16:1-3, The First Murmuring Of The People For Food.
16:1 AND THEY TOOK THEIR JOURNEY FROM ELIM, AND ALL THE CONGREGA-TION 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.
16:2 AND THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MURMURED AGAINST MOSES AND AARON IN THE WILDERNESS:
A.As is often the case with sinful discontent, anger is poured out upon the wrong persons.
B.Moses and Aaron were not to blame for the situation -- They had done nothing but obey God from the very beginning.
C.MURMURED (COMPLAINED, NKJ): In times of difficulty, it seems easier to grumble than to pray. What they needed to do was address God, not with complaint, but with thanksgiving for His power which had brought them thus far, and with request that the present problem be removed, or else that they be given strength to bear it.
D.Hear their problem in Verse 3:
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.
A.The land was unproductive, there were no settled inhabitants from whom they could purchase food; And here were perhaps two million people who had to be fed -- To the fleshly eye the situation looked hopeless.
B.WE HAD DIED BY THE HAND OF THE LORD: The first-born of the Egyptians had not lingered in pain, but had been taken immed-iately BY THE HAND OF THE LORD. This indicates a lack of faith in God, in His power, and in His promises -- See Ex 13:5, "And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month."
C.WHEN WE SAT BY THE FLESH POTS: They had to serve in hardship and suffering, but apparently they had plenty of good food in Egypt; Now they look back to see the food, and conveniently overlook the slavery, as they complain, "At least we could sit down and eat all the bread and meat we wanted."
16:4-8, The Promise Of Bread From Heaven.
16:4 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.
A.Rather than reprove the people or punish them, God pitied them in what was a true need, and promised to supply their need.
B.GATHER A CERTAIN RATE EVERY DAY: With the promise was given a law -- They were to gather no more than would suffice for the day; Thus they were to live by faith in taking no thought for the morrow, but trusting all to God and His wisdom.
C.THAT I MAY PROVE THEM: In Paradise God gave one positive law to test Adam and Eve ("Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat"). This would prove whether or not they would obey Him without question. Now He gives a pos-itive command to the Israelites, and so put them on probation to test their obedience and train them to depend on Him.
16:5 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.
A.PREPARE THAT WHICH THEY BRING IN: Instructions about how they prepared it are found in Num 11:8, "And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mor-tar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil."
B.IT SHALL BE TWICE AS MUCH AS THEY GATHER DAILY: Some think this says they were to gather twice as much on the sixth day, but the words actually say "AND IT" (that which they had brought in, which would be the usual daily quantity) "SHALL BE TWICE AS MUCH" (doubled, that is), with the inference being it would be done by miracle; So that the supply which was suffi-cient for one day would be multiplied so as to make it suffice for two days.
16:6 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:
A.It seems they were telling the people their attention would be turned from Moses and Aaron to THE LORD.
B.He is the One Who BROUGHT them from Egypt to this place; HE would care for them -- Moses and Aaron were only His servants.
16:7 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?
**WHAT ARE WE: "We are nothing by ourselves, but we are leaders whom you have chosen to follow, because you believed God sent us. If that is true, then to murmur against us is to complain against Jehovah."
16:8 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.
A.IN THE EVENING FLESH TO EAT: This would be QUAILS (Verse 13).
B.IN THE MORNING BREAD: This would be MANNA (Verse 15).
16:9-21, The Promise Of Bread Is Fulfilled.
16:9 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.
16:10 AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS AARON SPAKE UNTO THE WHOLE CONGRE-GATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THAT THEY LOOKED TOWARD THE WILDERNESS, AND, BEHOLD, THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED IN THE CLOUD.
16:11 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,
16:12 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.
16:13 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.
A.THE QUAILS CAME UP: The QUAILS were given in mercy, and this is the only time QUAILS are mentioned until Num 11:31-34, where they were given in wrath. They were not a daily necessity, as was BREAD, but a luxury. The suggestion is that whereas the BREAD was given as a daily provision, perhaps the QUAILS were given only here, or at least were not given as a continuous supply of food.
B.So in their infancy as God's special people, The Father was gentle and merciful when they complained.
C.THE DEW LAY ROUND ABOUT THE HOST (THE CAMP, NKJ).
16:14 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.
**It seems the desert was covered with thin flakes or wafers that looked like frost.
16:15 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.
A.IT IS MANNA (WHAT IS IT?, NKJ): The original can be trans-lated, "What is it?" or it can be translated "It is a gift." Whether it is taken as a question, or as a statement, it is clear that they did not know what it was, and did not know what to call it. If they were saying, "It is a gift," then they understood that although they did not know its makeup, obviously it was a gift from heaven, and what they said here became its name (MANNA).
