Exodus 16:8
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.
The Lord heard Israel's hunger complaint shortly before Sinai and answered with flesh in the evening and bread to the full in the morning, declaring that their murmurings against Moses and Aaron as leaders were not against them merely as instruments but against the Lord Himself who was leading and caring for the people. That provision was a standing miracle by divine power alone, angels' food and the bread of heaven, the best food possible, given not by Moses but by the Lord and the Father, with Christ Himself enshrouded in the pillar of cloud and fire as their true leader to be feared and obeyed. Their murmurings were stirred by Satan's suggestions despite great light, food when hungry, water from the Rock, and manifestations of glory, and the same principle holds when the sacredness of God's work is unseen and reproof through men He sends is murmured against, resisted, and sympathized away. The servant so complained against need not take censure and neglect as personal wrongs or labor to vindicate himself, but should look upon them as against the Master and leave the matter with the Lord to fight for him. The same God who supplied manna still lives and guides and can provide for need, teaching simplicity of living from fruits and grains without flesh meats and cooperation with Him in moral discipline. The temporal bread points beyond itself to the true bread from heaven, for Christ Himself is the bread of life and the living bread that endures to everlasting life, so that he who comes to Him shall never hunger.
Wilderness Provision Described
The promise is flesh in the evening and bread in the morning to the full, supplied twice a day at proper times, establishing the pattern for eating in due season. The need would be met with meat in the evening and abundant bread in the morning.
The provision was a standing miracle by divine power alone, angels' food, the bread of heaven, plenty of palatable food and the best food that could possibly be given. It was given by the LORD Himself and by the Father to satisfy bodily need and to stop murmuring, not by Moses, for Moses gave not that bread from heaven. God is not unmindful of the physical wants of His followers but will provide food for bodily necessities.
The leader of Israel at that time was Christ enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, communicating God's will and teaching and guiding through the wilderness. The glory seen in the cloud made His presence known, teaching that God, not Moses alone, was their leader to be feared and obeyed. Further miracles gave unmistakable evidence of divine leading, protection and preserving power, including defense against Pharaoh's army and pure water from the Rock, springs of cool water flowing when thirsty in straitened places.
The giving of manna by miracle sustains the validity of the seventh-day Sabbath hallowed and sanctified at creation, a continuing sign of the commandment given in Eden before it was proclaimed at Sinai. The bread sent from heaven in the morning was a marked event never to be forgotten, taught through lessons from the pillar of cloud. Memorials of the miraculous escape from Egypt were preserved so that when children inquired they would be told of the leaving of Egypt and the wonderful deliverance from bondage and oppression, that Israel might serve God and keep His Sabbaths.
God had largely withheld meat and given healthy food to be eaten freely, yet Israel murmured and hankered after the flesh pots and the meat eaten in Egypt. In anger He answered the craving and the earlier demand for flesh, but gave it for only one day and then withheld it because it was not the best food for them, while they were already abundantly supplied with manna. Appetite came to control the people and many died while eating, showing God is displeased when His people let appetite rule them.
The feeding of thousands from five barley loaves and two small fishes repeats the same divine feeding in the desert by divine power alone, with all sharing its benefit. The words heard that day are the voice of God and the healings are by divine power only. The feeder is He whom Moses foretold, of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
Murmurings Against God
The Lord heard Israel's murmurings for food shortly before Sinai, and He answered by giving flesh in the evening and bread in the morning to the full. Those murmurings against Moses and Aaron were not merely against them as leaders and instruments, but against the Lord Himself who was caring for and leading the people. The people were called to come near before the Lord, and the glory seen in the cloud made His presence known. That taught them that God, not Moses alone, was their leader to be feared and obeyed.
On every difficulty and trial Israel charged Moses with leading them out of Egypt as though God had no agency in the matter. Throughout their journeyings when they complained of hardships and murmured against their leaders, Moses told them their murmurings were against God, for it was not he but God who had wrought their deliverance. The same principle applied when they complained for water, for that complaint also was against God and not Moses. Moses briefly forgot this and felt deeply wronged.
