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“A Hand Upon the Throne” Exodus 17:8-24
“A Hand Upon the Throne” Exodus 17:8-24
“Into the Wilderness”
A Sermon Series in the Book of Exodus
“A Hand Upon the Throne”
Exodus 17:8-24
Introduction
In the wilderness God was teaching His people to trust Him; He would take care of them (manna and quail), that He would guide them and His presence would be with them (pillar of smoke in the day, pillar of fire by night), that He would give them rest (a weekly Sabbath). All of which were inward battles (grumbling, trust, following, etc.) But, in Ex. 17 they face their first external battle. It would be the first of many to conquer the Promised Land. But as we will see it is not an entirely physical battle, but it is also a spiritual battle. What makes the difference in the battle is God’s people seeking God.
“A tale is told about a small town that had historically been “dry,” but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that “no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.”[1]
We will see today that what we think about prayer is very important, because it is what moves the needle in very difficult circumstances.
Prayer
One Hand on the Sword and the Other Hand on the Throne (vv. 8-13)
Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
“The Amalekites were nomads who traced their lineage back to Jacob’s brother Esau (Genesis 36:12), and thus there were long-standing ethnic tensions between the two tribes. . . Rephidim was an oasis, and the Amalekites must have been dismayed to watch so many people with so many animals come and drink “their” water.”[2]
Deuteronomy 25:17, 18 helps us understand what is going on, “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.” They attacked them when they were faint, weary, and from behind. The attack was unprovoked and would have been against the weak, stragglers, and the helpless who were pulling up the rear. The enemy attacked them where they were weak.
God’s people have been set free from slavery and are on their way to the Promised Land – but along the way they are ambushed. This is a spiritual lesson for us – those who have placed their faith in Christ have been set free from their sin, and they are on their way to heaven – but in this life we are regularly attacked by the enemy. He won’t attack you where you are strong. He waits until He can get you when you r back is turned, and you are tired, and weary, and faint.
In Ephesians 6:12 the apostle Paul is discussing believers putting on the full armor of God, because “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The real battle is the unseen spiritual forces of this world.
God won the victory and all glory goes to Him for showing pharaoh through plagues, miracles, signs and wonders, that He is the One true God – and then completely destroyed their enemy with the waves of the Red Sea. God fights for His people – but once we have been freed from sin and death, He wants them to join in the battle. But how do we fight an unseen enemy, who attacks us when we are weak?
Moses’ answer has two parts: 1) Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek.” Joshua was to choose men to go and engage the enemy in battle. Joshua is introduced as though we already know who he is, but Joshua was Moses’ assistant. Joshua, himself, goes down and fights with the men. (v. 13) “And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword,” God could swallow up the enemy – the ground could open up and taken them under – instead God chose to us his people as part of the plan to defeat the enemy.
2) Secondly, Moses, Aaron, and Hur[3] went up a mountain so that they overlooked the battle. Moses held the staff of God in his hands, and “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.” Moses was “holding his staff, the instrument of divine power and the token of God’s covenant promise. By holding it up to Heaven, he was appealing for God to defend his people.”[4]
So what is Moses doing by lifting his hands to God? One of the first things Moses is told to do is stretch out his hand (picking up the staff when it was a serpent, stretching out his hand that was leprous, stretching out his hand over the Red Sea, etc.) With the plague of hail, Moses said to Pharoah, “I will stretch out my hands to the Lord” (9:29). When Moses stretches out his hands God’s power is shown.
Hannah and Jehoshaphat both stood at the temple to pray (1 Samuel 1:9-11; 2 Chronicles 20:5,6). The psalmist said, “In you name I will lift my hands” (Psalm 63:4b). 1 Timothy 2:8 says, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands” (1 Timothy 2:8). Moses shows his desire for God to intervene on behalf of the people, to fight for them, by praying with lifted hands.
Later in v. 16 “A hand upon the throne of the LORD!” – Moses reached up from earth and placed his hand upon the thrown of God and pleaded for his people. Because of Jesus’ blood shed for us, Hebrews 4:16, says “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We draw near, we place our hand upon the throne of God through prayer.
The day went on and on, and battle stretched out over hours and then suddenly the enemy begins to win. The Amalekites begin to push forward, what has happened? Moses’ arms begin to drop, he can’t hold the weight of the staff up any longer. His hand is removed from the throne.
