Exodus Sermons (written)

Exodus 18:1-12
Jethro, the Priest of Midian

The timing of this account in the chronology of the Bible is exceedingly important to understand. Though it is recorded just after the war with Amalek and just before the giving of the law, it does not belong here chronologically. We will spend quite a bit of time detailing where it belongs.

You don’t need to worry about the notes or getting overloaded with information though. As always, the sermons are uploaded on the internet and follow in written form exactly as they are in how I speak them, except without all of my slurs and st st st stutters.

Jethro, the priest of Midian is the highlight of today’s passage. He, a Gentile, came to know the true God simply by hearing about Him. A little faith goes a long way with God, so pay attention to His word and exercise faith in what it says to you.

Text Verse: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people;
For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And render vengeance to His adversaries;
He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” Deuteronomy 32:43

Moses wrote that the Gentiles are actually a part of the Lord’s plan even though it was he who received the law for the people of Israel. He understood that they are included in the Lord’s provision probably as much because of the account of Jethro today as for any other reason.

Paul picked up on Moses’ words concerning the Gentiles and cited those words in the New Testament. It’s a big book, it’s filled with many details and some of them are hard to understand, but in the end the message is simple. God has a plan and it centers on the giving of His Son to redeem fallen man.

If we can just remember that, all of the more difficult concepts will fall into their proper place. Don’t get overloaded by His superior word, instead rejoice in it. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Jethro, the Priest of Midian (verses 1-6)

The beginning of chapter 18 will immediately bring in a question of timing. When does this occur? In Chapter 17 we read this –

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. ⁶ Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.'” Exodus 17:5, 6

However, Chapter 19 begins with this –

“In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. ² For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.”

Mount Horeb of Chapter 17 and Mount Sinai of Chapter 19 are the same place. Therefore, as occurs from time to time, this account in Chapter 18 is an insert which is given to teach us a lesson, regardless of the timing of its actual occurrence. Right now, we just know it occurs after the arrival at the mountain of God.

A little later, I’ll show you that it is even after the giving of the law and the building of the tabernacle. Therefore, this account is given here even though it won’t occur for almost another year in Israel’s history. To ensure that we know this is correct before going on, all we need to do is look at the listing of recorded stops for the wilderness journeys which is found in Numbers 33 –

“They moved from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
¹⁵ They departed from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai. ¹⁶ They moved from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.” Numbers 33:14-16

From Rephidim, they went to the Wilderness of Sinai. From that point, they will not move again for an extended period of time. The next move is to Kibroth Hattaavah in Numbers 11. But Rephidim is mentioned in both accounts in Chapter 17 – the water from the rock and the war with Amalek. And yet it is a different place than where they are now.

If you remember, the elders alone first went to Horeb with Moses. Only later would the congregation have come there. Therefore, even the war with Amalek was not actually in chronological order. Understanding this, we can see that these accounts are being placed side by side for a reason.

The question then should be, “Why has it been placed here at this particular location in the Bible?” In order to understand, the bracketing accounts have to be identified. The preceding account was the war with Amalek. The one to follow is preparation for the giving of the Law.

Jethro is noted as “the priest of Midian.” Both Midian and Amalek descend from Abraham. However, though he is a priest of Midian, he is also called a descendant of the Kenites who are first recorded as living in Canaan in Genesis 15:19. These two accounts, being placed in this order then, must be at least in part concerning the different attitudes that are displayed towards Israel.

In picture, it would be the “two-fold attitude which the heathen world would assume towards the kingdom of God” (Keil) There are several analogous accounts to this in the Bible. There is the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech in Genesis. In the reigns of David and Solomon, there was a friendly partnership between them and Hiram, king of Tyre.

Solomon maintained a cordial relationship with the queen of Sheba as well. These records are given to show us that there is nothing wrong with associating with the world which is friendly towards God’s people, but that those who are belligerent against them are actually at war with them and are ultimately to be warred against until they are destroyed.

In today’s world, such foes are increasingly easy to identify. In the end, and particularly towards the nation of Israel in the end times, they will be known as the sheep and goat nations which Jesus speaks of in Matthew 25.

¹ And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, 

The name Jethro has to be explained. First, in Exodus 2, Moses was taken in by a man named Reuel. He was the father of Zipporah, who would become Moses’ wife. He was also the priest of Midian. This is all explained in Exodus 2 –

“Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

¹⁸ When they came to Reuel their father, he said, ‘How is it that you have come so soon today?'” Exodus 2:16-18

In Exodus 3, the name of the priest of Midian is changed to Jethro. Whether it was the same person or not is debatable because this was forty years later. Here is his introduction –

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian.” Exodus 3:1

Although he is described as Moses’ father-in-law in this translation, the word used is khathan. It is a word which has a wide signification. It implies “the giving away in marriage,” and so it can mean a father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, etc. And in the noun form, it is even used to describe a husband. It deals with contracting affinity by marriage.

If Jethro is different than Reuel, for example his son, then it means he would have replaced the position of his father as the sheikh of the tribe and therefore he would actually be Moses’ brother-in-law, but still the khathan.

He is the same person who Moses left in Exodus 3 to go attend to his people Israel. That was no more than a year or two earlier and now he is returning to the area he left. Having identified him, the meaning of his name is needed.

Jethro comes from the word yatar which means “to remain over,” or “to be at rest.” The HAW says, “It refers to one portion of a quantity which has been divided. Generally it is the smaller part and sometimes it is the part of least quality.”

Therefore, Abarim translates the name Jethro as “remnant.” During our early Exodus sermons, Reuel was there to picture the time of the church age. Jethro in Chapter 2 was introduced at the ending of the church age as God was ready to restore Israel to its inherited place in redemptive history. His name is tied to that.

The name Midian means “Place of Judgment.” Israel has been brought through the plagues on Egypt and has witnessed Pharaoh’s destruction. That pictured the tribulation period, culminating in the destruction of the antichrist. After the tribulation, comes the millennial reign of Christ when He will rule among His people. In picture, this encounter with Jethro is given as a tie-in for that.

^1 (con’t)  heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

I should note now that the term “God” will be used 5 times in the next 12 verses, “gods” will be used once, and the term “Lord,” meaning Yehovah will be used 6 times. However, twice there is an article before “God” which will be highlighted. Paying attention to such things will help us see more clearly what is going on.

At this time, He is merely called, elohim, or “God” in a general sense. Jethro has heard that elohim had done great things for Moses and for Israel. Then to show that Yehovah is elohim, it says that He had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Jethro had certainly heard of the miracles, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and of the manna and quail. He may have been told of the pillar of cloud and fire and the water from the rock. He would have been told about the war with Amalek and the receiving of the law. Hearing these things was enough to excite him to action and to go out to see Moses.

² Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

Moses’ having sent Zipporah back to Jethro was never recorded before. The account picks up here and it simply assumes that we will understand that she was, in fact, sent back at some point while Moses continued on to Egypt alone.

The word for “sent her back,” shillukhim, is a plural word and is used for the first time in Scripture. It will only be used three times in total. It implies a dismissal, or a sending away. This would have occurred sometime after the account in Exodus 4 where she circumcised her son on their journey towards Egypt.

In our earlier Exodus sermons, we saw that Zipporah pictures the church. She is reintroduced to show that in the millennium there will be Jews and Gentiles alike, exactly as the Bible will later confirm.

³ with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”)

It may seem curious, but until this point, only one son has been named. The plural word “sons” is mentioned in Exodus 4, but only the name of Gershom was given. He is now reintroduced into the Bible. The explanation for his name here is given verbatim from that of Exodus 2:22 “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”

The first half of his name, ger, means “stranger.” The second half shom, comes from either sham, “there,” or shem, “name.” And so his name means “Stranger There” or “Stranger is His Name.” However, Abrarim notes that the verse –

“… merely says that the boy was named such-and-such because his father was a so-and-so. There is no law that demands that the such-and-such should be etymologically akin the so-and-so. For all we know Moses might have been expressing his gladness for having finally settled, or grief for having been expelled from his familiar homeland. A verb that may have been on Moses’ mind is גרש (garash), meaning to drive or cast out.”

Thus his name may also mean “Exile.” He then pictures the church during the exile of Israel. He is the called-out Gentile church.

⁴ and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”);

Eliezer is now introduced by name into the Bible. His name is explained by the words of Moses in this verse, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” His name means something like God of Help or My God is Help.

It is supposed that this is the son whom Zipporah circumcised in Exodus 4. It should be noted that the reason for the giving of his name is that he “delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” This is certainly referring to when Moses escaped from Pharaoh after he had killed the Egyptian in Exodus 2.

After that, Moses heard of the death of the Pharaoh who sought him. It was around this time that Eliezer was circumcised and he was probably named at that time because of it.

However, the giving of his name now for the first time in the Bible may be because Moses has actually twice been delivered from the sword of Pharaoh – once at the death of the Pharaoh who first sought to kill him, and then again at the death of the second Pharaoh at the Red Sea. God had been Moses’ help through both accounts.

This son, Eliezer, pictures those Gentiles who missed the rapture and endured through the tribulation period, calling on Christ. This was explained in the Exodus 4 sermon which detailed his circumcision by Zipporah. In 1 Chronicles 23:16, 17, this will be recorded about Eliezer –

“Of the sons of Gershon, Shebuel was the first. ¹⁷ Of the descendants of Eliezer, Rehabiah was the first. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.” 1 Chronicles 23:16, 17

⁵ and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness,

Again, I just want to note that this probably is Moses’ brother-in-law, so please remember that as we go along. Also, the sons are now mentioned first in this verse and the wife second – exactly the opposite of verse 2.

Another point is that Jethro is called by name here. In all, he will be called by name 7 times in the first 12 verses of this chapter and in 5 of them he will be called Moses’ khatan, or in-law in conjunction with the name. However, in the last 15 verses, he won’t be mentioned by name even once and yet he will be called his khatan five times. In total, he will be called his khatan thirteen times. Why does this matter?

Attention is being given to his name in the first half of the chapter, but attention to his relationship to Moses is given throughout the chapter. Thus, the chapter is logically divided based on the interaction with him. It is a most interesting thing to consider based on the details of the narrative between the two sections.

^5 (con’t) where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

This section of verse 5 shows with all certainty that Moses and all of Israel is already at the base of Horeb, also known as Sinai, even though their recorded arrival there doesn’t come until chapter 19. It shows that God has intentionally placed this chapter here, with its details, for the reasons previously explained.

Further, not only is it after their arrival at Sinai, but it is a year later, even after the erection of the tabernacle at the time of the sending of the spies into Canaan to scope out the territory. This can be determined from Deuteronomy 1 –

⁵ On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying, ⁶ “The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. ⁷ Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. ⁸ See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’
⁹ “And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I alone am not able to bear you. ¹⁰ The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude. ¹¹ May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you! ¹² How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints? ¹³ Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’ ¹⁴ And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’ ¹⁵ So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes. Deuteronomy 1:5-15

That record in Deuteronomy encompasses the substance of what will be seen in verses 13-21 which is based on the advice of Jethro to Moses. Along with this, there are several other reasons to know that this occurs at the end of their time in Sinai:

1) Numbers 10 shows that the cloud was taken up in order for the Israelites to leave Sinai and head towards Canaan. At that time, Moses addressed Jethro, but his name is given as Hobab, and asked him to continue to travel with them as they journey, even to the land of promise itself.

As this is probable, the story we are looking at today actually belongs chronologically between Numbers 10:10 and 10:11.

2) Also, shortly after Israel departs from Sinai in Numbers 12, a dispute will take place between Miriam, Aaron, and Moses concerning Moses’ wife. This would have probably occurred shortly after she came back to be with Moses, which is now.

3) Later is this chapter, in verse 16, it will say –

“When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.” Exodus 18:16

How could he explain the statutes and laws until after they have been given? That won’t occur until the law is received.

4) Finally, in verse 12, Jethro is said to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices which are in accord with those commanded in the law. Those details won’t be realized completely until the book of Leviticus is complete.

Because of these things, and maybe others, we can be certain that this account comes not in a chronological fashion, but in order to show something else, and that a separation is being made between Amalek and the Kenite people of whom Jethro is a part. This distinction will be seen particularly in 1 Samuel 15. If you remember in Exodus 17 it said –

“Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Exodus 17:16

However, in 1 Samuel 15, we read this –

“Then Saul said to the Kenites, ‘Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.’ So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. ⁷ And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt.” 1 Samuel 15:6, 7

And not only was this remembered by Israel at the time of Saul, but this same line was given an even greater promise directly from the Lord. To understand it, we have to see the genealogical record of 1 Chronicles 2. There it says –

“And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.” 1 Chronicles 2:55

This same house of Rechab, the descendants of the Kenites, continued to live in tents hundreds of years later, at the time of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 35, an amazing promise is made to this line of people who had always lived among Israel and in the favor of the Lord God of Israel –

“And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, ¹⁹ therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.”‘” Jeremiah 35:18, 19

These are just a couple of the amazing stories of the Kenites and the house of Rechab that are found in the Bible. Other important times they are mentioned are Judges 1:16; Judges 4 & 5; and 2 Kings 10:15. Their great history as a group tied to Israel really stems from this account of Jethro and his care for Moses and the Israelites in Exodus 18.

