MESSAGE 13
MANNA IN THE MORNING
Exodus 16
D. Steps to Sinai
1. The Murmuring
2) Over Food (Ch. 16
We have seen how unbelieving and ungrateful the Hebrew people were. In hard times they replaced praying with griping. But in spite of this, God stretched out His hands and gave them blessing on top of blessing.
One of the greatest and most amazing was the gift of manna. After one month of travel (16:1) they came to the Desert of Sin, about 40 miles north of Mt. Sinai. Here the food gave out and Israel, true to form, complained. They grumbled against Moses and Aaron saying,
“If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” (16:3).
God did not rebuke them, He just told Moses He would give them meat that evening and bread in the morning. He sent millions of that just flew in and sat on the ground until caught.
The next morning, as the dew lifted, a white substance resembling the “coriander seed,” tasting like wafers and honey, covered the ground. Never seeing a sight like this, they all said, “Manna” (What is this?) and that became its name. This was their food for the next forty years (16:34).
God knew quail in the desert would make them sick, so they only got this this time. One exception was, years later they kept on begging for it and God sent it and it made them sick and some died (Nu. 1:1). When God tells us “No!” we might not understand it but by faith we can know it is for our good. To test Israel, God gave strict, specific orders about it saying, “I will test them to see whether they will follow my instructions” (16:4).
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A Picture of Christ
The manna, of course, is a picture of Jesus and the Christian life. It fell daily except on the Sabbath. That is why Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (Mt. 6:11). If we begin the day with God, spend the day with God and end the day with God all our needs physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.”
Jesus, after He fed the five thousand (Jn.6) said , “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. . .” (6:23, 25).
I. THE NEED FOR THE MANNA (Ex. 16:1-4)
Israel was hungry was because they followed the Lord. They left Egypt’s stew pots and wound up starving in the desert. God will lead us into the struggles of the wilderness to test us.
We call people to come and sit on a pew, support this church and you will be blessed with peace and people to fellowship with. The Holy Trinity of Baptists is “Food, fun and fellowship”. Jesus, however, called followers to take up their crosses. God will lead us into times of desperate needs and then supply all we need.
Paul was led to a wilderness. He had a hard life - enemies who slandered him, a thorn that tortured him and jail cells that held him. But from a jail cell he fed on God’s manna. He wrote,
“I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:12, 13, 19).
God doesn’t tell us we will not have any pain; He says he will give us peace and purpose and power in pain. He said in Jesus we find peace and purpose in pain. He didn’t say we wouldn’t come to dead ends. He said Jesus would make a way.
II. THE NATURE OF THE MANNA
The description of and the regulation for this daily diet is a picture of our salvation by Jesus and our service to Jesus.
1. It Was Undeserved
He gave it to people who complained and were about to stone Moses. When God gave it he said- don’t keep any of it overnight and don’t gather any on the Sabbath. What did they do? They kept some overnight and they gathered it on the Sabbath (16:20; 27). God said, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands?” (16:28).
Application: The same Jesus who teaches us to pray, “Give us our daily bread,” also said we are to pray, “Forgive us our sins.” We sin against and hurt the Lord far more AFTER we are saved than BEFORE. We complain, worry and are ungrateful but God keeps on giving and blessing us.
2. It Was Unearned (16:16-18)
The weak person and the strong all got the same amount -a quart-and-a-half. The people gathered it and when they measured it out in the tent, God miraculously made the amount exactly right.
There are no big shots in the church of God. God gave the ten-talented Paul the grace to serve Him in jail and win Roman soldiers to Jesus. But He also gave one and two talented people in Philippi, the grace to send Him some gifts - money, food, clothes, etc. (Phil. 4:18).
God elevates Pastors but they are not climbing the ladder of status but of service. As I preach from this pulpit, there is no “Big I!” and “Little You!” The day there is I am no longer fit to serve you. I need my quart and a half of grace every day, just like you do
3. It Was Unexcelled
1) There was nothing like it as to quality.
