Quail And Manna: Tokens Of His Presence.

QUAIL AND MANNA: TOKENS OF HIS PRESENCE.

Exodus 16:2-7a.

In this passage, we join the children of Israel just six weeks into their wilderness journey. The ten plagues, the first Passover, the deliverance out of Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea all lay behind them. Yet now, here in the wilderness new fears and doubts arise, and the people of the LORD grumble at their spiritual leaders (EXODUS 16:2), and through them at their God (cf. Exodus 16:8b).

The DELIVERANCE of God, redemption, lies behind; but before long His people become full of DISCONTENTMENT - and mouthy with it.

How easy it is to set a rosy character on our past life, and to forget that then, there, we were in bondage (EXODUS 16:3). Yet the LORD is merciful. He has already heard the cries of His people in bondage (cf. Exodus 3:7). The same LORD knows our sorrows ahead of time.

Is it beyond belief that He has already prepared our path before us, complete with all the necessities of life (cf. Psalm 23:2-3)? So instead of directly punishing His people for their insolence, He sets a table before them, and furnishes it with good things (cf. Psalm 23:5).

He makes PROVISION for all the needs of all His people (EXODUS 16:4); but with the provision comes a TESTING. With the DAILY BREAD, He also gives us DAILY WORK. If God’s first gift to Adam was a garden, His second was a set of gardening tools (cf.. Genesis 2:15).

Within this system, He also gives the SABBATH (EXODUS 16:5; cf. Exodus 16:22-26).

The LORD’s provision of food: quail in the evening and manna in the morning, was a constant reminder that it is “the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt” (EXODUS 16:6).

So, their complaints were groundless: these provisions were a recurring testimony to the LORD’s presence with His people (EXODUS 16:7a).