Though they started as a group of people set to be removed from the land when Israel was to move in, they instead became a permanent fixture there.

One more point about the verse we’re looking at is that there is an article in front of God. It is not the mountain of God, but “the mountain of ‘the’ God. Attention is again being drawn to this fact. It was first called this in Exodus 3:1. It was also called it in Exodus 4:27 when Aaron came to meet him there. Now it is again being called “the mountain of ‘the’ God.”

 ⁶ Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

It’s apparent from the next verse that Jethro sent word to Moses by a messenger that he was coming. Again, he identifies himself by name and this time the wife is placed first and then the sons are mentioned, reversing the order of the previous verse.

A stranger in a foreign land I have been
But while there the Lord sustained me
And in that foreign land, a great thing was seen
A bush that burned but was not consumed, how could it be?

I realized that He was the God of Help to me
He had guided my life every step of the way|
And marvelous things He intended for me to see
For me would dawn a marvelous new day

Now I have returned to that foreign land
And yet it seems more of a home to me
Egypt was never truly my home, something better was planned
Here at home with the Lord, such marvelous things I see

II. The Rejoicing of Jethro (verse 7-9)

⁷ So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him.

Upon receiving word that Jethro was coming, Moses went out instead of waiting for his arrival. This shows a respect towards Jethro which would seem most uncommon. Moses is now the leader of several million people and yet he defers to Jethro by going out to meet him instead of summoning him to where he is.

In Genesis 18, Abraham saw the Lord coming with two others and ran out to meet them instead of waiting on them to arrive at his tent. And in the same fashion, Abraham bowed himself to the ground before the Lord just as Moses does now.

It shows a mark of true humility because Moses could have waited for Jethro to come bow before him. And then after the formalities came, the true meeting of the two occurred when Moses kissed Jethro. This is one of only two recorded kisses in the life of Moses.

Although he lived 120 years, Aaron is noted as having kissed him in Exodus 4:27. Now, he is recorded as kissing Jethro. One kiss is from a Hebrew, one is to a Gentile, and both are to priests – the High Priest of Israel and the Priest of Midian, the Place of Judgment.

^7 (con’) And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.

These last words of the verse leave a bit of a debate open. It specifically mentions that they went into “the tent.” As this is after the erection of the tabernacle, and because there is no obvious break in the conversation between this verse and verse 12, it implies that Moses took him into the tabernacle, not his own tent. As this is so, Moses is now showing him the very dwelling place of the Lord who is “the” God that he has been a priest to.

⁸ And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.

Here we see the concept of “recounting the works of the Lord.” It says that Moses “told” his father in law all that happened, but the word used is saphar which means to tell in the sense of recounting. He probably went through a long, methodical, and excited recounting of everything that happened from his first appearance before Pharaoh all the way up until he watched him sinking below the waters of the Red Sea.

After that, there would have been the stories concerning the bitter waters made sweet, the lack of food and the giving of Manna and quail, the lack of water and the splitting of the rock, and then the war with Amalek.

Moses would have told him about the giving of the law and then the construction of the tabernacle and its dedication. Jethro would certainly have been amazed at all that happened and how the Lord continually delivered his people.

A rather uncommon word is used here which is translated as “sake” – “for Israel’s sake.” It is odoth which carries the idea of “because.” It is always used in a plural form and it is always preceded by the Hebrew word we translate as “for.”

It comes from the word ud which means a firebrand. The idea is that as a firebrand is turned in the coals in order to keep a fire burning, the Lord accomplished His turnings for Israel. It’s an interesting mental picture which is given as Moses speaks to Jethro.

And one more word is used here which is significant. It is telaah, translated as “hardship.” It’s the first of four times it will be seen in the Bible and it gives the sense of weariness and distress. The things that had happened on the way had literally wearied the people as the trials kept coming. What a picture of Israel throughout the ages!

⁹ Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

In response to the deliverance of the people from their difficulties, Jethro is said to have rejoiced. It is the word khadah and this is its first of only three uses in the Bible. It is the type of rejoicing one would expect at the birth of a child. Psalm 21 gives a wonderful translation of the type of joy that Jethro experienced –

“For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
⁴ He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.
⁵ His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
⁶ For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
⁷ For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.”

I will recount the works of the Lord
Of His great deeds I will continuously speak
Listen to me as I relay the word
He was my strength when I was weak

He rescued me from a horrible pit
And with kindness and love He delivered me
And even more, with Him on His throne I now sit
Forevermore His glorious face I shall see

I will recount the works of the Lord
Great is He and greatly to be praised
|Listen my children as I relay to you the word
And then to Him let our voices in joy be raised

III. Blessed be the Lord (verses 10-12)

¹⁰ And Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

This verse seems most perplexing. Jethro, speaking to Moses says “who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians.” “You” is plural, so he is either speaking to several people who aren’t yet mentioned, or he is speaking of the collective group of Israel.

The KJV incorrectly translates this as singular instead of plural. The reason why it is perplexing is because he nearly repeats himself – “out of the hand of the Egyptians” and then “from under the hand of the Egyptians.” If he is speaking to a smaller group of elders about a larger group, this would make sense.

But it could be that through the use of “from out” and then “from under” he is referring to all Israel in both instances and showing the superlative nature of the deliverance. Not only were they separated from the hand of the Egyptians and Pharaoh, but they were also removed from the control of that hand. In what this pictures, this is certainly correct.

Because of the deliverance, Jethro blesses the Lord who could do such mighty things for these people. It is exactly what was promised to Moses by the Lord at the burning bush at this same mountain where they were now meeting –

“So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.” Exodus 3:8

The Lord had made this promise and the first half of that promise was now complete.

¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods;

Jethro, without having to see with His eyes, but only by hearing, has come to a right knowledge of the Lord. Romans 10:17 says –

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Moses recounted the works of the Lord and by faith alone Jethro has received his conversion of mind, knowing a truth that will be spoken again prior to the construction of the temple in Jerusalem when Solomon writes to Hiram, king of Tyre these words from 2 Chronicles –

“And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. ⁶ But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?” 2 Chronicles 2:5

This same God came and revealed Himself to Israel 2000 years ago in human flesh. He entered the world as a helpless little baby. It is a seeming paradox that the greatest of all gods could so humble Himself, but such is the marvel of Jesus Christ.

And even more humbling than His birth was the death He endured for us. The author of Hebrews calls the cross a “shame” which Christ simply scorned. In His life, He not only showed Himself greater than all gods, but He proved Himself completely unique from all other gods.

^{11 (con’t)} for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.”

The word for “proudly” here is zud. It’s used just 10 times and the last time it was used when speaking of the stew that Jacob cooked for Esau. The idea is that when one cooks stew, it will boil. The word comes from the sound – zud zud zud. From that comes the metaphor of acting proudly. Just as something boils, so does the pride of a man.

This whole phrase is shorter in the Hebrew and so in order for it to make sense, translators have to contemplate what it is actually trying to say. Newer translations make Israel the object of the false god’s arrogance and then translate the last word as “the people.” For example, the NIV says –

“Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” (NIV)

However, the older translations make their own pride the object and then translate the last word as “above” to indicate that the Lord is above what they prided in. This is probably the correct sense. Pharaoh and his magicians, relying on their false gods, thought they could outmatch Moses and they failed.

The gods which Pharaoh prided in were shown false one at a time. Pharaoh and his armies thought they would defeat Israel at the Red Sea, and instead they were defeated. And ultimately, each of these things simply looks forward to the larger works of the devil which have been defeated by Christ.

The devil behaved proudly in that he brought death to man, but through the death of a Man, death was defeated. It is certain that the words of Jethro are speaking of the greatness of the Lord over the false gods rather than the greatness of the Lord over the mere arrogance of the people.

¹² Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God.

The burnt offering is the first type of offering described in Leviticus. In fact, the book of Leviticus starts with the burnt offering and it encompasses the entire chapter. It is a good indication in itself that the visit of Jethro occurs, as I said earlier, a year after the arrival of Israel at Mount Sinai.

The law had been received, the altar for burnt offering had been constructed, and the rituals for the offerings had been detailed. Jethro, wanting to participate in offering to God followed the procedures outlined for him to do so.

Though not of Israel, his priesthood was acknowledged as legitimate, just as Melchizedek’s priesthood was also considered. Though he was outside of the covenant people, he was accepted by them and by the Lord who sanctified them. And this is without a doubt because of the final words of the passage today…

*^12 (fin) And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Aaron is mentioned for the first time in the passage today, but his being noted now is not without significance. Because of the true timing of this account, he was the already commissioned as high priest. As he is the high priest and in attendance at the sacrificial meal, no other conclusion can be made than that Jethro’s sacrifice was acceptable and his performance of the sacrifice was also.

And as a mark of favor among all of Israel, their representatives, meaning “all the elders” were brought in to dine with him as well. The term “eat bread” doesn’t mean to just eat bread. It is inclusive of the entire meal but it probably would have included bread too, thus Jethro would have been a participant in the eating of Manna – the bread from heaven.

The burnt offering would have been completely burnt up as the Lord’s portion, but the other sacrifices would have been consumed according to the law which had been given.

To finish up with the final words of the verse, it says that this meal was before God. It doesn’t say, “before the Lord” as one might expect, especially because in just the previous verse Jethro said, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods.” Why would it only say “God” and not “the Lord?”

There is a reason which is revealed right in the verse, but which is left out of our translations. There is an article in front of God. Aaron and all the elders came to eat with Jethro before “the” God, not “a” god. The entire purpose of this account is realized in this one.definite.article.

It is what defines the contrast between Amalek of the last passage and Jethro in this one. It is the difference between being at peace with God through faith and at enmity with God through pride – either in self, or in a false god, or in both. Amalek chose one path, Jethro chose another.

In picture, what has occurred here is showing us the calling of all people, Jew and Gentile. The Hebrews are already God’s people as has been seen since Moses presented himself before them in Exodus 4 – all the way through until now.

But there is another group of people who belong to God as well – the Gentiles. Jethro pictures the spiritual leader of these people; Zipporah the overall church; Gershom the church before the rapture; and Eliezer, the Gentile tribulations saints. They come to the mountain of God.

Moses had “dismissed” Zipporah when he went back to Egypt. The unusual word shillukhim was used at that time. It is a picture that the Lord’s focus was back on Israel, just as Revelation describes. Despite His focus being on Israel, he had not left the Gentiles completely, but cared for them in the process.

After the tribulation period, the Gentiles return to join Israel; all are accepted by God at His holy mountain. Moses, picturing Jesus, receives the Gentiles, pictured by Jethro, in the grandest way.

After that, Moses recounted the works of the Lord for Israel to Jethro, and Jethro uses two terms to describe what had occurred, “out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh” and “from under the hand of the Egyptians.”

It is a picture of both their calling out as a people from the devil and the world – something which occurred in the Exodus, and it is also their calling from under the power of the world; something which only will occur after the tribulation.

In the recounting of the works of the Lord, Jethro realized through hearing the word that the Lord is the true God and so he offered his sacrifices to Him. What this pictures is exactingly described by Paul in Ephesians 5 –

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1, 2

The last thing noted in these verses is that “Aaron and the elders of Israel” came to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. It is a picture of what occurs at the end of redemptive history when all will eat in the presence of the Lord, both Jew and Gentile, who have been saved by faith and faith alone.

Aaron, the high priest is specifically mentioned to show a picture of Christ, our true High Priest who has accepted our offerings. The reason this was placed out of chronological order is to show that it is by faith, and not by the law, that all people are saved. This account precedes the law in the Bible, even though it actually comes after the giving of the law in reality.

The entire account can summed up in the single thought that not only Jews, but Gentiles as well, can have peace with God through faith and only through faith. While collective Israel will fall out of favor with God in their later history, individual Jews as well as individual Gentiles are shown to remain in His favor.

It is not about a mark on the body or a physical line of descent. Rather it is about faithfully approaching the One true God and acknowledging Him as such. If you have not yet called on this marvelous God who has shown us, in advance, how to be right with Him, please let me tell you how you can, even right now…

Closing Verse: “There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” Romans 15:12

Next Week: Exodus 18:13-27 He is not a man of great demanding. He is (A Man of Wisdom and Understanding) (51st Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Jethro

And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law
Heard of all that God had done
For Moses and for Israel His people|
That the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt, as a favored son

Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law|
Took Zipporah, Moses’ wife
After he had sent her back
During that most important time of his life

With her two sons
Of whom the name of one was Gershom
For he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land
I was foreigner in a land not my home

And the name of the other was Eliezer
For he said, “The God of my father was my help, its true
And delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh
Wonderful things for me He did do

And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law
Came with his sons and his wife, to him they did trod
To Moses in the wilderness
Where he was encamped at the mountain of God

Now he had said to Moses
“I, your father-in-law Jethro
Am coming to you with your wife
And her two sons with her, just so you know

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law
Bowed down, and kissed him as well
And they asked each other about their well-being
And they went into the tent for a spell

And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done
To Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake
All the hardship that had come upon them on the way
And how the Lord had delivered them, the rescue He did make

Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good
Which the Lord had done for Israel
Whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians
With mighty deeds that did excel

And Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord
Who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, it is true
And out of the hand of Pharaoh, according to His word
And who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians too

Now I know than all the gods that the Lord is greater
For in the very thing in which they behaved proudly
He was above them – He Israel’s vindicator

Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law
Took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God also
And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread
With Moses’ father-in-law before God, “the” God as we know

The Lord has a plan which includes Gentiles too
When their heart is turned toward him rightly
Stand fast on what He alone can do for you
Hold on to Him and to His work ever so tightly

Don’t trust in yourself; don’t try to earn His favor
Instead, by faith reach out and Him receive
And in His gift of eternal life you can savor
Because in His work alone you did believe

Faith… this is what God would ask from you
Believe the gospel, that God has done it all
And the Lord who is ever faithful and true
Upon His glorious name, please do call

And for eternal years we will together sing His praise
And we shall walk in His glorious presence for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 17:8-16
Yehovah Nissi – The Lord is My Banner

The 7th of September was a tough day for me. It was the day I spent typing this sermon. There are a lot of names and places in these few verses and none of them are without significance. What the account pictures was eluding me and I was more caught up in the mechanical aspects of the passage and less in what it pictured.

