Answers Bible Curriculum 2nd Edition Unit 6 Lesson 56
This week in Sunday school, we look at how Israel was tested by God as the people journeyed from the Reed Sea to Mt. Sinai. God tested the people with lack of food and water in the wilderness. How did the people respond? How did their responses dishonor God’s goodness and sovereignty? And how did God graciously respond to the people in spite of their sin? As we answer these questions and others, we especially want to consider how we can learn from Israel’s experience and more faithfully follow God.
Our text for this lesson is Exodus 15:22-17:7.
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all right well good morning oh that’s a little loud good morning everyone welcome to Sunday school such a pleasure to be with you in person I know many of you watch me on the screen and I really appreciate that being able to see you each week in Sunday school because remember I can see you and I get to interact with you and that’s great blessing but nothing like being here in person so we’re gonna be here today obviously and next Sunday no Sunday school next Sunday but I had the privilege of being able to bring the sermon to you next Sunday today I get to do Sunday school really excited about that really excited about our lesson she know we’ve been moving along through our study of the scriptures we’ve been moving through the book of Exodus and last time we saw God’s climactic deliverance at the Red Sea or at the reed sea and you would think that after such a mighty deliverance a great deliverance where God has really put on his his love and his power and his holiness that it would make a lasting impression on the people of Israel they would be led to holiness they would be led to an ongoing fear of God in fact we saw that’s how the passage ended last time it says they feared God they believed God and they believed in Moses but does it really last have they been changed long-term well we’re gonna begin to see the answer to that today because it’s just as a bit of a ways to go they have indeed left Egypt but they still have to cross a good expanse of wilderness to get to the promised land and they also need to stop at Mount Sinai before they get there because remember God said to Moses you’re gonna return to this mountain and worship here that’s a sign that I’m going to be with you and God is gonna do something special for Israel at that mountain so they have a bit of a way to go and they’re gonna face some difficult circumstances along the way God is going to test Israel by well certain desperate situations now God is not gonna be surprised by any of it he already has a plan for how he’s going to provide wonderfully for his people but how will they do in the tests spoiler alert they’re not going to do very well but the real question is how is God gonna respond to what Israel does as far we’re gonna look at today is Jules going to turn to complaining but God is gonna do something surprising how will a holy God respond to faithless Israel title for lesson is God provides in the wilderness and of course as we look at Israel always having a look at ourselves because we face difficult circumstances God leads us into different patches of wilderness so to speak and how do we respond do we remember our mighty delivering God and do we trust in him and continue to obey or do we follow the path of Israel and turn to anxiety depression bitterness and complaint indeed as the scripture says what Israel experienced was written for our instruction and we need to be instructed so let’s pray and then we’ll begin to hear that instruction well God I thank you for your word tonight I thank you for being such such a God as the scripture declares Lord you are mighty you are generous you are good you are holy and you are just well one of the things we’re gonna see today God is that you are so patient you show such undeserved grace to us and to Israel lord I pray that we would be moved to no longer test your patience no longer test your grace especially by complaining but Lord that we would instead listen trust and obey prayed she’d help me to be explained this well in Jesus name Amen all right please take your Bibles now and open to Exodus chapter 15 Exodus 15 they’re basically coming right to where we ended last time after the deliverance at the reed sea and Exodus 14 in Exodus 15 there’s a kind of moment of celebration there’s some singing and some dancing some tambourine hitting as Israel is commemorating and memorializing this wonderful deliverance at the reed sea but then the journey resumes and that’s in Exodus 15 verses 22 to 27 and that’s where we’re gonna start reading our first test first wilderness test of Israel let’s see how it goes Exodus 15 verses 22 to 27 follow along with me as I read it says then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went out into the wilderness of shore and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water when they came to Marah they could not drink the waters of Marah for they were bitter therefore it was named Mara so the people grumbled at Moses saying what shall we drink then he cried out to the Lord that is Yahweh and Yahweh showed him a tree and he threw it into the waters and the waters became sweet there he made for them a statute and a regulation and there he tested them and he said if you will give earnest heeds the voice of Yahweh your God and do what is right in his sight and give ear to His commandments and keep all his statutes I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians for I Yahweh am your healer then they came to Ellen where there were 12 Springs of water and 70 date-palms and they camped there beside the waters all right we read our first passage as always we start with observations notice in verse 22 where Moses leads people says specifically Moses led the people and they go into the wilderness of Shur now where is this I won’t take you through all the details but people put Shore in different places on their different maps of the journey of the Exodus but if you look at verses like Genesis 16 7 and first Samuel 15 7 they both describe the wilderness of Shur as being east of Egypt not really along the coast of the Red Sea but east of Egypt which is one of the reasons why I think the Red Sea crossing didn’t take place at the Red Sea but in the bitter lakes region like I mentioned last time so they’re moving into the wilderness of Shur and that’s most likely directly east of Egypt and then notice in verse 22 it says that Israel travels three days into the wilderness I don’t know what comes into your mind when you hear the term wilderness over the last 150 years or so we’ve developed a certain culture about wilderness in America like oh yeah go into nature get connected to nature go into the wilderness and maybe you’re