Week 41, Day 3: The Waters of Massah

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 17:1-16

Some thoughts from the reading…

Once again the sons of Israel complain about their condition.  It seems that this is a very common theme for them.  I do want this to serve as a warning for us though.  Do we grumble and complain about how we are not getting what we want or “need”?  How quick are we to only see the negative in life?  I think we often fault Israel and rightly so for not seeing what all God has done for them and trusting that God will take care of them but how many times do we do the same in our lives?  We are so richly blessd in this life.  So often how we handle things or how we view things depends on our attitude.  Do we have an attitude of thanksgiving and trust in God?

Did you notice a familiarity with this passage?  Here we have Moses going with the elders before the people and striking the rock so that water will be brought forth.  He also named the place Massah and Meribah.  Meribah is the name that might stand out to you.  In Num 20:8-13 we have a second time where Israel was complaining for water.  That time they were at Kadesh and Moses was told to speak to the rock.  After this waters of Meribah, Moses is told that he will not be able to enter the promise land because He did not believe God to treat Him as holy before the people.  Just keep in mind that these are two different accounts and it will not be a point of confusion, even though they are very similar events.

Question:  How can we help ourselves view things with thanksgiving and the right kind of attitude?

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Week 41, Day 2: Manna & Grumblings

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 16:1-36

Some thoughts from the reading…

Chapter 16 has Israel returning to grumbling.  This is not very suprising considering that before the people had even crossed the red sea they were crying out about being taken away to die in the wilderness.  The people had seen the miracles done by God and had been shown that Jehovah is the almighty God.  Yet here they are out in the middle of the wilderness and are hungry.  What do they do?  They do not request food or petition that God provide for them.  Instead they grumble against Moses and Aaron, thus grumbling against God.  “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”  What an accusation. 

God provides for Israel the manna.  But I like the way that He tests Israel through this to see if they will obey Him.  They are given certain instructions about how much to gather and when to gather.  At least two times we are told that they did not listen to Moses’ instructions.  Some let some of the manna remain over night.  It became foul and had worms in it.  Some did not gather two days worth on Friday and went out to gather on the Sabbath.  You can understand how frustrating this would be to see Israel complaining about not being provided for and then they will not follow simple commands.  Sometimes people seem to shoot themselves in the foot.  They want help but then seem to do everything to kick against those helping or against the help being continued.

Question:  Israel has not yet come to Mount Sinai and received the Law of Moses.  And yet we see a command here for them not to gather on the Sabbath but to rest.  Why do you think this is?

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