Bread from Heaven Bred from Earth
The big idea God directs both our trials and His gracious provision to change us progressively into the image of Jesus, & through the process manifest His supreme glory
To unpack this big idea, we will consider:
1. Facing trials in our lives
2. Experiencing God’s gracious provision
3. A demonstration of God’s supreme glory.
By this point in Exodus 16, we have come to expect God to do things for his own glory. If we learn nothing else from Exodus, we learn that we are saved for God’s glory. At every stage of Israel’s deliverance, God did what he did—and did it the way that he did—to receive all the glory and praise. However predictable it becomes, there is no more important lesson than this: God disposes all things for the ultimate good of his glory. Every time he provides, he adds a little more weight to his reputation.
God does the same thing for us. There is glory in the ordinary providence of God. Every time he takes care of our needs or spares us from danger, every time he enables us to repent of our sins or to believe in his promises, every time he works things out in a way that seemed impossible, we see a little bit more of his glory. This desire of God to receive all glory is not driven by pride or self-focus, but rather love and compassion for His creation so that in Him they see and freely pursue the only path to abundant and eternal life - God’s original and eternal design for his creation.
1. Facing trials in our lives
The grumbling of God’s people over the trial of lack of food
Exodus 16:1-3
……The next stage on the wilderness journey (verse 1)
Ongoing grumbling against spiritual leaders (verse 2)
We Were Better Off in Egypt (verse3a)
…… Your Leadership Has Been a Disaster (verse 3b)
2. Experiencing God’s gracious provision
God’s gracious provision in raining Bread from Heaven
Exodus 16:4-5
…….Daily Provision (verse 4)
……. A double portion on the sixth day (verse 5)
3. A demonstration of God’s supreme glory
The glory of God manifested again in His provision in a time of trial
Exodus 16:6-8
The testimony of God’s faithfulness revealed each evening (verse 6)
The testimony of God’s faithfulness revealed each morning (verse 7)
Lessons to be learned
In Exodus 15 we read of Moses’ warning to the Israelites…..
“If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” Exodus 15:26
Then in chapter 16, The trial confronting the Israelites is their urgent need for food and immediately the grumbling and complaining started again.
1. God provides abundantly for His people all they need, rather than all they want in order that they progressively become like Christ.
2. God is offended when we grumble against our circumstances and people because it essentially demonstrates dissatisfaction with His goodness
3. God takes our grumblings personally – When we attack our spiritual leaders, we are really attacking God.
4. God wants us to live by trusting him and obeying His word
5. God desires that we cultivate a rhythm of work and rest
6. Faith pleases God and ensures His blessing
7. God perseveres with us regardless of our response to Him
8. God leads us into places of need so that we will look to him to meet our needs
9. God provides Jesus Christ as His bread from heaven (John 6:52-59) to those bred on earth/. It is only through Jesus that we can experience the abundant life now and eternal life forever.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
For reflection and discussion
1. Quickly scan Exodus 14-16. How much time had elapsed from the Israelites miraculous deliverance from Egypt? Why is it that with the memory of their deliverance still fresh in their minds, the Israelites when faced with the challenges of surviving in the desert so quickly lost faith in God’s provision?
Have we been guilty in our lives as believers of the same response? Explain.
2. Why did the Israelites look back to Egypt (a place of deprivation and slavery under the cruel Pharoah)) rather than to the Promised Land (under God’s abundant provision)? Have we ever exhibited a similar response to our circumstances?
3. Describe the most challenging test of your faith in God, your response to the test, and the eventual outcome? What did you learn and how were you changed as a result?
4. What advice would you give to people struggling to deal with the challenges before them? Read the following verses: James 1:2-8; Philippians 4:4-9; Matthew 6:25-34
5. Give recent instances of how God has abundantly provided for you, your family, and your situation. Also share a time when you didn’t give thanks for God’s provision.