thinking of your 70 National Park or even just like the forests of New Jersey that is nothing like the wilderness that they’re going into well we’re talking about this biblical wilderness we’re talking about a place where it’s hard to survive think desert think arid brush land think wasteland this is not a place do you really want to go and this is where Israel’s are growing and they’re traveling because we know about the Passover just taking place they’re traveling around march/april and this can get a this can be a very hot time of year in that part of the world very hot in the day a little bit cool at night and they’re traveling probably underneath an unceasing Sun I don’t know how well you do in the heat but that’s what they’re experiencing in the wilderness in the desert man and beast understandably would be extra thirsty extra uncomfortable in these circumstances and they have to travel have to work they have to eat but they’re experiencing all like this and then the last detail of verse 22 says they found no water now surely Israel has some water with them as they’re traveling that does it they’ve stored some they’ve tucks them away but their supplies are getting low it’s got to be replenished they haven’t found water for a while and how long can humans usually go without water about three or four days typically and then you actually die from thirst so you could understand not getting any new water sources there’d be a certain temptation to anxiety not only for themselves these men and women but their children and their animals they’re rationing the water they have surely but if they don’t find water soon people and animals are gonna start getting sick and maybe die but then verse 23 says they found water ah but there’s a problem it’s bitter water it’s too bitter to drink now we don’t know exactly what bitter means it might just mean it tasted really nasty I don’t know if you’ve ever tasted a really nasty water before something that’s really sulfur II or slimy oh you definitely don’t want to drink that the bitter could also refer to something actually being poisonous when we get to the end of Scripture when we talk about the the plague judgments before Christ returns in the book of Revelation one of them is a plague on the rivers and it says they became bitter and many people died from drinking the bitter water so either one of these things could be true and certainly this is a very depressing situation for Israel and they named the place Marah may have a note in your Bible what does Marah actually mean bitter bitterness you know they come up with pretty appropriate names in their scriptures and this isn’t the only place we seem are in the Bible anybody know where else the name Marah appears yes Steve that’s right Naomi when she comes back from sojourning outside of Israel and she loses a lot of her family she says don’t call me new him anymore call me Mara because the Lord has dealt bitterly with me so same idea here they named the place bitterness because of the bitter water but it’s not just the waters that are bitter because notice the people’s reaction to verse 24 it says they grumbled they grumble they complain now it’s worth taking time to clarify what it actually means to grumble or complain those two words are actually synonyms the only real difference between the terms is that grumbling usually is a little quieter than complaining sometimes it’s not even spoken just kind of murmuring or maybe even just in your heart but grumble and complain essentially the same thing what does it mean to complain I think a good definition missus similar to what you would find if you just google it or use a dictionary it’s – I’m actually before I get let me say what it’s not it’s not simply expressing pain or displeasure not simply that you could say I’m hungry or you can say our politicians are corrupt not necessarily complaining because to complain is to it is to express disapproval dissatisfaction with something you’re not just making an observation but you’re making a statement or you’re making a statement of disapproval there’s something in the universe that is out of order and it needs to be fixed that’s what you’re saying there’s something wrong here somebody’s got to do something about it that’s what complaining is so the statement I’m hungry it becomes a complaint when it’s said in such a way as to mean not only am i hungry but somebody needs to do something about it right now and often this is expressed in the form of a wine as many parents know right Mike why is the statement our politicians are so corrupt that could just be an observation unless you say it a certain way if you say wow our politicians are so corrupt okay it’s not necessarily a complaint but do you say oh our politicians are so corrupt that’s that’s complaint now here’s a important question is complaining a sin it can be and I think you’re right many of you just you just said yes because most the time it is just kind of like anger is anger or sin most of the time and there’s a way to be righteously angry but we very often fail to be that kind of righteous anger most the time being angry is a sin in the same way most the time complaining is a sin that’s why we have biblical prohibitions against complaining like Philippians 2:14 Philippians 2:14 maybe this is something you taught your kids you should teach your kids this do all things without grumbling or disputing you are not to grumble you’re not to complain that is a sin but there is such a thing as righteous complaining and you do see this throughout the scriptures look at the Psalms look things the psalmist says to God you’re really gonna have to twist things that somehow say oh that’s not a complaint look at Psalm or just listen to Psalm 43 verse 2 Psalm 43 verse 2 the psalmist says for you are the god of my strength why have you rejected me why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy this is not just a statement of a dispassionate Inquirer God why are you angry with me no he says God this situation is out of order there’s something wrong with this situation it doesn’t make any sense why have you brought these things to pass that’s a complaint but it’s spoken by the Spirit of God surely that is a righteous complaint or consider the souls of the martyrs in Revelation chapter 6 and the judgments that are on unfolding in Revelation and one of them and says that the these martyrs who are underneath the altar they speak to God and this is what they say Revelation chapter 6 verse 10 says they cried out with a loud voice saying how long O Lord holy and true will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth now again we cannot say this is the question merely seeking information you know God I’m just kind of wondering now this is this this is an expression that a terrible situation