Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 16:22-26

22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

God had given two points of instruction thus far:

1. Every household was to gather one omer per person, which would be just the right amount for the day.

2. No one was to keep leftovers for the next day.

Certain Israelites had already tried defying the second rule, gathering extra rather than trusting the Lord to provide again in the morning, and all the extra had spoiled. It just wasn’t going to work for the people not to follow God’s directions in this matter, they needed to not make exceptions to His rules.

But then, as an interesting twist, God, Himself, presented a third rule that carved out an exception to his first two:

3. On the day before the sabbath they were permitted to gather two omers per person, one for the day before the sabbath and one for the sabbath.

The purpose of this rule being, of course, to keep the Israelites from having to labor on the sabbath. Thus, God was providing a valid way to do the exact thing that had been invalid when done by the disobedient Israelites just prior.

The lesson here is clear. When God gives us His commandments, He can also provide special limitations or exceptions to them, but we cannot. Some things are wrong inherently, and some things are wrong because they have been forbidden for that time. In either case, one is only right when applying the commandment of God that is relevant to that situation, and wrong when doing anything other than God’s commandment for that situation.

Some people may balk at the idea of God creating set times when a behavior is right and set times when it is wrong, but any collection of laws has this sort of nuance. For example, one may drive down the road at the posted speed limit, except at a red light they must stop until it turns green, except when that red light is flashing and they should treat it like a stop sign, except when there is a police officer directing traffic at that intersection. Are the rules ambiguous or arbitrary because they change what behavior is correct based on the circumstance? No. In each instance there is one right behavior, and there is a good reason for it. So it is with God’s laws.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 16:19-21

19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

God gave a second piece of instruction, that the people were not to gather excess and store it for the next day. Every day a person would receive exactly what they needed, and no more, and the next day they would trust God to provide for them again. But some of the people did not listen. They did gather extra, they retained it through the night, and the next morning it was filled with worms and rotten.

Once again, the symbolism is clear. God had arranged this situation to teach a lesson that the people were to live by His grace alone. Going to bed every night and rising every morning would be an act of faith, trusting that there would be manna waiting for them each time. If there wasn’t…things would be very bad for them, but they would learn that they could count on God providing what they needed each day.

This, of course, goes directly against the instinct to provide for oneself. Rather than trust on the Lord tomorrow, some of the Israelites would rather have relied on their efforts the day before. They saw an opportunity to go beyond their mandate and build their own security. We also do this when we are distracted from God by our own strategies for happiness and security. The result for us, as it was for the Israelites, was rot and waste. All of our Godless goods became food for the worm. As a general rule for life, stale excess sooner or later summons the devourers.

Jesus spoke on this very matter in Luke 12. He warned against those who took too much thought for their gain when he recounted the parable of a rich man whose fields produced an excessive abundance, and who spent his time planning out the grand, new barns he would build to hold the surplus. Said the man, “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:19-20).

It is better to live moment-to-moment by God’s grace than to pave a road of our own design. For God’s grace cannot be thwarted, but all our designs will be.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 16:16-18

16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

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

18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

Now the Lord gave very specific directions that every man was to gather a certain amount of food, related to the size of his household. If a man had ten people in his household, he would gather ten omers’ worth of manna, if he had two people he would gather two omers’ worth. An omer was an Old Testament measurement of volume, understood to be roughly equivalent to two quarts.

And, miraculously, this measurement turned out to be perfect for all people. There was neither excess nor want, so long as one adhered to the measurement given by God. This seems a miraculous thing, that men, women, and children of all different sizes and weights would be sustained by the same equal measure. Of course, the existence of the manna in the first place was an even greater miracle, so maybe that isn’t so surprising.

Once again, there is clear symbolism in this. God knows our needs perfectly, and He prescribes to us exactly what is right. He not only gives us the sustenance that our souls need, He gives just the right amount with no lack and no waste. I have personally seen little miracles in my life, always providing just the right help at just the right time. An unexpected one-time financial boost, a perfectly directed prompting to my spiritual leader, a window of time to get to know a dear friend before he passed away, I see all of these as miracles from heaven, each perfectly portioned to my need.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 16:13-15

13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

Quails came for the meat in the evening, and manna appeared in the morning for bread. However, the Israelites did not even recognize that the manna was the promised bread from God at first. Moses had to explain to them that that was what the small, round thing was for, that it could be processed as a food.

