Exodus 16-18    Listen

What is this stuff? (Exodus 16)

1 And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.
2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
3 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we 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 will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.
5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”
6 ¶ Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt.
7 And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD. But what are we, that you complain against us?”
8 Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.”
9 ¶ Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints.’ ”
10 Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
11 ¶ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12 “I have heard the complaints of the children 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 the LORD your God.’ ”
13 ¶ So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp.
14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground.
15 So when the children 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, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.
16 This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: “Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’ ”
17 ¶ Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.
18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.
19 And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.”
20 Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.
22 ¶ And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ”
24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it.
25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field.
26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”
27 ¶ Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none.
28 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?
29 See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 ¶ And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
32 ¶ Then Moses said, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Fill an omer with it, to be kept for your generations, 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 pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.”
34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
35 And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
36 Now an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

The Hebrews have just witnessed a remarkable delivery from Egypt accompanied by 10 indisputable miracles in the plagues God brought upon the Egyptians from which the Hebrews were spared. They have just witnessed the miracle of a lifetime when they saw the waters of the Red Sea part enabling them to walk across on dry land. They have just witnessed the destruction of Pharaoh's mighty army along with 600 chariots in that same Red Sea as the Egyptians pursued them. Is it possible that anyone could question the provisional hand of God after such a bountiful manifestation of miracles? Hang on to your hats! YES! THE HEBREWS DID QUESTION GOD'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE! I know it doesn't seem possible at this point, but true nonetheless. It's just a little over a month out of Egypt, and look at verse 2, "Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness." Incredible! What's wrong with these people! They get a little bit hungry and look back with fondness at their existence in Egypt. And they blame Moses for what they consider to be a life-threatening dilemma? Can you really trust the consensus of the masses for sound decision making? We often hear people reflect back on tough times in their lives and refer to them as "the good ol' days," but this is outrageous; THESE HEBREWS HAD BEEN ABUSED SLAVES!

God's solution is simple...at least it's simple to God - manna. The first time they see this manna is verse 15. The phrase "it is manna" in the KJV is translated from just one Hebrew word, "mawn." Literally, the word "mawn" in Hebrew means, "What is it?" The NKJV does translate it that way. That was their first reaction to the bread-like substance left on the ground after the dew evaporated. It is interesting that this name sticks; for forty years they call it, "What is it?". That would have made a great Abbot and Costello routine back in the wilderness akin to "Who's on first?". "Hey mom! What's for breakfast?" Mom replies, "What is it." Junior replies, "I don't know, you tell me."

But wait, there's more - quail for supper. Lots and lots of quail - God sent them. Now the people who come up with a natural solution for every miracle say that the quail landed on the first available spot after their long flight across the Red Sea. Whatever...they just happen to land right there where the Hebrews just gather them up and cook them for supper. Incidentally, there is another quail episode later in Number 11:16-35 (see notes).

You might be wondering why they just did not eat meat from their own livestock when they were hungry. They were not permitted to do so except under special circumstances. Those circumstances are explained in Leviticus 17 (see notes). Nope...no steak or lamb chops; for right now they'll have to make due with meals of manna and quail.

It's interesting to note the keeping of the Sabbath day even before the giving of the law in Exodus 20 (see notes). The Sabbath apparently was sacred to their ancestors going back to creation where Genesis 2:2-3 (see notes) says, "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." Exodus 16:23 regards the significance of the Sabbath without any explanation, even though this is the first time in the Bible that the word "Sabbath" occurs, "Then he said to them, 'This is what the LORD has said: "Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning."'" They could not gather an extra day's worth of manna on any day except Friday; it would become infested with worms if they tried to save it. But Fridays were different; it would keep through Saturday. We see in Exodus 16:30, "So the people rested on the seventh day." And when some initially went out Saturday morning to gather their daily allotment of manna, there was none. This manna is remarkable stuff. Moses commands Aaron to put some in a jar for a memorial...and canning is born. By the way, we see in verse 35 that manna remained part of the Hebrew diet for 40 years until they reached Canaan in Joshua 5:10-12 (see notes).

We are told in verse 34 that the jar eventually made its way into the "Testimony" (aka "Ark") to be preserved. Hebrews 9:4 (see notes) acknowledges its presence there. However, the jar of manna disappeared somewhere between Moses and Solomon. We see in II Chronicles 5:10 (see notes), "Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they had come out of Egypt." The same statement of fact is found in I Kings 8:9 (see notes).

Hey Moses! We're thirsty! (Exodus 17:1-7)

1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” ¶ So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?”
3 ¶ And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
4 ¶ So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
5 ¶ And the LORD said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” ¶ And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

The Hebrews have been traveling. There in the wilderness they begin to contend with Moses. Look at verse 3, "And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, 'Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?'" I guess we'd better get used to these whining Hebrews; I don't think they're going to ever stop. Now notice; they don't just discover water; God makes a show - a miracle if you please - right before their eyes for the provision of water. Moses strikes the rock with his rod and water gushes forth. This place gets a double name, "Massah" and "Meribah.". "Massah" means "testing," and "Meribah" means "quarrelling." How appropriate. The water-from-the-rock miracle takes place again with the descendants of these people 39 years later in Numbers 20:7-13 (see notes). However, on that occasion, Moses is told by God to simply speak to the rock - not strike it with his rod. His disobedience on that occasion results in God's refusal to allow Moses to be the one to lead the Hebrews into Canaan.