But, God is good and He is good all the time. I went to one commentary on the passage outside of my regular sources of study and the line of reasoning that they gave was sufficient to direct me to an overall picture of what was being presented. From there, the mechanical details fell into beautiful pictures of Christ.

How the Lord can pack so much into just 9 verses is beyond me. And I fear that I’ve just touched on the magnificence of them. There are surely patterns in the letters – numerical and pictorial patterns. There are surely patterns in the structure of the verses as well. But those are left to be discovered by another. I am just pleased to have made it through the 7th of September without a broken brain vessel.

Text Verse: Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.
¹⁷ “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
¹⁸ Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him. Malachi 3:16-18

Malachi writes about a book of remembrance. The idea of writing something in a book is to accomplish exactly that – remembrance. God has given us a wondrous book of remembrance. We call it the Holy Bible. The very germ of that book is found in today’s passage. Since then, it has become a book of history, of love, of doctrine, and of looking into the very heart and mind of God.

Let us ever cherish this marvelous book which He has blessed us with. So much wonder and so much beauty is to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. War with Amalek (verses 8-13)

⁸ Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

During the last sermon which dealt with water from the Rock, the account began in Rephidim which was mentioned in verse 1. After that, it seemed that the name was changed by the end of the story to Massah and Meribah, but I noted that instead the name Rephidim was given because of the account, not changed during the account.

This first verse of this account confirms that. Massah and Meribah are where the water flowed from, not where Israel is encamped. The name Rephidim gives the idea of Rest and also Support. The people received their rest and their support from the waters, even if it was first contention and testing which occurred before they received the waters of Massah and Meribah.

Now, all of a sudden, another story is introduced in this same place, Rephidim. At Rephidim, their place of rest and support, Amalek has shown up and fought with Israel. This is actually explained later in Deuteronomy 25 –

“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, ¹⁸ how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. ¹⁹ Therefore it shall be, when the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.” Deuteronomy 25:17-19

This passage in Deuteronomy ties in “rest from your enemies” with the destruction of Amalek. In Exodus, the people were weary, implying they had no rest, and it is at this time that Amalek attacked the stragglers. And yet, this is in Rephidim, a name which is a plural noun coming from the verb raphad which means “to spread (a bed).” And so by implication it means the place of “rests” or “comforts.”

We are being given marvelous hints of why the story is included and how to interpret what the word is showing us. Next, the name Amalek needs to be explained. Amalek’s birth is recorded in Genesis 36:12 –

“Now Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.”

Just a few verses later he is noted as one of the chiefs of the tribes of Esau. No mention of him has been made since then and now he is reintroduced into the story. The name Amalek is derived from the word am, or people, and from the word malaq which “means to nip or wring off the head of a bird with or without severing it from the body. It’s used only in Leviticus 1:15 and 5:8.” (Abarim)

Thus, they are the “The People Who Wring Off.” They are those who are disconnected from the body and strive to disconnect the body. The name is introduced here along with the account as a picture of something else.

These brutal people would have noticed the Israelites traveling through Sinai and would have been heated up over the idea that Israel’s flocks would eat up all the pasturage. In a cowardly way of handling the problem, they nipped away at the weakest of the people while not directly attacking the main body.

⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek.

Suddenly, and without any other explanation concerning who he is, Joshua is introduced into the Bible. His name is actually Yehoshua which comes from two separate words – the first is a shortened form of the Divine name Yehovah, and the second comes from the root-verb yasha which means “to save” or “to deliver.”

It is the same root-verb from which the name of Jesus, or Yeshua, is derived. Thus the name should alert us that he is a type of Christ, the incarnate word of God. His name means “Yah is Salvation.” Interestingly, in Hebrew his name is the precise reversal of the name of the prophet Isaiah – or Salvation of the Lord.

With no actual introduction other than the giving of his name, Joshua is instructed to choose men. Moses leaves it up to him to decide on who is best qualified to win the battle which is coming. It is up to him then who will defeat the foe Amalek.

Next Moses instructs him to “go out” to fight against Amalek. By instructing him to “go out” it implies that the battle will be conducted outside the camp of Israel. A picture is forming with the giving of four names in just two verses – Amalek, Rephidim, Moses, and Joshua.

It should be remembered from the passage of the parting of the Red Sea that Josephus says that the weapons of the Egyptians washed up on the shore for Israel to collect. Thus, they would have been prepared for the battle with the appropriate weapons of war.

Numbers 13:16 tells us that Joshua’s name at this time is actually Hoshea. In that verse, which is about a year later, it says that Moses changed his name from Hoshea to Joshua. But the name Joshua is used retroactively now because he is given in type to picture Christ Jesus. As Adam Clarke notes about him now –

“Both in the Septuagint and Greek Testament he is called Jesus: the name signifies Savior; and he is allowed to have been a very expressive type of our blessed Lord. He fought with and conquered the enemies of his people, brought them into the promised land, and divided it to them by lot. The parallel between him and the Savior of the world is too evident to require pointing out.” Adam Clarke

We also know that Joshua is about 39 years at this time old because of what he says to the people in Joshua 14 –

“I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.” Joshua 14:10

That was about a year after this account in Exodus 17 and so he is about 39 or turning 40 at this time.

^9 (con’t) Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”

It is an interesting set of words for us to contemplate. “Tomorrow” is certainly chosen for the people to be rested in preparation for battle. At the place of rests, Rephidim, the people will be rested. On the next day, Moses says that he will stand on the top of the hill with the rod in his hand.

There is a definite article in front of “hill” and so a particular hill is meant, though not named. There he will stand as if he is a banner for the people to see. And in his hand will be the rod. However, the Hebrew does not say “the rod of God.”

It is an unfortunate translation. It says u’matteh ha’elohim b’yadi, “and (with the) rod of the God in my hand.” There is an article in front of God. This is the first time it has been called “the rod of the God” since Exodus 4:20, thirty-eight sermons ago, when Moses set out towards Egypt after receiving his commission.

The article is given here to highlight the naming of the altar in verse 15. And so now we have five principles to consider – Amalek, Rephidim, Moses, Joshua, and the rod of the God.

¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek.

Without any note of timidity or reticence, the Bible records that Joshua faithfully executed his order from Moses and engaged Amalek in battle. It has to be remembered that just a short time earlier, he and the Israelites with him were slaves in Egypt.

The implication then is that they had never been in battle before and they had no time to train for battle. And yet, they went out in full confidence that they would be honorable representatives of Israel in fighting the Lord’s battle.

^{10 (con’t)} And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

Now another person is introduced, Hur. He has never been mentioned before, and yet he is named as if he was a well-known figure. According to 1 Chronicles 2, he is the great-great-grandson of Judah. At this time, we know that Moses is 80 and Aaron is 83.

Hur is said to be the grandfather of Bezalel who will be the great artisan in the construction of the tabernacle. And so, it is certain that he is, like Moses and Aaron, an old man. Because they were not the right age to lead in battle, they instead will act as intercessors to the Lord while Joshua fights with the enemy.

Josephus says that Hur is the husband of Miriam and thus he would be the brother-in-law of Moses and Aaron. Later, in Exodus 24:14, Moses will leave him as the joint-ruler of the Israelites when he ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the law. His name comes from the word khur, which means “white.”

¹¹ And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

It is a curious verse to consider. Was it because there is a link between the failing strength of Moses and that of Israel? Was it because Israel gained confidence at the sight of the raised staff just as a soldier gains confidence at the raising of a flag? Or was it that the Lord stopped helping the people because Moses allowed the rod of the God, which represented His power, to falter

Each has to be considered because the verse is explicit about what has occurred. There is a direct link between Moses’ body movements and the direction of the battle. Because there is, there must be a reason we are told this. The verb for “held up” is rum. It means to exalt, or to be high, or to lift up.

The verb for “let down” is nuakh. The word means simply “to rest.” Matthew Poole seems to rightly evaluate what is happening here with these words –

“Amalek prevailed; God so dispensing his favour, that the honour of the day and victory might be wholly ascribed to the rod and power of God, not to Israel.” Matthew Poole

¹² But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it.

Moses’ strength simply failed him. Anyone who has tried to hold up a two-pound weight for a few minutes will tell you that it starts to get very heavy, and very quickly. It is unnatural to hold one’s hands up for a long time. It is even more so when raising them while holding something.

Compounding that, Moses was standing. In his own strength, he could not endure for very long under these conditions. And so Aaron and Hur placed a stone under him on which he could sit. They had seen the connection between the body movements of Moses and the direction of the battle and they knew they needed to do something.

With Moses now relying on the stone and not on his own strength to stand, he would have more energy than by standing. It should be noted that Aaron and Hur didn’t trade off with Moses. If each of them had taken turns holding the rod, they could have continued on all day, but only Moses held the rod.

It is implicit then that only Moses could hold the rod and come out with the proper results. And so in order to ensure that those results would be favorable, they took a different course of action…

^{12 (con’t)} And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

The responsibility for holding the rod of God belonged to Moses alone, but this didn’t preclude Aaron and Hur from supporting Moses’ arms throughout the day. And so they did. With their assistance, it says that “his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

The word for “steady” is emunah. It means “faithfulness.” This is the first time it is used in the Bible. Outside of this time, it is always used in a moral sense. It is such an important word that I want to read you its entire description from the HAW –

“There are at least ten distinct categories in which this noun is used in Scripture. In its first occurrence in Scripture it expresses the sense of steady, firm hands, a very basic idea (Ex 17:12). From this mundane sense, Scripture moves almost entirely to a use of the word in connection with God or those related to God. Basically, the term applies to God Himself (Deut 32:4) to express his total dependability. It is frequently listed amoung the attributes of God. It describes his works and his words. emuna is also used to refer to those whose lives God establishes. He expects to see faithfulness in them. Indeed such faithfulness or a life of faith is characteristic of those justified in God’s sight (Hab 2.4). God’s word of truth establishes man’s way of truth or faithfulness. From this we can also see the concept of a duty entrusted to a believer which becomes his trust or office.” HAW

In the use of this special word, the holding of the rod by Moses and the supporting of Moses’ hands by Aaron and Hur are being used to show us a moral lesson as much as anything else. To this, there can be no doubt.

All translations use the word “steady” here, but because of the use of emunah, we are certainly being told that his hand remained “faithfully steady” throughout the long day of battle. Thus the word here is being used in contrast to the previous word “heavy.” Where his hands were at first weighted down and burdened, they now remain faithful.

¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Joshua was commissioned to lead the battle as the commander of the Lord’s people. Because of this, the verse gives the credit to Joshua for defeating Amalek. However, from the previous verses, there can be no other conclusion than that the victory belongs to the Lord. When the rod was lifted, Joshua prevailed, when it was rested, Amalek prevailed.

Therefore, though the physical battle was won in a physical sense by Joshua, the physical is tied directly to the power of God. Without His hand upon them, there could be no victory. As it was though, Amalek and his people were defeated.

As a fun squiggle for your brain, it says that they were defeated with the “edge of the sword.” In Hebrew, it says l’pi kharev – “with the mouth of the sword.” The imagery is beautiful. The sword is considered a devouring instrument. Its edge is a mouth which consumes its enemy’s souls.

The enemies of the Lord’s people come to harass and destroy
They come after the weak and the weary without a care
But the Lord will defend them, great weapons He will employ
Don’t have fear, good Christians, for you the Lord is there

He is the Rod lifted high, the power of God
He is the Stone of support as a place of rest
His gospel of peace is nigh, so have your feet shod
The enemy is around, so in your armor be dressed

By His power you can word off all foes
In His strength the devil stands no chance
Though he comes at you with mighty blows
Fix your feet firmly in the battle, a warrior’s stance

II. The Lord is My Banner (verses 14-16)

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book

It cannot go without note that this is the first time in Scripture that the Lord has directed anyone to write something down, and specifically in a book. This verse then is the true germ of what we now call “the Holy Bible.”

It is not the first time that the word “book” has been used. That belongs to Genesis 5:1. But the concept of writing something at the direction of the Lord begins right here. Further, there is an article in front of the word “book.” It is not “a book” but “the book.” Thus versions, such as the King James, which say “a book” are in error.

Specificity is given in order to demonstrate that this book has a precise purpose. In this case it is as a memorial. The book itself is for the memorial. What seems like hair splitting is not. It is precise wording so that we can learn the intent of what is being said.