They wanted quail, but God knew meat in the desert, eaten daily, would make them sick (Nu. 11). The best diet in the wilderness was manna.
Have you learned yet that GOD KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU AND ME? He knows when to give us confidence and when to humble us. He knows when to pick us up and when to knock us down.
He knows when we need a mountain to climb and when to give us wings to fly over mountains.
When you say, “Thy will be done!” don’t say it in grim resignation to a “Big Bully” up in heaven say it to a loving heavenly Father who knows what is best for you.
2) There was nothing like it as to quantity.
Somebody with more time than I have, before the days of computers, figured out it took nine billion pounds of manna a every day to feed two million people. He went on to figure out it would take four trains, each sixty cars long, every day to bring it in.
We cannot out give the Lord. If we give our tithe Malachi says He “will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing” (Mal. 3:10). He supplies all our needs. He who feeds the birds can feed you and me if we obey. God’s love is not conditional but his blessings are.
Illustration: Last year, after our prayer meeting which followed our Thanksgiving supper, we had testimony time, sharing about how good God has been.
One lady in our church, after prayer meeting, gave her testimony to me. She said, “Pastor, when my husband died I had no job, little money and bills I couldn’t pay. I asked God for a job and got one.
It didn’t pay what I needed and I couldn’t see how I was going to make it. But when I got that first check I did what the world would call foolish. I decided to give one-tenth of every check I received to the Lord through our church. Pastor, that was fifteen years ago and today I am better off financially than I have ever been in my life. Pastor - YOU JUST CAN’T OUTGIVE THE LORD.”
III. THE NOURISHMENT FROM THE MANNA
(Ex. 16:15-36; Mt. 4:4)
They were to pick it up every morning.
It melted in the heat of the day (16:21). If they stored up what they did not eat it would rot and turn to maggots. (16:19-20).
They were not to gather it on the Sabbath.
They gathered twice as much on Friday and the Lord kept it from spoiling, so they had enough for Saturday (16:22-30).
Some was to kept in the holy place of the Tabernacle
(16:33-36; Heb. 9:4).
1. This Was Humbling Work
. In this daily kneeling down to gather the Manna and eating it for strength, we see a beautiful picture of the kneeling Christian’s prayer life where we find our strength in our wilderness.
The Manna, as we saw, is Jesus as He meets us in life and meets our every need (Jn. 6). We contact Jesus, we get our heavenly bread, in Bible reading (He talks to us and prayer (We talk to Him).
Jesus compared his Bible with manna when he quoted Dt. 8:3, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4). And the mouth of God is the “word of God”.
2. This Was Hard Work.
The Manna had to be gathered. God does not drop His blessings in our laps, we have to work. Each person was to gather “as much as he needs (16:16). The relationship we have with God is the amount we have gathered. Some of us have a thimble full and others a barrel full. I love the saying, “If you are not as close to God this year as you were last year; who moved?” We have as much of God as we want to have.
3. This Was Hungry Work
1) The Hunger Demanded
It all comes down to appetite. Too many of us spend too much time feeding on the stew pots of Egypt and the desert quail that is bad for us. We feed ourselves with work and hobbies, until we’re full of the world and its ways, and just a little “dab” of “Jesus” will do for our carnal appetites.
And we wonder why our lives are in such a mess and there is no victory. The answer is simple - we do not take the time to be holy - our appetites are elsewhere. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” Mt. 5:6).
2) The Hunger Diminished (Nu. 11).
Wandering in the desert, the Hebrews, led by the “mixed multitudes” (11:4 KJV), grew sick of God’s Manna. The Israelites began wailing,
“If only we had meat to eat. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this Manna” (Nu. 11:4-6).
They tried different ways to prepare it. They ground it, crushed it, cooked it in pots, made it into cakes, etc. (Num. 11:8). It was “Manna in the morning, Manna in the evening and Manna at suppertime” - fried Manna, pickled Manna, raw Manna, stewed Manna, etc. And they were sick of it.
