Exodus 16:1-36
Manna and Quail
1 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: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.' "
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.
19 Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."
20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.' "
24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."
27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.' "
33 So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come."
34 As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.
36 (An omer is one tenth of an ephah.)
When I first read Exodus and the Israelites were in the desert, I wondered after they got their freedom, why weren't they more thankful...Why would they grumble, in the desert?...Why were they complaining?...
As I have gotten older, there is little that I need...I have the basic food (my daily manna), clothing, and shelter...Really God has blessed me and my family...Yet, there are times when, I grumble and complain...How can I complain and why do I complain?...I am not wandering in the hot desert, like God's people were...Maybe, I am worse at grumbling than they were...
I thought since God was with Moses and His people, that this is enough...What else could one want?...We know that God gave the people water on the desert, and they wanted more...They were given manna and then the people after a little time grumbled...Then God gave then the meat from quail, and later the people would grumble again...
As times get difficult, the Israelites look back to their times in Egypt, and one gets the idea that the Israelites talk about Egypt as the good old days...In Exodus 16:2 the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron...They said that in Egypt, they sat around pots of meat and ate all the food that they wanted, but you (Moses) have brought us out into desert to starve this entire assembly to death...We know that the Israelites were oppressed by the Egyptians and worked them ruthlessly...The Egyptians made their lives bitter with hard work and labor...We know in Exodus 3:7 that the LORD has seen the misery of His people in Egypt and have heard them cry out because of their slave drivers, and I AM concerned of their suffering...Those were not the good old days...
The people have cried out to Him...God has seen the misery of His people, and He is/was concerned...How soon we forget...So why the people grumbled and complained when they were safely away from their misery of the ruthless Egypt, is interesting and appears how we as man are made up...It seems when we get tired, hungry, thirsty, and in times of discomfort we complain and we grumble...It still happens today...We know that constant complaining and grumbling can harm relationships...We have to be on guard, when we get tired and uncomfortable...We change a little when we get tired, (and most of the time) it is not for the better...
God gave Moses instructions to give to the people about how much manna to collect each day and they were to collect twice as much on the sixth day, because the Sabbath is a Holy Day and none was to be collected...There was no manna on any Sabbath, but some people did go out and search for it (manna)...Even though they were told it would not be there...This appears to be the first reference of Sabbath rest and observance, since Genesis 2:2-3 when God embedded that gift of rest and a quiet Sabbath focused on Him...Why don't we follow the rules, be more disciplined, and trust in the LORD?...
The Israelites had quail for many years and ate manna for forty years until they came to the land they settled...God was with them... By His grace He gave them water, bread, quail...They also had their herds for other meat and milk (which He also provided)...Did they have reasons to complain and grumble?...This is a question for us to think about...But what we can learn from this?...Do we have reasons to complain and grumble?...So when we are complaining and grumbling let's step back, and see what are we complaining about and what brought about our complaint...Why are we grumbling?...Then give thanks to God...
Although God was unhappy with the complaining, God took care of His grumbling people, yesterday, and today (including me)...We must always try to trust in the LORD...He is full of grace...He will and does provide...Let's be thankful to One who provides us with everything...