WHATS FOR DINNER?

This message was preached at Grace Baptist Church on Sunday, June 7, 2009. It can be heard on-line at www.gbcwestlake.org This is the chapter in Exodus that deals with Manna. I wasn't quite sure where it would lead us, in terms of application; but I know for me, this chapter challenged my view of my real needs. Sometimes, I take things for granted, rather than just being thankful for how God meets my daily needs, and am not as content with what I do have. I was challenged to give thanks, every day, for what God has given us, and for the greatest provision He has given for our daily needs: Himself.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?
Exodus 16

Please open your Bible to the 2nd book of the Bible, the book of Exodus, and chapter 16…Exodus 16.

[SOUND: What you are about to hear is a test. It is not a test of the emergency broadcast system, but it will sound like one. This is a test. It is a test of your patience and endurance of annoying sounds. Are you ready for your test? [the long beep- normal length as in a regular emergency broadcast test]. This was not a test of the emergency broadcast system; but a test of your patience and endurance of annoying sounds. How did you do on this test?]

Don’t you hate that noise? Every time it comes over radio, it bothers me…even though I know it is necessary and potentially life hugely beneficial in the future. Tests like that are pretty annoying aren’t they? We would rather just wait for the real thing, than to be tested over and over and over again, which seems to interrupt real living. Well, the people of Israel, newly released from bondage in Egypt, were being put through a series of tests, by their God and their redeemer, The LORD (Jehovah). But these tests were all real, and were given by God to see exactly where the hearts of His people were. Were they completely trusting in God, or only when it was convenient? Were they willing to follow Him wholeheartedly, or only when it fit in with their plans? Those are the same types of questions we must answer, as it relates to our relationship with God.

We are going to read several passages of Scripture that are not in Exodus 16 this morning. When you see words or phrases in these verses that are bold and set apart, would you please read those words or phrases out loud, in unison?
Tests are not easy, and the people of Israel were finding that out very quickly. After God released them from 400 years of bondage in Egypt, He led them to the Red Sea, where they would be trapped by the pursuing Egyptian army. They were tested, to see whether or not they would trust in the God that just delivered them. What did they do?
Exodus 14:11,12 – “They said to Moses, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
They complained. But then God delivered them miraculously, dividing the Red Sea, allowing them to cross on dry ground, and bringing the waters back on the Egyptian army, so that they all drowned. They responded with songs of praise, which is what the first 21 verses of Exodus 15 are all about. However, a few days later, they went into a wilderness area, where there was no water. Once they found water, it was undrinkable. And the people of God were tested again. How did they do this time, just a few days after singing praises to God?

Exodus 15:24 – “And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?”

Regardless of their grumbling, God answered the prayers of Moses and directed him to throw a log into the waters, that then made it drinkable again. God delivered His unworthy people, once again. It was there that God said He would continue to test them based on what He had laid down for them to live by:

Exodus 15:25,26 – “…there the LORD made for them a statue and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statues, I will put no one of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

Although they are going to keep moving forward, God is going to keep teaching them what they need to learn. The same is true for us; and as I have mentioned to you almost every week of our study in Exodus, we have these stories so that we can also learn and grow in our relationship with God:

II Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

This morning Exodus is going to talk about food we know nothing about; but the important lessons for our lives are right here, in the experiences of the people of God thousands of years ago. And the first lesson we learn is this:

1. Expect to be tested

It wasn’t long after God provided water for the people of Israel, when He decided it was time for another test. And that brings us up to date, and ready for:

Exodus 16:1-3 – “They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Only gone for a month from Egypt, they remembered the food they were able to eat there; and now, without food in sight, they said they would rather have been killed in Egypt – at least they would have full stomachs. What they failed to remember is the slave labor and beatings and harsh conditions they endured, the very circumstances they cried out to God to deliver them from. We talked about the grumbling and complaining quite a bit last week.

What I would like for you to focus on is that fact that God continued to test His people, to see whether or not they were going to follow through with the praise and the commitments they made when things were going well. I don’t pretend to know exactly what was going on the minds of the people of Israel at that time. We can make some guesses based on their actions and comments. But one thing stands out to me about what we should learn from this (outside of the whole grumbling and complaining topic from last week).

