Thirsting & Testing

Sermon 39 in Series

Exodus 16:16-36
[16] This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” [17] And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. [18] But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. [19] And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” [20] But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. [21] Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

[22] On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, [23] he said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” [24] So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. [25] Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. [26] Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

[27] On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. [28] And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? [29] See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” [30] So the people rested on the seventh day.

[31] Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. [32] Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” [33] And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.” [34] As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. [35] The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. [36] (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How does God use provisions/blessings to test us? What does it look like to receive and use these blessings obediently?
2.   How does the manna teach us daily dependence on the Lord? What does it mean to say that God gives, but we still have to gather?
3.   As we consider Israel’s partial obedience, how are we tempted to think that prior obedience makes up for present disobedience?
4.   What was God’s command concerning food for the Sabbath day, and why do you think some disobeyed? How is the Sabbath presented here as a gift?
5.   How does Matthew 4:1-11 give us hope in the face of our failed tests?
6.   Why does God want the Israelites to keep some of the manna for future generations? How does this further spotlight his power?

References: Exodus 34:6-7; Matthew 6:11; 2 Corinthians 8:14-15; Matthew 4:1-11; Genesis 2:2-3; Mark 2:27; Hebrews 9:4; Joshua 5:12; John 6:32-35, 51.