Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20050403.htm

LIFE'S WILDERNESS SHORTAGES AND GOD
Part II: Looking To God For All The Good Food We Need
(Exodus 16:1-35; Joshua 5:12)
  1. Introduction
    1. Being able to acquire enough good food to feed a family is an increasing concern for many householders.
    2. The believer may ask how involved is GOD in his need to gain ample healthy food, a question that is answered with applicable lessons for today in Exodus 16:1-35 with Joshua 5:12 (as follows):
  2. Looking To God For All The Good Food We Need, Exodus 16:1-36; Joshua 5:12.
    1. When Israel had crossed the Red Sea, she found herself helplessly exposed to the threat of hunger, and complained it would have been better to be killed in Egypt than to starve in the wilderness, Ex. 16:1-3.
    2. Well, God planned to meet this need in WAYS that would direct His people to heed His Word, Ex. 16:4.
      1. God demonstrated He was willing and able to provide AMPLE QUALITY food, Exodus 16:8a, 13a:
        1. That first evening, God sent a huge flock of quail, a bird considered a delicacy in Egypt and that was easily caught when tired [as they were], Exodus 16:13; Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, ftn. to Ex. 16:13.
        2. This proved God was willing and able to supply ample, quality food!
      2. God then revealed Israel was to trust Him to provide miraculously for her needs for food:
        1. The Lord introduced Israel the next day to His miracle of bread from heaven, Ex. 16:8b, 13b-15.
        2. He was thus to be trusted to provide the ample, quality food even if the method was unusual.
      3. God then revealed He would supply all the quality, ample food the people needed, but that they would be able to EAT it providing they OBEYED His WORD :
        1. God laid out on the ground an omer's worth (2.087 dry quarts, cf. Z.P.E.B., v. Five, p. 917) of manna per person per day, Ex. 16:16, 36; if each was considerate of the other to fulfill God's law of loving each other as each loved himself, no one in Israel went hungry, Ex. 16:17-18; Lev. 19:18b.
        2. Yet, God made sure everyone daily looked to HIM for their food needs: everyone had to eat all they gathered each day, for the manna would spoil if kept overnight on regular weeknights, Ex. 16:19-20.
        3. God caused the people to take personal initiative in taking advantage of the opportunities to acquire His provision of ample, quality food: they had to get up and collect the manna before midmorning or the wilderness sun would melt it and they went without food that day, Exodus 16:21.
        4. God then supplied an extra amount of manna the day before the Sabbath and no manna on the Sabbath, with that sixth day's provision lasting overnight into the Sabbath: this taught Israel God would provide all the quality food the people needed providing they put their relationship with and their worship of God as a priority over making a living, Exodus 16:22-31.
        5. God wanted the people of Israel to remember His miraculous provision of ample, quality food coupled with the lessons of His provision of it for future generations: He had Israel place some manna in a pot to be kept throughout its history that would miraculously not spoil: this provided a testimony to future generations that they should heed God for food needs, Ex 16:32-34 with 19-20.
        6. Finally, God provided the manna until it overlapped by one day Israel's use of the Promised Land's crops for food, Ex. 16:35 with Jos. 5:12 KJV, ESV. This revealed God's provision of ample, quality food continued as LONG as it was NEEDED, even it it totalled 14.6 trillion gallons of manna!
Lesson: From God's provision of Israel's food needs in the wilderness, WE know GOD wants us to FOCUS on HEEDING HIS WORD as the BASIS of ADDRESSING our needs for enough, quality food: He want us to (a) TRUST He is willing and able to supply enough good food, and that (b) in even UNUSUAL ways so that we look to HIM for its provision; (c) He plans to meet this need as we HEED His WORD ((a)) in being considerate of the needs of others around us, ((b)) in DAILY trusting Him to provide, ((c)) in taking the initiative when He opens up opportunities for enterprises that equip us to get our food needs met, ((d)) in putting our relationship with and worship of Him above our jobs that gain money for food, ((e)) in testifying to our children of God's trustworthiness in providing for our food needs and ((f)) in trusting Him to meet our needs as LONG as we NEED them to be met in this life!

Application: May we thus trust and heed God to meet all the needs we have for ample, good food!