We should expect trials and tests to come into our lives, just like the people of Israel experienced. Just because they were redeemed from bondage did not keep God from allowing them to run right into the Red Sea conflict and seeming trap. Just because He delivered them from the Red Sea, it didn’t mean they would face the next tests of thirst and hunger. You see: this wasn’t about personal freedom and comfort. When God tested them, it didn’t mean they had necessarily done anything wrong. It meant that God was doing what was necessary to grow their faith and trust in Him. Trials and tests are all about spiritual growth. Want proof?

James 1:2-4 – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

I Peter 1:6,7 – “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

You should expect tests and trials. You should expect that there will be difficult days. Why? Because God is not all about your comfort but about your spiritual growth. And like it or not, we grow the most through pain and difficult circumstances. I like the sub-title of one of my favorite books on marriage, and I highly recommend it to all married couples: Sacred Marriage is the title. But here is the sub-title: What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? That is a great question for you to meditate on sometime. I think it is true; and that idea applies to every aspect of our lives. I have included information about this book, on the back of your outline, in case you would like to get it for yourself.

So, don’t dwell on the natural questions we have when tough things happen, such as: Why God? God, when are you going to get me out of this mess? Who can I blame for this mess? Instead, expect these things to happen, and respond, knowing that God, who makes no mistakes, and is in complete control, is allowing this so that your faith will be tested, and you will grow in your walk with Him. Believe it or not, that can even allow you to have the responses of peace and joy, even in the midst of trials and testing.

At the beginning of a new year, a high school principal decided to post his teachers’ new year’s resolutions on the bulletin board. As the teachers gathered around the bulletin board, a great commotion started. One of the teachers was complaining. "Why weren’t my resolutions posted?" She was throwing such a temper tantrum that the principal hurried to his office to see if he had overlooked her resolutions. Sure enough, he had mislaid them on his desk. As he read her resolutions he was astounded. This teacher’s first resolution was not to let little things upset her in the New Year. So much for that resolution! How easy is it, for us, to forget our commitments, as soon as we face another test or trial.

Next lesson we can learn from Israel’s experience here:

2. Trust God to meet your daily needs

Exodus 16:4,5 – “Then the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”

No, the people didn’t deserve food, since they had been complaining so much. But, God is faithful, as we have already seen, and He was, in His own way and time, going to provide their basic needs. But, as you see here, God was doing this as a way to test their faith. The responsibilities He was about to give them, in providing for their needs, would test their commitment. In these verses, we see how and why God was going to meet their needs and meets our as well. And the first thing to recognize here, is that:

· God made a promise

God has also made us a promise, not to give us everything we want, but to give us everything we truly need. In the context of having the basic needs to live, the Apostle Paul said this about God’s promise:

Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

And what is the real reason for all of this? Is it for my comfort? No, but for God’s glory. The very next verse in Philippians 4 connects this idea, when it says:

Philippians 4:20 – “To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Moses and Aaron announced to the people of what God was going to do and the promise that He had made to meet their food needs. They also talk about the connection to God’s glory.

Exodus 16:6-8 – “So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us? And Moses said, When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him – what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”

We talked about the grumbling aspect last week. If you want to consider that topic in more detail, get the CD or get on our website to listen to the message from May 31st: How Soon We Forget. They were grumbling in their hearts, against God, but directed it outwardly toward God’s leader, Moses. But, God still responded, as he shows up, to display His glory. And the way He was going to display His glory, was to miraculously meet their need of daily food. That is the next aspect mentioned in your notes:

· God shows His glory

Exodus 16:9-12 – “Then Moses said to Aaron, Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling. And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, At twilight you shall eat meat, in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.”

All along, this has been about the people of God getting to know their LORD (Jehovah God), who keeps all of His promises, and wants a special relationship with His people. He was going to provide for them in an incredible way, because they were to know that He was the faithful God, that not only kept His promises for the nation of Israel, but to every one of them personally. They were to be focusing on the glory of God instead of their own desires for food. They were to understand that:

· God was faithful

Exodus 16:13-15 – “In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, What is it? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, it is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”

We have just a passing mention of the quail, which provided the meat for the Israelites. But, it is still important to note that God’s faithfulness provided the meat they needed for strength. They had seen quail before. But, what appeared in the morning, described here as “ a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground, was something they had never seen before. In fact, the word “manna”, which it was soon called comes from the question they asked; and it is the natural question when food is set out in front of you that you haven’t seen before: “What is it”? that is what they asked; and that is what Manna means. Pretty appropriate, don’t you think?

