Let's start today by rereading last week's little passage, Exodus 15:22-27:
(22) And Moses led Israel from the Sea of Reeds,
and they went out to the wilderness of Shur,
and they walked three days in the wilderness,
and they didn't find water,
(23) and they came to Marah/Bitter,
and they weren't able to drink water from Marah/Bitter
because bitter, it was.
For this reason its name is called "Bitter,"
(24) and the people murmured/grumbled concerning Moses, saying,
"What shall we drink?,"
(25) and he cried out to Yahweh,
and Yahweh showed him a tree/branch,
and he threw it to the waters,
and the waters sweetened.
There He made for them a rule and a judgment,
and there he tested him/them,
(26) and He said,
"If you actually heed the voice of Yahweh your God/Elohim,
while what is upright in his eyes, you do,
and you respond appropriately (DBL #3) to his commandments,
and you keep all of his rules, all the sickness that I placed on the Egyptians, I will not place upon you,
because I [am] Yahweh-- The One Healing you,"
(27) and they came to Elim,
and there [there are] twelve springs of water and 70 palm trees,
and they camped there upon the waters.
The thing that stands out the most in this passage, is Yahweh's testing of Israel. Yahweh wants to know if the people will obey him, or not. And the way God finds the answer to that, throughout the Bible, is through testing.
The unique thing about this, is that God tests the people by offering a promise. If you obey, God will heal you from every disease. And you have to decide if God will keep his word, if you keep his word. That's the test.
Obedience is core to what God wants from his people. It's at the very top of God's wish list.
Keeping that in mind, let's pick up at Exodus 16:1:
(1) And they set out from Elim,
and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin (it's just a Hebrew name),
that [is] between Elim and Sin, on the 15th day of the second month of their going out from the land of Egypt,
(2) and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled/murmured concerning Moses and concerning Aaron in the wilderness,
(3) and the sons of Israel said to them,
"If only we had died by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt,
when we dwelled by the fleshpots of meat,
when we ate bread until we were filled/satisfied,
because you have brought us to this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger,"
One of the remarkable things about us human beings, is that we tend to remember life as better than it was. Looking back on things, we see the good. But the bad things often just fade away. Maybe 20 years ago, there were TV commercials on for Hungry Man microwavable dinners. Frozen meals, designed for men. For people who don't care about calories, or sodium, or fat. They just want a decent supper. And ideally, they want to make one frozen meal, and not two or three. The slogan for Hungry Man commercials was this: "It's good to be full."
And the only reason I remember that was because that slogan made a huge impact on my dad. It's like a group of advertisers sat around a table, and tried to figure out how to get my dad to buy frozen meals. He thought it was great; it resonated with him. "It's good to be full." I can still hear his voice.
What we see in Exodus 16:3, is hungry Israelites. Are they starving to death? I'm not sure. But what they aren't, for sure, is full. And it's good to be full.
And so they complain. If only God had killed them in the land of Egypt, where life was like a constant buffet. Meat every day. Bread, until you were full. Dying at a buffet, isn't a bad way to go. And that's how they remember slavery in Egypt at this point. Like it was life at a buffet. Selective memory, to the max.
In verses 4-5, we read Yahweh's response to this. Maybe the story is gapping a little. Or maybe Yahweh just takes care of the grumbling, without Moses having to ask first:
(4) and Yahweh said to Moses,
"LOOK! I am raining for you bread from the heavens,
that the people may come out,
and that they may take a daily portion on its day,
so that I will test him-- whether he will walk in my instruction or if not,
(5) and then, on the sixth day, they will/shall prepare what they have brought,
and it will be twice what they gathered the other days,
Last week, we read about God's testing through the offer of health. Here, God plans to test Israel again, for the same reason. God still wants to know, whether the people will walk in his instructions, or not. And again, when God wants to know if you will be faithful, He finds out through testing.
