I Will Remain Loyal To GOD - Exodus 13-16 - July 23, 2006

Sunday School Lesson – I Will Remain Loyal To GOD – July 23, 2006

This is lesson four (4) in our bible study series, “My Declaration of Dependence.”

In last week’s lesson the Israelites saw the mighty power of GOD at work delivering them from the hands of the mighty Egyptian Army and the Red Sea. When the Israelites saw the mighty power of GOD at work their faith was increased and they rejoiced in song and praise.

I remember in the early days of my growth with the LORD when our family would attend Christian conferences. It would be a mountain top experience. But when we returned home and got back into the routine of daily living, the mountain top quickly became a valley. In fact, I got to the point that I dreaded a so called “mountain top experience” with the LORD because I knew a valley was coming.

I have to confess this is very sad. Rather than applying what I learned on the mountain top to my every day life when the valley came, I expected to be on a continuous mountain top. After all I was GOD’S child. I expected everything to go without a blip. I had a very immature concept of GOD. You have heard me say that our concept or notions we have about GOD shapes how we react when we encounter circumstances in our lives. I am still getting to know HIM and old concepts have to be dealt with as we continue to build our relationship.

Our Background scripture is Exodus 13:17-16:36.

Our focus scripture is Exodus 15:22-26; 16:1-4, 31-35.

Let’s read Exodus 15:22-26:

22 Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur. They journeyed for three days in the wilderness without finding water. 23 They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter—that is why it was named Marah.[6] = bitter, or bitterness 24 The people grumbled to Moses, “What are we going to drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became drinkable. He made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah and He tested them there. 26 He said, “If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, I will not inflict any illness on you I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”

The Israelites have just encountered GOD in a real and wonderful way. They were on the mountain top of experiencing GOD and HIS mighty power.

We as humans begin to think that if GOD is that loving and powerful and we are HIS chosen then we have it made.

The Israelites are in the Wilderness of Shur. They have been without water for three (3) days. The situation is getting critical. As humans we can go longer without food than we can without water.

They find water but the water is bitter and they cannot drink it. So they complain to Moses, “What are we going to drink?”

Moses goes directly to the LORD, as he should. The LORD shows him a tree. The word “Show” means to “teach” or “instruct”. GOD was going to reveal something to Moses about Himself. GOD had just parted the Red Sea but now GOD was going to use something already in existence, a tree. Moses has to decide if he will obey GOD, after all this is a tree and GOD wants me to throw it into the water. That is strange. Moses is obedient and throws the tree into the water. The water becomes drinkable.

GOD was teaching Moses and the Israelites obedience. Moses had to learn that GOD does not always work in the same way. GOD does not always do the spectacular but HE can take the ordinary and accomplish the extra-ordinary.

The LORD is testing the Israelites. HE had just delivered them from the Red Sea and now they were thirsty. Then they were disappointed when the water was bitter.

Testing builds faith and trust. GOD had not given them the ten (10) commandments but HE is giving the Israelites statutes and ordinances to test them. HE says if they keep HIS statutes and ordinances then none of the illnesses that HE brought upon the Egyptians will fall upon them. GOD tells them that HE is a GOD WHO heals.

GOD is establishing guidelines for their relationship.

Why does GOD test us? After all, HE already knows how we will respond to the test. A test is for us. We get to see our response to the faith, trust and confidence we have in our LORD. Often it is not very pretty. But GOD understands it is a building process.

We must not confuse testing with chastising. Chastising is the result of a need to be corrected. We are heading in the wrong direction and GOD needs to change our direction before we really get into trouble. If we ignore the correction then we suffer the consequences.

GOD’S tests are designed for the good of those being tested:
- to evaluate
- to educate
- to discipline
- to purify
- to strengthen
- to reveal
- to enlighten
- to lead to an encounter
- to build a relationship

These are just a few reasons. GOD’S intent is always for our good.

James 1:2-4 tells us: (Consider trials or tests a great joy because trials are designed to make us to be mature and complete, lacking nothing.)

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:12: (When we endue trials/tests we will receive the crown of life.)

12 Blessed is a man who endures trials,[1] Lit trial, used as a collective because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that He[2] Other mss read that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James 1:13-15: (A trial/test is not a temptation.)

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil,[3] Or evil persons, or evil things and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4: (GOD allows trials/tests so we can comfort others as GOD has comforted us.)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction,[2] Or trouble, or tribulation, or trials, or oppression; the Gk word has a lit meaning of being under pressure. so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

GOD always has a plan and a purpose for us and it is always for our good.