continually remains in the world god there’s something out of order why is it continuing to be that way is it there’s a certain amount of dissatisfaction or disapproval being expressed there even Jesus complains at times for example when his disciples failed to cast out a demon possessed boy after the Mount of Transfiguration experience Luke 9 41 records Luke 19 41 jesus answered and said you unbelieving and perverted generation how long shall I be with you and put up with you now some of us may have said a version of that to some people around us that’s because it’s a complaint it’s an expression a disapproval something’s out of order that ought not to be and it should be fixed we’ll see even later in our passage today that Yahweh right here in Exodus has a complaint against his people so what’s the difference if complaining is not always sinful what is the difference between righteous complaining and unrighteous complaining I think the simple answer is faith it’s about faith righteous complaining while it acknowledges and Express or acknowledges of something’s out of order it expresses a disapproval about it even what looks like an apparent failure from God to keep his promises righteous complaining nevertheless stands in faith it says something like this God this is not right according to what you’ve expressed in your word this is not right according to what you’ve promised and so I’m expressing it to you so that you may make it right I know that you will make it right excuse me or I know that you will show me that it’s already right but I’m just telling you what I see and so until you show me vindication I will be satisfied I will continue to worship you I will continue to trust and obey I mean isn’t this like what the Prophet Habakkuk says and in his book here’s about something iris recapitulate it real quickly it says God you know something needs to happen Israel God’s like no worries I’m bringing Babylon the judges it’s like that doesn’t make any sense God why would you do that but God I know I don’t understand so until you make me understand I’m just gonna wait and trust you that’s really captures the idea of a righteous complaint in one sense you’re expressing dissatisfaction because you say God this is contrary to your will this is contrary to what your word promises and yet God I’m satisfied because I know that you’ll never truly be unfaithful that’s how you can complain that’s how you can express the righteous complaint to God now contrast this with unrighteous complaining what does unrighteous complaining really say well it’s often not directed to God specifically usually we try and direct it towards something else a person a situation even a thing and we say this situation is not right and it’s all so and so’s fault he failed to do what he was supposed to do and he deprived me if something I needed right now to be happy I don’t have any faith that anyone is necessarily going to make this right and so until my circumstances radically change I am justified in being angry bitter anxious or depressed I’m further justified in hurting bad mouthing or disobeying whoever it is that failed me that’s what unrighteous complaining says you can see the difference can’t you writes his complaint is given in faith unrighteous complaint is given and unbelief righteous complaint it still has a soul satisfaction in God unrighteous complaining there is no satisfaction righteous complaining is actually an expression of worship to God but unrighteous complaining is an expression of worship of self or of something in the world say I need this thing I love this thing I didn’t get it so I’m complaining about it now but the righteous he is still satisfied and is gone he worships God now though unrighteous complaining is usually directed towards people or objects or situations is that really ultimately whom it’s against we’ll come back to that question later on today but that wasn’t aside let’s come back to Exodus Exodus 15 24 it says the people grumble the people complain and notice against whom they complain oh of course this is very typical of people something goes wrong whom do you blame the leader he’s responsible it’s his fault Moses has been leading us look where he’s gotten us nothing but bitter water nice job Moses some leader you are side no how does Moses know where to go surely he’s following God’s direction so whose leadership is really being questioned here God’s now notice in verse 25 how quickly everything changes I grumble at Moses say what shall we drink Moses cries out to Yahweh Yahweh shows Moses a tree Moses throws the tree into the waters we don’t know what kind of water maybe some kind of Creek or spring or lake and then the waters become sweet become fresh and become drinkable that’s it all I had to do is throw tree in there that was easy all this anxiety and bitterness and grumbling for nothing because look at what Yahweh through Moses is able to do now you’ve got your drinkable water good water sweet water why are you so worried and notice the rest of verse 25 it tells us that it’s here God tested the people I don’t believe this tester first verses 26 to 27 because they’re not really a test they’re in this location so I believe the test refers to what came before this experience at Marah this lack of water and then this bitter water the site was a place of testing God says God was testing his people through this difficult circumstance to reveal what was in their hearts because what God does with tests but verses 25 and 26 also say that God used the occasion to give a statute a regulation a rule that’s kind of like a promise going for Israel going forward we could paraphrase it this way basically what God says to them is if you listen to me if you will trust me if you will obey me I will protect you from suffering any of the plagues of Egypt and notice the reason God gives at the end of verse 26 says for I Yahweh am your healer notice how personal that is it’s not an amazing statement from God God’s using a special covenant name with them Yahweh and God says I am your healer second person personal pronoun not the healer of Egypt not the healer just generally of the world but your healer what a grace what a privilege for Israel the word healer can also be translated physician either one really works here God is saying I will be if you’ll just follow me I’ll be delighted to personally see to it that you are well and that you were constantly provided for I’ll take care of you I’ll heal you and then nerdz verse 27 they arrived at this place called Elim anything strike you about this new location versus what they experienced that Marah yeah tons of water right I mean it’s just a kind of a short description but it’s like whoa this place is nice twelve Springs of water seventy date-palms this is the exact opposite of