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Exodus Chapter Sixteen

1. Israel’s next grumbling incident occurs in the Wilderness of Sin (Ex. 16:1). מִדְבַּר־סִין midbar-ciyn.  סִין ciyn ^#5512: thorn? clay? deriv. & meaning uncertain.  It has nothing to do with our English word, “sin,” although Israel certainly did a lot of that!
2. Israel grumbled because of a lack of food.
   1. Recognition of a legitimate need is an opportunity for God-fearing believers to go to the Father and pray for that provision.
   2. Recognition of a legitimate need is not the time for God-fearing believers to regret the loss of their previously enjoyed Satanic-provision (Ex. 16:3).
   3. Memories of how great things used to be may not be very accurate for carnal believers!
   4. The Lord promised Israel that He was going to lead them safely into the land of Canaan.  Consequently, He cannot allow them to starve to death in the wilderness.
3. The Lord described for Moses a new schedule, in which He would “rain” “bread” from heaven, and provide for Israel on a daily basis (Ex. 16:4,5).
   1. Each day, each family should gather one day’s worth of bread.
   2. On the sixth day, each family should gather two days’ worth of bread.
   3. This schedule is another test for Israel.
4. Moses & Aaron explained the food-gathering procedures in advance (Ex. 16:6-12).
   1. They explained that there would be meat to gather each evening.
   2. They explained that there would be bread to gather each morning.
   3. They warned that daily quantities were to be gathered five days a week, and a double-portion was to be gathered only on the sixth day.
   4. Israel observed the Lord’s glory, in the cloud, giving Moses this instruction (Ex. 16:10-12).  It wasn’t Moses providing the bread; it was God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 6:32,33).
5. The Lord provided, as He said He would (Ex. 16:13-36).
   1. Quails arrived in the evening, flying into the camp (v.13a).
   2. Dew appeared in the morning, around the camp (v.13b).
   3. As the dew evaporated, Israel beheld a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost (v.14).
   4. These flakes could be either baked, or boiled (v.23).
   5. They resembled white coriander seeds (v.31b).  The small & spicy coriander seeds of Palestine & Egypt are gray-white in color.
   6. They tasted like wafers with honey (v.31c).
6. Nobody knew what it was, and so they asked, “What is it?” (v.15a).
   1. Moses told them it was the bread that God had given them to eat (v.15b).
   2. They called the bread Manna: what is it? (v.31a).
7. Of course, there were the typical human-being knuckleheads.
   1. Who tried saving some overnight (v.20).
   2. Who didn’t gather a double-portion on Friday, and went hungry on Saturday (v.27).
8. The significance of the Sabbath is given by the Lord in very clear terms (Ex. 16:23-26,28-30).
9. The Lord had Israel keep a memorial of the manna for future generations to observe (Ex. 16:32-24).
10. Manna became the staple diet for Israel during their entire wilderness wandering (Ex. 16:35).  The quail is not mentioned here, and the quail miracle did not repeat itself for over a year, until Israel set out from Sinai (Num. 11:4-9,18-20,31-34).

Exodus Chapter Seventeen

1. Israel’s journey took them to Rephidim, where they were tested with a no-water situation (Ex. 17:1-7).
   1. Rephidim ^#7508: rests, resting places. 
   2. Quarrelling against Moses = testing the Lord (Ex. 17:2; Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:7; 1st Cor. 10:9).
   3. Moses turned the test over to the Lord, and was used by the Lord to teach another lesson in grace provision (Ex. 17:4-6).
   4. Rephidim is renamed Massa and Meribah (Ex. 17:7). מַסָּה וּמְרִיבָה.
      1. מַסָּה massah ^#4532: temptation.
      2. מְרִיבָה m^eriybah ^#4809: contention.
2. While they were camped at Rephidim, the Amalekites attacked them (Ex. 17:8-16).
   1. Amalek was a grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:12), but a son of a concubine, and the Amalekites are not considered Edomites.
   2. This is the first appearance of Joshua (Ex. 17:9).  In times of crisis, God will lift up His chosen instruments.
   3. The earthly battle ebbed and flowed depending upon the strength of Israel’s spiritual leader (Ex. 17:10-13).
   4. When Moses needed help, Aaron & Hur were there to support his hands.
   5. Joshua reaped the victory, but the Lord did the work.
   6. The Lord promises to utterly blot out the memory of Amalek, and charges Moses to commit this task to Joshua (Ex. 17:14-16).
   7. Saul will spare Agag, king of the Amalekites (1st Sam. 15:9-33).  David will crush them (1st Sam. 27:8,9; 2nd S. 8:11,12), and the final remnant is destroyed in the time of Hezekiah (1st Chr. 4:43).

Exodus Chapter Eighteen

1. Moses is reunited with Jethro, Zipporah, Gershom, & Eliezer (Ex. 18:1-7).
2. Jethro is blessed by Moses’ report concerning YHWH’s blessings upon Israel (Ex. 18:8-11).
3. Jethro conducts a Midianite worship service for the blessing of Moses, Aaron, & the elders of Israel (Ex. 18:12).
4. Jethro observed Moses doing too much by himself (Ex. 18:13-26).
5. Jethro departs from Moses (Ex. 18:27), but Zipporah, Gershom & Eliezer evidently remain (1st Chr. 23:15-17).  Zipporah’s brother, Hobab, apparently also remains with Israel (Num. 10:29-32; Jdg. 4:11).

Exodus Chapter Nineteen

1. Israel arrives at the foot of Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:1,2).
2. Moses ascends the mountain to address the Lord Who promised him a return to this very spot (Ex. 19:3,4; cp. 3:12).
3. The Lord introduces a new covenant, a conditional covenant, which spells out a wonderful way of life if Israel obeys God’s Word (Ex. 19:5,6).
   1. The conditional nature of this covenant (the Mosaic Covenant) sets it quite apart from the unconditional Abrahamic Covenant.
   2. The blessings upon Israel were such that they will be a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (Ex. 19:6).  This is not to be confused with the Church (1st Pet. 2:5,9).
   3. This conditional covenant is not intended to be the final basis upon which God will deal with Israel.
      1. God intends to make a New Covenant with Israel (Jer. 31:31,32).
      2. God intends for this covenant to grow obsolete, and be ready to disappear (Heb. 8:13).  The Law is not abolished, but fulfilled by Jesus Christ (Mt. 5:17).
      3. The intent of this covenant is to serve as a tutor until the mystery of the stewardship of grace can be unfolded (Gal. 3:19,23-26).
   4. Moses presents the introductory covenant proposal to the elders of Israel, and all Israel agreed to the terms (Ex. 19:7,8).
   5. The Mosaic Covenant is established with the nation of Israel fearfully limited to the foot of the mountain, and Moses their mediator approaching the holiness of God by himself (Ex. 19:9-25).
      1. Twice Moses had to check on the safe distance for the people (vv.17,25).
      2. A pre-Levitical priesthood is mentioned (Ex. 19:22,24), which is assumed to be a patriarchal priesthood, such as the priesthoods of Abel (Gen. 4:4), Noah (Gen. 8:20), & Job (Job 1:5).
      3. The terrifying conditions of this day are contrasted with the comforting conditions of the Church Age believer (Heb. 12:18-24).