The Manna Principle
Exodus 16:1-27
August 18, 2024
Jay Haugh
God hears our cries.
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. —Exodus 2:23-24 ESV
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” —Exodus 16:2-3 ESV
“Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” —Exodus 16:9-12 ESV
God’s lesson: God responds not because of us or to the quality of our prayers, but because He’s a God who hears.
God delivers [from our worries].
Yesterday’s provisions don’t answer the fears and worries of today.
Manna = God alone is the deliverer.
God is near the anxious.
God tests His people.
God tests us because He knows we are often blind to the mixed allegiances of our hearts.
Fear is when something of value is under threat.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.” —Exodus 16:4 ESV
“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” —Deuteronomy 8:2-3 ESV
(1) God gives us enough for today.
“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” —Exodus 16:16-19 ESV
God wants to give us what we need when we need it.
(2) The Sabbath Test.
[Moses] said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.” On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. —Exodus 16:23-27 ESV
God gives them a weekly practice to trust Him for today and tomorrow.
“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” —Deuteronomy 8:2-3 ESV
…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:12-13 NIV
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” —John 6:35 ESV
Big Idea:
God tests His people [all worriers] to train us that He’s enough for both today and tomorrow.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Memory Verse: Luke 12:32 NIV
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
The goal of these questions is to foster meaningful discussion and to encourage participants to reflect on God’s Word to lead to heart transformation. Feel free to modify or expand upon these questions based on the dynamics and needs of your Small Group.
Read Exodus 16:1-27
Read Exodus 2:23. Like a parent knows the cry of their child, what does it mean to you that God hears and knows your cry? Like the Israelites cried out to God for help, where do you need the Lord’s help today? Have you ever felt like God wasn’t hearing your cries?
If you were Moses, how would you have responded to the people’s complaints in the wilderness? In what ways do you see yourself “grumbling” in your current life situations? What surprises you about God’s response to the Israelites’ grumbling?
What lessons did God want to teach them by providing manna daily? Why do you think some of the people did not listen to Moses and saved some until morning? How does this relate to the way we sometimes behave?
When our fears and worries live in the future, how does God’s provision for the day fight against what we want? How are you at trusting God on the journey instead of being focused on the destination?
Did the Israelites have to do anything in order to receive the manna? What does this tell us about the character of God? Describe an even greater biblical principle where God freely provides.
Even though the Israelites were feeling anxious about their situation, God was near. God’s presence appeared to the people in a cloud. How do you experience God’s presence? If you were to describe what it means to be in God’s presence to a non-believer, what would you say?
The God who hears, the God who delivers, the God who is near, is also the God who tests His people. Why does God test His people? When has God’s testing revealed or helped identify something in your heart that needed to be purified? Do you welcome testing? Does shifting your mindset to see testing as an opportunity for growth help you be joyful in the testing?
How can you demonstrate God’s nearness to someone who feels isolated or distant from Him? What Scriptures or stories can you share to illustrate God’s deliverance? What are some practical ways you can assist someone who is in the midst of a difficult season?