Dave Burnette's Commentary

Exodus Chapter 16

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Moses
Date Penned: (1450-1410 BC)
Overview: The Record of God's Deliverance of Israel (c 1-40)
Theme: Israel in the Wilderness (c 13-18)
Message: God Provides Meet and Bread (v 1-36)

Exodus 16 Commentary

(16:1) The Lord Tests their Character - The wilderness of Sin was a vast, hostile environment of sand and stone. Its barren surroundings provided the perfect place for God to test and shape the character of his people.

(16:2-3) God's People Murmer - It happened again. As the Israelites encountered danger, shortages, and inconvenience, they complained bitterly and longed to be back in Egypt. But as always, God provided for their needs. Difficult circumstances often lead to stress, and complaining is a natural response. The Israelites didn't really want to be back in Egypt; they just wanted life to get a little easier. In the pressure of the moment, they could not focus on the cause of their stress (in this case, lack of trust in God); they could only think about the quickest way of escape. When pressure comes your way, resist the temptation to make a quick escape. Instead, focus on God's power and wisdom to help you deal with the cause of your stress

(16:4-5) God Provides Food in the Wilderness - God promised to meet the Hebrews' need for food in the wilderness, but he decided to test their obedience. God wanted to see if they would obey his detailed instructions. We can learn to trust him as our Lord only by following him. We can learn to obey by taking small steps of obedience.

(16:14-16) God Provides Manna -  Manna (16:31) appeared on the ground each day as thin flakes like frost. The people gathered it, ground it like grain, and made it into honey-tasting pancakes. For the Israelites the manna was a gift-it came every day and was just what they needed. It satisfied their temporary physical need. In John 6:48-51 Jesus compares himself to manna. Christ is our daily bread who satisfies our eternal, spiritual need.

(16:23) God's People Observe the Sabbath - The Israelites were not to work on the Sabbath- not even to cook food. Why? God knew that the busy routine of daily living could distract people from heartfelt worship of him. Work, family responsibilities, and recreation can crowd our schedules so tightly that we don't take time to worship. Carefully guard your time with God.

(16:32) Trophies of God's Grace - The Hebrews put some manna in a special jar as a reminder of the way God provided for them in the wilderness. Symbols have always been an important part of Christian worship also. We use meaningful objects as symbols to remind us of God's work. Such symbols can be valuable aids to our worship as long as we are careful to keep them from becoming objects of worship themselves.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

God's Best for Your Life


Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we Continue in the book of Exodus with Chapter 16 and in today's text we see the account of the Manna and how God provided food for Israel in the wilderness. Israel continues to have a problem when it comes to faith in God providing their need even after the water from the rock and the splitting of the Red Sea. Israel's lack of faith will eventually keep them from the promise land but what catches my attention is that God still meets their need even in the midst of their murmurings. God knows they will lack faith and miss His best for their life yet He stills loves them unconditionally. Today the Lord still supplies our needs. He loves us beyond measure dying on the Cross for our sins. How about you? Do you see the hand of God's Provision in your life? Let His love motivate your heart to obey and serve the Lord receiving His best for your life.

 

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Exodus 16


Exodus 16

 1And 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.

 2And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

 3And 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.

 4Then 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.

 5And 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.

 6And 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:

 7And 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?

 8And 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.

 9And 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.

 10And 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.

 11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

 12I 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.

 13And 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.

 14And 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.

 15And 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.

 16This 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.

 17And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

 18And 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.

 19And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

 20Notwithstanding 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.

 21And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

 22And 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.

 23And 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.

 24And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

 25And 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.

 26Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

 27And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

 28And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

 29See, 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.

 30So the people rested on the seventh day.

 31And 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.

 32And 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.

 33And 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.

 34As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

 35And 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.

 36Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.