what they experienced this is abundance that’s where it ends so I made these observations let’s go to step two ask a few interpretation questions first how did this tree make the bitter water sweet I think it’s a miracle yes you know you you just know if someone wants to be like well maybe there’s some tree out there that when it touches the water it like counteracts some bitter affect well problem is we have not discovered any kind of tree that could do that there’s no natural explanation for how this tree could make the bitter water sweet and that’s because this is a miracle this is just another miracle of God graciously given for his people what is the significance of God leading the people from Marah to Elam this is not this didn’t happen and this wasn’t recorded for us just like oh you know that’s interesting what does that show us and God is gracious merciful he knows how to provide I mean right what are they doing when they when they when they question Moses is saying you don’t know how to lead us you don’t know how to define good water and God provides and then God’s like let me show you I know how to find good water for you brings them to Elim this Oasis just abundant water all these trees around I’ve been a wonderful place God says look I know how to do this I know how to do this I know how to provide for you yeah right I think that’s true also mark did their experience of bitterness or difficulty when they experienced ease and and abundance they can appreciate that so much more and I think that’s been true for many of us right in our own lives when we go through something difficult and then God leads us to a broad place place of abundance and it’s reminder God says I know how to take care of you now the statute of verse 26 of our passage it’s given as an if-statement statement is given positively if you will do this is what I will do but because it’s an if statement what also is implied in a negative way if you will listen I won’t bring the plagues on you I am your healer but if you won’t listen well then I will bring the plagues on you you will deserve the same kinds of plagues that they got now what’s so interesting though is that in this situation the people did not listen to Yahweh the people manifested a lack of trust in God and in his leader they did not Revere Moses but there’s no punishment no discipline there’s no plague in this passage so what does that show us about God it did not give them what they deserved and so this would be another great lesson for Israel look you look you saw the plagues and deliverance of Egypt you saw the reed sea and now you see what God did for you at Mara and Elam don’t you think you should trust him now so Israel learned an important lesson or did they because God’s gonna test his people again slightly different circumstance let’s see how they respond this time Exodus 16 verses 1 to 36 this is a larger section Exodus 16 1 to 36 let’s look at Israel’s second test here’s what the Bible says then they set out from ulam and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of sin which is between Elim and Sinai Sinai on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness sons of Israel said to them would that we had died by Yahweh’s hand in the land of Egypt when we sat by the pots of meat we ate bread to the full you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger and Yahweh said to Moses behold I will rain bread from heaven for you and the people shall go out gather a day’s portion every day that I may test them whether or not they will walk in my instruction on the sixth day when they prepare what they bring in it will be twice as much as what they gather daily so Moses and Aaron said to all the so while the sons of Israel had evening you will know that Yahweh has brought you out of the land of Egypt and in the morning you will see the glory of Yahweh for he hears your grumblings against Yahweh and what are we that you grumble against us Moses said this will happen when Yahweh gives you me to eat in the evening and bread to the full in the morning for Yahweh here’s your grumblings which you grumble against him and what are we your grumblings are not against us but against Yahweh and Moses said to Aaron say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel come near before Yahweh for he has heard your grumblings it came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel that they looked toward the wilderness and behold the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud and Yahweh spoke to Moses saying I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel speak to them saying at twilight you shall eat meat and in the morning you shall be filled with bread and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God so it came about an evening that the quails came up and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of do around the camp when the layer of due evaporated behold on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake like thing fine as the frost on the ground when the sun’s visual saw it they said to one another what is it but they did not know what it was and Moses said to them it is the bread which yahweh has given you to eat this is what yahweh has commanded gather of it every man as much as he should eat you shall take an Omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent the sons of Israel did so some guy than much some little when they measured it with an Omer you had gathered much had no excess and knew who gathered little had no lack every man gathered as much as he should and Moses said to them let no man leave any of it until morning but they did not listen to Moses and some left part of it until morning and it bred worms and became fowl and Moses was angry with them they gathered it morning by morning every man as much as he should eat or when the Sun grew hot it would melt now in the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread to OMERS for each one when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses then he said to them this is what Yahweh meant tomorrow is a Sabbath observance a holy Sabbath to Yahweh baked what you will bake and boil what you will boil and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning so I put it aside on till morning as Moses had ordered and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it Moses said eat it today for today is a Sabbath to Yahweh today you will not find it in the field six days you shall gather it but on the seventh day the Sabbath there will be none it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather but they found none and you always said to Moses how long do you refuse to keep my Commandments and my instructions see Yahweh has given you the Sabbath therefore he gives you bread for two days on the sixth day remain every