Exodus 16 - The Wilderness of Sin and Manna
INTRODUCTION:
‘And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.’ The Wilderness of Sin marks a critical chronological marker of 31 days of travel from Goshen (Exodus 16:1).
THE WILDERNESS OF SIN is a dry, sandy, wasteland in the southwestern part of the Sinai Peninsula—assuming that’s where Mount Sinai is located. The Wilderness of Sin is one of six wildernesses through which the Israelites traveled on their way to Canaan. The wildernesses include Shur, Etham, Sin, Sinai, Paran, and Zin. The Wilderness of Sin is sometimes confused with the Wilderness of Zin, a region on the northwestern side of the Sinai Peninsula. The Israelites traversed the Wilderness of Sin at the beginning of the exodus, arriving at the Wilderness of Sin “on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt” (Exodus 16:1). They did not enter the Wilderness of Zin until a year later. Located between the oasis of Elim and Mount Sinai, the Wilderness of Sin is mentioned only four times in the Bible, all in connection with the exodus from Egypt (Austin Precept).
COMPLAINTS:
Exodus 16:7, 8, 9, 12: God is not only the Deliverer God who liberates those who are in bondage, but also the God who provides for the people all the way. God hears the complaints of the people. They lost sight of God’s future for them, and they also twisted the past to support their complaints. This thinking is common among those who complain. (David Guzik). Although the assault is directed at Moses and Aaron, in the final analysis the Hebrews are grumbling against Yahweh (Currid). Although grumbling is usually against some individuals or especially against the leaders, it really is against the Lord, who hears it all (Exodus 16:7, 8, 9, 12). At the root of their murmuring were distrust and unsubmissive toward God's goodness, power, and will. The root meaning of the Hebrew word translated as "murmur" in our text is "to show oneself obstinate, to be stubborn." Murmuring is, therefore, a symptom of rebellion (Rod Mattoon).
MANNA (Exodus 16:15):
“When the sons 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 which the LORD has given you to eat.” When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" When the Hebrews see the flaky substance, they ask ‘man hû”, literally, ‘What is it?’ (Currid). The manna in the wilderness was a genuine, divine miracle. Moses called it “the bread the LORD has given you to eat” (Exodus 16:15). The psalmist spoke of it as “the bread of heaven” (Psalm 78:24, Psalm 105:40) and “the bread of angels” (Psalm 78:25). Apostle Paul described it as “spiritual food” (1 Corinthians 10:3), meaning “supernatural food.” ( Phillip Ryken).
The manna was just enough, no more and no less than what the people needed. Even when some people would be greedy and take more than they need, or others found less food to gather, it all equalled meeting everyone’s basic needs (Exodus16: 17-18, Exodus 12:18). ‘Each day brings its own work: God has created us for good works and has prepared our pathway, so that we may come to them one by one. It is comforting to know that we do have not to scheme for ourselves but to look up for guidance in the Divine plan. Each day brings its own difficulties: God gives each day only what we can sustain. Each day brings its own supply: The lesson of daily trust for daily bread was constantly being enforced; for as the day came the manna fell.’(F B Meyer).