I see in this a symbolism for the manner in which God answers prayers. Sometimes He delivers exactly what we have asked for, but we do not recognize it as such. What we have received seems strange until someone points out to us that our problem has already been solved, we just haven’t recognized it yet.

In any case, now Israel understood how the Lord would provide for them, and Moses would go into greater detail about the rules they had to follow in relation to this food source.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 16:9-12

9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings.

10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.

The Lord spoke to Moses, Moses spoke to Aaron, and Aaron spoke to the congregation. This arrangement suggests that in their hierarchy Moses stood as a representative for the Lord and Aaron stood as a representative for the congregation. Heaven and earth were communicating to one another through their diplomats: these two brothers. Viewing Aaron as a representative of Israel may also explain why he would later assist them in the creation of the golden calf. Though he may have personally opposed it, perhaps he saw himself as their representative, bound to carry out their will.

In any case, after the message was conveyed to all of Israel, the Lord came in a cloud that emerged from deeper in the wilderness. There is a reassurance in this, it shows that where they had yet to go, He had already been.

After His manifestation in the cloud, the Lord declared that He had indeed heard all the people’s murmurings and would send them the promised bread, and also meat as well. Later on in this chapter we will learn that the meat would be quail.

This story of Israel receiving manna and quail is very similar to another account that is given later in Numbers, Chapter 11.In fact, they are so similar that I suspect they are actually the same account. It appears to me that this chapter in Exodus is abbreviating the more detailed account that is given in Numbers. If so, we learn from the version in Numbers that after Israel complained for the lack of bread, God gave them the manna. Then, some time later, they complained again for the lack of meat, and God sent them the quail. The Numbers account makes clear, though, that the quail was actually a curse, bringing a plague upon the people as they ate it. They were punished even in the very act of getting exactly what they wanted.

We won’t hear about all of these details in this chapter, but we can keep in mind that this is likely the fuller picture of what transpired.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 16:6-8

6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:

7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?

8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.

Moses points out to the Israelites that when the manna appears it will be yet another evidence that the Lord is real and that He is the one guiding them. Though He cannot be seen in the flesh, when the manna appears His presence will be manifest and they will know that He truly walks among them.

What a great gift to see that the Lord listens to you and responds directly. Most of us seem to spend the majority of our time feeling that God is inscrutable and imperceptible, so moments where the veil grows thin are sacred and profound.

But this great gift is also a condemnation to the Israelites. Moses lays out very clearly in verse 8 that the Lord’s presence means He is actively listening to them and knows everything they said in their complaints. And if God really is present in Israel’s affairs, if He really is the one calling the shots, then any criticism directed at Moses has actually been a criticism of the Almighty! As Moses tells the people, “the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him… Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.” A word to the wise, any time you choose to make a complaint, be sure you know who it is you’re really criticizing!

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 16:4-5

4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

After Israel’s grumbling the Lord gave Moses His answer, and note how He returns faithfulness for faithlessness. The Israelites had suddenly abandoned their trust in God, certain that He had brought them to ruin. They had become utterly hopeless and despondent. But though they had abandoned their faith in Him, God was still faithful in helping and preserving them. By a miracle He would rain bread down, literally a blessing from heaven. A reward in place of punishment.

There was going to be a catch to all this, though. God said that with this blessing would also come a test, to “prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” And so He listed out some requirements for how the Israelites were to respond to this manna from heaven. There would be a virtually unlimited source available to them, but they were only to gather the necessary portion day-by-day, except on the sixth day they could gather twice as much, so that they could eat on the sabbath. These instructions would later be reiterated in more explicit detail, so that there could be no misunderstanding among the Jews.

It seems to me that God was making a point with this test. Did the Israelites complain and lose faith simply because they didn’t feel provided for, or because of some pull towards infidelity that lived deep inside of them? Would they keep His commandments once He had provided for them, or would they still feel compelled to hold something back? Was their faithlessness really about a problem with God, or was it a problem in themselves? We will see for ourselves as we read on.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 16:1-3

1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

After a time at the oasis that the Lord had provided for them, the Israelites continued further into the wilderness. At this point, Israel had not been consigned to wander for 40 years, so they were still on the route to the Promised Land. We did hear earlier that it wasn’t the most direct route, which passed by the Philistines, but a more roundabout way. Scholars identify the Wilderness of Sin from verse 1 as being to the east of both the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, two bodies of water that extend out of the north shoreline of the Red Sea. This would mean that the Israelites were in what is now the North-Western corner of Saudi Arabia.