man in his place let no man go out of his place on the seventh day so the people arrested on the seventh day the house of Israel named it manna and it was like coriander seed white and its taste was like wafers with honey then Moses said this is what Yahweh has commanded let an Omer full of it be kept throughout your generations that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt Moses said to Aaron take a jar and put an omer full of manna in it place it before Yahweh to be kept throughout your generations as Yahweh commanded Moses so Aaron place it before the testimony Jew be kept the sons of Israel ate the manna 40 years until they came to an inhabited land and they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan now anomers 1/10 of an ephah okay longer section second test let’s make observations notice verse one says the people came to the wilderness of sin now we know what sin means but that’s not talking about this is the wilderness where the people sinned now it’s just a name of this place I don’t know if I’d want to live in the wilderness of sin but that was what this place was called there’s just another patch of wilderness as you get closer to Mount Sinai in verse two we find out that the people are grumbling again this time against Moses and Aaron and what are they grumbling about lack of food only have enough food and what’s strange about Israel’s memory as expressed in verse three such a positive view of Egypt oh man Egypt was so great all those spots of meat and bread oh that was great Moses why did you lead us here how is this memory of Egypt correct assuredly not I mean I’m sure they had food in Egypt but it was no paradise that was the place of bondage God mightily delivered him out of it but now they’re looking back and like man I was pretty good back there and this is only a month after they left Egypt according to verse one this is the second month sends the Passover and already their memory is really faulty I don’t think that’s just an error in their brains now what fact is emphasized about the peoples grumblings in verses 7 7 to 12 yeah it was implied in the first passage but now it’s quite explicit when you grumble against Moses and Aaron you’re really grumbling against Yahweh now he says look I’ve heard your grumblings there’s one let you know I’ve heard your grumblings and they’re against me notice in verse 4 God tells Moses that he will provide food for the people from heaven but he’s gonna use the occasion as another test he gives Moses various commands to set forward set before the people they are to gather a certain amount of food per person per day and twice the amount on the sixth day of the week so that no none will have to be gathered or cooked or baked on the Sabbath God also commands via Moses and verse 19 that the people should leave none of the food until the following day anything leftover you got to get rid of that’s on days 1 to 5 in the week now considering that the people there only they gather enough for each person for one day enough so that each person will have enough to be satisfied why then might people leave some over until the next morning because it’s not like oh I just can’t eat anymore I’m so full that can’t be the reason because he says just enough for each person so why would they leave it over remember we live in a very different culture where food is abundant but they didn’t live in that culture and they certainly didn’t live in that culture when they were in the wilderness we’re not used to the idea of like oh you ran out of food just go to the supermarket you run out of food in those days and that’s it so you can understand there there’s a very great temptation to be like oh you never know what tomorrow will bring let’s store some away oh we have to eat a little bit lighter but at least we’ll have food long term but God says don’t do that each day there will be food for you don’t leave any over until the morning now what kind of food does God provide for the people got quail and manna some meat and some bread and you have to love the name manna I just love these little things that you hear in the Bible manna is one of them that people saw the stuff and they said what is it ma who in Hebrew so the people called it ma which is basically another version of the Hebrew word what I get some of that what our term man that comes from an alternate version of the word used in Nehemiah 9:20 just another way to say what or what is it and notice the details we get about manna notice where it appears according to verses 13 to 14 it was a it was a layer that came upon the ground in the wilderness outside the camp it’s all over the ground like frost ring can be very appreciative of that we know what Frost is like fine flake like substance verse 31 tells us further it was like coriander seed it was white it tasted like wafers with honey I don’t know about you but that sounds pretty good I could go for some manna imagine some breads or some cakes made with this manna it’s been very very tasty but then this other weird detail verse 21 says that this manna would melt in the Sun when it got hot it wouldn’t melt now God provides this quail provides this man it gives them commands but how do the people fail to keep always commands even told them you won’t find anything and they went if his first one doesn’t doesn’t quite appear to us but remember he says gather each of you an Omer full just a certain portion for each one of you but versus 17-18 says that some gathered much and some gathered little so were they of bang that command two gathered a particular amount no for whatever reasons some were gathering more than like oh you know we better get more and some from whatever reason they didn’t gather enough and yet amazingly when they brought it all back everybody had just the right amount even though they didn’t do exactly what God told him to do now we should know when this even though when they left it over during the week it bred worms and became fowl when they obeyed and left some over for the Sabbath it did not breed worms or become fowl that tells you something notice after seeing the disobedience in particular about the Sabbath we hear God’s complaint I told you was coming God’s complaint in verse 28 he says how long do you refuse to keep my Commandments in my instructions now again this is not a question asking for information you know I just want to know how long how long it’s gonna be now God’s saying this is wrong guys how are you gonna do this this shot to be changed despite this disobedience though notice that the people are well provided for by God with abundant food and notice the chastening that God also brings upon the people in this passage there is none no punishment no chastening even though he even said in the previous passage if you listen then I won’t bring