Pie and Praise 2022

Text: Exodus 16

Don't complain and talk about all your problems--80 percent of people don't care; the other 20 percent will think you deserve them. - Mark Twain

A monk joined a monastery and took a vow of silence. After the first 10 years his superior called him in and asked, "Do you have anything to say?" The monk replied, "Food bad." After another 10 years the monk again had opportunity to voice his thoughts. He said, "Bed hard." Another 10 years went by and again he was called in before his superior. When asked if he had anything to say, he responded, "I quit." "It doesn't surprise me a bit. You've done nothing but complain ever since you got here."

When the Stomach started Rumbling His people started Grumbling.

A month has passed between the time Israel departed from Egypt to the time the nation reached the Wilderness of Sin. Water had already been a problem (15:22-26) and now they had run out of food. They were frightened to the extent that they began to think about the “good ole days” back in Egypt, when they use to sing and eat. They became discouraged before they had hardly gotten started. They had been on the road only a few days and because they had missed a meal or two they were ready to go back to the slave camps of Egypt. The growling stomachs soon produced grumbling lips.

We have to notice that in Chapter 15 they sung song of praise to the Lord. Now a month later they again complain to the Lord. The whole assembly grumbled against Moses and Aaron (16:2). They said they would rather have died in Egypt than to have been brought out into the desert to starve to death (16:3). How quickly they forget.

GRUMBLING IN THE DESERT

Amazing! Now they were wishing for the “good old days” back in Egypt. Their physical hunger pangs quelled their appetites for God. Had they forgotten that they were slaves in Egypt? They were ready to trade their freedom…for food.

• They find something to complain about. (v.2) When food supplies started to dwindle, the people once grumbled about their circumstances instead of trusting God. The further they went into the wilderness, the more they grumbled: Why did Moses bring them here to die? Where could they find food in the desert, meat and vegetables? Complainers Find Something To Complain About!

• Their grumbling is out of faulty perception. (v.3)

Grumbling invariably causes us to distort the facts. The Israelites complain because in Egypt they “sat by the fleshpot and eat bread to the full.” How easily they forgot that they once slave in Egypt. They forgot that they are like human pack animals who either heeled to Pharaoh’s command or felt whip across their back?

Grumbling invariably causes us to distort the facts.

There is exaggerated memory of the past. The children of Israel exaggerated in their minds the benefits of Egypt. They said they “sat” by their flesh pots and ate “all they wanted” of a great variety of foods and meats. As slaves this could hardly be true. They conveniently forgot about the lash of the taskmaster and the anguish of their hearts to be free as they did the backbreaking work of the Pharaoh.

Their perception of the imminent danger of starvation was also greatly exaggerated.

The Israelites grumbled against their leaders. (v8) The people had forgotten that it was God who was leading them, not only by Moses, but also by the cloud which was before them (cf. Exo. 13:21-22; 16:10). . As Moses points out, their complaint against their leaders represents a complaint against the Lord, for the Lord in his sovereignty gave the leaders to the people. However, the Israelites thought that their murmuring is against Moses. This is a tragic misconception. Complainers Are Always Looking For Someone To Blame!

• They grumbled because they are not satisfied with WHAT they are given. (vv.13-15) The people of Israel grumbled because what was provided is not what they expect. The flake-like substance, later to be called manna, was to be gathered each day but not saved until the next day. The people need to understand that the Lord is a giver. Their conception of him needs to be changed. What better way than to see him provide for them each morning? The Lord is teaching them to depend on his provision.

• They grumbled because they are not satisfied with HOW MUCH they are given. (vv.17-22). In verse sixteen the children of Israel are given specific instructions about how to gather the manna. Having run out of food in the wilderness, so that the Israelites feared that they would starve to death. The Hebrews were fearful they would starve if they will not gather more foods more than what they commanded to do so. This is a direct violation to the command of God. These instructions were intended to test the Israelites as well as to teach them obedience and increase their faith.

Having run out of food in the wilderness, so that the Israelites feared that they would starve to death, one can only imagine the zeal with which they harvested the first provision of manna. There was enough manna, it would seem, for every Israelite to have filled his tent. But the efforts to hoard the manna were direct disobedience to the God’s instructions. It would seem that Israel was guilty of two sins; greed and grumbling.