And this would mean that Israel was already half the distance to the Promised Land, at least as the crow flies. They were well on their way, but now we will see things starting to go backwards. In verse 3, the Israelites start a pattern of faithless murmuring, which will ultimately lead to serious repercussions. We did already hear how they complained for the lack of water in the last chapter, but today’s verse is the first time they go so far as to say that they preferred things in Egypt as slaves.

This is also the first time that the Israelites say that Moses is going to get the entire company killed. Often I hear the Israelite’s criticized for not approaching Moses in a more cooperative manner, for not expressing their distress with a faithful expectation that God would have a solution. Personally, I don’t feel that we have enough information to judge them so certainly. We do not know just how dire the situation was, perhaps the old and the feeble really were on the brink of death. We do not know what prior conversations they had had, perhaps they had been patient for a while but felt at their wits’ end now. Or perhaps they really were faithless, over-reacting, and demanding from the slightest of hardships. We just don’t know.

None of which is to say that the Israelites might have been justified in turning against the Lord, but simply to appreciate the fact that many of us might not have fared much better in the same situation. Hardship brings out the most base instincts in a people, and most of us probably don’t know who we really are on that level. The Israelites were finding out exactly that, and the revelation was not good.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Appreciating the Worst Self

It is common to despise our “worst self.” This is the self that is lazy, selfish, overly-indulgent, and perverse. That self always gets us into the worst trouble, imitates the behaviors we most resent in others, and frustrates all of our plans for self-improvement. I have listened to many addicts share their hatred for their “worst self,” going so far as to wishing that they could kill him!

But the thought has occurred to me that my “worst self” has also done the bravest and noblest things that I have ever done. It was while I was firmly in the gutter of shame and depression that I decided to ask for help from my addictions. It was while I was a sinner that I made the decision to repent. It was while God seemed farthest from me that I tried to follow Him most.

The “worst self” has its downsides, but when transformation does occur, it is necessarily that self who decides to make it happen. The “worst self” chooses to let itself die so that the “whole self” may emerge, and we owe it a great debt of gratitude for repeatedly making that sacrifice.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Deeper Into Enemy Territory

Recovery is a multi-stage journey. I, and many of the other addicts that I have known, experienced an initial battle with temptation and eventually a victory over it, only to feel new battles springing up around us some time later. After the initial success, we tend to experience setbacks, or new addictions forming off to the side, and it makes us doubt the control we thought we had gained. Most great battles in recovery seem to be followed by a sequel.

As I have reflected on this phenomenon, the thought has occurred to me that the more you press against your foe, delving further into the heart of enemy territory, the more unpredictable and treacherous the terrain becomes. The initial push and triumph in recovery feels fantastic, but that is nothing more than breaking through the front lines. Yes, it is a victory, but you have yet to capture the capitol. Or, to shift metaphors, perhaps you have chased the bear from your home, but in so doing you have followed it into its lair where greater challenges await.

Virtually every addict finds that his bad behavior comes about by the following sequence:

  1. He has many hurts and frustrations in his life
  2. Those hurts and frustrations put him into a perpetually dejection and faithless state
  3. While depressed and faithless, temptation easily has its way with him

The first fight for recovery has to do with short-circuiting this pattern. The addict learns how to manage or mitigate his pain, removing unnecessary afflictions, ending negative relationships, and stopping behaviors that add stress. Less frustration means less dejection, and less dejection makes him stronger against temptation.

And this is all well and good, but the solution will last only as long as his management and mitigation efforts are effective. Sooner or later life will throw something new and unexpected, as it always does, and all his perceived progress will be undone. He will find out that his sobriety is dependent on life being easy, and no one’s life is always easy.

So the addict must go further into enemy territory, deeper into the heart of the problem. Sooner or later he has to learn to break the connection between the pain of life and becoming dejected. He has to learn how to be peaceful and content, no matter the simultaneous pain. This is a very difficult thing to do, of course, but if he can succeed in this critical battle, then the world will no longer have any power over him. He will have captured the heart of the enemy’s power, and the war will be over.