Verse 31 tells us:
Exodus 16:31 – “Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”

Every morning, they saw the faithfulness of God, as they came out of their tents, and gathered the provision for their needs that day. The Bible talks often about this experience of Israel, to focus on the faithfulness of God. Think about:

Psalm 78:22-25 – “Because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.”

This was the provision of God, food from Heaven, the bread of angels, the Psalmist calls it. “He sent them food in abundance.” Take a look at this picture.

PICTURE: “Grace” – The old man praying over his bread

Are you familiar with this picture? [An old man bowed in prayer over a piece of bread and a bowl of soup.] The title of the painting is Grace, and was done in 1918. You will find it hanging in many Christian homes as a reminder to be thankful for our daily bread. I recently read a story of the possible context for this painting.

In a town in northern Minnesota, an old, homeless man knocked on the door of, a struggling artist, Eric Enstrom, and begged for food to eat. Eric was about to sit down to a simple lunch of soup and bread. He invited the old man into share what he had. As he was getting something from the refrigerator, he turned back and saw the old man bow his head in prayer and thanksgiving. This picture of simple contentment and thanksgiving was frozen in his mind, and he painted what he saw. This is the faith of a man, who knew where his daily bread came from. He praised God for His faithfulness in providing it. This is what God was teaching His people. This is why, when His disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He included this: Please say it out loud with me:

Matthew 6:11 – “Give us this day our daily bread.”

When was the last time you just thanked God, sincerely thanked Him, for what you have, rather than grumbled about what you don’t have? This manna was the food that had no name, just known by a question: What is it? This was a generic food that simply met their daily needs. The next lesson to learn:
3. Follow God’s instructions

Exodus 16:16 – “This is what the LORD has commanded: Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.”

· Get enough for your needs

They were to each take an omer, or about 2 quarts worth, depending on how many people in their family and tent. This was not just an amount so they wouldn’t starve, but enough to be full. It wasn’t an amount that was too much; but they were to gather what they truly needed. At this time, they were going to be living very simply; and God was going to provide just enough for what they needed. But, it was their responsibility to work, to gather it, and to gather the right amount.

Exodus 16:17,18 – “And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.”

Those who needed more, took more but had nothing left over once the family ate it. Those who needed less had no lack of food. They took what was needed. That was God’s provision. And His next instruction was this:

· Use God’s resources and trust Him

Exodus 16:19-21 – “And Moses said to them, Let no one leave any of it over till the morning. But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.”

This does not mean you should waste what you have, or that you shouldn’t save. But, God was trying to teach them something. They were to use up what He had given them, because He had given them enough for their needs. They were not to save any of it overnight, so that they could have security; because God wanted to be their security. If they did save some for the morning, it was full of worms, stunk, and was inedible.

There is something to be said for learning to depend on God daily, rather than having so much that we don’t need to depend on Him for a while. Again, nothing wrong with saving, in fact it is a wise thing; but God sometimes puts in situations where we have no choice but to daily pray and wait for His provision. Of course, outside of the food issue, we do need Him every day, to help us live the way we ought.

One of Rabbi Ben Jochai’s pupils once asked him, Why did not the Lord furnish enough manna to Israel for a year, all at one time? The teacher said, I will answer you with a parable. Once there was a king who had a son to whom he gave a yearly allowance, paying him the entire sum on the fixed date. It soon happened that the day on which the allowance was due was the only day of the year when the father ever saw his son. So the king changed his plan and gave his son day by day that which was sufficient for the day; and then the son visited his father every morning. How he needed his father’ unbroken love, companionship, wisdom, and giving! This God dealt with Israel and deals with us in our daily walk.”

Isaiah 33:2: - “O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of trouble.”

The next part of the instructions are helpful to us as well:

· Rest in honor of the LORD

Exodus 16:22-24 – “On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, This is what the LORD has commanded: Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning. So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.”

Again there was a trust factor here…trust that God would keep His promise, that unlike all the other days of the week, the bread would not go bad on the Sabbath; and that their needs would be met even though they did not work on that day.

Exodus 16:25,26 – “Moses said, Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

So, Saturday was to be the day of rest. We will see more of this and the reasoning for it, when we get to the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. But for now, all they needed to know was that God commanded them to dedicate the 7th day of the week to Him; and in order to do so, they were to gather twice as much food on the 6th day, so that their needs were met on the 7th day. And as we already read, if they left food to the morning, it would be ruined; but not on the 7th day. If they obeyed and gathered twice as much on the 6th day (which meant God also provided twice as much on that day), then it would not be ruined the next day, and they would have plenty to eat – just more miracles of God!

