Anchorage Bible Fellowship

The Setting

Thirty days into the children of Israel’s freedom from bondage in Egypt (12:6) their food supplies were running out, and they began to complain against Moses and Aaron (16:1-2).

The Setting

Their concern quickly changed to worry, and their worry rapidly changed to complaining. Just how serious these complaints were is seen by the repetition of the word “grumble” (16:2, 7, 8, 9, 12).

The Setting

Suddenly Egypt seemed all ‘peaches and cream’ (actually pots of meat and all you could eat) to the children of Israel, rather than bondage, slave drivers, and harsh conditions they had experienced for 400 years

The Setting

With a demeaning reference to God, the Israelites express that they would have rather died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt than experience the momentary and light affliction they were presently facing. And so, they accuse Moses and Aaron of bringing them out to the wilderness to die (16:3).

The Setting

The rest of this text explains to us how God met the needs of the children of Israel by providing them something called manna. What we see in this passage and a few others is that God gave manna to them for three basic reasons: 1) to take care of them, 2) to teach them, and 3) to test them.

God’s gracious response to the grumbling of the children of Israel was to miraculously provide a new kind of food - they would call it manna.

God provided the manna for the children of Israel for the 40 years of wilderness wanderings (16:35), until the day after they had eaten of the produce of the land of Canaan (Josh. 5:12).

God’s provision came regardless of the spiritual condition of the people.

What lessons did the manna teach them?

‣ God has all the power necessary to take care His people.
‣ Dependence on God
‣ Humility - man is not self-sufficient
‣ Obedience to God’s commands

God brought the children of Israel to the point of hunger and then provided the manna for them to test them or train them to live in obedience. He did not do this with the purpose of causing them to doubt Him, but that through the trial they might learn to trust and obey Him.

Would they be satisfied with God’s provision, or would they long for the foods of their past? They failed the test.

Doctrinal Point

Jesus is the true manna given by God to meet our needs - “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, 48-51).

As the manna was given to provide for the physical needs of the people; Christ, who is the true manna from heaven was given to meet our spiritual needs.

As manna had to be gathered each day to meet their needs, so we must gather what we need for our spiritual needs on a daily basis (not just on Sundays).

As manna in the OT would spoil if not used, what God provides for our spiritual sustenance will spoil if not used.

The crowds that followed Jesus did so, for the most part, because of the miracles He performed and to have their bellies filled (John 6:26-27). He taught them that as the true bread of heaven He alone could meet their spiritual needs, which were greater.

The crowds that followed Jesus failed the test as the children of Israel did. When He informed them that they must eat of His flesh and drink of His blood, they walked away (John 6:66). This is in contrast to the apostles who learned the lesson of the true manna (John 6:67-69).

1. Don’t let your present trials cause you to rewrite your sinful past.

2. God faithfully provides for His children’s needs.

3. God takes care of His children regardless of their spiritual condition.

4. God brings trials into our lives to build our trust and dependence on Him with the intended purpose of producing obedience and godliness in us (James 1:2-4).

5. Teach your children of God’s provision and testing (16:32).

6. Jesus Christ is the bread of life; you must partake of Him to have eternal life (John 6:27, 47, 53-58).

7. If you have eaten of the true bread of heaven (trusted in Jesus Christ for eternal life) don’t let what God has given you in Him spoil by hoarding it or by not obeying Him.