In verse 5, for some unexplained reason, God will give the people twice as much food. And that's all we hear about that, for now.
Verse 6:
(6) and Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel,
"In the evening, you will know that Yahweh is bringing you out from the land of Egypt,
(7) and in the morning, you will see the glory of Yahweh-- as Yahweh hears your grumblings concerning Yahweh,
while we-- what [are we],
that you grumble/murmur concerning us?"
(8) and Moses said,
When Yahweh gives to you in the evening, meat to eat, and bread in the morning, until [you are] satisfied/filled--
as Yahweh hears your grumblings
that you were murmuring/grumbling concerning him,
while we, what [are we]?
Not concerning us, your grumblings [are],
but concerning Yahweh,"
(9) and Moses said to Aaron,
"Say to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,
"Draw near before Yahweh,
because He has heard your grumblings,"
(10) and then, as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they turned to the wilderness,
and LOOK! The glory of Yahweh appeared in a cloud,
(11) and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
(12) "I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel.
Speak to them, saying,
"At twilight you will eat meat,
while in the morning, you shall be filled/satisfied with bread,
that you may know/acknowledge that I [am] Yahweh your God/Elohim,"
Let's pause here. The people had two specific complaints. (1) They missed the meat. (2) And they missed the unlimited bread. Being in Egypt, was like eating at Olive Garden.
Here, God promises to give them exactly what they want. They will eat meat, and they will have their fill of bread. And God does this, so that "you may know/acknowledge that I am Yahweh your God."
This will be proof to them, that Yahweh is their God.
Verse 13:
(13) and then, in the evening, the quail came up,
and they covered the camp,
while in the morning, there was a layer of dew around the camp,
(14) and the layer of the dew went up,
and LOOK! Upon the face of the wilderness, fine flakes-- fine as frost upon the earth,
(15) and the sons of Israel saw,
and they said, each one to his brother,
"What is it ("Man Hoo")?,
because they didn't know what it is,
and Moses said to them,
"It is the bread that Yahweh has given to you as food.
(16) This is the thing that Yahweh commanded.
Gather from it, each one what he can eat--
an omer for each person from the number of persons.
Each one, for whoever [is] in his tent, you shall take,"
In Hebrew, "manna" is actually just "man." And what "man" means, is "what?" So every day kids would say to their moms, "what's" for breakfast. And she'd say, "yes."
Sorry. (Worst joke ever?) But the idea here is that manna is a new food to the people. And every family was supposed to gather from the ground, what they could eat for that day. Manna was your daily bread.
Verse 17:
(17) and the sons of Israel did thus,
and they gathered-- some more, and some less--
(18) and they measured with the omer,
and the one gathering more didn't have a surplus,
while the one gathering less didn't lack.
Each one, according to what he could eat, they gathered,
(19) and Moses said to them,
"No one may leave anything from it until morning,"
(20) and they didn't obey/listen to Moses,
and the men left over from it until morning,
and it became wormy,
and it stank,
and Moses was angry concerning them,
(21) and they gathered it each morning-- each one what he could eat--
and the sun was hot,
and it melted,
Why would people leave leftovers? You could frame it two different ways. Fear. Or, simply, disobedience.
But God set up manna, to make it impossible to prosper in disobedience. If you tried to save some, it'd get wormy, and stink. Not something you'd stick in your mouth the next day. In my childhood growing up (as long as I'm telling stories), my dad is famous for telling us to "eat around it," when there was something gross/fuzzy on it.
But the worm/stink combo, would be too much for anyone to overcome.
So the people fail the test, right? God wanted to know if they'd obey, and they didn't. And this makes Moses angry. Obedience shouldn't be this hard. But apparently, it is.
In verse 22, we pick up the thread from earlier, about the sixth day being different:
(22) and then, on the sixth day, they gathered double the bread-- two of the omers in place of the one--
and all the leaders of the congregation came,
and they told Moses,
(23) and he said to them,
"This is what Yahweh spoke: A day of rest ("Sabbath")-- A holy day of rest for Yahweh [is] tomorrow.
