Exodus 16:27-36; 1727And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 28And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30So the people rested on the seventh day. 31And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. 33And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. 34As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. 35And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. 36Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah. (Exodus 16:27‑36)
11Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. 12And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God. 13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: 16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. 19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. (Exodus 18:11‑20).
SOME of the people did not pay much attention to what Moses had said, for they went out on the morning of the next day, which was the Sabbath, looking for the manna as usual. Of course they did not find any. Why did not God send any manna on the seventh day? This is the first time we have read of that day since the second chapter of Genesis. It was after six days of work that God rested on the seventh day. And He wanted His people to share His rest. He has finished a greater work than creation, and He wants everyone to believe it, and trust Him about it. Do you know what that work is?
The manna was food from heaven. God gives the saved ones food from heaven, now, but it is not the same kind. The food now is food for our souls, and it is the Word of God, the story of Jesus and His love to us. So the Lord is our spiritual food, as we read about Him, think about Him, try to do what will please Him, and we get spiritual strength in that way.
Some of the manna was put away to be kept always. By and by the people would have other food, the food of the country they were going to, but they were never to forget the food of the desert. And while they were going through the desert, they were to gather it every morning.
Christians ought to read God’s Word, enough to get “food” for the day out of it, every morning, I think, don’t you? And when we are in the home, made ready for those who love Jesus, we shall always remember how good it was to know Him in this world.
The seventeenth chapter tells us of more complaints. There was no water, and the people said again that they had just been taken out of Egypt to be killed. What wicked hearts, tempting God again, and so soon! You see they thought about the troubles on the way, and not about the One who had engaged to bring them all the way to the better land.
The rock had to be struck with Moses’ rod, and then out of it gushed the grateful stream of water to satisfy the thirst of every one, and all their animals too. O, this story tells us again of Jesus. He had to be struck with the rod of judgment in order that we might drink of the water of life. Yes, He had to die the death of the cross for our sakes.
Next, enemies came, the Amalekites, to fight with the people, and as long as Moses’ hands were upheld the battle went for them; but when his hands sank down from weariness, the battle went for their enemies. How good it is that we can have God to fight our battles, if we only take our troubles to Him! The Amalekites were to be destroyed, and the people gather around an altar called Jehovah Nissi, The Lord my banner. Surely He was their guardian, all the way.
ML 02/19/1922