Exodus Chapter 16
The Israelites had enjoyed the beautiful oasis of Elim but were now led into the wilderness or desert on their way to Sinai where the laws of God would be delivered. This time in the wilderness was purposeful. God said His purpose was to test them to see if they would walk in His laws. God sought the obedience of His first-born son, Israel.
The question that may come to mind is why the people were complaining of hunger when they had brought their own herds and flocks with them out of Egypt. There is not a direct answer in Scripture for this question, but some simple knowledge of farming can answer the question. Animals require a large amount of pasture to graze on to sustain them and they need water. There had not been a lot of pasture as they travelled through wilderness country. Many animals had probably died along the way. We know that they still had some animals because further in scripture we learn they had animals for sacrificing. This would also be another reason, as they most likely saved some for sacrifices. And lastly, we can surmise that they had already squandered away a lot of their food in their previous days of wandering through wilderness.
Let's Reflect
1. In their grumbling and complaining what truth did they stretch about food they had eaten in the past?
2. Even though they complained against God, He told them He would provide for them and take care of them. How is the manna first described by God to Moses?
3. Why did God instruct them to gather twice as much on the sixth day as they did on the other five days?
4. How did Moses describe to the people that God had heard them?
5. To validate what Moses and Aaron were telling the people what happened?
6. Just as God had said He would do, He rained down bread from heaven. When the Israelites saw it, they questioned what it was. Moses explained that this was the bread God said He would send for them to eat. How much of it were they instructed to gather and what happened if they gathered too much?
7. They had been instructed to gather twice as much on the sixth day because on the seventh day there would be none that had fallen from heaven and they were to rest on that seventh day. According to verse 27 what did some of the people do on the seventh day?
8. What other food did God provide for them?
9. What special instruction was Aaron given regarding the bread from heaven?
10. For how many years did God provide this beautiful bread from heaven for them?