^14 (cont) and recount it in the hearing of Joshua,

These words presuppose the line of succession in Israel. To recount the record in the hearing of Joshua implies that Joshua will someday be Moses’ successor. It would then be incumbent upon Joshua to continue to relay the account to his own successor. This tradition was carried on even as far as Samuel, the last Judge of Israel. In 1 Samuel 15, we read this –

“Samuel also said to Saul, ‘The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. ² Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. ³ Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”‘” 1 Samuel 15:1-3

^14 (cont) that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”

The word here for “blot” is makhah. So far it has only been used in the account of Noah concerning the blotting out of all life during the flood. It means to abolish. The word for “remembrance” is zeker, which indicates memory. And so the basic intent is that the memory of Amalek would be completely erased.

However, because it is recorded in the Bible, the idea of the mental remembrance of who Amalek is and what he did still lives on. This isn’t the intent of what is being said. Rather, it is speaking of the physical existence of Amalek. By blotting out his existence, there would be no memory of him in the sense of an inheritance.

As a way of making this understandable, the word for “blot” here will next be used in Exodus 32 along with the word “book” again in regards to the blotting out of sinners from the Lord’s book. There will be no inheritance of the good things to come for those blotted out. Thus, blotting out the memory of Amalek is in essence to destroy any future of or for Amalek.

In looking back on why the Lord has determined this, a few reasons can be deduced. 1) They were the first to attack the redeemed of Lord after their deliverance from Egypt. 2) They attacked the Lord’s people without showing any regard or fear of the Lord. 3) They attacked those who were already tired and weary. 4) Being descendents of Jacob’s brother Esau, they are of the same general family and so they showed no fraternity to their own brothers.

However, the sternness of the words is showing us that there is a greater picture that we are to see. The blotting out of Amalek is intended to show us a greater cleansing in the spiritual world which surrounds us.

¹⁵ And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner;

In commemoration of the deliverance of Israel through the victory of the battle, Moses builds an altar. Although many scholars add in that Moses certainly sacrificed on the altar, there is no record of this. At other times, actions are taken in connection with the building of an altar, but in this account none is. And so there is no reason to add in that he made a sacrifice.

Instead, he merely names the altar, Yehovah-nissi. The name explains the passage. It means, “The Lord is My Banner.” The altar is being used as a metonym. Just as Washington stands for the US Government, and just as Hollywood stands for the movie industry, the name Yehovah-nissi is intended to stand for the rallying of the people to the Lord.

The word nissi means an ensign or a standard. It is something which is lifted up to which one’s attention is to be directed. Thus, the altar has been placed to commemorate the rod of the God which was elevated in the hands of Moses. This then explains why the definite article was used – u’matteh ha’elohim b’yadi, “and (with the) rod of the God in my hand.”

*¹⁶ for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

ki yad al kes Yah milkhama Yehovah ba’amalek mid-dor dor

There are several possible translations for this verse. The word kes which is translated as “sworn” in the NKJV is only used this once in the Bible. Because of that, various ideas have been put forth. Rather than “sworn” it is probably better translated as “throne.”

The reason why is that the word “throne” is kisse. In the Hebrew, the name Yehovah is shortened to Yah right after this word and so it is probably a poetic contraction of both words – throne and Yehovah. Therefore, this verse is also translated this way –

“‘Because,’ he said, ‘a fist has been raised in defiance against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will wage war against Amalek from generation to generation.'” ISV

In other words, in attacking Israel, Amalek has attacked the throne of the Lord. In response, the Lord will be at war against Amalek from generation to generation. Based on the pictures this account is making, this makes much more sense.

And so, in evaluating these verses, we must consider what came before them. The first 7 verses of the chapter were about the water coming from the rock. At the end of that story, right in the sight of the elders, Moses brought water from the rock by striking it with the rod.

The last verse then said, “So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?'”

Immediately after that, came the connecting words v’yabo amaleq, or “and came Amalek.” The two stories are being tied together. And so that we know this is certain, the naming of the altar Yehovah-nissi is actually tied to the naming of the place Massah, and both occurred at Rephidim. The two stories are not separate; they are connected.

Massah is derived from nasah, “to test.” The people tested the Lord, nasah, and asked whether He was among them or not. And the Lord was shown to be their Banner – nissi; that He was in fact among them. nasah and nissi are etymologically connected and they in turn connect the stories. So what are these verses telling us?

The book is written and sealed with the final word, “Amen.”
God has a plan which will surely come about
Be sure to refer to it time and time again
And you will be strengthened for the battle no doubt

The Lord is my Banner, exalted is He!
He stands upon the high mountain watching over us
And He is the Victor over even the greatest enemy
He is the One who prevailed even over death; our Lord Jesus

Surely from generation to generation our foes are defeated
Because of the Lamb who to Calvary’s tree was nailed
So marvelous is the story it needs to again be repeated
Until the end of time, our Lord, our Christ has prevailed!

III. A Wonderful Picture

The picture that we are to see is, once again, that of Christ and His people. It is a war against the unregenerate, or “natural” man and those who are regenerated by Christ, or the “spiritual” man. The two are rivals and are at war with one another.

In the previous passage, the people questioned whether the Lord was among them or not. This passage is given to show them that He is. It is a sign then to the people – both the unbelievers to see and know, and to the believers for the strengthening of their faith.

Amalek, or the unregenerate man comes against Israel, but who do they attack? The weak and tired. As always, those who are not grounded in their faith are the easiest prey. They are confused about the nature of God, they are confused about proper doctrine, and they are confused even about their relationship with God.

Amalek comes to destroy them. His very name implies severing off the head from the body. They are those who are disconnected from the body and strive to disconnect others from it as well. There they are at Rephidim, or the pace of rest and support, and yet they are trying to destroy the people of the Lord.

It is the constant battle which Paul writes about in his letters. There is Christ who has saved us and there is the enemy who wants to draw us away from Him. Think of the name Amalek – the people who severe the head from the body and listen to Paul’s words –

“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” Colossians 2:18, 19

Amalek represents false teachers, heretics, and other unregenerate people who are constantly attacking the weakest of the flock. He is the natural man that Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 2 –

“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:13, 14

In order to counter this, Moses sends Joshua to engage Amalek in battle. Joshua is a type of Christ, the Captain of our Salvation and the Commander of the army. He is the one who leads His people into the spiritual battle in which we are engaged.

But the battle isn’t fought in the camp. Rather, Moses told Joshua to “go out” to fight against Amalek. We don’t get saved and then enclose ourselves behind walls with only believers. We are to GO OUT and engage the enemy where he is. We are to take the fight to the camp of the devil where, as Jesus says, “the gates of Hades shall not prevail.”

Gates are used for defense, not for offense. Joshua went out to engage in battle and to overcome the foe. We are those who fight under the Lord and we are to fight where the devil is. Paul writes to us concerning the spiritual battle in which we are engaged in –

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:10-20

The battle we face is no less real than the one that Joshua faced. However, it is a spiritual battle against the wiles of the devil as he constantly attacks from the rear, harming the weakest and destroying their faith. In the battle, Moses stands on the top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand. It is a picture again of Christ, the power of God – on top of the hill with Moses and Aaron and Hur. All of these principles are here to picture the work of Christ.

Moses, which means “He who draws out,” pictures Christ the Prophet of God: Aaron, whose name means “Very high” pictures Christ our High Priest; and Hur, whose name is derived from “white,” and who descends from Judah pictures Christ the King.

The rod of God, like in the previous passage, is the instrumental cause by which the battle will be won. In Christian theology, the instrumental cause of salvation is “faith alone in order to be justified.” It is an entire dependence upon the work of Christ and nothing else.

Moses’ hand is the efficient cause. It is that which causes a motion to start or stop. Hence, only Moses could hold the rod, not Aaron or Hur. The symbolism is that the hand of Moses belongs to the prophet, the one who receives God’s word and relays it to His people. In other words, it is a picture of the recording of the Bible.

Christ’s power is revealed in His Bible which came through the hand of His prophets. However, Aaron and Hur are needed to strengthen Moses. A word without content is not a word. The word tells of not only the prophets, but also of the work of the Priest and King. Their ministries support and uphold the word of the Prophet.

It is to the Bible that we look to see Christ and which we rely on for understanding our spiritual battle. Without that, the enemy gets the upper hand, just as Amalek, or the natural man, got the upper hand on Israel when the rod was rested. In essence, it is a picture which cries out, “DOCTRINE MATTERS!” We cannot engage in the battle without having proper doctrine.

And the stone placed under Moses, what does that represent? It is another confirmation of the importance of DOCTRINE in defeating the foes. Paul, citing Isaiah 28:16 says this in Romans 9 –

“What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; ³¹ but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written:

‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,
And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.'” Romans 9:32, 33

The stone is the support to keep from being defeated. It is right doctrine which says that faith in Christ is our righteousness, it is that faith in Christ is our justification, and it is that faith in Christ will win the battle.

With the support in place, the words of the Bible which tell of the Prophet, Priest, and King and what He did are sufficient to win the battle. And according to the passage, Moses’ hands were steady until the going down of the sun. If you remember, there was that special word translated as “steady” – emunah.

His hands remained “faithfully steady” throughout the long day of the battle, even to the end of the day. It is a picture of moral endurance. God establishes our lives in Christ and with the Bible, His faithfully steady word, which tells us of Jesus, we have a duty entrusted to us, to live by faith in that word.

The very verse from the Old Testament which Paul cites concerning justification by faith is from Habakkuk 2 and it uses the same word emunah –

“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4

Paul quotes it along with these words in Romans 1 –

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.'” Romans 1:17

With the rod held high, with Moses’ hands in the air, and with Aaron and Hur supporting them, it then says, “So Joshua defeated Amalek with the edge of the sword.” Jesus defeats the enemies with the sword of His mouth, which is the word of God.

The picture is so absolutely marvelous that it’s actually hard to believe! Every word has been used to show little pieces of the work of Christ in defeating the enemy. And to show us that it is, in fact, the Bible that is being depicted here, we read the next words in the account – “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book.”

All subsequent generations were to have this account, the very germ of the Bible itself, to understand how to defeat the foes of the people of the Lord, how to protect the weak, and how to rely on Yehovah-nissi, the Lord is my Banner.

The promise is made – the Lord will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek. Jesus will utterly blot out the memory of the wicked and those who harm His people. The question in the last passage asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The answer in this passage is, “The-Lord-Is-My-Banner.” He is with me and He is the One to whom I will look. He is the Ensign on the hill. He is the Rod in the hand. He is the Captain of the army, and the Destroyer of our foes. He is the Stone of help and support, and the Foundation on which our hope is based. He is our Prophet, our Priest, and our King. He is Jesus!

And with Him as our Head, we await our final deliverance from this war with Amalek which still goes on today. Christ is still warring with those who would wring off the Head from the body until the day when all things are finished. Until then, if you have any fear at all, just listen again to this final verse of the chapter and your fears will melt away –

Because his hand is against the throne of Yah, Yehovah (will wage) war against Amalek from generation to generation.  (Charlie’s rendering of this verse)

In essence, the Lord is fighting for us because the enemy has attacked us, His very throne. To Him, we are at His throne. And to make sure that we can make that claim, that we are in fact at the throne of the Lord, we can go to Revelation 3 as a confirmation –

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:21

When we call on Jesus, we overcome by His blood. And when that happens, we are granted the right to sit with Christ on His very throne. Paul tells this truth in Ephesians 2 –

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7

Through the work of the Lord, we are already seated in the heavenly places in Christ. The deal is done and we have overcome! That is assuming, however, that you have actually called out to Christ. If you haven’t, you are excluded from this promise. But by a simple act of faith, you too can be joined to Christ and seated at the very throne of God. Let me tell you how…

Closing Verse: “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10

Next Week: Exodus 18:1-12 (Jethro, the Priest of Midian) (50th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Yehovah Nissi – The Lord is My Banner

Now Amalek came and fought in Rephidim with Israel
A war between good and evil as the Bible does tell

And Moses said to Joshua, as a sort of command
“Choose us some men and go out, with Amalek fight
Tomorrow on the top of the hill I will stand
With the rod of God in my hand in plain sight

So Joshua did as Moses said to him
And fought with Amalek, their enemy to kill
And Moses, Aaron, and Hur
Went up to the top of the hill

And so it was, when Moses held up his hand
That Israel prevailed
And when he let down his hand, we understand
Amalek prevailed, while Israel was assailed

But Moses’ hands became heavy
So they took and put under him a stone
And he sat on it
But he was not there all alone

And Aaron and Hur supported his hands
One on one side, and the other on the other one
And his hands were steady
Until the going down of the sun

So Joshua defeated Amalek as we know
And his people with the edge of the sword
The battle was an impressive show
Won by Joshua for the people of the Lord

Then the Lord said to Moses
“Write this for a memorial in the book
And recount it in the hearing of Joshua
For all future generations when they take a look

That I will utterly blot out the remembrance
Of Amalek from under heaven, so shall it be
And Moses built an altar and called its name
The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; Yes Yehovah Nissi is He!

