Daily Dose of the Word of God - Exodus 16: 1-8

Rachel Klooster & Billy Heschl

Transcript

Rachel Klooster  0:06  

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. It’s Tuesday, September 30. This is Billy Heschl reading for Rachel Klooster.  As we walk through the Bible this year, we will better see the Big Picture of how God has been and IS STILL at work for good in the world. Today’s reading is Exodus 16:1-8

Rachel Klooster 0:29 

 
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”  Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”  So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

Rachel Klooster  1:49  

I often wonder why the bible sometimes lists specific dates or timelines for events and other times it does not. Today’s reading is quite specific: On the 15th day of the 2nd month after they had left Egypt. Let’s think about if we were half-way through the second month of leaving our slavery. We know the end of the story, that this goes on for 40 years, but for these people, it would have felt like an eternity already. I mean, they probably figured once they left Egypt, they’d just jog over to the promised land and start to build houses. But no, we’re a month and a half into this and there is still no end in sight! I’m a planner and I’m sure there were many among the Israelites with a bent towards being a planner. This would have drove them crazy not knowing how long this trip was going to be, and then how, when and where are we going to find food for today and tomorrow and the next day. 

Rachel Klooster  2:47  

Let’s imagine that it’s the planners among them that started the grumbling because they would have been the most irritated. And here Moses comes along and says, "this food thing is going to be a day by day situation. Then, at the end of the week, you’ll be able to plan for just one extra day. Of course Moses is quick to say “Don’t blame me, blame God”.   But the flip side of that is that God is also the one who gives the food. And the Bible says it’s because God heard the grumbling. That also should mean that God hears our grumbling - what a great reassurance for us! So whatever we are grumbling about today, let’s turn it into a prayer to God and see how he answers us! Even if it is only one step ahead, and not several, as us planners would prefer!

Rachel Klooster 3:30 

 
Let’s Pray: Lord God, we thank you today that you hear our prayers and our grumbling. We thank you for examples of answered prayer, and we ask that you answer our prayers today. Thank you! In Jesus Name, Amen.