Application: One of the greatest dangers in our religious life is getting bored. We see it as “same old, same old” and what once brought us down the aisles in rededication now puts us to sleep in the pews. The fire goes out, we grow sick of the things of God, become lukewarm Christians and make Jesus want to throw up (Rev. 3)
4. This Was Holy Work (God Directed).
1) It Was Gathered in the Morning
The people went out early, just as the dew disappeared, to kneel down and gather the Manna. The early bird got the Manna. Whether or not we have our daily time of Bible study in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening, it is imperative that we begin the day with God.
We need His strength to face the scorching heat criticism, bosses we don’t like, a marriage on the rocks, to much “month” left at the end of “money”, etc. Without strength the daily grind will grind us up.
Years ago I think it was Charles Stanley that I heard say if you don’t have time to have your prayer and Bible study in the morning, pray for your family that God will keep them safe and use them in His service. If there is a special need any of them has, lift it up to the Lord.
As you walk to your car, pray for yourself, your day, your workplace. Ask God to help you maintain a Christian walk and let you lead all people you meet that day closer to Him. Ask Him to let you live this day as though it could be your last day on earth, for it could be.
2) It Was Gathered Daily
(1) Food for the Present
It was gathered every day but the Sabbath. Days become weeks; weeks become months; months become years and years become our lifetime. One thing that will not satisfy us is the MEMORY of food.
Too many Christians have all their best days behind them, They can glowingly tell you what they USED TO DO for the Lord. We need to take up our cross (the will of God no matter how much it costs) daily (Lk. 9:23).
(2) Food for the Past (Ex. 16:33-36; Heb. 9:4)
This does not mean our are not important. Manna was placed in a golden pot and put in the Box of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, in the Tabernacle. God, no doubt, kept it from rotting.
There it reminded the people of their sin and God’s grace. It spoke of yesterday’s grace that gives us strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Matthew Henry says God’s eaten bread must not be forgotten. His past miracles and mercies are our encouragement to trust Him for today and tomorrow.
When troubles come it is good to think back to all the troubles, some larger than the present one, where God came through for us. A sign said, “Test your memory. What were you worrying about one year ago today.”
3) It was not Gathered on the Sabbath
That was the day they did not work. They looked toward the Tabernacle where the glory presence of God was and worshipped.
(Nu. 28:9-10).
Vance Havner told of a little Jewish boy in the tent one night. Seeing the fires in the distance of the wild, murderous Amalakints who attacked Israel he said “Daddy, the Amalakites hate us and want to kill us don’t they” When the dad said “yes” the little boy said, “Daddy, I’m scared.” The dad pointed to the heavenly glow at the Tabernacle and said, “Don’t be afraid son, look who’s here.”
Application: One day a week, God says, worship me, not just in your homes but at my church. God does not want or need “Lone Ranger” Christians who do their own thing.
Israel was a community, a church. Christians are a community, a church. Some of the best spiritual bread I have ever tasted has come from sitting and listening to preachers, Sunday School teachers and my brothers and sisters in the pews.
I get Manna every day that I cook myself, but I thank God for the Manna so many of you have cooked for me. I am a stronger, better, more useful person because of the Sundays and especially the Wednesdays I have fed my soul in this church.
I hope I have fed you. One of Dr. R.G. Lee’s first sermon books was titled, “Bread From Bellview’s Oven”.
If we worship daily in our homes and weekly in the house of God, the hymn says, “We are feasting on the Manna that never will run dry!” We can say with Jeremiah, “O Lord; remember me and care for me. . .When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my hearts delight.”
When a great and gracious Christian lady died, her daughter found the letters “T P” in the margins in the margins all through her well-worn Bible. In the back she found the explanation: “T P - Tried and Proven!” That lady fed on the Manna that never will run dry. D.L. Moody used to say, “A bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t falling apart”
