God’s Daily Provision

Introduction

We started the book of Exodus focused on this enslaved people group being violently oppressed by a wicked nation. Here we are about half way through this book and Israel is now free from bondage; free from slavery; they are freely walking in the wilderness, led by their God in a very unique way. But this was not enough for Israel. In fact, after they had just sung a beautiful, God-exalting song for their miraculous salvation, Israel will begin a grumbling that would go on for generations. This grumbling has surpassed Israel, even, and made its way to us today, as God’s people.

The First Grumble

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 16

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!”

It is important that as we talk about the Israelites here, we show them grace. Consider this: they have trekked, along with millions of men, women, children, and livestock, hundreds of miles by now. They were exhausted, hot, and hungry. They probably had a little food with them, but surely not enough to sustain their entire journey.

The Shortsighted Mob

There is something very natural that has always happened, and I see firsthand happen today, when people are in a group being led by one or few people.

The Leader Makes Hard Decisions

The Mob Critiques the Leader(s)

The Leader Endures the Critiques

The Mob Grumbles (Eventually Rebels)

Mobs are dangerous! They will kill someone very quickly, assuming that they know better than the leader. We see that happening here already: They are grumbling against Moses and Aaron. See how they wished to be enslaved again just so they could have food? They are so shortsighted. All they care about, in this moment, is their empty stomach. They wish for slavery just so they can eat more food again! They wish for the time when they had no rights, were not even considered human, were beat and mocked, were losing children due to the wicked Pharaoh, etc. all for food.

Few things to note from this:

Israel Was Ruled by Their Bellies

Food had a strong hold on Israel. It blinded them to all that had occured and was occuring; all they saw was that they wanted food and so they blame Moses and Aaron for this.

Food has quite the hold on us, especially us as Americans. We have unlimited access to all sorts of food all the time! We don’t eat for 2-4 hours and we claim we are “starving” or “famished.” Is this not ridiculous? Did you know you can go far longer without food than you realize? Jesus fasted for 40 days. Moses did the same. Daniel rejected meat, ate only veggies just to prove God’s power to pagans. Are we willing to do these things? I am not saying go fast for forty days by any means, but rather “Are you willing to fast from food at all?” The spiritual discipline of fasting is not only for the super christians. It is not just for pastors. Fasting is for christians.

Fasting

What is fasting? In Scripture, fasting is abstaining from all food and all drink except water for spiritual purposes. Every part of this is important. It is easy to say you’re fasting while snacking on little things throughout the day, but that isn’t fasting. It is easy to say you’re fasting when you really are just trying to lose weight, but that is not the spiritual discipline of fasting.

The point is that instead of eating, you pray, read God’s Word, and seek to know God more deeply. Fasting can be done in response to a big decision, a sin you’re struggling with, the looming potential of something bad happening (someone dying, losing a job, etc.). Fasting can be done corporately! As in you can fast in groups. There are several biblical accounts of an entire nation fasting or an entire church fasting.

Make sure you don’t fast in a way to make it known to the world for your own image. Jesus speaks against this in the Sermon on the Mount. Fast quietly, as it is for God, not for the world.

Israel’s mistake is not bringing up that they were hungry, it was that they complained about it, rather than genuinely asked Moses/the Lord for food. They were grumblers and complainers, pointing out all the bad about their situation, and doing nothing to actually help it. Don’t be that person. This is sinful behavior.

Israel Forgot Already

This shows us how Israel had already forgotten about Egypts cruel punishment on them. How they worked every single day, without rest, building monuments that worshiped Egyptian gods. All they remembered of Egypt was that they were being fed. They couldn’t see past their stomachs!

All of the incredible acts that God did in Egypt in order to rescue them, it seems they had already forgotten.

The line in Come Thou Fount comes to mind: Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. We are so prone to wander and forget about our God. But He is still faithful to never let us go too far astray. Despite Israel’s groaning, we will see, God is going to be there for them and provide.

Israel Did Not Trust God

Ultimately, Israel’s grumbling revealed their distrust in God. They may have been grumbling at their leaders, Moses and Aaron, but they were really grumbling against God. They didn’t trust He was going to provide. When I say provide, I don’t just mean provide food in that moment, but I mean provide a safe home for them too. Them complaining, wishing they were still Egypt is a direct complaint against God and where He was taking them.

We must be weary not to fall into this same mindset, though we often do. We complain about our lives. We grumble that God is not there. In doing this, we are telling the world and ultimately God that we don’t trust Him with our lives. We feel this incessant need to be in control of our own lives that we war with God who is truly in control. We see the direction He is taking us and we wrestle Him because we don’t like it. We see that we are not extremely comfortable and wealthy and etc. and we hate God for it.

We need to stop being so focused on all the somewhat negative things happening in our lives and express gratitude to God for all the blessings He is constantly showering on us.

God’s Steadfast Provision

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 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.”

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 and 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 all the bread you want 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.”

And now, despite Israel’s sinful complaining and wishing for slavery, God speaks to Moses and provides. There are a few things He says are going to happen.

He is going to rain down bread from Heaven

Everyone can only gather enough bread for the day

Day before the sabbath, they are to gather double portions

Why Can’t They Gather More for Tomorrow?

It is very interesting that God restricts Israel from gathering more bread than they need each day, except the day before the Sabbath. There is, of course, a reason for this. God is intentional in His actions. God wanted Israel to be dependent on Him every day. If He rained bread down on them on one day, and they gathered enough bread for a month, they would even more quickly forget the Lord. God wanted Israel to be fully, and wholly dependent on Him every single day.

We, as Americans, struggle with this as well. The “American Dream” is really being independent from any government or other person. We want to provide it all for ourselves and so that we can attribute that glory to ourselves. “Look what I did.” Yet, God neutered Israel from being able to do this. He wouldn’t let them. They were trapped in full dependence on God. We should strive for this. Especially in your fight against sin, you must depend on God every day, every hour, every minute and every second. He will be your strength if you depend on Him. We should depend on God to provide your daily means too. Look what Jesus says on this topic during the Sermon on the Mount:

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 6

25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Do not worry about your life. God cares for and clothes the birds of the sky and the grass of the ground—how much more will He take care of you?

Moses Calls Out Israel

Moses sees it necessary to correct Israel’s complaints. First, He tells them that the Lord has heard them.

This alone is an amazing truth that God chose to still hear their complaints, even though they were laced with entitlement and sin. When you come to God with frustrations, He still wants to hear you, but be mindful of your posture as you pray. Do not be like these Israelites who felt that God was obligated to serve them. This is sin.

Then Moses says something key, twice, in this portion of Scripture.

For who are we that you complain about us? …Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.

Moses and Aaron were being faithful in the way they were leading Israel, but they complained anyways. Moses did everything the Lord told Him, but Israel complained anyway. Moses knew it was not him and Aaron who were the problems. He knew they had problems with God, not them. And so, he reminded them of this.

Why Complain?

We need to remember this too. I am going to try to contextualize this for you guys. Oftentimes, your parents are doing what they feel is right for your family. Hopefully, they are trying to be led by God as much as they can. But understand this: being a parent, leading a family, is hard. Especially if you’re a single-parent. Your parents are going to mess up sometimes. It is not your job to critique them; grumble against them; constantly complain. It is your job to trust that God is using them to get you to where you need to be. Apply this same principle with your teachers, with your pastors; with your bosses; with all authorities in your life.

Ultimately, apply this with your relationship with God as well. Do not grumble against Him, but thank Him for your blessings. You all are very blessed.

Jesus Is Daily Enough

Application

Don’t Worship Food

Don’t Be the Grumbler

Trust God is Providing