For he said, “Because the Lord has sworn
The Lord will have war with Amalek always
From generation to generation, each that is born
Will fight against Amalek until the end of days

Surely the Lord is our Banner, so to Him let us look
Let us keep our eyes steadily fixed on Jesus
And let us discern right doctrine by attending to His book
It is the place where today He communicates with us

Let us not trust in the cunning wiles of man
Nor let us trust in any false word
Instead let us do our utmost, the best that we can
To constantly trust Jesus alone, He our saving Lord

Thank You, O God, for Jesus, the Captain of our salvation
And thank You, O God, for Your superior word
From it we find in our souls a joyous elation
Because in it we find Jesus, our glorious Lord!

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 17:1-7
Water from the Rock

These seven short verses actually tie together with hundreds and hundreds of verses in the Bible. They are intricately woven together to show us marvelous things which the Lord did for His people, is doing for His people, and will do for His people.

We can only get an overall picture of this marvelous tapestry in a single sermon, but I hope you will appreciate that overall picture enough so that when you read the Bible on your own, and you come to a verse which ties together with this account, you can better understand the connection.

That is, of course, if you are taking the time to read your Bible. Read your Bible!

Text Verse: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1

We can’t live long without water, this is certain. And yet, water for our physical bodies often only pictures water for our spiritual lives. What makes us think that we need the less important, physical water, but that we can go without the more important of the two – the spiritual water?

Are we that dull to the things of God that we could ever assume this is the case? The Bible shows us of our great need for the true, living water. And it does so often. Let us think on this as we read accounts such as the one we are looking at today.

It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Why do You Tempt the Lord (verses 1-3)

Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin,

The previous verses brought us the manna to sustain the lives of the people – their bread from heaven. This passage will now enter into a similar situation concerning water. As always, the names of the places are important to consider and certainly each was given based on what happened.

In other words, the names of the places are not necessarily names that existed already, but which are given based on circumstances that arose after their arrival. The Wilderness of Sin is mentioned here again. The name Sin means “thorn,” as in a thorn bush, and is a shortened form of Sinai.

The name “Wilderness of Sin” hasn’t been used since Exodus 16:1, where it was said to be between Elim and Sinai. From this point, it says that they set out on their journey. The word for “journey” here is different than the more common word.

It is massa. This is the second of twelve times it will be used; all of them are in the books of Moses – the first being in Genesis 13:3 and the last in Deuteronomy 10:1. It means “pulling up, breaking (camp), setting out, a journey.” Instead of it indicating just going somewhere, it indicates a station to station move.

There is a difference between going on a journey from your house to North Carolina and then back to your house, than packing up your belongings, selling your house, and moving to North Carolina. The second is more of the idea of this word massa. The camp is being broken down and the people are moving on. They are as pilgrims awaiting their arrival in the Land of Promise.

^{1 (con’t)} according to the commandment of the Lord,

The Hebrew literally says, “according to the mouth of Yehovah.” He opened His mouth in instruction and the people moved according to that. This doesn’t mean that the pillar isn’t with them, but that the directions to follow the pillar are according to His spoken word. We can reasonably assume the pillar is with them.

It needs to be considered that everything which will take place then is according to His intentions. He has instructed the people, He has led them, and He will take them, intentionally, to a place where there is no water. We can never derive from the account the notion that any of what happens does so apart from His specific intent.

And so everything that does happen is given to show us a picture of something else. There is no reason to think otherwise, and there is only the complete assurance that this is the case. This will be seen more exactingly in the next words…

^{1 (con’t)} and camped in Rephidim;

It is accepted that Rephidim is today known as a place called Wady Feiran. The detailed record of the wilderness wanderings in Numbers 33 says this about the travels of the Israelites –

“They moved from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin. ¹² They journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. ¹³ They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. ¹⁴ They moved from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.” Numbers 33:11-13

Every scholar that I read who commented on why this record in Exodus leaves off Dophkah and Alush said basically the same thing. Their answer is that “probably because nothing of moment took place at either.” Adam Clarke et al

That seems like a copout. Rather than taking a negative view, I would choose to take a positive one and say that each place where something is recorded is because the Lord selected it to show us the work of Christ.

This is the first of five times that Rephidim will be mentioned in the Bible, and all of them will be in Exodus and Numbers. Rephidim is a plural noun which comes from the verb raphad which means “to spread (a bed).” And so by implication it means “to refresh” or “comfort.” The word is used in the Song of Solomon in just this way –

“Sustain me with cakes of raisins,
Refresh me with apples,
For I am lovesick.” Song of Solomon 2:5

Raphad’s sole derivative is a feminine noun, rephida, which indicates a rest or support structure. That is used only once in the Bible, in the Song of Solomon as well –

He made its pillars of silver,
Its support of gold,
Its seat of purple,
Its interior paved with love
By the daughters of Jerusalem. SS 3:10

Chapter 16 began in Elim which pictured the message of Christ which went out by the mouth of the 12 apostles and the 70 disciples. From there, it went to the Wilderness of Sin, the Wilderness of the Thorn, where the quail and the manna were received.

That pictured Christ’s body being given as flesh to eat and bread to sustain. Now they leave that area and arrive in Rephidim. What picture is then being made? A clue is found in the finishing words of verse 1…

^{1 (con’t)} but there was no water for the people to drink.

Again, water is the issue, just as it was at Marah where the bitter waters were made sweet. However, the problem isn’t that there is bitter water; it is that there is no water. One thing is for sure; in the dry wilderness life cannot endure long without water.

But let us not forget that it is the Lord who directed them here and He has done it for a reason.

² Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

Charles Ellicott notes –

“…we cannot be surprised at their “chiding.” Nothing but a very lively faith, or an utter resignation to the will of God, could have made a people patient and submissive in such an extremity.” Ellicott

It is hard to disagree with this. We are creatures which are tied to bodies which easily tire, quickly run dry, and are constantly in need of food. If we don’t get sleep, water, or food, we can quickly change into a being that doesn’t resemble our normal selves at all. Just ask my wife. The Israelites were no different.

Add into this a large multitude that tire at differing rates and you can see how some would wear out and start grumbling more quickly. Once a grumble starts, it rapidly spreads from one to all. In the case of walking among wadis, or dry river beds, there would be an even more pronounced feeling of misery.

Wadis imply that there was once water in abundance flowing right at their feet. Along the sides of the wadis, there would be plants which had gathered up the remaining waters after the torrents had subsided. In essence, there would be – “signs of water, water everywhere, yet not a drop to drink.” (Pulpit)

However, there is also the truth that the Lord had already showed them amazing acts of His power and gracious kindness. Would the people remember these lessons longer than the strain of lacking basic needs? Unfortunately, “No.” As Albert Barnes notes –

“It is a general characteristic of the Israelites that the miracles, which met each need as it arose, failed to produce a habit of faith.” Albert Barnes

And this is exactly what the Lord had purposed for them. He was leading them to the extreme points of their physical existence in order to produce a habit of faith and complete reliance on Him. And time and time again, they failed to realize this.

As these physical examples are intended to reveal spiritual pictures of Christ, then we should obviously look at the practice of our faith and see if it is, in fact, sound. Do we trust the Lord with each step of our walk?

I’ve noticed several types of people who post their lives openly on Facebook for the whole world to see. There are those who post how excited they are about going to church on Sunday morning. They then come home and post about the great “portion” of the Holy Spirit they got and how super life is.

On Monday, they are posting photos of piles of money that say, “If you like this photo, comment ‘Amen,’ and share it in the next ten minutes. You will receive a large sum in your bank account.” The expectation of the god Fortune has replaced reliance on the Lord.

By Tuesday morning, they are complaining about the ills of life, the things they lack, and the general drag that they feel as they trudge through the week. On Wednesday, they’re angry because they didn’t win the lottery. The pastor had told them that they would be blessed and they would reap a thousand-fold if they gave, and they were sure that it meant right now and in a big way.

They even bought the tube of miracle anointing oil at the church lobby for $25.00 and anointed the door posts of their house and their checkbook with oil. Why was the Lord neglecting them? The next Sunday, they start the cycle again.

And then, there are those who post about being excited that they are leaving for church. They come home and post about the great lessons from Scripture that they assimilated into who they are. They post on Monday about the excellent devotional they read.

They post on Tuesday about their brother who was just diagnosed with terminal cancer, but how thankful they are for having him in their life and about the honor of being there for him during the ordeal. On Wednesday, they post about the fantastic Bible study they went to and how relevant God’s word is to their own situation.

On Friday, they post that their house burned down and the bank lost all their money, but how grateful they are that the Lord is with them through it all. They’re thankful for their church and the people they attend with and in the outpouring of support and prayers they have received.

It is all a matter of perspective and the Lord is trying to get Israel to take the right perspective. And in His lessons to them, He is asking us to do the same. He has given us examples of what pleases Him and what angers Him.

^2 (con’t) So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?”

Moses responds that the people are acting inappropriately in two different ways. First he asks them “Why do you contend with me?” Here he uses the same word which was used at the beginning of verse 2 – riv. It means “to contend or quarrel.” It is what the story says they did and this is what Moses confirms they are doing.

However, instead of stopping there, he elevates the severity of their complaints to the appropriate level of the offense. They may be quarreling with him, but they are “tempting” the Lord. Here he uses the word nasah. It means “to put to the test, prove, etc.”

It is the same word that the Lord has used twice so far concerning His attempt to mold and shape the people into an obedient group who would be willing to simply trust Him –

“There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, ²⁶ and said, ‘If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.'” Exodus 15:25-26

&

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.'” Exodus 16:4

They had been explicitly told that He was testing them for obedience and trust, and yet Moses now shows them that they have instead put the Lord to the test. The words are valuable to evaluate because it shows us more clearly the situation at hand. John Gill rightly explains their situation –

“…they tried his power, whether he could give them water in a dry and desert land; and they tried his patience by chiding with his servants, and showing so much distrust of his power and providence, of his goodness and faithfulness; and by their wretched ingratitude and rebellion they tempted him to work a miracle for them.” John Gill

Let us ask ourselves, “Are we receiving the tests of the Lord and using them to mold our faith, or are we testing the Lord by failing to see His hand of grace upon us, even in times of extreme trial?”

³ And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

The truth of the record of the Exodus can be implied from verses like this. Israel was in bondage in Egypt and eventually ended up in the Land of Canaan. This we know. Had they left Egypt, the natural thing to do would be to head straight for Canaan, they didn’t. Instead, they went the opposite way.

When they left, it was apparently without enough water and food for even a few days, much less a long trek. Only a fool would do something like that. How much more foolish would be an entire congregation of people to do it. One may find something to sustain life, but two million could never.

And to exacerbate the situation, children and livestock came along too. The only reasonable explanation for the entire scenario is that the Lord led them, they followed, and they were completely dependent upon Him from the very start. If this isn’t what happened, then the story is simply a fabrication about a most foolish group with an even more foolish leader.

But it is not. And yet, despite this, it is the exact kind of accusation that they now make. They had left Egypt unprepared as if the intent was to kill them. If it were only Moses there, the allegation would seem reasonable.

But Moses is not alone. If they would simply evaluate the situation, they would be willing to pray in faith instead of argue in the flesh. However, the lack of water which was not only destroying them, but also their children and the livestock, was too great an affliction for them to see beyond.

Surely, of all of the afflictions we can face, thirst is one of the worst. The Lord was beaten, ripped, and nailed to a tree, but the only agony that He called out as He hung there dying was, “I thirst.” And like Him, the people are so suffering.

Were they justified in their anger? In the body, yes; in the spirit, no. They still lacked the faith needed as a group of people to understand that the Lord alone directs each moment’s existence for each and every soul. It appears that as a group of people, they never really acquired this faith. The 78th Psalm speaks of their situation –

“He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
¹⁶ He also brought streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
¹⁷ But they sinned even more against Him
By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
¹⁸ And they tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
¹⁹ Yes, they spoke against God:
They said, ‘Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
²⁰ Behold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?’
²¹ Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
²² Because they did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
²³ Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
And opened the doors of heaven,
²⁴ Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the bread of heaven.
²⁵ Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to the full.” Psalm 78:15-25

If we just had water, we could go on
But instead we are out here dying of thirst
Our lives are ebbing away and our strength it almost gone
Things are much worse now than when at first

When we were in Egypt we at least had life
Now only death seems to await us in this dry land
With Moses we have quarreled, between us is strife
But he says we are only tempting the Lord’s gracious hand

Where are the Lord’s grace and His gracious hand?
We see the pillar but our souls are dry and parched
Yes the pillar is there, but we cannot understand
Why to this barren place, He has led as we have marched

II. You Shall Strike the Rock (verses 4-7)

⁴ So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying,

The notable thing about Moses is that he first defended the Lord in the eyes of the people and he then immediately elevated the people’s request to the Lord. There is no hint of him either speaking highly of himself, such as “You dare to resist me, the Lord’s representative!” Nor does he have Aaron come to his rescue either, “You dare to resist Moses, the Lord’s representative.”

Instead, he defended the Lord’s integrity and then went straight to the Lord in petition. And his petition refrains from any accusation against the Lord…

^4 (con’t) “What shall I do with this people?

Moses doesn’t ask, “What have You done to this people?” He doesn’t ask, “What are You going to do for this people?” And, he doesn’t say, “You have left this people in a bad situation.” Instead, he says, “What shall I do with this people?” He never finds fault in the Lord. He instead asks for directions which he can carry out.

It is for such reasons as this that Numbers 12:3 will say, “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” His humility is beautifully evident whether he is addressing the people below him or the God who is above him.