you the plagues no chastening here rather God commands and verses 32 to 34 that take a certain amount of this manna set it aside has a perpetual reminder but in a jar and you’re gonna place it before the testimony that I will give you and then verse 35 tells us right towards the end of the passage that Israel would eat manna for the next forty years until they finally enter Canaan to inherit the promised land that’s a significant statement there’s a little bit of a foreshadowing something’s gonna happen there that’s gonna prevent them from going to the promised land some disobedience but it’ll go through a lot during those 40 years they’re gonna disobey they’re gonna fail to trust they’re gonna complain some more but God brought the manna every day for them every day they woke up and there’s that faithful sheet of manna on the ground so that the people would have enough food II even in the barren wilderness mind you now let’s ask some more questions of interpretation now that we’ve looked more closely at the passage how did Israel do in this second test now truly not necessarily every single person in Israel did but as a whole they complained and then various sections of the people failed to keep the commands that God gave about gathering the manna and storing the manna how were the grumblings of the people expressed against Moses and Aaron really against God let’s tease out if they say no no we were just playing about Moses and Aaron how a good respond that’s right so like a German the previous passage God’s keep giving the words that Moses and Aaron are to speak to the people God is also leading Moses and Aaron directly but even more generally we can we can say any sort of complaint against a person even against the situation or a thing is ultimately a complaint against God why is that because as we’ve been seeing again and again especially with the plagues of Egypt and what God says about Pharaoh God is sovereign he is the king and if you complain about something in the Kings kingdom you’re charging the King with wrong God is the one who gave you the leaders that you have God is the one that gave you the health that you had God is the one who put you in the situation that you’re experiencing so when you say ah this is not right and whoever did it whoever caused it deserves to be punished you’re saying God has done wrong you’re charging God would sin that’s why we need to realize you complain against a person and animal and object you’re really complaining about God because he’s sovereign over all of that another question why did God make people gather their own food mean God brought the manna the quail couldn’t you’ve just like prepared at all to stuck it on the dinner plate in each home and that would have been nice but that’s not what he did instead each person had to go out bend down gather this flake like substance that’s the daily bread why did God do it that way thinking what yeah so that each person would have that direct experience with God himself it’s very very individualized right like each person gather for himself you want all of them to have screaming Wow wookies good work is dignified God God honors work remember God is himself a worker what you can say okay yeah it’s part of the test right if God just did everything just made it all appear then people didn’t really have to do much exercise much faith in God at all but when they go out and then when they specifically obey the Lord’s commands then they’re actually being tested in their faith I mean ultimately we have to say that God can do what he wants God can make them work for it or God can make them not work for it in fact whereas we keep looking at Israel’s experience with God we’re gonna see that sometimes he makes him work and sometimes he doesn’t sometimes he says you’re going out to battle I’ll give you the victory but you got to fight and sometimes he says stand aside I’m taking care of this like he does with Hezekiah and the Assyrians in the Book of Isaiah in the Book of Kings right 185 thousand Assyrians killed in one night by the angel of Yahweh it sure didn’t do anything really Hezekiah did ndu anything except trust God and pray to him God does what he deems best in each situation but certainly he has called us and he called the people of Israel to obedient stewardship he has called us to use the means that he is provided for providing for ourselves sometimes we pray God you know I need this thing to happen can you bring it can you bring it to pass well a lot of times that way God answers it is by your own work oh god I need money well good you need to work or God I really want this person to become saved good witness to that person that’s how God is actually gonna answer your prayer by you being obedient sometimes it doesn’t use you sometimes he does you’re just called to being obedient exercise or the stewardship God has given you and imitate God even as a worker now here’s another question that’s the same thing the Israelites did what is this stuff what exactly is manna what would you say yeah you can’t do much better than that the description we got in the Bible is pretty much all you can say no one knows what exactly this special provision of food was from heaven by God some have sought however to identify it with a particular known thing I know if any of you’ve ever heard of something called honeydew I’m not talking about the melon like fruit there’s something a phenomenon in various parts of the world called honeydew where insects they bite certain trees and through the the explosion of sap and sugar that comes out of the tree and is ingested by the bug the bug immediately excretes a sweet honey like substance which is called honeydew this substance is even called manna today it’s been I classified as manna and it can be gathered and eaten by animals and man apparently you can get really really good honey from this manna like substance but we can say confidently that this manna this honeydew is not the man of our passage how can we make that conclusion right so the the man of our passage is described as a bread like substance a flour like substance is called flaky and they’re making it into bread things why else why else do we know this is not the same nasty okay yeah that’s another good point he says the timing of the man in the scriptures is quite significant forty years and then when we get there as soon as they cross over New Canaan it stops if it were just natural then they won’t know they could just keep gathering it I think another detail we could point to is that this modern manner so to speak it comes from trees but the Bible describes the men as being on the ground it’s it’s all over the wilderness outside the camp so multiple details of the passage they don’t line up with this honeydew mana explanation so here’s another instance