His hasty words before the rock, Shall we bring water, took honor to himself and contradicted his own testimony that murmurings were against God. By virtually admitting their charge that he was their leader, he failed to honor God before the people. Thus he confirmed them in unbelief and justified their murmurings.
Their murmurings against Moses and Aaron were stirred by Satan's suggestions and representations put into their minds. This came despite great light and precious opportunities, defense against Pharaoh's vast army, food when hungry, springs of cool water flowing from the Rock, and manifestations of His glory quieting their murmurings. Christ Himself was Israel's invisible Leader enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, communicating God's will to them. With continued readiness to turn away after such wondrous works they passed the boundary of God's forbearance and patience and awakened His anger as rebellious provocation.
As Israel complained against Moses, people may be tempted to complain against those carrying responsible burdens in God's work. When the sacredness of the work is not seen, murmuring against, resisting, and withstanding the influence and special reproof of men God sends to help, reprove, exhort, correct and rebuke is not against men but against God who works through them. To resist their influence and their special reproof to correct error is to resist God and to fight against God and not men. It is meddling with things unknown and too high to understand or appreciate unless cleansed and sanctified. Siding with, flattering, pitying and sympathizing with one whom God is displeased with as dealt hard with, and deciding he has been dealt hard with, shows not seeing as God sees and lacking correct knowledge of what is warred against and what work is being done.
Complaints, censure, abuse and neglect aimed at a man in the Master's service are against the Master instead of the servant, whose instrument he is. The servant need not take them as personal wrongs done to himself or labor to prove his innocence. He should look upon them in that light and leave the matter all with the Lord to fight his battles for him and vindicate his cause. To recount past difficulties and peculiar grievances and to try to make all understand the wrong of complaining is positively displeasing to God and brings needless hurt and a sense of being aggrieved. To leave it with the Lord brings freedom from hurt and a great and precious reward for all suffering borne for Christ's sake.
Provision and Lessons Today
The same God who heard complaint in the wilderness and gave food there still lives and reigns, guides His people, and is able to provide for their needs and bless their work, for the manna was a sign of His care. As He supplied Israel then, He can provide in the wilderness still, and this stands connected with the promise for the time of trouble that bread and water shall be sure.
God in that provision teaches simplicity of living without flesh meats, still leading men to prepare simple, less expensive foods from fruits and grains. He will give His people today knowledge of how to provide food in a simple manner, so that those who cannot obtain expensive preparations need not live upon an impoverished diet. Knowledge of diet reform is an essential part of the education to be given in schools, and lessons in hygienic cookery belong with the presentation of truth in new places.
After deliverance from Egyptian bondage and its temptations, Israel murmured and hankered after the flesh pots of Egypt, and God answered by giving manna, angels' food. The provision came through forty years of guidance through the wilderness to make them a separate people and to reform their habits of eating. Christ was their leader and teacher by the pillar of cloud and of fire, working miracles in straitened places including pure water from the rock when thirsty, giving unmistakable evidence of leading and protection by divine and preserving power. The lesson of the manna in supplying necessities teaches that care for both body and soul matters.
Though bread was given by miracle of mercy, with flesh in the evening and bread in the morning, God did not provide everything needed for religious service. The people were to cooperate with Him, and this shared responsibility served their moral discipline. The heavenly provision was a blessing to be shared with those less favored, teaching care for body and soul together. That giving of manna from heaven for the benefit of His people is an example of God's work serving the good of the whole community.
The manna is a picture of the spiritual nourishment found in Christ and an image of fresh provision suited to the people's needs. The flesh in the evening and bread in the morning were given by the LORD Himself to satisfy bodily need, not by Moses, for Moses gave not that bread from heaven but the Father gave it. The gift was a standing miracle of plenty of palatable food, angels' food, showing God is not unmindful of the physical wants of His followers but will provide food for bodily necessities. Yet the temporal bread points beyond itself to the true bread from heaven, the living bread that endures unto everlasting life, which God gives through Christ, who Himself is the bread of life, so that he who comes to Him shall never hunger and he who believes on Him shall never thirst. This spiritual food is of far more consequence than perishable bread and is to be sought with far greater anxiety, since it can be obtained from no human agent.