Exodus 16:9
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. 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.
Moses told Aaron to summon the whole congregation to come near before the LORD because He had heard their murmurings. As the call was given His glory appeared in the cloud, showing that God Himself, even Jesus Christ leading in the pillar of cloud and fire, was their leader to be honored and obeyed. Their murmuring was distrustful dissatisfaction with the food God provided, an appetite-led longing for the meat and food of Egypt, so that even angels' food did not satisfy them. In answer God gave miraculous bread from heaven for the physical need of all, a standing miracle of mercy that points to Christ the living bread from heaven on whom believers continually depend for eternal life. That giving of manna continually testified to the seventh day hallowed at creation before it was proclaimed at Sinai in the very bosom of the Decalogue, and was to be kept as a memorial of deliverance from bondage to serve God. The same God still lives and guides and supplies what His people need, leading them to simple food without flesh meats, yet those who with great light believe suggestions against His appointed leaders and turn away pass the boundary of His forbearance.
Context and Complaint
Moses directed Aaron to summon the whole congregation of Israel to come near before the Lord because He had heard their murmurings and complaints. Angels' food, the best food that could possibly be given, had been given to stop all their murmuring, yet it did not satisfy them. As Aaron spoke the summons, the Lord's glory appeared in the cloud, revealing His presence to teach the people that God Himself, not Moses alone, was their leader to be honored and obeyed.
The journey belonged to the history of Israel under Jesus Christ, who led them in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He was their invisible Leader and their defense against Pharaoh's vast army, who quieted their murmurings with springs of cool water from the Rock and manifested His glory to them. The chapter recounts His miraculous provision of manna and that the Lord heard their complaints and answered by providing food when they were hungry.
The murmurings were dissatisfaction with the food God provided, a longing for meat and the food of Egypt, and their clamors for flesh were heard and answered with the provision of meat and manna. Their complaints reflected distrust of God's wisdom, as though He did not know what they needed in the wilderness. Appetite governed them so that desire led them to reject what He provided, showing God's displeasure, and the desire for the rich food of Egypt was stirred up by those who had come out of Egypt with the Hebrews.
Manna and Sabbath Witness
Exodus 16:9 belongs to God's miraculous giving of bread and manna from heaven for Israel in the wilderness. It was a standing miracle of mercy that met the physical need for food for the benefit of His people. That benefit was shared by all.
The miracle sustained the validity of the seventh day by a miracle in the giving of the manna. The seventh day had been hallowed and sanctified by God at creation in Eden, and its binding force was upheld by the manna miracle. The manna continually testified to the Sabbath commandment, which had been given in Eden before it was proclaimed at Sinai. Its sacredness was afterward proclaimed in the giving of the commandments on Mount Sinai, where the Sabbath was placed in the very bosom of the Decalogue to be kept.
The sending of bread from heaven was a marked event never to be forgotten. From the pillar of cloud God gave it through Moses as a lesson for Israel. It was to be preserved as a memorial, and when children inquired about it they were to be told of God's wonderful deliverance in bringing Israel out of bondage and oppression, that they might serve Him and keep His Sabbaths. The manna also points to Christ, the living bread from heaven, on whom believers continually depend, following Israel's deliverance from Egypt and God's provision in the wilderness. This provision illustrates that Christ cares for bodily needs, while the living bread He gives for eternal life is of greater consequence than perishable food. The feeding of thousands from five barley loaves and two small fishes repeats that same divine work of feeding Israel in the desert with manna, showing the feeder is divine and is He whom Moses foretold, whose words come as the voice of God and whose healings only divine power can perform.
Present Guidance and Warning
The same God who gave manna in the wilderness still lives and reigns, guiding His people and supplying what they need for their work. That provision of food when Israel longed for Egypt's food is evidence of His care and guidance, and an example of His ability to provide food for His people in time of need. The manna shows He lives and reigns to guide and to provide for need.
His care embraces both temporal food for the body and spiritual food for the soul, and the blessings He gives are to be shared with those less favored. Even that miracle of mercy did not mean He would provide everything needed for religious service without human cooperation, for the people were to work with Him, each doing something according to ability. The lesson of supplying necessities in the wilderness is therefore a moral discipline of shared responsibility as well as sustained dependence.
The bread from heaven proves He gives His people simple food, and He still works to lead men to prepare simple, less expensive foods from fruits and grains. He will give knowledge of how to provide food in a simple manner, so that those who cannot obtain expensive preparations need not live on an impoverished diet. Knowledge of diet reform and simplicity of living without flesh meats is essential education to be given in schools, to be taught with lessons in hygienic cookery where truth is presented in new places.
Though the Lord heard hungry murmurings and answered with food, that wondrous work was done for a people blessed with great light and precious opportunities to know His will. It was communicated by Christ Himself, their invisible Leader enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, who had been their defense against Pharaoh's vast army, who quieted their murmurings with springs of cool water from the Rock, and who manifested His glory to them. Despite hearing and supplying their need, when Satan tempted them they believed his suggestions against Moses and Aaron and turned away, passing the boundary of God's forbearance and patience. Fresh manna from heaven thus illustrates presenting what people need, as the Lord who heard and drew the congregation near still meets hunger with timely supply.