where somebody is looking to provide a natural explanation for what the Bible says and it just doesn’t it just doesn’t line up this is another miraculous provision from God like that tree being thrown in the water so the manna is a miraculous provision now God doesn’t always have to use super miraculous provisions he does provide via his providence and you can say the quail might be that certainly quail art the existence of quail is not miraculous certainly certainly having them all be there at that time suddenly was significant but God is when the Bible clearly shows God is using a miracle we should stand up for that we should understand that now one more question of interpretation here why doesn’t God chase in Israel he just told him if you listen I won’t bring plagues on you they didn’t listen but he doesn’t chasing them why not just showing more patience they don’t deserve this but in kindness and generous patience he’s showing it to them he knows what they’re doing is wrong it is a complaint when they complained it’s a complaint against him it is an affront to his greatness and holiness his sovereign wisdom and goodness yet he shows them mercy now I know some of you are already thinking God will not always act this way with Israel there will be times that he will chasten them for complaining or for disobedience but not yet in fact well you only see God chasing Israel after what significant event that’s right not until they go to Mount Sinai and God really spells out the covenant terms he just lays it all out there he makes it so clear what he will do if they will disobey it’s only after that that God begins to actually chasing the people with plague judgments for complaining for setting up the golden calf for other things yeah John of the ignorance because it would new to this it’s not just that God hasn’t fully spelled out the terms but just in case someone might say but we didn’t know we didn’t know you could we could trust you doesn’t say I’m just gonna show you I’m gonna give you multiple instances where you’re gonna see you didn’t trust me but I’m still gonna be patient with you to show you that you can believe now really before even the first test they should have done that and God would have been right to chasing them but I think he’s being over abundant in his patience and in His grace saying look there will be no excuse because I’m gonna show you I’m not gonna chasing you I’m gonna show you abundant kindness so that you will learn and this is similar to what God is the patriarchs right patriarchs they don’t always get things right they don’t always trust God but God shows grace to them and what do we see happen to the patriarchs they changed they do learn to trust God Israel doesn’t have quite the same change yeah Roy this is the very this is very early on in God’s relationship with the wilderness it’s not really stated obviously God recognizes that but this is going to God’s reasonableness he is understanding that that this is their person this is their first time dealing with the Lord through Moses in his relationship with them we know this is going to go on for 40 years in the wilderness and positive through disobedience but God is being reasonable and here are recognizing that this is the first time that is reeling with Moses and so forth so God is recognizing that and he’s reasonable about that which again just goes even more to show God’s mercy and loving-kindness reasonableness God is showing himself to be abundantly reasonable I still think it’s true that even if they hadn’t know even if God hadn’t shown them any patience even at the beginning he’s like oh you complain all right here comes judgment that would have been justified by God because come on they just saw the Red Sea crossing they just all the plagues of Egypt God has already been showing them mercy but I think it’s still true you’re gonna Israel’s gonna come to the end of all this and they will have nothing to say like oh well God should have given us like a grace period like we were just kind of getting used to this wilderness thing they won’t be able to say that in fact that’s what’s gonna be true about issues experienced throughout the scripture and an Isaiah the very beginning in that book chapter 1 he talked about raising Israel as a son but he’s like but my son is turned out disobedient what could I have done for Israel that I didn’t do and that’s that’s really what we’re seeing here in this passage now there is a third test we won’t read through it and comment on it too much because our time is a little bit short the third test I’ll just summarize it for you Exodus 17 1 to 7 it’s kind of a repeat of the first one except this time it’s not bringing Israel to a place of bitter water it’s a place of no water but it’s like come on guys you know remember what happened last time with the water like you could trust God but what do the people do they complain they grumble against Moses and Aaron in fact Moses is afraid for his life he says a little bit more they’re gonna stone me God what do I do what does God do he says look take your staff go to this certain rock or this rocky place strike the rock and I’ll provide water for you too I’ll provide water for you and that’s what happens God provides water for the people and their animals from the rock and Moses name the place masa and Meribah and those two terms are significant masa means testing Meribah means quarreling or contention because the people were asking is God really among us or not so even after those first two tests and God’s mercy and God’s provision well Israel still doubting God still complaining but God’s still not bringing any chastening judgment on that he’s still just providing and being patient with them but he’s still wanting them to remember it commemorated the site remember what you did remember what you did against God here you complained again so as we moved to one more section of interpretation or I guess kind of tying it all together what’s the main message of these passages today surely two of the main themes are the wrongfulness the sinfulness of complaining and the clear display of who God is he is a patient God he is a gracious God he is a providing God this was written for Israel that new generation of Israel that was gonna go into the Promised Land so that they would not do as their forefathers had done they would not complain and doubt and disobey but they would stead trust and go and obtain the land but of course what was written to them is also for us so we need to do the same we need not to complain but to listen to God to trust God and obey Him even when he sovereignly brings us into situations or gives us people or things around us that are difficult cut knows how to provide remember Elam he knows how to give you those seventy date-palms in the twelve Springs