Addressing Internal Struggles – Manna from Heaven

Addressing Internal Struggles – Manna from Heaven

Exodus 16: 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.”

 

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A couple of weeks into the journey, the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron about the lack of food. GOD heard their complaint and told Moses that HE would supply bread from heaven that was supposed to be collected within specified intervals.

 

My Observations:

• The children of Israel cried out to GOD when they were being mistreated by the Egyptians.
• The children of Israel cried out to GOD when they were freed, but pursued by the Egyptian army.
• The children of Israel complained shortly after seeing the Egyptian army destroyed and after having water provided for them.

 

Unfortunately for the children of Israel, GOD was using the same tactic that HE used on the Egyptians, only worse. The spirit of complaining would lead the children of Israel to think they could do this and get their way. When GOD said HE would give them bread from heaven, HE said it in a way that HE knew the complaint was a problem.

 

GOD was gracious to those who complained, but one day HE would stop listening to their complaints. Like the Egyptians, GOD allowed the mindset to prevail. The Egyptians thought they were gods, and GOD allowed it. The children of Israel thought they could complain and GOD allowed it. GOD fed the children of Israel with special bread from heaven, but noted their complaint.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the complaint of the children of Israel?
• Have you ever complained to GOD about the way HE was doing things?
• Is it time to ask GOD if your mindset needs to be aligned to HIS, so HE can guide you away from complaints?