Exodus II Sermon Week 3

Intro/Welcome

2021 has been hard

False hope of the new year

Where do you get your strength? What is your source of strength?

Is it in the breakfast you eat?

The exercise you do?

Is it the sin you indulge in to derive some form of comfort in your life?

Is that going to give sustaining strength?

Life is hard. The wilderness is difficult.

But God is met in the wilderness

Exodus

Today we continue in our journey with the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Wilderness

The Journey: From the Red Sea to the Promised land.

3 days to Marah

They Grumble

Moses Prays

God provides water

R&R in Elim

But time to move on. God is not done

sometimes we get that season of rest and replenishment

God’s story is not done

This week they move on onto the Wilderness of Sin

Again we will see God’s power and presence with his people by his miraculous provision of bread from heaven

One of the most well know n stories in the Bible.

What we will see today though is.

that it was never about the manna, but the giver of the manna

But God was pointing them to something much greater.

Welcome

We’ll be in Exodus 16:1-36

Go there in your Bibles.

My name is Justin, one of the Pastors here

Welcome all who are joining us in person and online

It is a joy to come before the Lord today and worship him.

Let me pray for our time.

Pray

God we worship you.

Grumbling: Longing for Egypt

Tell the story of what will happen:

Come to Wilderness of Sin

Grumble about bread and meat

God answers and gives

but with instructions

Daily Provision — enough for each day

Weekly provision — Sabbath

He’s providing for them but also instructing them and testing them

What is God up to in all of this?

Luckily he tells us in the book of Deut

Deuteronomy 8:2–3 CSB “2 Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

To humble us, test us and teach us.

Let’s see what this looks like in our text today.

Exodus 16:1 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.

Sin — no relation to the English word sin

Exactly One Month after departing Egypt they arrive in the Wilderness of Sin

The passover and exodus was on the 14th day of Nissan (the 1st month)

Exodus 12:18 CSB

18 You are to eat unleavened bread in the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day.

Exod 16:2-3 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!”

They had their basic needs met, the spent a couple weeks in the Oasis of Elim

Here they are now entering the wilderness

How quickly they forget…How quickly we forget?

They remember the good ol’ days of Egypt.

It’s almost unbelievable.

Yea they were slaves, yea life was hard

but we had meat and bread — as much as we wanted

They have selective memory — they had cried out to the Lord in Exod

Exodus 2:23–24CSB “23...The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, and they cried out, and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God. 24 God heard their groaning...

They are grumbling now, not about their basic needs, but their desires and wants.

They want a quail sandwich — meat and bread.

This is an escalation…they accuse Moses (and God) of having brought them out here to die.

In other words — they again are doubting God’s provision and purposes

Application

Now, this is often how we work isn’t it?

maybe you have been rescued from a particular addiction or sin

maybe you became a believer and have left your old sinful ways behind you

but when life gets tough, you begin to long for the pleasures of Sin.

All of us to some degree do this

Egypt = Slavery to Sin

We long for Egypt, we long for the pleasures of sin b/c we have fogotten the sting of sin

We have lost sight of God’s Saving Work and God’s Sustaining presence

This is sin still alive in us.

it doesn’t make sense

Sin us ultimately illogical.

This is total depravity, sin nature, we continue to go back or at least long for that which brought us death — there is something deeply wrong with us.

Examples — addicts? porn, drugs, sex, success

I’ve seen this time and time again.

We try to return to Egypt again and again.

But there is no going back to Egypt — nothing will satisfy like God

nothing.

Sin calls back to the life we once lived in to keep us from going where God wants to take us.

Our problem is that we are sinners

So what is that for you? What sin is calling out to you?

To what part of Egypt do you long to return?

Grace: God’s Response

What is God’s response?

Is he angry? Is he going to blot out his people? Is he going to rain down fire and judgment?

The Journey of Israel is from slaves to sons and daughters of God

No, he’s going to answer their prayer.

Exodus 16:4-5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you (all). 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 (Torah). 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”

He says, in response to their sin, their lack of gratitude, their grumbling

I’m going to do a miracle

I’m going to rain bread from heaven.