but he has something else in mind a particular instances he wants he wants you to go through a test and wants to reveal to you reveal to others what’s in your heart so that you may grow then you may be changed now along those lines I want us to drill down a little bit on the idea of complaining because let’s face it this is a this is a big problem in our world and it’s a big problem for us even as Christians so here are three questions to help us explore complaining and to deal with it number one what types of things do you or do people tend to complain about in an unrighteous way the weather so I so cold what else work Oh my job is so boring oh my job my boss my long hours my not enough hours what else homework school teachers yes yes what else the government would you say spouses family members yeah Brian oh yeah we can complain about our selfish desires not being met and that manifests in various ways the government yes other people how about other people who complain right because if you ever listen to someone complaining you’re like oh that is so ugly and annoying and then what do you do you complain about no one likes to be near a complainer and yet we’re all tempted to do it there are so many things we complain about sleep lack of sleep machines that don’t work spellcheck is so stupid didn’t know what I was going to write bad service at a restaurant how we look your children people who sin against you animals and pets your pets can do some pretty annoying things your team not winning in a certain sports event all sorts of things we complain about but let’s face it as our passage says when you complain about those things if it isn’t an unrighteous way if your satisfaction is shattered and you’re no longer worshiping God and it is an unrighteous complaint and it is an affront God’s sovereignty so second question what thoughts and beliefs in the heart motivate and lead to our sinful complaining okay a nun appreciation for for what yeah for the good that God has given us what else right so a sense of entitlement basically pride I mean that’s that’s the way the Bible calls it right saying I don’t deserve this I deserve some other situation I saw another hand yeah okay false view of God specifically in what way right right right so no longer appreciating or trusting the sovereignty the wisdom the goodness of God and trusting in our own wisdom it’s it’s really a lack of trust in who God is just as you’re saying Juwan lack of reliance on God lack of love for and satisfaction in God a lack of belief that he knows what he’s doing and along with all these it is the idolizing of something in the world you say I need this for satisfaction I need this to be secure happy and because I don’t get it I’m justifying complaining you got to deal with the heart idle complaining is just a symptom of problems in the heart and one other thought how serious is God about complaining in our passage we don’t see any chastening for it but after Sinai we do see thousands of people will die because they complain against God God is serious about complaining it is one of the things that marks the people of God versus the people of the world it is a direct affront to his wisdom goodness and sovereignty when you complain and what’s interesting is in 1st Corinthians many of you know that passage that talks about no temptation has overtaken you except what you’re able to bear or these things are written for our instruction talking about Israel’s experience but what I found really interesting when reading through it and reading the context the other day is right before right before that passage begins Paul finishes first Corinthians 9 by saying so I beat my body and make it my slave so that when I preached others I myself may not be disqualified its qualified from what well what he goes to talk about next is Israel being disqualified from entering the promised land because they served other gods they were immoral and they complained basically because they served their cravings and their idols rather than serving and trusting God they were disqualified from the promised land I think there’s there’s an there’s a reason those things are put together in Paul’s mind he says you will be disqualified from being with God if you act the same way if your heart is the same as Israel’s and of course in that context it was with food being sacrificed to idols people trying to exercise their liberties and not love their brethren they basically were just serving their cravings he’s like learn from Israel’s experience they disqualified themselves you don’t want to be disqualified trust in God be grateful for his provision you don’t deserve anything good from him yet he’s shown it to you if we find ourselves complaining we need to deal with our hearts we need to let the word deal with us we need to deal we need to have those idols unmasked and dethroned yeah Danny right right right that’s right that’s right that’s right exactly Danny James has counted all joy when you encounter various trials not because the trials themselves are great but because you know God’s doing something good through it you know it’s a great opportunity for your sanctification your growth your trusting in God that says why Romans 8:28 230 talks about how we know God works all things together for good for those who love God for those who are called according to his purpose so yes we should be marked by joy we should be as Philippians 2:15 says we should be like stars that stand out in the darkness the world complains when you don’t complain when you have that gratitude and that thankfulness that marks you you’re gonna stand out that’s what God’s called you to do because that honors him now if you’ve other questions or comments about today’s lesson come talk to me afterwards but that’s all for this week I’m not out of time now won’t be Sunday school next week as I as I mention in the beginning but when we do come back Israel finally reaches Sinai and they receive God’s law I’ll talk about that let’s close in prayer hello God you know so often we we affront your sovereignty your wisdom and goodness by complaining but God we ought to progress we ought to learn the first generation of Israelites they didn’t learn they didn’t progress and thus they disqualify themselves they never actually trusted you but God you have done a work in our hearts we’ve come to know Jesus Christ so God caused us although we know we’re responsible because us Lord to progress from doubting too trusting from self-reliance to reliance on you knowing that you’re doing good in every circumstance I pray God that you would root out complaining in our lives and in the lives of our children we’d be diligent to show that this is an affront to you and instead we would replace complaining with thankfulness and gratitude in Jesus name Amen