The spiritual principle here is – when we stop praying we begin to lose the battle. If we go back to the Ephesians 6 passage, It is a picture of a soldier with the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, belt of truth, etc. and then as the soldier stands in the face if the enemy, he is “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Even with a full set of armor – he needs to al be praying. We see two examples of how the battle was won, “Even if we fight like Joshua, we will not win the battle unless we pray like Moses.”[5] “Divine sovereignty and human responsibility were linked in carrying out the will of God.”[6] Martin Luther once said, “Pray as if everything depends on God, then work as if everything depends on you.”
Engage the Enemy with the Sword, and Touch the Throne of God by Prayer.
Why did Moses go up to the mountain where all the men could look up and see him? They knew that as Moses lifted up the staff, that he was praying for them. So later when the battle was won, the men were not sitting around saying what mighty warriors they were – no, the glory was the Lord’s.
God won the battle through Why does God require us to pray? Because ultimately, we could talk about how we in our own strength overcame the temptation, won the battle – but when we seek to do the big impossible things God has called us to – we cry out to Him, and He wins the war – He gets all the glory. Prayer helps us to keep the glory where it should be at the throne of God.
Moses was known to be a man who went to God and talked with Him about things going on with their wilderness travels (the tent of meeting for example). But on the mountain side, as the day wore on, their deliverer grew tired, and needed help. Even the Moses’ of this world need someone to come beside them and lift them up in prayer. It was Moses’ wisdom to take two men with him – Moses knew he needed to surround himself with men he trusted.
We gather to pray because we know our weaknesses. Like Moses we need people to surround us with prayer and lift us up. Prayer, especially corporate prayer, is the best defense against the evil one.
But our Deliverer does not grow tried. Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Jesus prays for us and He does not get tired.
“Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, “Brother, the grass grows on your path.”[7]
Remember the Victories (vv. 14-16)
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
(v. 14) God tells Moses to write it down, as a memorial in a book, say it over and over, but there is someone who especially needs to hear it, “recite it in the ears of Joshua,” – Why does Joshua above all the others need to hear it, again and again? Yes, he will eventually be the leader of Israel, but I think it was because he led the battle on the ground. Yes, they were victorious but it was the hand touching the throne of God that moved the needle one way and then another. God won the battle, he used prayer to do it, and Joshua’s troops on the ground. Don’t get it twisted Joshua thinking you won the battle. God fought the battle through you and He used the prayer of His people.
God’s people will face the Amalekites again in two years, but instead of remembering their victory and how God won the battle they are scared when the spies brought back a report of the Promised Land, “Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron” Numbers 14:1-2. They didn’t remember how God had been with them before against this same army.
This battle would not be the last time that God’s people will be under attack. There will be several more battles before they settle in the Promised land. So God wants them to remember how He was with them against the Amalekites.
(v. 15) “The LORD IS My Banner,” is a name of God, Yahweh-Nissi, it reminds His people that his banner flies over them in battle. A banner is an insignia on a piece of cloth. It shows who they are, who they identify with.
“Flags serve many purposes. Over the centuries, military units have carried flags and colors. Colors and flags affirm group identity. They build pride and morale, and represent the group’s honor. In battle, flags served as a rallying point when a formation was broken. Troops gathered around the flag to regroup, attack or retreat. Flags marked specific individuals, locations and functions such as hospitals and ambulances.
A guard of non-commissioned officers usually protected flags and colors. Held in great reverence, a regiment’s honor was embodied in its colors. The entire regiment was humiliated if its colors were lost in battle.
From the establishment of the United States Army in 1785, US regular infantry regiments carried colors. Regiments didn’t carry the United States flag, as it was felt that no one unit could carry the national honor into battle. By the 1840’s, the infantry carried the United States flag with the regimental number or title printed on one of the white stripes. If the flag was lost in battle, only that regiment’s honor, and not the national honor, was lost.[8]
Everyone has a banner that you stand under, a banner that you identify with – where you rally to when the lines are broken, and the enemy is pressing forward.
Later in the OT, God’s people as they are in the wilderness will regularly be bitten by serpents. So God tells Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and place it in the camp. So that whenever they are bitten they can make their way and loo upon the serpent and be healed. When God’s people were struck by the enemy, they could rally, and look up and see the bronze serpent. In the NT, John 3:14, 15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” The banner over me is Jesus – I can rally to Him. I identify with Him. Our banner is the cross. I can take courage in the fact that the cross is empty.
(v. 16) “The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation,” – There is a battle that rages between God’s people and the Evil One, from generation to generation.
_________________________
[1] J.K. Johnston, Why Christians Sin (Discovery House, 1992) 129.