Exodus 16:27-30 – “On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.”

Of course, there were people that just simply did not follow the rules, and showed a heart of disbelief and rebellion. They went out to gather food on the Sabbath Day anyway, and didn’t find any. And this brought a response from God Himself, saying that they (the ones who did this) had failed the test of faith, by not following the rules God set down. And He repeated it: There were 6 days to gather bread, but on the 7th day, they were not to go out to work – just rest in honor of God.

Ten years ago, USA Today reported that the Department of Transportation had set aside $200 million for research and testing of an Automated Highway System. The idea is that engineers could relieve traffic congestion with a new “super cruise control” built into our highways. In cities facing heavy traffic congestion special magnets would be embedded in the road every four feet which would transfer signals between the cars and the D.O.T.’s computer system. Everything from steering, acceleration, and braking would be controlled by sensors, computer navigation systems, and cameras along the side of the road. Control would be returned to drivers as they left at specified exits. Researchers and government officials claim they have the capability to address any potential technological problem. But there is one problem they cannot overcome. Mike Doble, Buick technology manager says, “The only thing we can’t do yet is get people to comfortably trust the system. It’s not a technology issue.” People feel out of control while driving closely spaced, at high speeds, through major cities. The problem is not technology, the problem is trust — very few people would be willing to give up that kind of control.

It is a control issue. It is what the people of Israel struggled with. God had made His promises and the people had seen God provide over and over and over again, in miraculous ways. And yet, they continued to test God, to break His rules, and try to be in control themselves. If they just would have humbly followed Him and trusted Him, their needs were going to be met; and they would be given much more. The same test is present for us. God has given us His Word and gives us the provision and direction we need each day. We have to decide who is going to be in control of our lives: us, or God. Giving up control is the hardest things to do; but it is exactly what God is asking of us:

Proverbs 3:5,6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Finally:
4. Remember God’s provision

Exodus 16:31-36 – “Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, This is what the LORD has commanded: Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. And Moses said to Aaron, Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)”

We will see, in chapters to come, that God instructs Israel to build a tabernacle, which serves as a dwelling place for God place of corporate worship. Within that dwelling was a special compartment, called the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God was said to be and where the ark of the covenant was kept. Here, also, would be a reminder of what God had done, in providing for the basic, daily needs of the Israelites:

Hebrews 9:3,4 – “Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.”

The basic idea, here, was that they were to carry a couple quarts of Manna with them, throughout their wilderness wanderings, so that they would never forget what God had done for them. There are many things which we also should remember, as it relates to what God has done for us. And the most important thing goes all the way back to God sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from spiritual bondage. There is a connection with the story of the Bread from Heaven, Manna, and what Jesus did for us. When people were questioning who Jesus was and asked Him to perform miracles to prove it:

John 6:29-36 – “Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. So they said to him, Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 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.”

Jesus said: I am the bread of life. Instead of giving you Manna, I am giving you myself. And if you believe in Me, you will not just have physical fulfillment through food; but you will have spiritual, eternal fulfillment and satisfaction with God. You see: Jesus came to release us from the bondage of sin, if we are willing to believe that with all of our hearts. If we are willing to trust in Jesus alone for our salvation, accepting all that He has commit to following Him, we are saved in order to live for His glory the rest of our days. If you have any questions or doubts about that, please feel free to see me after the service today, or contact us for more information.

If you already have that relationship, one of the things you may want to consider, is the daily provision God gives you, in order to live your life for His glory: It is the Word of God, the Bible. If you don’t already read it regularly, can I give you a challenge? Every day this week, read the Word of God and ask God to help you learn and apply what you read. I have given you a sample reading schedule for the week, on the back of your outline. It is the same one on my blog. Or, you can certainly choose what you would like to read. The important part is taking time each day to get the spiritual nourishment you need to face the challenges and temptations of every day.

What has God been trying to teach you today? Are you willing to think about it and do something about it? If God moves you to make a change or commitment, are you willing? Let’s stand together. In a few moments, we will respond to God with some closing songs of praise. I encourage you to sing out. But, for now, silently pray and talk to God about your response to His Word today.

Let’s Pray.