We Dare Not Complain. We have the Bread of Heaven.

Introduction

An April 14th ‘Our daily bread’ devotional, year not given, talks about a Scottish preacher named George Matheson. Rev. Matheson had a problem. He was unwilling to praise God during bad times, only in good ones. I doubt he was alone in his day. Let’s face it. Praising God when bad times happen is part of the modus operand of many of us. To quote the devotional directly: “...we sometimes fail to realize that even adverse circumstances are blessings in disguise.” This changed when his eyesight started to fail. He dealt with this for months before finally he understood. “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.”[1] This was something Israel needed to learn

Background

We are now one month outside of Egypt in the wilderness. Yahweh, through Moses, still has some teaching to do. Israel has to grow up and mature before it can possess the land. Charles Spurgeon, from his sermon Lessons from the Manna, put it this way: “To train that mob of slaves into a nation under discipline, to lift up those who had been in bondage, and make them fit to enjoy national privileges, this was the Herculean task that Moses had to perform. And their God, who loved the children of Israel, and chose them, and determined to make them a peculiar people unto himself, undertook to teach them, and he used their food as part of the means of their education. Animals are often taught through their food. When they could not be reached in any other way, they have been instructed by their hunger, and by their thirst, and by their feeding. And the Lord, who knew of what a coarse nature Israel was composed, and how the people had degenerated from the old stock during their long bondage, took care to teach them by every means, not only by the higher and the more spiritual, by the typical and symbolical, but he also taught them by their hunger and by their thirst, by the supply of water from the rock, and by the manna which he rained from heaven.” [2]

Exposition

Verses 1 - 3: Again the people grumble against the LORD, directed at Moses and Aaron. This time the issue is hunger. Their food stocks are running low or gone and rather than trust the same God that miraculously provided water to do the same here they complain. And why shouldn’t they complain? It got them water, right?[1] In an incredible sign of ingratitude and outright insult to Yahweh, they proclaim it would have been better for the LORD to kill them in Egypt. A moment is needed to highlight the seriousness of this. The Hebrew word underlying ‘grumbled’ “has the character of open and plaintive rebellion against a person (consistently in constructions with the prep. ʿal “against”) with the intention of undermining this person.” [2] According to NIDOTTE: “The word describes hostile complaining, strong words of discontentment, angry rejection, or verbal attacks of a dissatisfied people.”[3] At least there they had all the bread and meat they wanted. In essence they are saying God’s mighty acts on their behalf were in vain. He great demonstration of power meant nothing if they had to go hungry. ‘The LORD’s deliverance of us is going to mean our death.’ This is an incredibly arrogant, self-centered, and ultimately self-destructive position. It is one that declares Yahweh’s great work on their behalf to be one of evil and not good. It says their hopeless, shackled state was better than freedom to serve the LORD. It places temporal physical comfort above the eternal spiritual benefit of a relationship with the one true GOD. It is rebellion. It is one of the primary problems we see in the world today.

How often is it that our problems can warp our thinking. Focusing only on the current situation without thought of the God who rules over it is the road the ruin. Setting aside the reality of Yahweh’s care for us is blasphemous. Complaints against the LORD of hosts are challenges to His character. It is a serious thing to question the wisdom, power, and love of God. It is something we ought not to do lest we perish like this generation ultimately will. As we said last week, there is a proper way to bring our concerns to God.

The right way to approach God about out ills is found in the psalter. There are plenty of lament psalms. They talk of lack and enemies and problems. They also often return to the reality to God reigns and He can do something about it. These words are written for our instruction. We should draw upon them as, by the providence of the Spirit of God, they have been preserved for us to know how we should pray.

Verses 4 - 5: In another amazing act of grace, Yahweh tells Moses he will provide bread from heaven for them. He will satisfy their physical hunger but also again test them. Will they trust in the LORD and only gather enough each day for that day, except for the sixth day when they will gather for two days? The goal is the same as with the water. Will Israel trust in the LORD’s power to keep and provide for them each and every day? In general, Will they obey the good law of God? If Israel is to survive and thrive as a people, it must come to the point of reliance, not on self but the God who loves and redeemed them. Israel must follow after him will all their hearts, believing His word and resting in His love. It is the same with believers today. In the difficult circumstances of life our hearts of revealed. Take a moment and reflect. Would you be like Israel or would you trust the your heavenly Father will provide all you need according to His riches and glory (Phil. 4:19).

Verses 6 - 8: Moses declares to the people that the LORD will once again display His glory and power in their midst. They will be reminded that Yahweh alone is God their redeemer and provider. While they grumble, He will give them meat for the night and all the bread they need, condescending to them to show His care in response to their complaints against Him. This bread from heaven will be sufficient to meet their need. They will not have to go anywhere else. They are simply to rely on what the LORD shall provide. We also enjoy bread from heaven. I speak of the Bread of Life, Christ Jesus.

