This series of studies focus on the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites after they depart from Egypt. In fact, we begin after the ten plagues have fallen on Egypt, they have crossed the Red sea and the armies of Egypt have been destroyed by the waters falling back in on them. It seems like we are skipping these stories, but actually we go in-depth into them in our study series “Hebrews 11 – By Faith.”

At the beginning of Exodus 15 the Israelites are singing a victory song to God. They are praising Him because He has destroyed the Egyptians, their enemies and set them free! Now to come to our passage of study for today.

Exodus 15:22
So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

• They’ve traveled away from the Red sea inland. And they’ve come to the point where there is no water left among them.
• It seems like Moses is leading them forward. But is he really?
• Exodus 13:21-22
  21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
• Moses was simply following the pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night. That was the presence of God. God was leading them every step of the way.
• So it seemed like Moses was leading them forward, but actually in following him, they were following God.
• And so God would lead them into the wilderness of Shur, and He knew that they would run out of water.

What happens when they get to this point of need?

• Exodus 15:23-24
  23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
• When they ran out of water and they got to this place called Marah where they found a source to refill, they found the water to be bitter. It was not drinkable.
• And so what did they do?
  • They began to murmur against Moses.
  • They began to ask him what they should drink!

Upon hearing their complaints, what does Moses do?

• Exodus 15:25
  And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them.
• Moses does what the Israelites should have done. He cried to God to ask for help. But instead they chose to complain to Moses and try and put the blame on Moses.
• They had gotten into this bad habit already of complaining to Moses. God was definitely patient with them as a parent would be patient with their children when they are young. This was not the first time that they were complaining.
• When Moses came and stood before Pharaoh for the first time to ask him to let the children of Israel go free, Pharaoh said that they were too free to go and sacrifice so he increased their workload.
  • Exodus 5:20-23
    20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: 21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. 22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
  • They didn’t just complain to Moses at that time but they blamed him. Almost as if to say, if you didn’t come, we would have been fine!
  • But Moses took it to the Lord and sought for His help. He took his complaint and his burden to God. Something that we must learn to do as well otherwise it becomes a habit to always complain to man!
• Another time, after the children of Israel had left Egypt after the 10 plagues, Pharaoh has finally let them go. But then he changes his mind and pursues after them with the remaining army that he has. Look at how the Israelites respond when they see the Egyptian armies approaching.
  • Exodus 14:10-12
    10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
  • The Israelites became unreasonable! They tell Moses he should have left them alone! Why did he bring them out into the wilderness simply to die?
• Their complaining was habitual. It had gotten so bad at the first sign of trouble it was all Moses’ fault.
• If only they had learnt to take their complaints to God, they would have been saved much trouble in the future.
• Yet God in his mercy hears the cry of Moses. He doesn’t hear the cry of the Israelites because they didn’t come to Him. But God hears Moses’ cry and He asks Moses to take a branch from a tree and throw it into the water and immediately the water is made sweet and drinkable.
• We get an insight to how God operates here. Sometimes we think we are justified in our complaining to the point that maybe God hears our complaining, feels sorry for us and then proceeds to do something. But that is not the case.
  • God did not hear the complaint of the Israelites at all. The water was not made sweet, a miracle was not performed, because of them. The miracle was performed because someone thought to quit the complaining and start praying instead.
  • The Israelites could have stood back feeling justified that their complaints were reasonable. After all, they were dying of thirst, they really had run out of water, and the water that Moses led them to (or really God led them to) was undrinkable.
• No matter how justified we feel that our situation is to complain, we need to learn to speak to God and not complain to man. Easy to say but hard and difficult to do. But let’s continue the story now.

So after God performs this miracle for them, He is not done. He wishes to teach them an important lesson.

• Exodus 15:26-27
  26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. 27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
• God tell them that if they would listen to His voice and do what is right, that He would not allow any of the diseases of the Egyptians to come upon them. And then God gives them this promise – He is the One that heals them.
• How is this related at all to the incident that just happened?
• Somehow this water incident was a test to see if they would listen to God’s voice and do what He asks them to do. It was almost as if to say to them, you have failed this first test but if you will listen and follow me and trust me and walk out by faith on my word, I will take care of you physically!
• It wasn’t a promise of heaven. It wasn’t a spiritual blessing. It was a blessing of health! A physical, temporal blessing. I won’t allow any of these diseases that the Egyptians have to come upon you. But it came with a condition – if you will listen to me and do what is right.

Let’s continue our study.

• Exodus 16:1-2
  1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
• We haven’t even gone very far in the story and here are the Israelites complaining again. What are they complaining about this time?
• Exodus 16:3
  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
• They have run out of food.
• You know it’s one thing to say – Moses, I’m really hungry, we’ve run out of food, we’re really worried about my family, I have little children who need food to eat and also animals to feed.
• But that’s not what the Israelites said at all. Instead they blamed Moses for bringing them into the wilderness to kill the whole congregation with hunger! Can you believe that!?
• They forgot how happy they were to be free from slavery and Egyptian bondage to the point that they would rather go back there to have enough to eat than to go through this trial but have their freedoms.
• Once again, it was unreasonable complaining. They began to say things they didn’t mean like, “I wish we would have died by the hand of the Lord in Egypt instead of being free out here in the desert.” They were wishing for death!
• You know, we need to be really careful what we say, even when we are angry or disappointed or discouraged. Once said, those words can never be taken back again. And the Israelites would one day say something that they didn’t really mean but yet God would give it to them. We will see this in a future study.
• But complaining, it is just being angry about the situation without looking for any resolution. Complaining serves no benefit whatsoever.