What you want to bake, bake,
while what you want to boil, boil,
while all the surplus, leave for yourselves for safekeeping until the morning,"
(24) and they left it until the morning,
just as Moses commanded,
and it didn't stink,
while maggots, they weren't in it,
(25) and Moses said,
"Eat it today,
because a Sabbath, today is, for Yahweh.
Today you will not find it in the fields.
(26) Six days you shall gather it,
while on the seventh day it won't be on it (the ground),"
(27) and then, on the seventh day, they went out from the people to gather,
and they didn't find [any],
(28) and Yahweh said to Moses,
"How long do you (plural) refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?
(29) LOOK! Because Yahweh has given to you the Sabbath-- for this reason He is giving to you on the sixth day, bread for two days.
Each one must stay in his place.
No one must go out from his place on the seventh day,"
Here, the people disobey again. And God lumps Moses in with the people, asking them a question. How long will you disobey? At every step, the people fail the test. They try to store the manna. They go out on the Sabbath, to search for manna, even though they have plenty for the day.
In verse 30, the people finally get it right:
(30) and the people rested ("sabbathed") on the seventh day,
(31) and the house of Israel called its name "Man[na]."
Now, it was like the seed of the white coriander,
while its taste [was] like a wafer with honey,
(32) and Moses said,
"This is the word that Yahweh commanded:
'Keep a full omer for your generations, so that they will see the bread that I fed you (plural) in the wilderness,
when I brought you from the land of Egypt,'"
(33) and Moses said to Aaron,
"Take one jar,
and there a full omer of man(na),
and leave it before Yahweh for safekeeping for your generations."
(34) Just as Yahweh commanded Moses, Aaron left it before the testimony for safekeeping.
(35) Now, the sons of Israel ate the man(na) forty years, until they came to inhabited land.
The man(na) they ate until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
(36) Now, an omer, a tenth of an ephah, it [is].
---------------------------------------------------
From what I hear, Taylor Swift several years ago had a famous song called, "You belong to me." She had a crush on this guy, and they were perfect for each other. They had an easy, comfortable relationship. But instead, this guy went for the bimbo, and he was going through life miserable. The song was basically about how life shouldn't be this hard. The guy just made a bad decision, chose the wrong girl. And hopefully, one day he'd wake up.
At least, that's what I hear. I'm not going to claim to actually know the song.
But that kind of sentiment, is what I find myself thinking about in Exodus 16. It shouldn't be this hard for God and Israel. God is entirely faithful, throughout chapter 16. The people were hungry, with two specific requests-- meat, and unlimited bread. And God took care of that for them. He made them full.
God gave them what they needed, every day. He gave them twice what they needed on Friday, so they could rest on the Sabbath.
And Israel just struggles, relentlessly.
But what we see here, as the chapter develops, is that God makes Israel into an obedient people. They do everything the hard way, the wrong way, the first time. But God makes it hard, and pointless, to disobey. If there's no food to collect on the Sabbath, there's no sense trying to collect it. If food spoils horribly after a day, there's no sense saving extra.
So by the end of the chapter, the relationship between God and Israel has become easy, at least as long as they are in the wilderness. The people gather what they need, and only what they need. They gather twice the amount on Fridays, seemingly by accident. And they take Saturdays off as a Sabbath to Yahweh. But all of this was a process.
Now, the really cool question here, I think, is this: "Why did God set up life in the wilderness this way for Israel?"
I think God has three goals here:
(1) The first is in Exodus 16:12. Yahweh wants Israel to acknowledge Him, as their God. If quail fell all around your camp every night, and you woke up with manna everywhere, to be gathered, it has to be God, right? Especially if you see his glory cloud. I mean, there's no other explanation. And you ask for two things, and God starts giving you those two things morning and evening. Again, it has to be God. Yahweh wants them to see these things, and acknowledge that He is their God.