^4 (con’t) They are almost ready to stone me!”

This is the first time in recorded history that stoning is mentioned as an individual punishment. The stoning of all of the people of Israel was mentioned in 8:26, but this verse shows that it was not just a way of harassing others. Instead, it is implied that it was a known form of execution.

His words to the Lord more accurately say, “Yet a little and they will stone me.” He was on the verge of being stoned and even the slightest amount of time or a single misstep in his interactions with them would result in his death.

But even in these few words we can get a look into the human condition. How often we are aggressive at attacking others over wrongs, but slow in thanking them for their good deeds! How slowly will we respond positively to kindness, and how quickly we will respond negatively to adversity!

So far since the night of the Passover and the departure from Rameses, the only note of thanks or praise from the people is found in the Song of Moses in Exodus 15. It was a song penned by Moses and which the people then joined in.

But apart from that, there is no note of either thanks or praise for the many miracles thus far evinced by the Lord for the people. As the Geneva Bible comments on this verse –

“How ready the people are to slay the true prophets for their own purposes and how slow they are to take up God’s cause against his enemies and false prophets.” Geneva

⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel.

In Numbers 20, Moses will again bring water from a rock for the people. However, at that time, he is told to gather the congregation together to see the miracle. Here, Moses is only told to take of the elders of Israel. There are various opinions on why only they were chosen.

One is that the congregation was ready to stone him and so he left only with the elders. That makes no sense at all. If he told them what he was going to do, they would have waited to see if he could do it. Another view is that the distance was too far for the weary people to travel and so they left them there to accomplish the feat.

But that doesn’t fit either, because the same weary people would still have to travel to where the water came from. That is unless the water flowed all the way to where they are. But it says nothing of that. The elders are being singled out from the congregation for a reason. Only they are to witness the miracle.

^5 (con’t) Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.

Again, as has been seen in the past, Moses is specifically instructed about the rod, or matteh, which he is to take with him. It is the rod of God which he had with him at the burning bush. This time, however, it specifically identifies it as the “rod with which you struck the river.”

One scholar says that this could mean either the Nile or the Red Sea, because the finger of the Red Sea could be called in Hebrew ha’yor, or “the river.” But this is incorrect. Moses did not strike the waters of the Red Sea; he stretched the rod out over them. However, when in Egypt at the first plague of blood, we read this in chapter 7 –

“So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.” Exodus 7:20

The same rod which brought death to the river when striking the waters will be used to bring forth a river of the water of life for the people when he strikes the rock.

⁶ Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb;

The Lord has already selected the place and the miracle. The reason for the route, the reason for leaving out the interim stops from the narrative, and the reason for waiting until the people were almost completely parched – the reason for all of it belongs to the Lord. He has organized every detail to reveal Jesus.

He has promised now to “stand before” Moses. The pillar, which is the Lord, will stop and stand on the very rock chosen for the miracle. And it is a specific rock. In the Hebrew it says ha’tsur, “the rock” not “a rock.”

This is the first of 77 times that this word tsur, or rock, will be used in the Old Testament. Numerous times, it is used to speak specifically of the Lord as the Rock. The last time it is used in the OT is in Habakkuk where it is used in just that manner –

“Are You not from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
We shall not die.
O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment;
O Rock, You have marked them for correction.” Habakkuk 1:12

Even the coming Messiah is called by this term in Isaiah 8:14. That verse is then used to speak of Jesus in the New Testament in both Romans 9 and in 1 Peter 2:8. Thus the Rock is Christ. This rock is said by the Lord to be in Horeb. This is now the second time Horeb is mentioned in the Bible.

The first was when Moses came to Horeb, the mountain of “the” God in Exodus 3:1. Horeb means “Arid” or “Desert” and thus what we have is a marvelous miracle coming. The words are precise and they have been selected carefully to reveal the Lord’s greatness.

^6 (con’t) and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

Like the waters of the Nile, Moses is told to strike the rock. Instead of blood, water will come from “the rock” in the Arid place. And it won’t just be a small amount, but enough so “that the people may drink.” Two million people, plus innumerable animals are waiting anxiously for relief. There will be enough to satisfy all.

The Lord is the God of miracles, not just enough to tease, but to fully satisfy. If He can bring such volumes of water from a solid rock, imagine what He can do for you!

^6 (con’t) And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

The word for “sight” is ayin, literally “eyes.” With their own eyes they beheld the marvelous sight of water gushing from solid rock. There was nothing hidden, there was no sleight of hand, and there was no magician’s trick.

The hand of Moses is used as the principle cause of the action, the rod of God is used as the instrumental cause which brought it about, and the glory of God is the final cause – the end purpose of what has transpired.

Moses is thus again shown to be the Lord’s representative, the rod is shown again to possess the ability to accomplish the Lord’s miracles, and God is both pleased to care for His people and to receive their praise through His mighty act of power.

⁷ So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah,

It is rare for a place to be given two distinct names in the Bible based on one occurrence. But the Lord determined that it would be so in this case. The name Massah means “testing” and it comes from the verb nasah which was used in verse 2 to describe the tempting or testing of the Lord by the people.

The name Meribah means “quarreling” and it comes from the verb riv which was also used in verse 2 to describe the quarreling of the people against Moses. The fact that two names are given for the one location is then intended to further elevate Moses’ standing among the people.

Massah is named first as it was tempting against the Lord. Meribah is named second because it was in contention against Moses. Later, in Deuteronomy 6:16, this place will only be called Massah because it only refers to the people’s tempting of the Lord –

“You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16

Both names are exactingly explained in the final portion of verse 7 and the final words of the account –

*^7 (fin) because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The passage seems to end on a sad note, but it doesn’t really. It instead is looking back on the greatness of what God did despite the complaints of the people. They had questioned if the Lord was among them or not, and He confirmed that He was.

But only the elders saw it directly. The others didn’t. Why was this the case? What is the Lord trying to tell us through this? Stay tuned for an explanation of the passage after a short poetic break…

Take in your hand the rod and go
To a place I have chosen in a dry and barren land
I will show you the spot from where the water will flow
And from this marvel, future generations will understand

I will stand upon the Rock for you to see
A Rock hard and dry will come to life
You shall come to the place, even unto Me
And with the rod, you shall end this people’s strife

They will drink of the water, to re-nourish their soul
All will be satisfied, to them life I will give
I will prove to them I have it all under control
By water from the Rock, their souls shall live

III. A Wonderful Picture

The account of the water from the rock is memorable on its surface. If you tell it to a child, they will listen with wide-eyed wonder that such a thing could ever happen!  But it is also an account which is intended to show us more than just the surface.

It is meant to show us the problem with man and how God fixed it. It follows naturally after the story of the quail and the Manna. Christ had to go to the cross in order for us to dine on His body – His flesh, the quail; His body, the bread which is the Manna.

The account is said to have happened at Rephidim. It seems the name was changed after the account to Massah and Meribah, but it was in fact named because of the account. They are different areas. The name Rephidim gives the idea of Rest and also Support.

The people received their rest and their support from the waters, even if it was contention and testing which occurred before the waters came. As the previous story pictured the death of the Lord in the giving of the Manna, this picture follows naturally from that same act.

The people thirsted in the wilderness for water, just as David thirsted for the truth of God in his own dry and thirsty land –

“O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.” Psalm 63:1, 2

David lived in a fallen world and longed for the time when he would see the power and the glory of the Lord in His sanctuary. The people of Israel then picture us – the people of God – complaining of thirst in the same dry and parched existence.

But the Lord is always ready to provide for His people. And so He directs Moses and the elders to go to a particular rock where He will, in fact, provide for the people. There He says that He will stand before him on “the” rock. Paul explains what that Rock is in the New Testament –

“For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4

The Bible scholars Keil and Delitzsch note that the Lord, standing before Moses upon the rock “signified the assistance of God.” They then say this about the words l’phani and amad which are used to describe the Lord standing before Moses. These words –

“…frequently denote the attitude of a servant when standing before his master, to receive and execute his commands. Thus Jehovah condescended to come to the help of Moses, and assist His people with His almighty power.”

In this then we see an act of God, where he condescends in a way which will be for the benefit of His people. It is a picture of the incarnation, when Christ condescended to become a Man and live as one of us in order to restore us to spiritual life.

Knowing that the Rock is Christ, one must ask, “Why were only the elders taken to witness this?” The answer is in who they must then picture. As the Rock is Christ, then these elders are those who saw Christ’s work and can witness to what they saw. They are our elders in the faith, the apostles.

When the people are told about the water and where it came from, it will be an act of faith, not sight, to believe what they have been told. This then corresponds with what the New Testament says –

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

We are to trust the words of the Bible for what they are. They are an eyewitness account of what Jesus Christ did. The apostles saw, they testified, and now we must accept their words as they have been given.

And so Moses goes off with the elders and is told to strike the Rock with the rod of God. Moses, whose name means “He who draws out,” is the principle cause of what will occur. He pictures Christ drawing out salvation for His people.

The rod is Christ, the power of God. It is the instrumental cause by which the water will come from the Rock. As Romans says –

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Romans 1:16

The Rock is Christ, the material cause, by which salvation comes forth. The action of striking the Rock is the work of Christ, the efficient cause, by which the process is carried out. And the water is Christ, the final cause, by which salvation is accomplished and by which God is glorified. Every detail pictures Christ!

God sent his Son, the spiritual Rock to live among us. He was born without sin, and thus he was capable of drawing out salvation for His people, pictured by Moses – He who draws out. He lived under the law and died under the law – pictured by the Rod. His work in this is the process by which salvation was carried out.

He was smitten with the curse of the law, pictured by the striking of the rock with the rod by Moses. Not only was this pictured here, but it was later prophesied by Isaiah 700 years before Christ came. Using the same word, nakah, as when Moses struck the rock at Horeb, there in Isaiah 53 we read this –

“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:4

And from Him came the water by which we receive eternal life. As Jesus said to the people in John 7 –

“‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39

This was the final cause. The water from the rock is the giving of the Spirit. It is the granting of eternal life, and it is the glory of God revealed in each of us. This is according to the words He spoke to the woman at the well in John 4 –

“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Out of the dry place, Horeb, came the living waters. Likewise, out of the Heavenly Mt. Zion, which also means “Dry Place” has come the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. It is the Bible which testifies to the work of the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -in the great plan of redemption of fallen man.

It should be remembered though, that the Lord was very specific about calling the rod in Moses’ hand, the “rod with which you struck the river.” The same rod which brings forth life from the Rock can also bring forth death for those who reject the Rock. The law is either fulfilled in Christ or it goes unfilled in one without Christ. It is a lesson and a warning that we are to choose wisely.

In Isaiah 4, the same word, nakah, is used to describe what the Lord will do to those who reject Him –

“His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
⁴ But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.” Isaiah 11:3-5

In this passage we have a few simple verses about something that happened 3500 years ago, but which is actually an in-depth look into the very heart of God for those He loves. He sent His Son to be stricken so that we may live. Truly, what manner of love is this!

Let us never downplay the majesty of what He has done for us, and let us never cease to tell of His marvelous work to those still lost and thirsty in a dry and barren land. And maybe this is you. Maybe you have a thirst which just cannot be quenched. Let me then tell you about the water of life and how you too can drink of it freely.

Closing Verse: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 1:16

Next Week: Exodus 17:8-16 (Yehovah Nissi – The Lord is My Banner) (49th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Water from the Rock

Then all the congregation
Of the children of Israel
Set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin
As the record of the story does tell

According to the commandment of the Lord
Yes, according to His spoken word

And camped in Rephidim where there would be rest, you’d think
But there was no water for the people to drink

Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said
“Give us water that we may drink or soon we will be dead

So Moses said to them this word
“Why do you contend with me?
Why do you tempt the Lord?”
This is utterly futile you see

And the people thirsted there for water
And the people complained against Moses, and said
“Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt?
To kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst instead

So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying
“What with this people shall I do?
They are almost ready to stone me, I am relaying
And so for directions about this I am asking You

And the Lord said to Moses, so He did tell
“Go on before the people, and take
With you some of the elders of Israel
A scene quite wonderful for them I will make

Also take in your hand your rod as I am telling you so
With which you struck the river, and go

Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb
And you shall strike the rock, as I say
And water will come out of it
That the people may drink this very day

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel
The water is Christ, as the Bible does tell

So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah
Because of the contention of the children of Israel
And because they tempted the Lord
Saying, “Is the Lord among us or not, this to us please tell

How faithless we are, giving in to our weakness
And complaining against You Lord
Help us in our times of distress
To remember the promises found in Your word

Help us to praise You through every trial
And to give you the glory You are justly due
Give us hearts though the trials to smile
And to continue always to sing praises to You

Yes Lord! Thank You for our sure hope because of Jesus
Thank You for the marvelous things that You have done for us

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 16:9-21
Quail and Manna

When we decided to move off the beach a few years ago, we started looking for a building. When I saw the sign on this place, I called the number and asked about it. The owner told me the price and then asked if I was opening a bar. I told him, “No, a church.”

He was so delighted that he immediately started talking himself down on the price! He said that bars had offered much more than the asking price, but being a Christian he refused to sell. But when a church wanted it, he went in the opposite direction to the point where I was worried he would lose on the deal.