So after the Israelites complain again, how does God react?

• Exodus 16:4-5
  4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
• God simply responds by promising to give them food to eat. He would rain bread from heaven.
• However, God wanted to test them to see whether they would walk in His law or not. He had a purpose behind it. It wasn’t simply to feed them but to also test them and help them to grow.

Moreover, Moses and Aaron warns them and counsels them about their murmuring.

• Exodus 16:6-8
  6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: 7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? 8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
• Through the provision of food for them in the morning and evening, the children of Israel would see that it is the Lord that is not only leading them but He will provide for them as well.
• But he warns them that their murmurings isn’t against them (Moses and Aaron) but it is against the Lord because He is the One leading them. This is such an important lesson that Moses repeats it twice to them!
• And we have to be so careful that we learn to cease our murmuring, our complaining, and our gossiping. If God is guiding our lives, if He is the One that has lead us to this point, then if we choose to continue to complain, then we are complaining about Him, not the situation in front of us. Why? Because God is the One that lead us there. And so we are really in essence complaining about why God would lead us so. We’re not happy with Him.
• But at this point, God has already shown them that He would take care of them.
• When they complained about the workload and the tough Egyptian masters they had, God delivered them with the 10 plagues.
• When they complained about the Egyptian army pursuing them, God opened the Red Sea for them and delivered them by closing it in on Pharaoh and his host.
• When they complained about the water being bitter, God healed the stream and gave them all plenty to drink.
• It’s one thing to complain once, but this is now the fourth time that they are doing it. They keep forgetting God’s watch care over them.
• And so for this reason Moses has to now pause and stop to warn them that they must stop. That their complaining isn’t against him but against God! He didn’t warn them the three earlier times. They were growing, they were learning. But now they’ve done it too many times. So here’s the first warning.
• But yet God still provides for them. Let’s keep reading.

Exodus 16:9-15
9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings. 10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. 13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

• So God in His mercy, as a loving parent would, provides for His children. He gave a warning, but He would continue to give them what they needed – food in the morning and food in the evening as well.

However, upon giving the manna, God had very specific instructions on the gathering of it.

• Exodus 16:16-18
  16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
• First, they were to just gather as much as they needed for that day. Not more, and not less.
• But what happened?
  • Exodus 16:19-21
    19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
  • They didn’t listen. Some of them gathered more and left it until the next day and it bred worms.
• Moses was upset at them because they didn’t want to follow such a simple instruction. It was only after the worms came that they would obey.

What other instruction was given?

• Exodus 16:22-26
  22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
• Secondly, they had to gather twice as much on the sixth day to keep enough for the seventh because no manna would fall on the seventh day.
• Not only that, but they had to cook whatever they needed to cook on the sixth as well.
• And even though they would leave it until the next day from the sixth to the seventh, no worms would come. But if it was left over on any other day of the week, worms would appear.

How did the people respond though?

• Exodus 16:27-30
  27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
• They still disobeyed. They still went out to look to collect the manna on the Sabbath even when God had already told them that there wouldn’t be any.
• They didn’t listen in regards to keeping the food overnight, and they didn’t listen when God told them to collect double on Friday and not go out to collect or cook any on the Sabbath.
• It seemed like at the end they only kept the Sabbath because there was no choice. There was no food to collect after all!
• Moreover, they were complaining unreasonably!
• God was so patient in dealing with them. He didn’t punish them for their disobedience of their complaining. At least He didn’t punish them yet.
• Exodus 16:35
  And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.

It would be through food that God would test them to see if they would obey His commandments or not. God used manna to teach them about the Sabbath before He ever uttered the fourth commandment from Mount Sinai in relation to the Sabbath.

Today God still tests us to see if we are willing to obey His commandments or not. Even the smallest things like not keeping the food overnight. It wasn’t even about keeping the Sabbath holy. Just to see if they were willing to listen to every word of God.

Sometimes we think that the least transgression is OK. Maybe we feel like they are small things and so we overlook or don’t put so much importance on it. Maybe it’s the diet. Maybe the small thing to you is what you watch from time to time on your phone or laptop. I mean it’s not all the time. That’s what we tell ourselves. Maybe others it’s how we conduct our relationships. Or even how we perform our house chores. Or even how we spend the minutes and seconds.

But small things matter to God. Just as God told Samson to never cut his hair, He also told Peter to go and get a coin out of a fish’s mouth. Such precise, yet small instruction. God sees the widow’s two mites that are put into the treasury. God cares about even the sparrow that falls to the ground. He has numbered every hair on our head and knows how many falls off.

God cares about the little things. He cares about the small principles in life that He has given to us through His word. He cared about the fact that the children of Israel didn’t listen and kept food overnight or went to collect food on the Sabbath. And so we should start caring about these little things as well. It is in the little things of life that we are tested to see if we are faithful or not.

It is in the little things, in the shadows of our lives, the insignificant minutes that no one else seems to see that God is training us to be great men and women of God for Him today. And so by the grace of God, as we also bend all the energies of our mind and body to please Him in all things, God is building us up and strengthening us to be faithful whilst all others will be found unfaithful at the end of time.