(2) Yahweh is training his people to become obedient, through suffering.
Normally, we think of obedience in terms of either doing the right thing, or the wrong thing. If you do the right thing, you obey. But it's a little more complicated than this. Let's turn to Hebrews 5:7-10:
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus[a] offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus "learned obedience" through suffering. This can't mean he sinned, at any point (Hebrews 10:5-10). So what does it mean? Harold Attridge (Hebrews, Hermeneia, 153) suggests, "He can learn obedience only in the sense that he comes to appreciate fully what conformity to God's will means. Because he has learned that lesson, he can be sympathetic heavenly intercessor on whom the addressees can rely and, at the same time, a model for them in their attempt to be obedient to God's will."
Obedience is something that can deepen. It be done from a place of better understanding, and appreciating, who God is, and what He wants.
Here, back in Exodus 16, we see the people learning obedience through what they suffer-- although in their case, some of the suffering is self-inflicted (maggots).
(3) Yahweh is breaking his people from a slave mentality. A slave mentality maybe has five related components:
A) A slave mentality is one that's only focused on material things.
B) A slave mentality is one that lives in constant fear of lack. Of being hungry, for example.
C) A slave mentality finds it impossible to rest, because life is only about work, and productivity.
D) A slave mentality finds it impossible to enjoy life.
E) A slave mentality lives as a slave to the world, instead of God.
There's a better way of life-- that's what Yahweh is trying to teach them. And the easiest place for Yahweh to teach his people this, is when and where things are simple-- out in the wilderness. In the wilderness, if you try to work on the Sabbath, you're not going to accomplish anything. Out in the wilderness, if you try to store up even a single day's worth of extra food out of fear, it turns to maggots.
And God's goal, I would think, is by the time the people get to the promised land, that this becomes second nature. The good habits are ingrained. The trust, and obedience, are ingrained. The slave mentality is gone. And to a certain extent-- with the Sabbath at least-- that's what happens.
Now, when we look at this passage, and think about these things, do we see ourselves? Do we live with a slave mentality, focused on obtaining, and consuming? Do we find it impossible to enjoy life, and rest, because there's too much to do? Do we live in fear that we won't be full? Do we have to learn everything the hard way?
You were never slaves to Pharaoh. But perhaps you've been slaves to consumerism, and advertising, and the American dream. If that's you, God would like to help you. There's a better way of life. This life has a balance between work and rest. It's built on trust in God, understanding that He will work with you, to make sure you have no lack. And it's built on obedience. And maybe that's really the missing piece for you.
What God wants, and expects, is obedience. God wants to break you from your own slave mentality, if you have it, and bring you to a place where you will trust, and obey. And it's probably better for us, if we learn from Exodus 16, than it is to have God teach us obedience some other way-- through testing (Exodus 16), or suffering (Hebrews 5).
Translation:
(1) And they set out from Elim,
and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin,
that [is] between Elim and Sin, on the 15th day of the second month of their going out from the land of Egypt,
(2) and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled/murmured concerning Moses and concerning Aaron in the wilderness,
(3) and the sons of Israel said to them,
"If only we had died by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt,
when we dwelled by the fleshpots of meat,
when we eat bread until we were filled/satisfied,
because you have brought us to this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger,"
(4) and Yahweh said to Moses,
"LOOK! I am raining for you bread from the heavens,
that the people may come out,
and that they may take a daily portion on its day,
so that I will test him-- whether he will walk in my instruction or if not,
(5) and then, on the sixth day, they will/shall prepare what they have brought,,
and it will be twice what they gathered the other days,
(6) and Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel,
"In the evening, you will know/acknowledge that Yahweh is bringing you out from the land of Egypt,
(7) and in the morning, you will see the glory of Yahweh-- as Yahweh hears your grumblings concerning Yahweh,
while we-- what [are we],
that you grumble/murmur concerning us?"