By the way, this incident here takes place at Horeb, another name for the mountain range of Sinai. If that name looks familiar, it's because that's where Moses was keeping his flock of sheep for his father-in-law when he talked to God in the burning bush (Exodus 3:1, see notes). You will recall that on that occasion in Exodus 3:12 God said to Moses, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." Well, here they are just as God had said. As a matter of fact, Moses' father-in-law knows exactly where to find Moses and the Hebrews down in Exodus 18 (see below) when he brings Moses' family to meet up with them. It was never an option for Israel to head straight up out of Egypt into Canaan.

Now for the real test - WAR! (Exodus 17:8-16)

8 ¶ Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The–LORD–Is–My–Banner;
16 for he said, “Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

In that big ol' wilderness, the Amalekites decide that Israel is infringing on their territorial rights; they go against the Hebrews in battle. "Amalek" was Esau's grandson (Genesis 36:12), and the Tribe of Amalek consists of his descendants. Moses puts Joshua (his first mention) in charge of the fighting men while Moses just stands up above the battle holding his rod in the air. As long as he holds the rod up, Israel prevails in battle, but begins losing when he puts his arms down to rest. Notice verse 12, "But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun." It's a great illustration! I can't count the number of sermons I've heard in my lifetime on this passage of scripture. Everybody needs an Aaron and a Hur. And the outcome? Need you ask?

Now you might wonder why it was necessary for Moses to hold his hands up for Israel to prevail in battle. It's simple really; it was a visible validation of Moses' leadership over the Hebrews. It was obviously done for the benefit of the Hebrews themselves. Add that to the long string of miracles God performed through Moses before Israel to prove to them God's ability to provide.

There are some sobering words from God regarding the Amalekites in verse 14, "I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." Verse 16 adds, "...the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." Israel did war with these Amalekites over the years until Saul destroys them in I Samuel 15 (see notes). David had a brief episode with a remnant of Amalekites in I Samuel 30 (see notes), but then they disappear...just as God had said. HEY! I'm not superstitious (it's bad luck to be superstitious), but let me say IT'S BEST FOR A NATION NOT TO BECOME ISRAEL'S ENEMY. God made a covenant with Abraham which was passed down through Isaac, Jacob and his descendants, Israel. One of the provisions of that covenant is found in Genesis 12:3 (see notes), " I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you." I am completely convinced that those nations which abuse Israel do so to their own peril. There is no indication in scripture that the promise of Genesis 12:3 has an expiration date. And that's why we see (to the surprise of many Jews) the overwhelming support of Israel by fundamental Christians today. We may not like everything they do, but who dares get at odds with a nation that is working under a God guarantee?

I should mention, however, that Jewish tradition attributes the ordeal of the Jews in the Book of Esther to a descendant of the Amalekites, Haman. In Esther 3:1 (see notes), he is introduced as "Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite." Jewish tradition believes that "Agagite" means that Haman was a descendant of King Agag of I Samuel 15 (see notes). You will recall that Saul destroyed the Amalekites there, but kept King Agag alive. When Samuel showed up, he expressed God's great disappointment with Saul at not complying with God's command; Samuel slew King Agag himself. In reality, we're not sure that "Agagite" means a descendant of King Agag in I Samuel 15. Nonetheless, when Jews celebrate the festival that arose out of the Book of Esther, Purim, they always read the story here in Exodus 17 as part of their celebration. They are convinced that Haman was one of these Amalekite descendants. In later Jewish tradition Amalek became the symbol for anti-semitism in general.

Moses' father-in-law helps him reorganize (Exodus 18)

1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,
3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”)
4 and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”);
5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
6 Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”
7 ¶ So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.”
12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 ¶ And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.
14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
15 ¶ And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
17 ¶ So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.
19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.
20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.
21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.
23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”
24 ¶ So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.
27 ¶ Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

Whoever said the Hebrews were lost? Jethro (aka Reuel), Moses' father-in-law, knew right where to find him there on the Sinai Peninsula. As a matter of fact, we see in this passage that Moses' wife and two sons had gone home to Dad until Moses could get everything on track. So here comes Jethro with Moses' family in tow, right back to the spot where Moses once kept Jethro's sheep - to the same spot where Moses saw the burning bush (Exodus 3:1, see notes) and talked with God.

Incidentally, Jethro's declaration in verse 11 seems to demonstrate that he was still a polytheist - believed in many gods when Jethro says, "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them." On this visit, Jethro spends the day with Moses watching him judge between disputes among the Hebrews - all day long. Jethro puts his management degree to work; he suggests a new organizational structure to Moses that proves to significantly reduce the workload on Moses. For you organizational gurus, he goes from a flat organizational structure to a tall organizational structure. Additional details regarding this reorganization are found in Deuteronomy 1:9-18 (see notes) when Moses recalls it 40 years later. And after a short visit, Jethro goes home to Midian. Again, who says the Hebrews were lost? They weren't lost; they were following the pillar (cloud by day, fire by night) that God had given them for direction and had gone back to Horeb where Moses had talked to God in the burning bush. God is in the process of building a strong Hebrew nation here. They'll get to Canaan when God is ready for them to get to Canaan. Here's a lesson for Believers. Use the time God gives you to prepare wisely. Don't get impatient with God's training period. When you're ready, God will tell you you're ready.