As we were getting the place ready, we needed some nice cabinets for the bathrooms. Within just a couple days two, beautiful ones were sitting out by the road waiting for someone to take for free. I could go on and on with such stories, but you get the picture.

The Lord sent us Manna in order to sustain us as a church. He was saying, “Trust me, it will work out as it should.” Today, we will see how He did the same for Israel as they wandered in the wilderness.

Text Verse: You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth. Nehemiah 9:20

My friend Tom often says, “The Lord may not give you everything you want, but He will always give you everything you need.” He is great in that way! He never fails to meet our needs. And quite often, He sends us the things we want as well. He is the Giver of the extravagant, and He is the Provider of all we need. It is a truth that permeates His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Glory of the Lord (verses 9-11)

⁹ Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord,

The word for “before” in this verse is liphne which literally means “face” or “faces” and hence we get the idea of “before.” But what is implied is that the people are called together for a special meeting; a face to face meeting.

And not only is it the “people” in general, as if it could imply only the designated leaders of the tribes, but rather Moses has called “all the congregation.” Every person is to present their face to the Lord. And there is a reason for this, as the rest of the verse explains…

^9 (con’t) for He has heard your complaints.’”

The word for “complaints” here is tluwnah. It’s a word that was introduced to the Bible in the last sermon and as was explained then, it is only used nine times in the Bible, six times in this chapter and three more in Numbers.

This is the fifth of those six times. It indicates a murmuring or a grumbling, as if the people have a resentment welling up inside of them which they have been sitting around moaning about. It wasn’t just a few people but the entire congregation has been whining. It started somewhere and the infection grew throughout the people of the camp. This was seen explicitly in verse 2, which said –

“Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.” Exodus 16:6

At that time, their reason for complaining was also given –

“Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:3

But their whining was surely unjustified. Matthew Henry gives his thoughts on the words they spoke –

“We cannot suppose they had plenty in Egypt, nor could they fear dying for want in the wilderness, while they had flocks and herds: none talk more absurdly than murmurers. When we begin to fret, we ought to consider, that God hears all our murmurings.” Matthew Henry

The Lord did hear their murmurings and promised to provide for them, again withholding His wrath at their lack of faith. His promise included two things – meat in the evening and in the morning bread to the full. When we looked at the verses from last week, in verse 7 it said this –

“And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?” Exodus 16:7

Now, as the congregation is summoned, the glory of the Lord will appear in the cloud before all the people, but as was seen from a breakdown of the structure of the verses, this is not the “glory of the Lord” which verse 7 was speaking of.

Scholars whose commentaries tie the glory of the Lord in verse 7 with that which will now be seen have missed the significance of how the passage is structured and what it is trying to show us.

The pillar of cloud and fire has been with the people since Etham and they were expected to have faith that if the Lord was leading them in this way, that He would tend to their needs in the process. But instead of turning their eyes to the Lord in faith, they turned them inward in complaint.

He is now going to illuminate the cloud with His splendor in an attempt to wake them up and show that that if His glory is there ahead of them, then His glory will also be displayed among them.

¹⁰ Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel,

As was the case with Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh, we see here as well. Aaron was given the instructions to speak by Moses and then he repeated the words to the whole congregation. However, this is probably more for the benefit of Aaron than it is for the sake of Moses’ speech impediment.

By having Aaron speak for Moses, it will show that he is, like Moses, a qualified representative of the Lord. The congregation was said to have complained against both of them in verse 2 and so having Aaron speak for Moses will show that their complaints against both of them were unjustified.

^{10 (con’t)} that they looked toward the wilderness,

It is significant that these words are included. The Lord could have appeared directly above them as if He were an authoritarian Ruler lording Himself over the people. He could have radiated to them from the top of a nearby mountain as if He were a King on his throne ready to make a judgment or hand down an edict.

He could have appeared from the direction they had come, as if to say, “I will take you back to your pots full of meat in Egypt, just as you wished.” But none of these things occurred. Instead, He will manifest Himself in the direction of the wilderness.

In one sense, He had separated Himself from the people as if to say, “Your grumbling has caused a rift between you and Me. I am separated from you in order to keep from destroying you.” Additionally though, it was also a sign that the Lord determined to continue leading them into the wilderness when they broke camp.

That vast and inhospitable area which lay before them would consume them all if they were to simply venture into it without suitable provision. By manifesting Himself there, it was to be a sign to them that He was their provision and that what He would do would be sufficient for them.

The promise had already been made – “meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full.” Now they would have a visible manifestation of where that promise would come from. By seeing the Lord in this way, in the future they would be reminded of His glory every time they went out to reap what He sewed for them, and to gather what He had graciously left for them.

In this gathering, they were expected to behold the glory of the Lord each day. This then is what it meant in verse 7 with the words, “And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord.” What they picked up would be from the same Source as what their eyes beheld. The Lord in the cloud was to be the Giver of the bread – a marvelous picture of Christ in both instances.

^{10 (con’t)} and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

As the cloud was with them throughout the journey, this then must indicate a particular change in the cloud itself. Just as Christ was with the apostles throughout His ministry, there was a time when He more fully manifested His glory to them. That is recorded in all three synoptic gospels. Matthew records it this way –

“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ² and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴ Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'” Matthew 17:1-4

The cloud which had led Israel suddenly burst forth with a glory hitherto unseen. There are certainly a few reasons for this. The first was already alluded to – the Lord was with the people and He would be both their guide and their sustenance in the wilderness.

Further, because he appeared to the people as Aaron spoke, it would revalidate his authority to be a spokesman on behalf of the Lord. In turn, because he spoke according to the instruction of Moses, Moses was likewise distinguished and therefore recognized as the Lord’s spokesman.

And finally, it was a visible demonstration of the majesty of the Lord. He wasn’t just an invisible entity which was surrounded by a pillar of cloud and fire. Instead, He is a visible entity which was merely concealed by that pillar. It is a picture of Christ.

Hebrews chapter 1 says that Christ is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person.” It is this brightness which burst forth from the cloud to show that there is more than just a hidden force, but a glorious Being; the God of Israel.

¹¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

At least twelve times in this chapter, a verse begins with someone speaking to someone else and it continues on with what that person says. However, in this one instance, the words, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,” are set off as a separate verse. In this, the chapter has 36 verses instead of just 35. In turn, the book of Exodus is a verse longer, and in turn the Bible is a verse longer.

Each seemingly random addition like this one leads to a more perfect pattern which is found in the structure of the Bible. And so each time we come to a sentence which is divided like this, I try to highlight it to you in order to remind you that there is true wisdom behind each word and verse found in Scripture.

In addition to that, there is something for us to pay attention to here. Moses is mentioned seventeen times in this chapter, Aaron six times. And all six times that Aaron is mentioned, it is either in connection to Moses or speaking as directed by him.

The Lord has chosen Moses as His representative, and in turn he at times designates Aaron as his spokesman. What we are seeing in words, Israel was to see in person. The obvious nature of the established hierarchy makes the rebellions which are recorded all the more poignant.

Like the fifth commandment which asks us to honor our father and our mother, the Lord establishes hierarchies for a reason. When we complain against them, or refuse to be obedient to them, the result is that we end up harming ourselves and our relationships with them and with the Lord.

And one final point about these words. They should probably read, “And the Lord had spoke to Moses, saying…” rather than, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying…”

In time, this verse certainly precedes verse 7. But in order to ensure the proper structure was maintained to show that “the glory of the Lord mentioned in that verse was speaking of the bread from heaven rather than the appearance of the Lord in the wilderness, it is stated to us now.

Hebrew is deficient in tenses and so we have to infer whether something is present tense or past tense. In the case of these words, they are past. They preceded Moses’ words to the people and therefore Moses was not being presumptuous in what He said to the people. Instead, he was relaying what was already said to him, even though it is only now recorded.

¹² “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel.

This is the last use of the word tluwnah, or “complaints” in the book of Exodus. Chapter 16 is at least partly given to show us that the Lord is not unaware of our complaining and that He is not unsympathetic to it.

When we are in need, our needs will be met according to His purposes. However, the next time that this word, tluwnah, is used there will be a different result than what is experienced in this chapter. In Numbers 14, the same congregation will receive very bad news because of their complaints –

“Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: ²⁹ The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. ³⁰ Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.'” Numbers 14:28-30

The very wilderness where the Lord has now manifested Himself in splendid glory will become the burial place for all of the people who refused to acknowledge Him as their faithful sovereign leader who would certainly provide for them if they would just humble their hearts before Him.

^{12 (con’t)} Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight

The term for “twilight” here is ha’arbayim. It literally means, “between the evenings” and it was first used in Exodus 12:6 at the time of the Passover. This is now the second time it is used. I won’t re-explain all the details, but it is used 11 times in the Bible and each time it details the work of Christ; the time of day when He died on the cross.

What we are seeing here in the giving of the quail “between the evenings,” and the glory of the Lord being seen in the Manna in the morning, is exactingly seen first in the cross of Christ, Him giving His flesh for the sins of the world, and then in His resurrection where the bread of life, the resurrected Christ, comes forth from the grave in the morning. This is the very reason for the Lord’s Supper where weekly we say these words –

barukh atah Yehovah elohaynu, melech ha’olam, ha’motzi lekhem min ha’aretz – Blessed are Thou O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth Bread from the earth.

It was “between the evenings” that Jesus Christ died on the cross, just as these quail will die for the people’s meal. And, it was in the morning that the Bread of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ came forth from the grave, just as the Manna miraculously appeared each morning.

^{12 (con’t)} you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread.

Remembering that these words have already been spoken to Moses and we are only now seeing them, we can see why there is the change from verse 4 which only spoke of the “bread from heaven.” It is not an arbitrary insert by a fumbling scribe, but a logical progression of thought in combination with a marvelous series of parallelisms which have helped us to determine what is going on.

This is certain because we come to the second use in the Bible of the word saba, which means to be “sated” or “satisfied.” The first was in verse 8. Its use shows us that this verse certainly precedes verse 8 and Moses is repeating what he was told.

If the details seem overwhelming, imagine my Monday, 17 August as I went back and forth between verses tying to put together a timeline that would help you grasp what is going on. In the end, Bible study is hard, but the rewards are heavenly.

We are getting a look into the mind of God as He slowly and methodically reveals His word to us. Each verse is selected to show us what happened and how it has a greater fulfillment in Christ the Lord.

Why is it that the Lord chose this chapter of the Bible to introduce the word saba, or satisfied? It is because this chapter pictures the only thing that can truly satisfy – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is exactly what Jesus said concerning these things in John 6:35 –

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

^{12 (con’t)} And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

The term “Lord” or “Yehovah” is mentioned 22 times in this chapter. The word God or elohim is mentioned only once and it is only mentioned in relation to the Lord – ani Yehovah elohekem, “I am the Lord your God.”

Notice though that the proclamation is made in connection with the giving of the meat and the bread. Out of all of the 22 uses of “Lord” in the chapter, He chooses this verse with this precept to explicitly remind them and us of who He is. Why would this be?

The answer is Jesus. The word “meat” here is basar. It literally means “flesh.” It is the body of a being which is “seen in contrast to the spirit (ruah)” (HAW). The Lord is giving Israel flesh and bread to sustain them. This is exactly what Jesus claimed He was giving to His people.

In John 6, Jesus speaks extensively about the bread from heaven which is detailed in this passage of Exodus. To sum up his words to the people, He says this –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” John 6:53-58

In that passage, He uses both the Greek word for “flesh” which is sarx and the Greek word for “bread” which is artos. This is why this 12th verse of the chapter says, “And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” In the end, it is all about Jesus. Christ gave His flesh and He is the true Bread of heaven. By these, we know that He is the Lord our God.

Take time today to read John chapter 6 from the 22nd verse on and you will better understand the relationship between these two wonderful stories.

You shall know that I am the Lord your God
I will make it evident in the works I do
Be confident that as in this earth you trod
That I have given sufficient evidence to you

I prevailed over the law, which no one else could do
I showed that I am the Holy One of Israel
And then I went to Calvary’s cross for you
And so of My works, you are to tell

I proved My sinless life when I broke death’s chains
In the resurrection, I proved that I have set you free
Now the only thing which remains
Is that You reach out your heart and receive Me

II. Bread from the Lord (verses 13-16)

¹³ So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp,

This is the first of four times that quails will be mentioned in the Bible. The word is actually in the singular, ha’selav, or “the quail.” It is as if they came up as one and alighted everywhere at the same time, covering the camp.

I will explain the word selav for a new brain squiggle for each of you. Selav is an orthographical variation on the word shalah which means “prosper.” That idea comes from “to be quiet” or “to be at ease.” The connection between the words is that quails are fat and slow in flight because of their weight, and so they are given this name.

The other account of quails being given to the people in this manner is in Numbers 11. However, when the people eat of those quails, many will die. From a New Testament perspective of why, we can go to Paul’s admonition concerning the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians chapter 11.

There in verse 30, Paul told them that because of not discerning the Lord’s body, many were weak and sick and many had died. We are to come to the Lord’s Table recognizing our state before Him, not arrogantly, but in humility. Israel will fail to do this in the book of Numbers and they will suffer because of it.