Sound familiar? God’s first response to our sin is grace.

“I’m going to provide miraculously for your”

But i’m going to do it in such a way as to test you

to see if you will follow my instructions — My Torah

Here we are again.

Testing is good.

Are his people ready to follow him? To trust his word, to follow what he says?

notice the miracle / provision comes before the test, whether or not the pass the test

God’s grace is not dependent on their obedience

Their obedience is meant to be a response to his grace.

Why?

The next verses tell us.

Exodus 16:6-7a 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.

1. God wants his people to KNOW HIM

2. to SEE his GLORY (through the miraculous provision)

3. Know that God has HEARD YOUR complaints about HIM.

Exodus 16:7b-8 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.”

Complaint are Against God

The first point is this.

Their complaints are not against Moses and Aaron, the appointed leaders — but rather God himself.

This is what both Aaron and Moses say, they point the people to the true source

at the deepest level all of our complaints and grumblings are not at our leaders, our spouses, parents or circumstances

they are against the Sovereign God

Application

This is important for us to remember.

For many of us if we would just deal with God rather than avoid him many of our relational problems would disappear.

We hold against others what we are ultimately holding against God.

Their story is our story

Do you realize this in your life?

The sign of a good relationship is honesty

honesty leads to conflict.

healthy relationships can work through conflict

I’ve been recently working through conflict with a dear friend.

How’s your relationship with God?

Do you have a relationship with God such that you can be honest with him about your disappointments?

The Psalms models this kind of relationship with God for us.

Why i am in psalms everyday

Reading plan

Gifts: Meat & Manna

Exod 16:9-10 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your complaints.’ ” 10 As Aaron was speaking to the entire Israelite community, they turned toward the wilderness, and there in a cloud the Lord’s glory appeared.

So Moses and Aaron are passing along the message and what happens?

The Glory of the Lord appears in a Cloud

Just as it did when they were leaving Exodus.

Exodus 13:21–22 CSB

21 The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.

This Glory Cloud is the manifestation of God’s presence, his protection and provision. God is with them.

It will lead them for the next 40 years as the visible manifestation of God’s presence.

11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

God’s purpose agains is that they would KNOW him as their God

13 So at evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, there were fine flakes on the desert surface, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was. Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.

So here it is God’s miraculous provision.

meat from heaven at night

Bread — manna from heaven

But now the test.

God gives his instructions (torah)

Daily Provision

Exod 16:16-18 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat...17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little…18 Each gathered as much as he needed to eat.

Exod 16:19-20 Moses said to them, “No one is to let any of it remain until morning.” 20 But they didn’t listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. Therefore Moses was angry with them.

Some don’t trust that God will give the next day, so they keep some over

(Aside?) Application:

Now before we chide them for their inability to follow simple instructions let’s look at our own lives:

Love God and Love Others

Abide in me

Don’t worship false Gods

Don’t slander, gossip

don’t make a practice of sin

How are we doing at following simple instructions?

remember this isn’t about earning God’s salvation — they already had been delivered from the Egyptians

This is about learning to Trust the Good and Gracious God who rescued them. AddAs we’ll see God will make a provision for sin, for this lack of trust and worship of the one true God — the sacrificial system.

This is also true for us, God has made provision for our failings to love him with our whole heart, mind, body and strength

That is what the cross was about. The cost of our sin

Our salvation is not dependent upon our ability to trust and obey God

our ability to trust and obey God is dependent on our salvation.

Weekly Provision

Exodus 16:21–27 CSB 21 They gathered it every morning. ...22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food...and all the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.

This reads like they went out the sixth day and were surprised to find 2x as much!

So they gathered twice as much and come to ask Moses the meaning

Exodus 16:23-24 CSB He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and set aside everything left over to be kept until morning.’ ” 24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses commanded, and it didn’t stink or have maggots in it.

Exodus 16:25-27 CSB “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you won’t find any in the field. 26 For six days you will gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.” 27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any.

