Our Daily Bread
Opening Prayer
Lord, where You lead me I will follow, and what You feed me I will eat.
Read Exodus 16:1–16
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”
9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”
10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“Your ancestors ate the manna… I [Jesus] am the living bread” (John 6:49,51).
Why is it that we never learn? Why do we so often see things through rose-
tinted spectacles? Such is certainly true of the Israelites in this passage. Complaining and grumbling yet again with a great deal of exaggeration and distortion of memory (verse 3: slaves do not usually eat much meat, and they don’t do a lot of sitting, either!), they are beginning to bore God to tears. Wonderfully, God in his mercy is patient with them: he provides. As we shall see, though, he tests them at the same time. It’s all too easy to take God’s provision for granted, day by day, until something goes wrong. Do we need to become more consciously grateful for what he gives? Might this prevent us from complaining at other times?
Quails for supper? What’s not to like? These birds regularly migrate between south Europe and Arabia across the Sinai Peninsula, usually roosting on the ground or in low bushes. When exhausted and unable to take off again over the low black tents of nomads, they are easy to catch and were considered a delicacy of the Egyptians. Because of Israel’s positive talent for provoking God, the quails would eventually invite a dreadful plague, though (Num. 11).
Manna for breakfast? In Hebrew the question “What is it?” sounds like “manna.” Today we might call it the “what’s-its-name?” It was clearly very tasty (31). When God provides for us, he doesn’t short-change us by halves! All the more reason not to grumble!
Apply
As a leader, it is hard being the butt of unfair criticism. It’s important to bat it on to God—like Moses did. God can deal with it!
Closing prayer
Lord, cause me never to be guilty of the sin of ungratefulness. Your provision for me is truly all I will ever need in this life.
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