In Jn 6:33;35;48-51 Jesus states that the bread of God from heaven is what gives life to the world. It allows life to continue. He than makes clear that He is the bread of life. Eternal satisfaction is found only in Him and those who trust Him will need nothing else. He wasn’t talking about physical hunger in this passage. Rather he was teaching the people they must seek after the source of life and not the benefits provided if they are truly to be full and content. Our greatest need is spiritual, not physical. This isn’t to say the LORD doesn’t care about our physical needs. It is to say we will never find lasting fulfillment in earthly things, even good things. I will leave this point with the answer to question 125 of the Heidelberg Catechism, what is the fifth petition of the Lord’s Supper: “Give as this day our daily bread. That is: Be pleased to provide us with all things necessary for the body, that we may thereby acknowledge Thee to be the only fountain of all good and that neither our care nor industry, nor even Thy gifts, can profit us without Thy blessing, and therefore, that we may withdraw our trust from all creatures, and place it alone in Thee.”[4]

Whatever something is repeated in scripture, especially so closely, we are to pay attention. Moses twice makes the point that their complaints are really against Yahweh, the true leader and not Moses and Aaron the servants. It was Yahweh who delivered and currently leading them. They are questioning Yahweh’s goodness, taking a grave risk by doing so. In Contrast, Yahweh in his appearing seeks to educate His people that He is in control of their situation and the proper response to concerns to turning toward him. [5]

Verses 9 - 12: Instructed by Moses, Aaron instructs to the people to draw near to God. As he does so Yahweh manifest His glory. Speaking to Moses only, He declares the people shall have ongoing provision of bread in the morning and a temporary allotment of meat in the evening. By performing this deed, Yahweh will show the people He is the LORD and their Lord. He is to be worshipped.

Verse 13 - 15: As Yahweh promised, the quail came up at the evening and the bread fell as dew in the morning. It was bread the people never saw before, hence the question what is it? Moses answers it is the bread the LORD provided. Again we stress that Yahweh alone could provide for the continued life. Human strength and ability weren’t going to profit anything or anyone. The hand of God was needed to preserve the people. This was true then. It is true now.

Verse 16 - 21: Here is where the test takes place. Moses tells the assembly to gather according to the size of their tents. These are the tests: They are not to gather in excess and there are to be no leftovers. They must eat it all when gathered. The initial result is that everyone ends us with exactly as much as they need. Unfortunately some of them don’t listen and Israel fails this test. They are unwilling to trust in the provision of God for their needs. Their doubt has a price as the leftovers rot and become food for worms. Moses is angry. God is disbelieved and disrespected again. They do seem to get the message sooner or later as the next verse states they continue to gather morning by morning.

Practical Application

In Christ the Father has provided for all that we need. He are reconciled to Him. We are being conformed to the image of His Son. We have power to witness in all the earth, showing his glory as we do so. We have a provider. He will meet both our physical and spiritual needs. Let me close with one more story, courtesy of Focus on the Family: “One woman tells of a time when her family was almost out of food. She writes: Our broken, often discouraged single-parent family lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia.... As usual, bills accumulated and financial pressure intensified.... We had little food and no money to buy groceries. One Friday while I was home during a lunch break, I did what came easily: I sat on my bed and cried. During my crying and groaning the phone rang.... "I'm from the Philadelphia Inquirer Action Line, and I understand you could use a Thanksgiving dinner.... [W]e would like to know where you shop, so next Tuesday you can go to the store of your choice and pick up a gift certificate for $50.... We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving." My reaction was joy, relief, and excitement—plus guilt. I had neglected to trust the Lord, who remains faithful. Glancing at the clock, I rushed back to work and straight to a friend's office. Barbara had heard me exclaim many times that Jesus loves us. With great enthusiasm I told her what happened. She responded with a glint in her eye. "Ginny, I'll do one better than that. I have a turkey that was given to us in the freezer... I'll bring it to you on Monday, and you can spend the extra money on something else."... On Tuesday... [a]s we put the groceries away at home I was reflecting on how faithful God is even when our trust falters. Then, as I was about to shut the cabinet, the doorbell rang.... "Is your mother home? We are from the Church of the Open Door.... We have brought you your Thanksgiving dinner."... With my mouth still open we watched as they brought in seven bags of groceries—and a 21-pound turkey. We had to clear space for the groceries in the bathroom linen closet, the laundry room and under one bed. As we were preparing for bed that night, I received another phone call—Carol, a friend from church. "Ginny," she said excitedly, "John and I have just come from the market and we bought food for Thanksgiving.... We want you and the kids to come over.... We won't take no for an answer."”[7]

Gospel Application

Our greatest need to be reconciled with the Father. This is possible in Christ. If you don’t need call Him Savior and Lord, I call you to repent and believe the gospel. Jesus Christ came to save sinners. He was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life before God the Father, died gruesomely on the cross, and rose on the third day. He has able to save all those that place their trust in Him. He is the bread of Life from heaven that accomplished what we couldn’t. He brought eternal life. Acknowledge your sin and guilt before God, Believe on the LORD Jesus, Confess Him as Savior and Lord and you shall be saved. Don’t delay. Repent and believe on today.

Bibliography

[1] Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

[2] Spurgeon, C. H. (1893). Lessons from the Manna. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 39, p. 517). London: Passmore & Alabaster.

[1] tba

[2] Jenni, E., & Westermann, C. (1997). Theological lexicon of the Old Testament (p. 645). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

[3] VanGemeren, W. (2012). New international dictionary of old testament theology & exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[4] Good, J. I. (1904). Aid to the Heidelberg Catechism (p. 65). Cleveland, OH: Central Publishing House.

[5] Mackay, J. L. (2001). Exodus (p. 287). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.

[6] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God's Glory, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 433.