Caleb Walker

For PowerPoint Download Click Here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2fx8mycgserfpju1jpvuu/Ex-16-17-Ppnt-Lifeway.pptx?rlkey=ikh7mn55waqtjv7gkkrbojmuk&st=xfsmcz6a&dl=0

Review: Last week we looked at how God’s power enabled Israel to successfully depart Egypt, defeat Egypt through the watery walls that collapsed on Egypt, and in this God displayed His power to Israel that filled them with reverential awe.

Summary: God provides manna that points to the bread of life in Christ. God gives Moses instruction when he is verbally attacked by the Israelites. God mercifully provides water from the Rock, pointing to Jesus our Satisfier and Provider.

Title: Provision Given

Text: Exodus 16:11-19; 17:1-6

Memory verse: Exodus 16:12, “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.’”

Theme: God provides for His people’s needs.

Introduction: In this week’s lesson we see that this world can often be like the “wilderness” Israel was in right after the Red Sea. However, this is where they and we can expect to experience God as He wants us to. Exodus 15:22 describes their situation like this, “²² Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.”

Opening Discussion Question (s): Have you ever seen the comedy sketch famously enacted by Abbot and Costello of “Who’s on First?” Each Name says something about the identity of the players on a baseball team and their names are “Who,” Tomorrow” “Why” and the like. The conversation turns into pandemonium as Abbott tries to explain the players to Costello and they both grow more frustrated and confused with each other. Aren’t you glad that God does not leave us or His people ever wondering or questioning His identity and His work in our lives.

Context: When God brought Israel through the Red Sea, they sang in Exodus 15:13, “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.” In 19:4 God’s faithful carrying of Israel is described as that of eagle’s wings. Today we are led by God’s Spirit. Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Hosea 2:14 describes how God led Israel into the wilderness saying, “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.”

     Although they—and all too often we—question the wilderness experiences God brings us into, we can trust His faithful love and sovereignty. This was the exact place where they would experience God in a way they needed to: Their Provider.

God leads Israel 3 day’s journey to the oasis of Elim. Then they’re led into the wilderness. He teaches them that when they listen and obey Him, He says, “ I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer,” in Exodus 15:25 pointing them to His healing power. Later on the precipice of entering the Promised Land Moses would remind the people how God provided in Deuteronomy 8:3, “³ 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^[a] that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Ultimately God provides for us to show us His sufficiency and that He satisfies ultimately in His Son, the “[B]read of life” (Mt. 6:11).

Main Points:

1. Provision (Exodus 16:11-15)

“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?”^[a] 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.”

• After the mountain top experience of the Red Sea God led them to the northern Sinai peninsula in the wilderness of Shur. Needing water they found the waters of Marah, meaning bitter.  They failed the test and grumbled instead of trusting God. God would use their negative example to teach us the dangers of complaining against God.
• (v. 12) They complained here for meat, romanticizing their Egypt slavery for something better than it was, even resorting to verbal attacks at Moses.
• Yet God was faithful to patiently teach them like a parent.
• (v.13) God graciously blesses them with quail, a smaller migratory bird that couldn’t fly far for long, mentioned only here, Numbers 11:31-32, and Ps. 105:40. God is so patient.
• (v. 15) Then God provides “manna” a white flakey substance that comes from the word “What is it?” and Moses called it bread from the Lord. They were to gather twice as much to have what they needed to cover the sabbath. God provided manna six days a week for forty years. What a faithful Provider.

Discussion: “When have you found yourself in a wilderness of uncertainty and anxiety? How did that experience affect you? What did you learn about God’s character?”

II. Instruction (Exodus 16:16-19)

^“16 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,^[a] according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” ¹⁷ And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 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. ¹⁹ And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.”

• When he says, “this is what the Lord has commanded” he’s making them aware that this is not an option and it is God’s idea.
• In verse 16 they gathered just what they needed, not what they would have pridefully wanted. God wants us to gratefully rely on Him for our needs. He gives the specification of an omer, which was 2 quarts.  

Application: God deals in specifics not generalizations. We can’t make assumptions on what He will permit and not allow. We have to seek His will every day in all things trusting Him to guide.

• Scholars see similarities in the manna and Passover. On Passover what was killed had to be eaten that night. If there were leftovers, they were burned the next morning (12:10). To eat it was to set themselves apart as holy. The manna-while not a sacrificial offering—still was useful to point rh people to their Messiah. God ultimately provided in each of these ways in His Son, our Lord Jesus, our sacrificial offering who saves and sanctifies us and our bread of life who satisfies us.  
• In verse 17 some gathered more than others, according to the provision each needed. Paul may have been correlating this principle to the Corinthian motives in giving in 8:15 that those who had plenty should share in the congregation with those who had little and thus show the generous love of the gospel in an exemplary manner.

Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is the doctrine of God the Father.

     Lifeway says, “God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace” (p. 72).

Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

• In verse 19 Moses told them not to hoard any of the manna, but trust God to provide for the next morning. Luke 12:24 reminds us of God’s promise to provide saying, “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”

Discussion: How does our obedience to God’s instructions display our trust in Him?

III. Further Provision (Exodus 17:1-6)

“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ² Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” ³ But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” ⁴ So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” ⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶ Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.”

• Led by the pillar of cloud and fire they moved out as God commanded.
• After 3 months travel out of Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula they were less than one day’s journey away from Mount Sinai at Rephidim, and not finding water the people complained and blamed Moses. The word is different and is a stronger complaint meaning to bring legal charges against someone. Moses was overwhelmed and even afraid they might kill him according to verse 4.
• Moses reminded them that God guided them to Rephidim ultimately, not him. He warned them against testing in a way that was manipulative—the Lord. God does test us sometimes, but this was different. This was being testy, trying God’s patience, and being pushy.
• Moses cries out to God in desperation or possibly in doubt saying in verse 4, ““What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” God guides him to the rock of Horeb to strike it and thus provide the miracle of water flowing from it.

Application: God has everything in hand when we are overwhelmed.

The work of Christ in the gospel: This lesson points us to Christ and the gospel when we are reminded that he was the Rock that poured forth with the water of life when he was struck and bruised and beaten on our behalf to rid us of our sin and brokenness. God showed these doubting, complaining, accusatory, faith-waning Israelites grace, as He does toward us all of the time. Jesus Christ is our Rock of mercy. Have you turned and repented of your sin and given Him your life? I pray that this new year if you haven’t already you will.

     Maybe there’s someone watching this who has been out of the local church for a while or has been on the fringes. Maybe this week is the time to be committed to a Connect Group to grow in your relationship with God and your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Discussion: “In what ways have you seen God provide for your needs or for someone you love?”

Conclusion: In I Corinthians 10:4 Paul reminds us that Jesus the rock who satisfies when he says, “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

Devotional: “Jesus, the Rock Struck for Me” Link: https://drcalebwalker.com/2024/12/31/devotional-jesus-the-rock-struck-for-me/

Click Here for General Outline Link: https://drcalebwalker.com/2024/12/31/general-outline-for-exodus-16-17-provision-given/

This manuscript and the General Outline and PowerPoint are drawn from Lifeway Explore the Bible  Resources for Exodus; Leviticus Winter 2024-2025