The Grumbling Israelites

Introduction

Good Morning

Who I am

Student - pastor

Active Duty AF 10 years

Married with 3 kids

Wife would be here

If you have your Bibles…stall with OT, Moses, David

Preach an Hour and a Half (ha!)

Please stand as I read

Exodus 16:1–5 (NKJV)

And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

Let us Pray (3 minutes)

Father, we know you have gone before us. We know you go before us. We have only to be still. Grant us your patience when we need. Help us to trust in your provision. Help us believe that you are enough. That your son was enough. Be with us today, God. In Christ Jesus' name, Amen.

Big Question: What Should You Do With Your Need? (5 minutes)

I’d like for us to think together

Wrestle with a question together

Shadow over the passage

What should you do with your need?

I am assuming you have needs

You have needs, but you’re not needy

Children are needy

We have needs, but we aren’t needy

plans for our needs

“I’m not needy, you’re needy!”

Childlike faith gets us into heaven, Needy faith

Simple, easy belief that Jesus is enough

Not - I’ve got this, Jesus come along

Not - self-made man

David was strong, but he needed God - life vs. Psalms

In our passage, Israelites are weak…hungry…needy

What did they do with their need?

God led them into the wilderness to kill them

Unlike David, they did not trust that the Lord would rescue them.

When you have a need, what should you do with it? Not what they did.

Point 1: Remember What God Has Done (10 minutes)

First, remember what God Has Done.

Let’s explore a bit more about their situation from the first few verses of our passage.

They set out from Elim.

Where’s Elim? What’s the significance?

12 Springs of Water, 70 Palm Trees

Earlier Complaining

Did this stop them from complaining here? No.

Maybe they only had this…maybe they needed more proof. Right?

This was the 15th day of the second month after they had departed from the Land of Egypt.

1.5 months out from the Red Sea.

Don’t remember breakfast - would remember a highway splitting

Still…only 2 miracles? I’d still complain if I had only seen 2 miracles.

Wrong.

Pillar of Cloud and Fire

Gold and Silver from Egyptians

10 Plagues & death of firstborn

All of this…water made sweet…Moses & Aaron are trying to kill them.

They failed to remember.

They trusted in their belief that they were victims of oppressive forces greater than God instead of trusting in what He had done for them.

What has God done for you that you’ve forgotten?

We leave far more blessings on the table than we realize

It’s not that He isn’t there…or the blessings aren’t there…we don’t ask

When you look back, do you not see His hand at work? I do.

So why don’t you use those memories and trust Him more?

And the Israelites don’t just grumble…they fantasize about slavery.

They’d rather be enslaved eating meat then free with God.

Sometimes certain pain seems better than uncertainty.

They wallowed in self-pity. They played the victim.

They equated God with Pharoah.

It is for freedom that He has set us free! He does not want slaves!

Remember His goodness that you may embrace your status as His beloved child and Trust in What He Will Do. He will keep His promises.

Point 2: Trust in What He Will Do. (24 minutes)

The Lord tells Moses He will rain bread from Heaven.

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Journey to Sinai…then the Promised land.

Let’s remember context:

Pre-law, pre-Sinai, pre-wandering.

Pre-Golden Calf.

God isn’t completely fed up with them yet.

On thier way to a covenant relationship

Why did God wait for the Israelites to grumble to rain bread from heaven?

God knows what we need better than we do.

God is concerned with what we do with our need.

God is just as interested in providing for our needs as He is with teaching us that He is our provision.

Go to Him first.

Need through lack

When we remember, we are able to trust

The Israelites chose to not remember

Self pity instead of humility

Had they merely asked God for food, He would have provided, no grumbling required.

Do you know what God has said He will do? Do you believe He will do it?

Do you believe in what God has said He has already done?

Nothing can separate us from Christ

Co-crucified, co-buried, co-resurrected, co-ascended, co-seated

Washed you as white as snow? (Linger here)

Are you too bad? Recall the plagues. Water to blood.

He is your healer. He can and will heal you.

How much more now that Jesus has come?