[2] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching God’s Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015), 421.
[3] Hur was Caleb’s grandson and would later serve as a judge (24:14).
[4] Ryken, 424.
[5] Ryken, 426.
[6] Walter C. Kaiser, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1990) 408.
[7] https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/prayer.htm
[8] https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/symbols-of-battle-civil-war-flags
“The Wilderness Teaches God’s People What They Need” Exodus 16
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“The Wilderness Teaches God’s People What They Need” Exodus 16
“Into the Wilderness”
A Sermon Series in the Book of Exodus
“The Wilderness Teaches God’s People What They Need”
Exodus 16
Introduction
The Israelites were freed from slavery in a miraculous way – they saw the ten plagues, they saw how God allowed them to plunder the Egyptians of fine clothing, gold jewelry, etc. They walked through the Red Sea as it was split open. They watched as their great enemy and oppressor was swallowed up by the sea, and how they washed up on shore the next day. They were free. But in spite of all those miracles and might acts of God – they are still rebellious. But instead of rebelling against their enemy, they rebel against the God who freed them. Why would they do that?
For God’s people, the wilderness, wandering around in the desert, became a place where they showed what was truly in their heart. Now looking ahead some, their sandals don’t wear out, their clothes don’t wear out. God’s presence, in the form of a cloud and fire, guided them through the wilderness – but this could also protected them from the scorching heat and sun. No enemy bothered them, no disease touched them.
So when God’s people grumble and complain – what’s the problem? What we are going to see in example after example is that it is not the situation they are truly grumbling against – but who controls of their lives. They want salvation, freedom, we want the cravings of their flesh to be satisfied, they want it all (they don’t mind if God blesses them), and they want to be the god of our universe. They don’t like it when God says, “I am God.”
What God’s people ultimately are grumbling against is being led into a place where their hearts are exposed. We don’t like it when God tests us and we are found wanting. It forces me to grow, to dig deeper, to stop being superficial in my relationship with Him. God points to our weaknesses, he exposes it, and says, “I will walk beside you but you have to change.”
Prayer
The Wilderness Exposes the Hearts of His People (vv. 1-3)
They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Elim was a place of sprawling palm trees, plenty of drinking water and a place of rest after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 15:27). But they couldn’t stay at the oasis, they had to once again move into the wilderness. There were things, as God’s people, that they needed to learn. This was not the Promised Land, so they needed to move.
Psalm 78:18, 30 helps us to understand what is going on in Exodus 16, “They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved . . . But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths,” They were not starving, there were animals that could have been butchered, they had the milk from the animals to drink or make cheese, etc. The psalm shows it that they were craving a certain kind of food, not that they had no food at all. They wanted, “meat pots and bread.”
They confused what they wanted with what they needed.[1]
What do we ultimately need? Why does our hearts desire the things it does? In a time when Jesus really was hungry at the beginning of His ministry, Matthew 4:2 “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” What we want is to have our cravings fulfilled our way, but what we need is a relationship with God. There is a question, “who will the Israelites serve, pharaoh or God?” Here they are saying again, we would rather be a slave to Pharoah.
God’s Provision For His People (vv. 4-8)
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”
This is the fourth time that God’s people have grumbled 1) when they had to get their own straw for making bricks, 2) when they were at the Red Sea, 3) at Marah for water (15:24) and again 4) here. When we look at the pattern of the people – every time things appear to be difficult, they grumble against the Lord.
The word grumble means more in Hebrew than just unhappiness about the menu selections – it was more on the line of open rebellion. There were times when they threatened the lives of Moses and Aaron. To which they respond, “Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”
In their rebellions they are saying we want to go back and serve pharaoh – we want to go back to being slaves. This is God’s plan of salvation for His people, we don’t want your plan for our salvation. When we complain and grumble, it is ultimately God that we are complaining against. In spite of the grumbling, the text says four times that God heard their complaints (16:7, 8,9, 12) and He gives them what they asked for:
God’s Answer to Their Grumbling (vv. 9-30)
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 And the LORD said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’ 13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
Remember what they said in their grumbling was that in Egypt they “sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full,” – So in the morning they would gather bread on the ground, and in the evening they would gather quail (both are miracles). No matter where they traveled to in the wilderness, there was always bread in the morning, and meat at night. Enough to feed more than a million people. In God’s provision for his people, they were satisfied, (v. 16) “Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat, (v. 18) “Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.”
With God’s provision there were instructions. They were to gather only what they needed for that day (bread and meat), and before they went to bed get rid of anything left over. The next day, they would start fresh.