B.THIS IS THE BREAD WHICH THE LORD HATH GIVEN YOU TO EAT: This is the fulfillment of His promise in Verse 4, "I WILL RAIN BREAD FROM HEAVEN FOR YOU."
16:16 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.
A.GATHER OF IT: There had to be individual effort for individual need -- The MANNA lay all around, but it had to be gathered.
B.EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS EATING: This prescribed amount was fixed at AN OMER (about two quarts) FOR EVERY MAN.
16:17 AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID SO, AND GATHERED, SOME MORE, SOME LESS.
A.It sounds as though each individual tried to bring in the exact amount, but most of them missed it a little one way or the other, and the balancing out had to be taken care of when they came back to their tents -- See Verse 18.
16:18 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.
A.METE: Distribute, measure, parcel out.
B.No matter what amount they gathered, when distribution was made each one had exactly enough for his household.
C.Paul made use of this miraculous supply of food to teach our responsibility to see that each church of Christ exists in mutual freedom from want - 2Co 8:1-15; cf vv13-15, "13 For [I mean] not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: 14 But by an equality, [that] now at this time your abundance [may be a supply] for their want, that their abundance also may be [a supply] for your want: that there may be equality: 15 As it is written, He that [had gathered] much had nothing over; and he that [had gathered] little had no lack."
16:19 AND MOSES SAID, LET NO MAN LEAVE OF IT TILL THE MORNING.
A.This is another positive law to test their obedience.
B.It is a lesson against hoarding; God gave each person his quantity, and he had no right to more -- To greedily hoard more for safety or with which to barter was to disobey God.
C.Whatever else may be involved, God wanted them to trust their needs to Him, and not to worry. In his teaching about how to pray, Christ said to pray for DAILY bread - Mt 6:11.
16:20 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.
A.NOTWITHSTANDING: Some obeyed, but as usual, some disobeyed -- They wanted to have a store laid up "for a rainy day."
B.Perhaps they did not trust God's promise to give them food each day (Verse 4, "I WILL RAIN BREAD FROM HEAVEN FOR YOU; AND THE PEOPLE SHALL GO OUT AND GATHER A CERTAIN RATE EVERY DAY").
C.But God brought a curse on that which they gained through dis-obedience, and what was once good was now repulsive.
D.MOSES WAS WROTH (ANGRY, NKJ).
16:21 AND THEY GATHERED IT EVERY MORNING, EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS EATING: AND WHEN THE SUN WAXED HOT, IT MELTED.
A.Note that several times MORNING is specified as the time the MANNA was to be gathered -- Perhaps this is another positive law to test their obedience.
B.If they waited past morning the SUN MELTED the MANNA.
C.Some have drawn two practical lessons from this:
a.Albert Barnes wrote (by hand -- no computer, not even a typewriter) several large volumes of Bible commentary. This was all in addition to his regular full time duties as a preacher. He said that all of the writing of his commentaries was done before 9:00 in the morning.
b.Alexander Campbell farmed in the days when work had to be done "from can see to can't see." He was in his study at about 3:00 each morning, by candle light and lamp light building one of the strongest Bible minds of any century.
16:22-30, The Gathering On The Sixth Day.
16:22 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.
16:23 AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, THIS [IS THAT] WHICH THE LORD HATH SAID, TOMORROW [IS] THE REST OF THE HOLY SABBATH UNTO THE LORD: BAKE [THAT] WHICH YE WILL BAKE [TODAY], AND SEETHE THAT YE WILL SEETHE; AND THAT WHICH REMAINETH OVER LAY UP FOR YOU TO BE KEPT UNTIL THE MORNING.
A.HOLY SABBATH UNTO THE LORD: This is the first time the SABBATH is mentioned since Gen 2:3, "AND GOD BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY, AND SANCTIFIED IT: BECAUSE THAT IN IT HE HAD RESTED FROM ALL HIS WORK WHICH GOD CREATED AND MADE."
a.The word SABBATH does not occur in the Bible before Ex 16, and there is no command or example of seventh day obser-vance before then -- Not before the going down into Egypt, and not during the long sojourn there.
b.To learn when God commanded Israel to keep the sabbath, see Neh 9:14 in context (Neh 9:1-14), "11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty
waters. 12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. 13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: 14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant"; and also see Deu 5:15, "And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day."
B.BAKE THAT...AND SEETHE THAT: They were to do just as they had done on other days, but on this day they were to reserve a portion to be used as their food on the next day.