What do you need?

What does God say about that need?

More than sparrows.

Spurgeon - Blank Cheques.

Coolest part of bread from heaven is its’ references elsewhere

Sustained the Israelites for 40 years

God Commands they keep a small amount in a jar forever

Remember, so you can trust!

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 - Moses tells the Israelites the purpose of the Manna.

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord

Are you relying on His words?

He will teach you if you will be taught.

Jesus referenced this passage when battling Satan after 40 day fast

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Manna

John 6:32–40 ESV

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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus Christ is the bread of life. The ultimate provision.

If you hunger/thirst, He will satisfy you

Israelites needed food…got food.

We need Jesus Christ

Bring your need to God. Trust in His provision, especially Christ Jesus, and then Obey His Commands.

Point 3: Obey His Commands.

Going back to our text, we see what else the Lord says.

He does not just give them bread, He also gives them instructions

He tells Moses He is testing the people.

Remember, no Sinai law yet.

One law so far - keep the Passover

Second Law - Gather what you need for one day, eat it, and trust that more will be there for tomorrow.

No secret rules. No small print at the bottom. No exception clause. No terms and conditions.

I’ll rain bread. You collect it. Don’t keep it overnight.

As a farmer - how’s this business model? Provision for one day.

Would you invest in this plan?

As businessmen…does this sound like ensuring provision for the future? Locking in an investment?

But as a child. Do your children ask you to see the budget so they can be sure you’ll have enough food for next month?

Have we forgotten how to be children once we have children?

God was teaching them to rely on His provision and on His Word.

We need this lesson in America.

The Lord is also preparing them for the Sabbath.

On the sixth day, gather twice as much.

God’s word never contradicts itself.

Genesis 3 themes!

Food (Apple…Manna)

One rule vs. 2

Specific, deliberate failure.

A very tempting question: Why would God test the Israelites if He knew they would fail?

Why would He give them a rule if He knew they would break it?

Why ask them to obey if they couldn’t?

God designed us with needs.

Our greatest need is Him.

What will you do with this need?

Will you chase after lesser? Will you settle for less than He promises you?

Will you grab the apple?

Will you keep what you don’t need and let it spoil?

Or will you rest easy knowing He is your provider?

You are worth far more than many sparrows, dear brothers and sisters.

God gives us rules to expose our hearts and to expose sin.

We like thinking we aren’t that bad.

What do you do with boundaries He sets?

Once we have the Spirit of God, we can fight the flesh and walk in the Spirit.

The Israelites didn’t have this luxury. They paved the way for us and Jesus.

God was not tricking them.

His provision comes with the cost of obedience.

Consider parenting…my house, my rules.

God is looking for followers who are men and women after His own heart.

He does not want robots.

These consistent failures point us to something greater.

He will replace heart of stone for heart of flesh - Ezekiel

He will put His spirit inside of us.

Their failures point to Jesus Christ.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are battling with sin alone.

You don’t have to fight alone.

He will give you His Spirit…a helper.

Are you weary? His yoke is easy.

Are you needy? He is enough.

Are you hungry for more out of life? He is the bread of life.

He is all you need. Only He satisfies.

Professor - life then Jesus, Jesus then life

In conclusion - we began with a question: What should you do with your need?

My prayer is that you are more convinced that turning to Him with your need first is the best thing you can do with it.

If you:

Remember what He has done

Trust in What He Will Do

And Obey His Commands

Your greatest needs will be met.

He is your greatest need.

He has given us Himself in Christ Jesus.

I invite you today to bring your needs to the Lord.

Hurt

Sorrow

Pain

Lack of Purpose

Lack of fulfillment

Be His child. Look to Him as a father.

Let us pray.

Father in heaven, you have met us here today and showed us your sufficiency for all of our needs. Help us to see your provision, your kindness, and your glory that we might believe you are glad and able to meet us in our need. Help us, even the toughest among us, to admit that we need you. In your son's precious name I pray, Amen.

We’ll sing one more song before we close, and if you’d like to come up, I’d love to pray with you.