Exodus Exodus 16:1-15, 18, 31-35 (ESV)

1 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 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.” 4 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. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.” 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 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. 11 And the LORD said to Moses, 12 “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.’” 13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. … 18 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. … 31 Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. 35 The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

Intro: When did you last hear a complaint about food?

THE LORD IS GRACIOUS
In the face of bitter grumbling, how does the LORD graciously provide for our needs?

THE ROOTS OF GRUMBLING
How is there bad theology in every episode of grumbling?

HIS AMAZING PROVISION
Only the LORD can free us. So how does He?

YOU CAN PRAY WITH US …
1 - Worship the LORD for His generous provision and His power to save. Praise Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit for His ability to turn what looks like destruction into the very place that He is glorified as the God who saves.

2 - How have you lived grumbling and complaining? Confess your pride and unbelief to Jesus, asking Him to forgive you and to quiet your heart with His love.

3 - Give thanks to Jesus for absorbing the accusations that only we deserve and for giving us blessings that only He has earned. Thank Him for being broken in His death, and for giving you life by His resurrection.

4 - Who do you know that lives with a complaining mindset? Pray for them, asking the Lord to open their eyes to His true love and power and to lead them away from grumbling to a life of joy and gratitude.

5 - Ask the Holy Spirit to bear in your heart the fruit of love and joy, giving you a sense of awe at God’s ways. Pray for fullness in Christ and the skill to lament in your sorrows rather than grumbling or complaining.