Monday, October 28, 2019

Exodus 16:1 says, And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.  The people of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land, but they were going through the wilderness first.  After we come to know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are on the way to our Promised Land, Heaven, but we will be in the wilderness of this world until we die or Christ returns.  Verse two states, And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:  It didn't take long for the mummering to resume.  We too often murmur against God when things aren't going exactly as we feel they should.  Verse three adds, And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.  The people of Israel told Moses and Aaron that they were better off with plenty to eat as slaves in Egypt than they were dying of hunger in the wilderness.  God's chosen people had once again neglected to look to God for the meeting of their needs.  When we, as followers of Christ, neglect to look to God for answers to our needs, we too may be murmuring in the wilderness of sin.  Verse four declares, Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.  Though the people complained to Moses, God heard them.  God said He would rain down bread from Heaven, in a certain way, to see if the people would walk in His law.  We are not promised that God will give us everything we need for the ret of our life, but that if we put our faith in Him, He will give us our daily bread.  Verse five adds, And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.  On the sixth day, the people were to gather twice as much.  This was to keep the Sabbath Day holy.  We today observe the Lord's Day instead of the Sabbath, but do we really do enough to keep it holy unto the Lord.  Verse six says, And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:  Moses and Aaron told the people that they would soon see proof that God had brought them out of the land of Egypt, since they had evidently already forgotten all that God had done so far.  We should never forget what God did for us when Christ died for us on the cross, and we should never have to ask for further proof of our redemption.  Verse seven states, And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?   Moses and Aaron told the people that they would see the glory of the LORD in the morning, and asked why they were murmuring against God and them.  If we are really living by faith in God, then there is never a need to murmur against Him or those He has called to do His work.  Verse eight adds, And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.  Moses said that God was going to meet their needs, in His way and time, and that their murmuring was not against Moses and  Aaron, but against God.  If we today begin to murmur against preachers and teachers that God has put in position, then we are really murmuring against God.  Verse nine states, And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.  Like the people of Israel, if we want our needs met, instead of murmuring against God, we need to come close to Him.  Verse ten declares, And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto 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.  While Aaron was speaking to the people, they looked toward the wilderness and the glory of the LORD appeared in a cloud.  I believe that the only way we are really going to see the glory of the LORD is if we look ahead in faith, and not by looking back in doubt.  The glory of the LORD did not appear looking back toward Egypt, but looking ahead to the wilderness, which may have seemed rather bleak by comparison.  Verse eleven proclaims, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Then verse twelve adds, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.  God again told Moses that He had heard the murmurings of the people of Israel and that He would meet their needs so that they could see His glory.  When God meets our needs today, we should always be quick to give Him the glory.

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