Let’s read Exodus 16:1-5:

1 The entire Israelite community departed from Elim and came to the Wilderness of Sin,[1] Ex 17:1; Nm 33:11–12 which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt. 2 The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!” 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven[2] Ps 78:24–25; Jn 6:31 for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”[3] Lit as gathering day to day

The Israelites leave an oasis called Elim. Elim has multiple streams and date palm trees. They travel to the Wilderness of Sin. In the Wilderness, the Israelites will face a new challenge. They have faced thirst and now they will face hunger.


We know based upon verse 1 and information in Exodus 12:1-6 the Israelites left Egypt one (1) month ago. During this month GOD has delivered them from slavery, guided them with a cloud by day and a pillow of fire by night, delivered them from the Egyptian army through HIS power by parting the Red Sea and provided them water. Through all of these events GOD has revealed Himself, HIS power, presence and care.

Now the Israelites are facing hunger. Notice the entire community grumbles. Spiritual conditions are contagious. People around us can challenge us to a closer walk with our LORD or lead us to question HIM.

The Israelites accuse GOD of bringing them to the wilderness to die. They reminisce about the good old days of slavery when they had meat and bread.

When they left Egypt they had live stock and provisions. They were self-sufficient. Now their provisions are gone, fear takes over and their faith has been compromised.

GOD will test them again to determine if they can follow HIS instructions. GOD is sufficient but HE requires obedience. GOD is giving them an assignment of obedience to build confidence in HIM.

Verse 4 to me is an example of GOD’S grace. The Israelites are grumbling and wishing they were back in slavery. GOD does not get angry with them but HE ministers to them by raining down bread from heaven. The Israelites did not know what to call it, so they called it “what is it” or “manna.” GOD wanted them to know that HE alone provided for them the bread from heaven which sustained them physically.

Are you beginning to get the picture? You are correct. JESUS is called the bread of life. CHRIST sustains us eternally and is the bread from heaven.
GOD provided HIS ONLY SON, WHO willingly came from heaven to live as a human, was tempted in all ways as we are, yet HE remained, by choice, sinless, gave HIS life for us upon the cross and was resurrected from death. HIS resurrection is proof that HE conquered sin and death for us, so we may have eternal live.

The Israelites had to eat the bread from heaven each day to be sustained. CHRIST died once for all. Once we have asked CHRIST into our lives, we are GOD’S child and sustained forever.

HE gives us the HOLY SPIRIT as a security deposit to confirm that our faith in HIM is a fact. The HOLY SPIRIT indwells each Christian, reveals GOD to us, enlightens the eyes of our heart for us to know GOD and build a relationship with GOD.

When we accept CHRIST as our SAVIOR, our sins are forgiven, we are born into the family of GOD, we become a child of GOD, we have eternal life, we have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life, we are made righteous and GOD gives us the gift of Grace.

GOD is more interested in our spiritual growth than in punishing us when we cannot seem to get it right. HE wants us to know HIM, to truly know HIM. To truly know someone you have to live with them 24/7.

GOD will use the bread from heaven to test the Israelites obedience.

Let’s read Exodus 16:11-35, focus scripture 31-35:

11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” 13 So at evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, there on the desert surface were fine flakes, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was. Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts[5] Lit an omer per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’ ” 17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. 18 When they measured it by quarts,[6] Lit by an omer the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat. 19 Moses said to them, “No one is to let any of it remain until morning.” 20 But they didn’t listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. Therefore Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it every morning. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat, but when the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts[7] Lit two omers apiece, and all the leaders of the community came and reported [this]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. to Moses. 23 He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and everything left over set aside to be kept until morning.’ ” 24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses commanded, and it didn’t smell or have any maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you won’t find any in the field. 26 For six days you may gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.” 27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you[8] In Hb you is pl, referring to the whole nation. refuse to keep My commands and instructions? 29 Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day He will give you two days’ worth of bread. Each of you stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. 31 The house of Israel named the substance manna.[9] = What?; Ex 16:15 It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers [made]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Two quarts[10] Lit A full omer of it are to be preserved throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ” 33 Moses told Aaron, “Take a container and put two quarts[11] Lit a full omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be preserved throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the • testimony to be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they reached the border of the land of Canaan.[12] Jos 5:12

Let’s compare Exodus 16:3-4 with Exodus 16:11-12:

Exodus 16:3-4:

3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!” 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven[2] Ps 78:24–25; Jn 6:31 for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions.