(8) and Moses said,
When Yahweh gives to you in the evening, meat to eat, and bread in the morning, until [you are] satisfied/filled--
as Yahweh hears your grumblings
that you were murmuring/grumbling concerning him,
while we, what [are we]?
Not concerning us, your grumblings [are],
but concerning Yahweh,"
(9) and Moses said to Aaron,
"Say to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,
"Draw near before Yahweh,
because He has heard your grumblings,"
(10) and then, as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they turned to the wilderness,
and LOOK! The glory of Yahweh appeared in a cloud,
(11) and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
(12) "I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel.
Speak to them, saying,
"At twilight you will eat meat,
while in the morning, you shall be filled/satisfied with bread,
that you may know that I [am] Yahweh your God/Elohim,"
(13) and then, in the evening, the quail came up,
and they covered the camp,
while in the morning, there was a layer of dew around the camp,
(14) and the layer of the dew went up,
and look! Upon the face of the wilderness, fine flakes-- fine as frost upon the earth,
(15) and the sons of Israel saw,
and they said, each one to his brother,
"What is it ("Man Hoo"="manna")?,
because they didn't know what it is,
and Moses said to them,
"It is the bread that Yahweh has given to you as food.
(16) This is the thing that Yahweh commanded.
Gather from it, each one what he can eat--
an omer for each person from the number of persons.
Each one, for whoever [is] in his tent, you shall take,"
(17) and the sons of Israel did thus,
and they gathered-- some more, and some less--
(18) and they measured with the omer,
and the one gathering more didn't have a surplus,
while the one gathering less didn't lack.
Each one, according to what he could eat, they gathered,
(19) and Moses said to them,
"No one may leave anything from it until morning,"
(20) and they didn't obey/listen to Moses,
and the men left over from it until morning,
and it became wormy,
and it stank,
and Moses was angry concerning them,
(21) and they gathered it each morning-- each one what he could eat--
and the sun was hot,
and it melted,
(22) and then, on the sixth day, they gathered bread twice-- two of the omers in place of the one--
and all the leaders of the congregation came,
and they told Moses,
(23) and he said to them,
"This is what Yahweh spoke: A day of rest ("Sabbath")-- A holy day of rest for Yahweh [is] tomorrow.
What you want to bake, bake,
while what you want to boil, boil,
while all the surplus, leave for yourselves for safekeeping until the morning,"
(24) and they left it until the morning,
just as Moses commanded,
and it didn't stink,
while maggots, they weren't in it,
(25) and Moses said,
"Eat it today,
because a Sabbath, today is, for Yahweh.
Today you will not find it in the fields.
(26) Six days you shall gather it,
while on the seventh day it won't be on it (the ground),"
(27) and then, on the seventh day, they went out from the people to gather,
and they didn't find [any],
(28) and Yahweh said to Moses,
"How long do you (plural) refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?
(29) LOOK! Because Yahweh has given to you the Sabbath-- for this reason He is giving to you on the sixth day, bread for two days.
Each one must stay in his place.
No one must go out from his place on the seventh day,"
(30) and the people rested ("sabbathed") on the seventh day,
(31) and the house of Israel called its name "Man[na]."
Now, it was like the seed of the white coriander,
while its taste [was] like a wafer with honey,
(32) and Moses said,
"This is the word that Yahweh commanded:
'Keep a full omer for your generations, so that they will see the bread that I fed you (plural) in the wilderness,
when I brought you from the land of Egypt,'"
(33) and Moses said to Aaron,
"Take one jar,
and there a full omer of man(na),
and leave it before Yahweh for safekeeping for your generations."
(34) Just as Yahweh commanded Moses, Aaron left it before the testimony for safekeeping.
(35) Now, the sons of Israel ate the man(na) forty years, until they came to inhabited land.
The man(na) they ate until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
(36) Now, an omer, a tenth of an ephah, it [is].
