does exactly what he said he was going to do. The Israelites' complaint was that back in Egypt they had meat pots and access to bread, now God covers the entire camp with meat and bread. They are confused with what it is God provided them, but Moses reminds them what they must do. They must gather! So it is with God…he requires faith to trust in his promises, and that faith can not be stagnant. God was not going to drop the bread directly into their mouths. No, they had to look to God and his promises and his provision, and then act on that faith! In short…they had to gather! And as they gather, they find just as God had said. This is going to be the same case in the future when they come to the Promised Land—it’s theirs! But they need to go and take it, trusting that God will do what he said he would do in fighting for them.

Notice too, that this bread was not just in abundance, like dew covering the entire camp, but it was sweet (v. 31)...

Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

God not only gives them something to sustain them, it tastes good. It’s sweet and worth eating. Isn’t that so like him? He not only gives gifts to us, not only keeps our hearts beating and lungs filling with air, but gives us a world in technicolor. A world that is alive with sights and taste and sound. And food that is delicious. This is the God we serve!

God did exactly what he said he was going to do. It required actual faith to trust him each day to provide what was needed that day. There is no evidence that God made them ration or gave just barely what they needed to not die in the wilderness…God does not skimp but lavished blessing on them. Look at v. 17–18…

And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.

Every day, they feasted. Every day, they ate as much as they could eat. Every day, they had no lack. But God is not just interested in the physical well-being of his people. He has not just acted in history to feed us physical bread, but our Lord has made abundant provision for our souls.

Jesus, the very son of God, when commenting on this scene in John 6 says this (v. 32–35)...

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

God provides for his people, and he has given us the only thing that could ever truly satisfy…his son. Jesus Christ, the bread of life, broken for you and for me! This same Jesus who was also led by the Spirit into the wilderness, who also experienced hunger and was tempted to take matters into his own hands, yet where Israel failed, Christ succeeded. He is the bread of life! And it is on Christ and all that he has done that we feast. And it is in Christ that all of the promises of God are YES and AMEN!

Our God is faithful to his promises. And so, dear friends, no matter the circumstance, no matter the suffering and the fear of the future, we know the one who is sovereign over all! He alone is worthy of our trust and our faith. And this is not some blind hope, but based on what he has already done in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then in application of that saving works to our souls. He has brought us from death to life and has made us his children. And he is a good Father that gives good gifts to his children.

So trust him. Turn to him. He is infinitely worthy of our trust.