Exodus 16:11-12:

11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

GOD is telling the Israelites, you long to go back to Egypt because of the meat in the pot and bread? You don’t think I can take care of you? Well I will show you! But there will be guidelines and your obedience to my instructions will be tested.

Let’s think for a few minutes about the journey of the Israelites being a graphic picture of our journey once we become a Christian.
Along our journey with CHRIST we may think or even be tempted to return to some pleasure(s) of our life before CHRIST.

This is sometimes true of someone who has an addiction. Sometimes we may be having financial trouble and our non-Christians friends are having it easy.

When circumstances in our life are tough, we may think, “Life was better before we became a Christian.” These are times we can confuse being tested with temptation. They may say, “I have to do what I have to do to survive and rely upon my efforts rather than trust in what GOD can do to help me through this situation.”

Relying upon GOD does not necessarily mean sitting, waiting and letting GOD drop it in your lap.

It is like the story of the man during a flood. He prayed that GOD would rescue him. The waters rose and he had to climb to the roof of his house. He continued to pray. A man with a boat came along and asked the man to get into the boat. But the man refused and continued to pray. A rescue helicopter came along and asked the man to get into the helicopter but again the man refused. He continued to pray. The man drowns. When he got to heaven he was angry with GOD and told him how disappointed he was that HE did not rescue him. GOD said but I sent you a boat and a helicopter and you refused both.

Once GOD showed Moses the tree in our today’s scripture, Moses had to take action. GOD did not do it for him.

When the Israelites consider returning to Egypt, GOD says I will show you that I can take better care of you - better than anything your former life had to offer. The same is true in our life. Our life in Christ is beyond anything our former life has to offer.

Through this test GOD continues to reveal Himself to the Israelites and testing their obedience to HIM.

In verses 11 and 12 we see that GOD says you want meat, and then I will give you meat. How about quail! You want bread? I will give you bread that will blow your minds. In fact you will say, “What is it?” You can boil it, bake it, grind it or crush it. Numbers gives us more information about manna.

Numbers 11:8-9:

7 The manna[10] Ex 16:4–35; Dt 8:3,16; Jos 5:12; Neh 9:20; Ps 78:24; Jn 6:48–51; Rv 2:17 resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of bdellium.[11] Probably a gum resin of yellowish, transparent color 8 The people walked around and gathered [it]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. . They ground [it]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. on a pair of grinding stones or crushed [it]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. in a mortar, then boiled [it]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. in a cooking pot and shaped it into cakes. It tasted like a pastry cooked with the finest oil. 9 When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.[12] Ex 16:13–14

As mentioned earlier the Israelites called the bread substance “manna”, the English equivalent of “what is it.”

GOD gave them specific instructions about how much to gather per person per day, including the sixth day. On the sixth day, the day before the Sabbath they are to gather double the amount. If they gathered more than they needed, it spoiled, yet, when they gathered double the amount to carry them through the Sabbath it did not spoil. Again GOD is showing the Israelites HE is the ONE WHO is the provider and keeper. HE makes the rules for our own good.

It is like a story I heard about a father telling his son to stop and remain perfectly still as they were walking in the jungle. The son obeyed. The father killed a very poisonous snake that would have meant sure death for his son if it had bitten him. Obedience is for our own benefit.

We see that some were disobedient and the manna spoiled, gave off a foul odor and became worms. They learned that when GOD gives us specific instructions, HE intends for them to be followed precisely. GOD is teaching the Israelites obedience. Through HIS Word, HE is also teaching us to obey HIM exactly as HE instructs as we study HIS WORD.

GOD instructs Moses to gather two (2) quarts to hold as a sample for generations of the Israelites to see that GOD had provided and sustained them for 40 years until they reached the border of the Promised Land.

Again we see the picture of salvation. JESUS gives us life through HIS death. The HOLY SPIRIT indwells us as our assurance that what we believe is true. We can count upon the fact that we are GOD’S child. We have eternal life the moment we ask CHRIST to forgive us of our sins and to come into our lives.

The HOLY SPIRIT is with us until we die or until we safely reach our Promised Land, Heaven. Then we are with CHRIST and once we see HIM we will be like HIM.

GOD is building a relationship with the Israelites to prove to them that HE is their sustainer.

This also teaches us about HIM as we read and study these thousands of years later.