God Wants to Teach His People Something Very Important – Don’t Miss It.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”
This is the third miracle they experienced once a week. The mana that rotted the other five days, on the sixth day of the week didn’t rot, “and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it,”
God sets the example at the beginning of time, to rest, Genesis 2:2-3 “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” There is a rhythm built into the fabric of creation, six days work, seventh day rest. The Creator sets the example for His creation.
Even before the law was given (Ex. 20), God’s people are commanded to keep a Sabbath, “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD” – Gather your food on the sixth day, prepare the food for day seven as you preparing day six, and on the seventh day there were no quail and there was no manna. On that day there was to be rest.
27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
(v. 27) “On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather” – These were probably the same people who tried to gather too much and it rotted on them. These are people who don’t pay attention to, or believe God’s Word. He told them there would be no manna on the seventh day, and there was none – but they go out looking for some anyway, and they probably didn’t plan ahead on the sixth day – they are just too busy to pay attention. Yeah, but I’m a busy person! I’ve got important stuff to do, I’ll pay attention and listen to God later (well now you hungry until morning).
The response to the people grumbling is to tell them to take a day and rest. Over the chapters of Exodus, the people grumble about leadership decisions, being thirsty, being hungry, having things happen in their lives that they don’t like, etc. and God’s response to their grumbling, rebellion, and restlessness is a Sabbath.
Nothing seems to make them happy, nothing seems to satisfy their cravings. So God’s solution to the craving of their soul is a Sabbath. The word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word that means “to stop.” Stop working, stop worrying, just stop.
As human beings we all have cravings of our soul – you are bombarded with advertising to buy this, try this, be this. If you buy this, try this, do this, then it will stop the craving – you will finally be happy. The Sabbath day gives us a chance to reestablish was is truly important – that is hard to establish priorities and have a proper perspective if we are frazzled and exhausted. You have the same twenty-four hours in the day, but it’s how you think about the time and what you do with that time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1snh0xl0hM
Restfulness v. Relentlessness[2]
Margin ____ Busyness, Slowness ______Hurry, Quiet _____ Noise, Deep relationships ________Isolation, Time alone ______ Crowds, Delight _______ Distraction, Enjoyment ______ Envy, Trust _____ Worry, Peace _____ Anxiety
“The Sabbath is to a spirit of restfulness what a soccer practice is to a match or band practice is to a performance. It’s how we practice, how we prepare our minds and bodies for the moments that matter most.”[3]
God’s people were showing a symptom (grumbling) of a deeper problem (their connection and dependance upon God). God in His love for His people gives them a way to fix this problem.
Notice with the Sabbath – it needs to be thought through, (v. 23) “‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil,” The Sabbath just doesn’t happen, it has to be prepared for, put it on the calendar (we call it Sunday), guard it, protect it, and plan to rest, work hard to not work too hard. “People who keep the sabbath live all seven days differently.”
Jesus was once criticized when His disciples were picking grain and eating on the Sabbath, and Jesus’ response was Mark 2:27 “And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” This day was made for you as a gift from God. You were designed to need one day of seven to rest. It’s up to you if you take advantage of the gift or not. When Jesus says, “not man for the Sabbath,” he is saying, God is not adding another rule for you follow – this is not about another thing you have to do – it’s a gift given to you, to help you. If you take a sabbath every seventh day you will be blessed.
Remember the Sabbath (vv. 31-36)
31 Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. 35 The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)
They take an omer container full of manna and place it before the people to serve as a reminder. They didn’t need to be reminded of the manna or quail – they had that for forty years – what they needed to be reminded of what was attached to the provision — the Sabbath (how you were to live before God as His people; resting in Him on the seventh day).
Eventually in Exodus 20:9-10 God commands it, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. . . . Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
(v. 23) “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD” This word holy is used several times to describe the Sabbath. Holy means “set apart, different.” God sets aside the day for a specific purpose. You can also make the day holy, as you set it aside as a separate day from all the others. The manna and quail teach the people a pattern for life.
How will you spend your Sabbath today? Earlier we said that God’s people “confused what they wanted with what they needed.” A day set aside to spend time with God will help you align your wants with God’s wants, and to truly understand how He has provided for your needs.
_____________________
[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015) 391.
[2] John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (Colorado Springs, Colorado; Yates & Yates Publishing, 2019) 149.
[3] Comer, 150.
“A Rebellion by the Sea; Principles For Living Out God’s Plan For Your Life” Exodus 14
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