Exodus 16:11-12a Then the LORD said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites….”
When I read these verses, all I can think is “Praise God for His love and patience.” As a fallible human, I can say that the Israelites are plucking my last nerve. They are whiny and ungrateful. I would be sorely tempted to smite them just to teach them a lesson. Maybe then they would be more grateful.
Exodus 16:12b “…Tell them ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God’.”
Thankfully, God does not react that way. His goal is not to teach them not to question or mess with Him. He wants them to understand who He is, the great I Am. He wants them to learn that He fulfills His promises, even though it may look nothing like they hoped or planned. He wants them to understand that He is sovereign and loving, making a way, even if they cannot yet perceive it.
Exodus 16:19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the fact that Your thoughts are not our thoughts and Your ways are beyond anything we can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Thank You for responding to the Israelites from a place of love and not retribution. Thank You for loving us so fiercely and so deeply, even when we fight Your loving provision. Break down our defenses. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 16:20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell….
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.