Exodus 15:22–17:7

Bringing the sermon home:

After the people of Israel are brought safely through the Red Sea, they sing God’s praises with “the Song of Moses” (Exodus 15:1-21), but only three days into their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land, they begin to grumble about their hunger and thirst (Exodus 15:22-16:36). As they come to the bitter waters of Marah (which means “bitterness”), they allow the bitterness of their circumstances to embitter their hearts. Rather than bringing their burdens before the Lord, they take out their frustrations on those within striking distance: Moses and Aaron.

Even so, not only does the Lord miraculously provide food and water, but He graciously provides a daily test of their faith: each morning, before the sun grows hot, the people are to gather only as much of the “bread from heaven” as they need for that day, trusting that the Lord will provide more the following morning. Then, on Friday, they are to gather twice as much as they need and are not to go out to gather on Saturday. God’s testing of their faith was for their good, training them to fully entrust themselves to God (Deut 8:3-5). The same is true for the hardships we face as we make our way through the wilderness of life to the eternal Promised Land (2 Cor 1:8-9).

As they begin to thirst again, the heart of their complaint is doubt regarding God’s goodness toward them and presence with them (Exodus 17:1-7). So too our grumbling is a symptom of unbelief that God is “among us”, meaning that He is at work in our circumstances. We must not put God to the test in this way, for Jesus is the ultimate bread from heaven that satisfies our greatest hunger and proves God’s goodness toward us and presence with us (John 6). Eat and live!

Sermon outline:

• 15:22–16:36
  
  God’s testing of our faith is for our good.
  
  
• 17:1–7
  
  Grumbling is a symptom of unbelief that God is among us.
  
  
• Matthew 4:1-10; John 6
  
  Jesus is “the bread that came down from heaven.” Eat and live!