16:24 AND THEY LAID IT UP TILL THE MORNING, AS MOSES BADE: AND IT DID NOT STINK, NEITHER WAS THERE ANY WORM THEREIN.
A.It seems that the majority of them obeyed Moses.
B.Verse 27 shows there were some of them who either did not lay a portion aside for the next day, or else wanted to hoard.
16:25 AND MOSES SAID, EAT THAT TODAY; FOR TODAY [IS] A SABBATH UNTO THE LORD: TO DAY YE SHALL NOT FIND IT IN THE FIELD.
16:26 SIX DAYS YE SHALL GATHER IT; BUT ON THE SEVENTH DAY, [WHICH IS] THE SABBATH, IN IT THERE SHALL BE NONE.
**Now the explanation is given as to why they were to gather MANNA only six days a week -- The seventh day was to be UNTO THE LORD (in honor of Him).
16:27 AND IT CAME TO PASS, [THAT] THERE WENT OUT [SOME] OF THE PEOPLE ON THE SEVENTH DAY FOR TO GATHER, AND THEY FOUND NONE.
A.Is this amazing?! They had been told plainly that on the seventh day (THE SABBATH) THERE SHALL BE NONE - Verse 26.
B.Some people can be so insensible to God and His kindness. He had miraculously supplied their needs, and even given them QUAILS, but they were so unimpressed that they would not obey even the few rules He had laid down for them to observe.
C.Apparently there will always be some people who will refuse to believe God, and who insist they know a better way than His way, and that things are going to be their way instead of the way He has announced. God's response to them is Verse 28.
16:28 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, HOW LONG REFUSE YE TO KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS AND MY LAWS?
A.Although Jehovah here addressed Moses, He used the plural "YE" ("you people") to show that He had in mind the people who were guilty of disobedience.
B.HOW LONG: It was a "long" time before they learned. Some never did learn, and some today will not learn.
16:29 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.
A.SEE, FOR THAT...: More easily understood: "SEE THAT..."
B.They were to consider seriously that it was Jehovah Who planned all this and was working it all out to their benefit.
C.LET NO MAN GO OUT OF HIS PLACE ON THE SEVENTH DAY: "Do not let the rest be interfered with." HIS PLACE seems to refer to the camp of the Israelites -- Later it was determined that one could travel no further than from the center of the camp to the outer bounds of the camp (a "sabbath day's journey").
16:30 SO THE PEOPLE RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY.
16:31-36, The Preservation Of The Manna For Future Generations.
(These Verses obviously were written after
they came to the Land of Canaan)
16:31 AND THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL CALLED THE NAME THEREOF MANNA: AND IT [WAS] LIKE CORIANDER SEED, WHITE; AND THE TASTE OF IT [WAS] LIKE WAFERS [MADE] WITH HONEY.
16:32 AND MOSES SAID, THIS [IS] THE THING WHICH THE LORD COMMANDETH, FILL AN OMER OF IT TO BE KEPT FOR YOUR GENERATIONS; THAT THEY MAY SEE THE BREAD WHEREWITH I HAVE FED YOU IN THE WILDERNESS, WHEN I BROUGHT YOU FORTH FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT.
16:33 AND MOSES SAID UNTO AARON, TAKE A POT, AND PUT AN OMER FULL OF MANNA THEREIN, AND LAY IT UP BEFORE THE LORD, TO BE KEPT FOR YOUR GENERATIONS.
16:34 AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES, SO AARON LAID IT UP BEFORE THE TESTIMONY, TO BE KEPT.
A.AND MOSES SAID: This instruction was given to Aaron some time after the tabernacle was completed.
B.TO BE KEPT FOR YOUR GENERATIONS: "For safekeeping, so your descendants can see how God took care of you."
C.THE TESTIMONY: The two tables of stone written by the Finger of God. The pot of MANNA, along with Aaron's rod that budded, was laid up inside the ark (the sacred chest) in front of the two tables; Compare Heb 9:2-4, "2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. 3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 4 which had the golden censer, and the ark of the cov-enant overlaid round about with gold, wherein [was] the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant."
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.
**DID EAT MANNA FORTY YEARS: During the entire pilgrimage they fed upon MANNA until they came to CANAAN; Compare our need on our pilgrimage of life to feed every day upon spiritual manna (Christ, the Bread of Life).
16:36 NOW AN OMER [IS] THE TENTH [PART] OF AN EPHAH.
A.AN OMER: Approximately two quarts.
B.AN EPHAH: Approximately one bushel.
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