Albert Barnes notes this about migrating quail which can be observed even in our modern times –

“This bird migrates in immense numbers in spring from the south: it is nowhere more common than in the neighborhood of the Red Sea. In this passage we read of a single flight so dense that it covered the encampment. The miracle consisted in the precise time of the arrival and its coincidence with the announcement.” Albert Barnes

After spending the winter in Africa, they fly north again. Once they cross the Red Sea, they are utterly exhausted and can be gathered up in enormous numbers with no difficulty at all. As Barnes noted though, the miracle is that they arrived exactly at the time the Lord said they would.

Flesh would be given at the same time that Christ died on the cross – between the evenings. The giving of the quails pictures the giving of the Son of God for the nourishment of our life.

^{13 (con’t)} and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp.

The bread from heaven, of which a name has not yet been given, came in the morning with a layer of dew. The word translated here as “lay” is shekavah, which means “an emission.” It’s a surprising word to show up here, but nothing sexual should be inferred.

The word is used for the first time here and a total of just 9 times in the Bible, all in Exodus through Leviticus. This word shekavah is defined as the “(seed of) copulation” (HAW). This would then imply “that which gives life.” If that doesn’t perfectly fit with Jesus’ words of John 6, I’m not sure what does –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:32, 33

Again, like the giving of the quail, and even the timing of their arrival, the appearance of the dew around the camp is a perfect picture of the Lord Jesus and His work for us. The true Bread of God is what gives life to the world, pictured by the bread in the wilderness that was provided to give life to Israel.

Interestingly, the term “dew” here has only been used in one account prior to this. That was in Genesis 27, during the blessing by Isaac on his two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob was blessed with the dew of heaven and Esau’s blessing was being away from the dew of heaven (NIV). This picture of the “dew of heaven” is beginning to be realized here in Exodus 16.

¹⁴ And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

There is a lot of interesting information in this verse. We have the “dew” mentioned again which was just explained in the previous verse. Once that was gone up from the ground, something wonderful is left behind for the people.

It is a small round substance. The word for “small” is daq. It literally means “thin.” The word for “round” here is khaspas, which is used only this once in the entire Bible. It means round, but not round like a ball. Rather it is round like a scale. Its root means to peel like a scale and so we get the idea of a round thing which is very thin.

And the word for “frost” here is kphowr which indicates “to cover” as in the frost covering the ground. This word comes from kaphar, which means to appease, atone, forgive, be merciful, etc. It is again a picture of Christ who covers our sins in His mercy.

Israel’s receiving of this bread from heaven is merely looking forward to our atonement and the sustaining of our salvation as we walk in this fallen world. As long as we are here, we continue to rely on the true Bread from heaven to sustain us until we enter the Land of Promise, which is also exactly when Israel’s Manna ended.

When they crossed over the Jordan and into Canaan, we read this from the book of Joshua –

“Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. ¹² Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.” Joshua 5:10-12

As the Manna only became visible when the dew had lifted, it is probably an explanation for the enigmatic expression used by Jesus in Revelation 2:17 where He promises those who overcome “some of the hidden Manna to eat.” Until the dew lifts, it remains hidden.

¹⁵ So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

The Hebrew words translated here as “What is it?” read, man hu. Though it would seemingly be easy to translate this, it isn’t. The word “what” is not man, but mah. And so some scholars say that it doesn’t mean “What is it?” but rather “It is a gift.” The Hebrew word manan means “gift” and so they believe that it is a shortened exclamation for that.

Other scholars disagree and say that man obviously means “what” because that is what it means in the Aramaic language. But why would one word from Aramaic be translated this one time in the Bible as “what?”

The KJV avoids the conflict by saying, “It is manna.” This doesn’t explain anything. Instead, it simply translates what the Hebrew says. But then it causes it to contradict itself because it next says that they named it Manna because they didn’t know what it was. That makes as much sense as a football-bat.

I’m sure that the meaning of the word Manna is as clear as mud to you now. And just so you know when you read the Bible, the word is man, whatever man means. I would prefer “gift” because this is exactly how Jesus and His work is described in the New Testament.

^{15 (con’t)} And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.

Whatever the actual meaning of man is, Moses explains that it is the bread which the Lord has provided for them. It is an exact picture of the words of Jesus in John 6. The Lord has given us the Bread of life to eat and to sustain us for all of the ages to come.

¹⁶ This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need,

Moses’ instructions are clear concerning what should be gathered – “according to each one’s need.” The Hebrew however is much more expressive. It says ish le-pi akelow – “man as his mouth to his eating.”

^{16 (con’t)} one omer for each person,

An omer for each person. In Hebrew, la’gulgoleth – literally “for every head.” Gulgoleth means head or skull and you can hear the similarity to the name of the hill where Jesus died, Golgotha – The Place of the Skull. This is the first of twelve times it will be used in the Bible. For each person reckoned, one omer is designated.

This is an average for what a man would normally eat in a day, an omer per person. It is the first time this measurement is given in the Bible and scholars vary in what they believe it is, from about three to six pints. If it is only three pints, and an average family had four people, then that would be six quarts collected daily.

It is assumed that there were about two million people in the congregation and so this would mean about 93,500 bushels of Manna were collected every single day. If you have ever watched one of the stupid programs on TV that show someone collecting some type of stuff in the desert and claiming it is Manna, now you can see how utterly ridiculous that is

This could be nothing other than a miraculously provided food source. Considering that this went on, day after day, for about 40 years, there is no possible way that what is described on those stupid shows could ever come close to meeting what the account says for even one day, much less for 40 years.

^{16 (con’t)} according to the number of persons;

However many dwelt together in each residence, the amount was to be figured according to that.

^{16 (con’t)} let every man take for those who are in his tent.’”

The directions given are very precise and follow a set pattern – “man as his mouth to his eating; one omer for every head; according to the number of souls.” It is this that each man was to take for his tent. And just so you know, the word “tent” in this verse is singular, not plural. The KJV gets a demerit on this verse for translating it as “his tents.”

There has been a lot of specificity in these verses, all of it pointing to God’s provision in Christ. The people would be tended to and they would even be given an abundance to meet their daily needs. As Matthew Henry sums up these words –

“God promises a speedy and constant supply. He tried whether they would trust him, and rest satisfied with the bread of the day in its day. Thus he tried if they would serve him, and it appeared how ungrateful they were. When God plagued the Egyptians, it was to make them know he was their Lord; when he provided for the Israelites, it was to make them know he was their God.” Matthew Henry

The flesh which God has sent, it is food indeed
It is sufficient to fill us and give us life anew
And when we have partaken, we will then follow at the lead
Of our Lord, who has given Himself for me and you

The dew of heaven has left behind a gift for us
There is bread enough for all to eat
And this only pictures the coming Messiah, Jesus
Oh my! How delicious is this Bread… so very sweet

Thank You, O God, for filling our souls in such a way
You have granted us life through Your Son
And so we will exalt You through Him, each and every day
Until when at last this earthly life is done

Then we shall praise You forevermore O God
As in the heavenly Jerusalem we shall forever trod

III. Our Daily Bread (verses 17-21)

¹⁷ Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.

What seems to be implied here is not disobedience, but rather initiative. Some people were more inclined to gather, and some less. They gathered what came to their hand until they were done gathering.  It follows through then that if the Manna pictures Christ, that we can apply the same to us.

Some of us here gather in a little bit of Christ, some gather in a lot. A preacher or a scholar may struggle over the Bible, searching out its mysteries in order to bring them home to his flock. But the blue-collar worker may read the word cursorily at best and not really intending to find anything other than the surface story which is before his eyes.

Likewise, the rich man in the church may gather in a great deal in order to meet the needs of its expenses while the poor widow may only give 2 small pennies to meet them. And yet, when the two are combined, something wonderful happens…

¹⁸ So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.

The marvelous result of the gathering of the people resulted in having exactly what was needed according to each one’s need. The word “left over” is adaph. This is its first use and it means “excess.” It is only found nine times, and only in Moses’ writings from Exodus through Numbers.

A couple things seem to be implied in this passage. One is that this was that the miraculous gathering occurred each day, not just on the first day. And the second thing is that it was all gathered into heaps and then portioned out. What was collected by all collectively met the needs of all individually.

This verse is used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 8 to show exactly this. In the end, every need is met according to the wisdom of God. He had asked the Corinthians to assist in giving to the saints in Jerusalem who were in need. In order to inspire them on in their giving, he wrote these words –

“For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; ¹⁴ but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, ‘He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.'” 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

If we learn nothing else from this verse, we should at least see that the Lord truly has it all under control. This isn’t a verse condoning communism. There is nothing here or anywhere in the Bible to suggest that everyone’s property belonged to the collective whole.

Rather this is a passage which asks us to realize that the Lord has handed out abilities and gifts to all and that each of these collectively works towards the fulfilling of every need. Some have greater needs, some have lesser, but in the end, every need is met.

¹⁹ And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.”

This directive is given specifically as one requesting trust. In essence, “The Lord will provide and so you are to trust that He will, in fact, provide.” They were to recognize their complete dependence on God, and have sufficient faith that He would meet their needs according to His promises.

In the same chapter of Matthew which includes the words, “Give us this day our daily bread” Jesus seems to remind his audience of this very passage from Exodus –

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:31-34

²⁰ Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.

This is another miracle of the Manna. When we get to verse 24, we will see that when they gathered enough for two days with the approaching Sabbath, it will last both days without breeding worms or stinking.

Further, in verse 33, Moses and Aaron were instructed to “Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.” This Manna was intended to last forever. Thus, the manna was something incorruptible in and of itself, but which became corruptible through disobedience.

This then is an exacting picture of how Paul describes our life in Christ. One’s obedience to the Lord, or lack of it, pictured by how the Israelite’s treated the Manna, was either rewarded or frowned upon. And it was the light of the new day which showed the results of what occurred.

The manna itself had nothing wrong with it, but how it was treated brought the negative result. Paul says that our work for the Lord is the same. If we act in a positive manner, there will be a reward, if negatively, a loss. Here are his words from 1 Corinthians 3 –

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

*²¹ So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.

And now we see another miracle of the Manna. The Manna that wasn’t collected melted away under the sun. And yet, we will read in verse 23 that it could be baked or boiled, something much hotter than the sun shining on it, and yet it wouldn’t melt away.

The Lord ensured that the Manna wasn’t just left on the ground to be trampled underfoot, nor was it left out where people could gather it any time during the day, and nor could any from outside the covenant community come along and partake of it. Instead, they needed to be diligent in gathering it as early and as much as possible in order to be ready for the day ahead.

The Manna was to be a lesson to them that they were dependent on the Lord for their sustenance, and it was to be a way of instilling in them discipline and obedience while still lavishing them with abundant grace.

For us, it is no different. God has shown us that we are utterly dependent on Him for our salvation. We are also dependent on Him for the gifts we possess. We are to use those gifts through discipline and obedience to His glory. If we fail to do so, it is we who will go hungry.

Everything we need is found in Christ and we simply need to reach out, day by day, and receive it. If you have never made a first and heartfelt commitment to this wonderful Lord who is pictured in these verses, please let me introduce Him to you now so you can…

Closing Verse: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

Next Week: Exodus 16:22-36 (Entering God’s Rest – The Hidden Omer) (47th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Quail and Manna

Then Moses spoke to Aaron this word
“Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel
‘Come near before the Lord
For He has heard your complaints as well

Now it came to pass
As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation
Of the children of Israel
Yes the entire nation

That they looked toward the wilderness
And behold the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud
A sight which did impress

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
“I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel
Speak to them, as I am relaying
Saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat – get ready for a tasty smell

And in the morning you shall be filled with bread
And you shall know that I am the Lord your God
Just as I have said

So it was that quails came up at evening
And covered the camp of Israel
And in the morning
The dew lay all around the camp as well

And when the layer of dew lifted
There, on the surface of the wilderness all around
Was a small round substance which had been gifted
As fine as frost on the ground

So when the children of Israel saw it
They said to one another, “What is it?”
For they did not know what it was
They didn’t have clue, not even a bit

And Moses said to them concerning this tasty treat
“This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat

This is the thing which the Lord has commanded:
‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need
One omer for each person, I am being candid
This is what I have decreed

According to the number of persons, to this extent
Let every man take for those who are in his tent

Then the children of Israel did so
And gathered, some more, some less even though

So when they measured it by omers after they brought it back
He who gathered much had nothing left over, indeed
And he who gathered little had no lack
Every man had gathered according to each one’s need

And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning
Notwithstanding, Moses they did not heed
But some of them left part of it until morning ignoring the warning
And it bred worms and stank because of their misdeed

And Moses was angry with them in turn
Because they refused to pay attention and learn

So they gathered it every morning
Every man according to his need
And when the sun became hot, it melted
An impressive lesson for them indeed

Here we are, O God, just like Israel
We complain about every possible thing
Even when we know that surely all is well
Still we let our complaints openly ring

And we fail to heed to Your word
We find it easier to simply disobey
Even in the presence of our Lord
We get up and complain each and every day

Help us, O Lord, to simply trust and obey
Your word has told us that everything will be ok

Give us hearts that are geared toward glorifying you
And eyes that are fixed solely upon Jesus
This is surely the right thing to do
And so grant this kind favor to each one of us!

Thank You, O God, for our precious Lord Jesus
Thank You for leading us each step of the way
Be exalted on our lips; hear the praises from each of us
As we come before you day unto day

Hallelujah and Amen…