“by every word that comes from the mouth of God”

Not only does the bread miraculously rot over night

2x as much appears on Friday (day 6th)

And on this day they are explicitly told to keep some over until morning and it doesn’t ROT

A genuine miracle

Again there are those who try to explain away the miraculous nature of the manna

they will compare it to some natural phenomena that does indeed occur

And God can use ordinary means in extraordinary ways, it makes it no less of a miracle.

But the specificity of these instructions makes it clear that this was no ordinary occurence

And in fact this will continue for the next 40 years.

That’s longer then most of us have been alive.

Exodus 16:28–30 CSB 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you (pl) refuse to keep my commands and instructions?

Exodus 16:29-30 CSB Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he will give you two days’ worth of bread. Each of you stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

God’s gift of weekly rest.

Sabbath = ‘cease and desist’

God is giving his people and order to cease and desist from all work once a week so that they can rest

This is the first mention of and giving of the Sabbath.

We’ll hear it again in the ten commandments in a few weeks

But here is the first time God instructs the sabbath

And only the 2nd time this word is used with this meaning

The first? You guessed it: Gen 2:2-3 when God ‘rested’ Sabbath from all his work.

This is vastly different from their Experience in Egypt

The difference between Slavery to Sin and Sons of God

This is vastly different from any other culture in that time.

In fact,

No other culture in the ancient world celebrated a weekly day of rest.

This is a gift from God

A gift to relax, to replenish to rely on the Lord.

To celebrate His work

Book: Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Sabbath debate?

There is some weird debate over whether or not Christians should keep the sabbath.

It think it’s the wrong question.

My question is: why wouldn’t you want take a day off?

Are you that important to God?

Or in Jesus words “the kind of people that are alive to God are those who weekly rest in accordance with his pattern”

Sabbath shifted to Sunday rather than Saturday

Giver: God’s Lesson

So what is the point of all this?

What is God trying to teach his people?

Well, thankfully, Moses tells us in another one of his books.

Deuteronomy is written to the 2nd generation prior to entering the promises

He summarizes God’s purposes in Deut 8:2-3

Deuteronomy 8:2–3 CSB “2 Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Humble them/us — b/c we are prideful

We go our own way, refuse help

We often need humbling before we will come to God

He makes us hungry so that he can feed us.

Test Them

to show them who or what they are trusting in

Teach them

it’s was never about the manna, but the giver of the manna

this is the whole point

on their journey from slaves to sonship

It’s not about the gifts but the Giver

So it is with us!

Manna — What is it? Jesus

What’s interesting as we fast forward to the NT

Jesus also enters into the wilderness (Matt 4)

He fasts for 40 days and nights = 40 years in wilderness

Devil comes to tempt him

1st Temptation:

Turn these stones to bread.

Matthew 4:3 CSB

3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Matthew 4:4 CSB

4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

As if to show us this is the enemies number one lie — that we can’t believe this verse

That we really do live by the Word of God.

Furthermore years later in his ministry

Jesus shocks the crowds by making an audacious claim.

The Israelites didn’t recognize manna when they saw it

manna literally means ‘what is it?’

Jesus was the answer to that question:

He tells us in John 6

John 6:32–35 CSB “32 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”... 35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again.

This was shocking, but he goes further

John 6:47–51 CSB “Truly I tell you, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

This bread, this Body of Christ, leads to eternal life.

How?

John 6:56–58 CSB “56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna your ancestors ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”

eating and drinking — symbolic language that means to believe in the person and work of Jesus

To believe such that it is like taking it into your body

It is abiding in Him (John 6:56)

Not just a daily provision, but moment by moment

Through the Holy Spirit — God is here always

and his work is to remind you of the work of Jesus.

Closing

Jesus is our only source of Strength to go on.

If we live by every word of God, Jesus was the Word of God.

And it is by Him that We live.

Are you feeding on Jesus?

Are you abiding in Him?

He is your daily provision — your constant provision

He is your daily rest — your true sabbath rest

God’s power will be unlocked in this church

not the gifts, but the giver

the giver of eternal life.

Application:

where are you grumbling in your life?

Where are you not being honest with God?

Where are you focussing on the gifts rather than the giver?

What changes can you make today? This week?

to feed on Jesus daily?

Will you feed on Jesus as your only source of Strength? What changes can you make?

Let’s Pray