Arthur Pink Estimates

“Now a Conservative estimate of the total number of Israelites who came out of Egypt would be two million for they had six hundred thousand men able to go forth to war (Numbers 1:45-46). An “omer” was to be gathered for every one of these two million souls and an “omer” is the equivalent of six pints. There would be twelve million pints, or nine thousand pounds gathered daily, which was four thousand five hundred tons. Hence, ten trains, each having thirty cars and each car having fifteen tons would be needed for a single day’s supply. Over a million tons of manna were gathered annually by Israel.”

[Arthur Pink. Gleanings in Exodus. (Chicago: Moody, 1981.) pp. 124-125.]

Was God not generous to them. According to verse 35 he did for forty years, “And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.”

Dangers of Grumbling

Grumbling Causes Undue Fear

Grumbling Causes Unity to Dissipate

According to verse 2, “the whole congregation of the children of israel murmured…” What had begun with only a few now had contaminated the whole congregation. Grumbling is a contagious problem.

Grumbling Causes Weariness to Magnify

They had stopped this was the time to rest and get built back up. But their weariness only magnified in the face of what they lacked.

When you start to complain make sure your attitude isn’t because you have failed to Rest in him properly.

GOD’S RESPONSE

Knowing that Israel’s grumbling was the result of her lack of faith, God responded not with anger or judgment, but with provision. With abundance. With grace.

CIT: Be certain you don’t get your heart set on Egypt while your eyes are set on Canaan.

Jesus saw the danger - no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom.

Consequently, God responded GENTLY and GRACIOUSLY to the grumblings of the Israelites. Rather than to rebuke them for their complaining, He did two things, both of which were intended to demonstrate His presence with His people in their affliction and adversity.

First, He revealed His glory to the Israelites by a special manifestation of Himself in the cloud by which He had been leading them (16:10).

Second, God provided His people with quail and with manna (16:11-14).

God feed them from His own hand, showing them that He was their SUFFICIENCY and their SUSTENANCE.

APPLICATION

From the New Testament references to the manna of the Israelites, I would suggest that several principles were being taught in the provision of this “bread from heaven” which are just as applicable to Christian living today as they were for the Israelites.

You and I have experienced every reason to trust God and praise his name. What’s amazing is that he didn’t wait for our hardship to give us the reason to praise.

At Calvary Christ gave us a

Special Manifestation of God’s glory. When you and I go through pain we can complain but that is a choice. Because we have been given the greatest reason to trust. Calvary. I say this constantly but if God can handle the biggest problem we face. which is death. Think of it...

If your health is an issue we can face it with medicine treatment, surgery. If we face problems of finances we can cut expenses, multiple jobs. we can jump in and attempt to apply cures to our woes.

Not death. This is the giant I can’t take down. So God handled that one.

I can trust God with my health because he proved he could handle the thing I can’t.

God provides a daily care for my needs.

Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread. Understand that I am not to worry about tomorrow I’m to care about today. And watch him handle today’s need.

1. Trust God.

Proverbs 3:5–6 KJV 1900

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.

When the children of Israel finally stopped banging their collective heads against the wall, this is what they did. They agreed to trust God. It took them forty years of wandering in the desert, but it did happen, and they stopped complaining against their leadership, and began to move together as a family.

I know that not all churches or families or businesses will move at the same rate; God has not given everyone the same capabilities. However, I don’t know of a single church that cannot grow if they band together to trust God and work at it. I don’t know of a single individual or family that can’t make progress by deciding to trust God more and stop complaining. I know our nation would be a lot better off if there were less complaining and more decision to trust God.

2. Look to the Lord for his supply

List a few of the great things that God has going in your life right now. List to the daily things that God IS doing for you. List the things that Christ is doing in your private world.

3. Build a system around Worship - You’re not just a machine to produce goods you are a spirit

Purpose when you come to God’s House Focus on a Private Life Determine to take the Humble and Teachable route.

4. Establish a Daily collection

Let God handle tomorrow. Don’t try to take on tomorrows worries now.

Out loud give him charge over tomorrow. Inwardly let go of tomorrow. Focus on God as a Person

We, like the ancient Hebrews, often grumble when we think God has mistreated or forgotten us.

Jesus Christ is not only our deliverer from sin; HE is our:

• Sustainer

• Provider

• Champion

They had their eyes on Canaan and their heart on Egypt.