Exodus 16:21-36
~17 min read
TRANSCRIPT
As we study through the book of Exodus, we have come to Exodus 16:21-36. At this point in time, the children of Israel were in the wilderness. It was a spiritual journey, and as a spiritual journey, there were spiritual lessons to be learned. They would be confronted with many physical obstacles, dangers, and difficulties, and God was using those hardships to teach them spiritual lessons. Therefore, they were put to many tests. The first test they faced would be regarding the Sabbath.
Dear friends, likewise, as we go through life, it is never smooth sailing. Often times, God would allow us to go through obstacles and troubles, not without any rhymes or reasons, for He has a purpose in all things, including trials. God would use the challenges of life to teach us valuable spiritual lessons, and we pray that we will have the spiritual eyes to see.
I. The Work Before the Sabbath
Tonight, we want to learn some lessons about the Sabbath. Our first point is: “The Work Before the Sabbath”. Let us take a look at verse 21: "And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted." Every morning, the Israelites had to gather the manna, one omer for each person. No doubt, day by day, they were sustained by God's gracious provision, but they had to do something. They had to work if they wanted to eat.
They had to wake up early in the morning and gather their own daily bread. If they were lazy and refused to wake up early, then the hot sun would rise up, and the manna would melt away. What lesson can we learn from here? As much as we believe in the divine sovereignty of God and His gracious provision, as Philippians 4:19 says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”, let us not forget our human responsibility. We are commanded to work. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, "if any would not work, neither should he eat." In other words, you have to work; you are commanded to work. And if you don't work, then you don't eat.
Verse 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." Apparently, the reason why the leaders of Israel came to report to Moses was because they were surprised to see how much manna there was. As they were gathering what they needed, there appeared to be twice as much manna on the sixth day. Actually, they should not be surprised, since God had already told them that this would happen. Remember, God had given the command for them to collect twice the amount on the sixth day so they could rest on the seventh day, which was the Sabbath.
Unlike Pharaoh, who gave the Israelites little food and made them work throughout the whole week nonstop without any rest, God was different. He gave them more than sufficient food, and he gave them rest along the way, one whole day in a week. Our God is indeed most gracious, don't you think?
II. The Purpose of the Sabbath
This brings us to our second point, “The Purpose of the Sabbath”. Moses explained to the leaders of Israel in verse 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." On the normal day, the manna did not last an extra day; it would decay. However, that did not happen on the Sabbath; the manna was preserved. This was, by itself, a divine miracle.
The Israelites were commanded to do whatever they needed to do, like cooking and baking, on the sixth day so they could eat on the seventh, because they were not supposed to work on the Sabbath. It was supposed to be a day of rest. The word “Sabbath” means to cease, to rest. It was a holy Sabbath because they were supposed to worship God. Leviticus 23:3 says the Sabbath is “an holy convocation." A convocation is a calling to gather, a holy assembly, a holy congregation for all the people to come together to worship the almighty God. So, the purpose of the Sabbath is to rest and worship God.
Interestingly, this instruction was given before God gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Most people would associate the Sabbath with the Ten Commandments, but when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, the people already knew about the Sabbath. How do we know? Exodus 20:8 says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." How could they remember the Sabbath day unless they had already heard about it? You cannot remember something you do not know or have not heard before. So, they already knew about keeping the Sabbath, about resting and worshiping God, although they might have been unable to do so while in Egypt because of the oppression and the slavery.
No other culture in the ancient world would observe one day of rest in a week; only the Israelites did. This was one of the uniquenesses that separated the Israelites from the unbelieving world. This would also be the uniqueness of you and me to separate us from this unbelieving world. In fact, the origin of the Sabbath goes beyond Mount Sinai, beyond the wilderness where God gave the manna. In six days, it goes all the way back to the creation of the world.
III. The Origin of the Sabbath
After God had created everything, Genesis 2:2 says, "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” In other words, the Sabbath was a special day, a holy day, a day set apart by God Himself at the time of creation. It is what theologians call a “creation ordinance”. Therefore, the keeping of the Sabbath is not only something meant for the Jews; it is part of what it means to be a human being.
Because God worked for six days and then rested on the seventh, He set the pattern for the people He had created in His image to follow. So, keeping the Sabbath is one of the things that will distinguish us from every other creature. We alone, only human beings, are able to imitate our Creator by following His pattern of work and rest, work and rest. Why do so many Christians struggle with keeping the Sabbath?
Firstly, it is the pressure of our culture, which no longer recognises Sunday as a special day for rest and worship. We live in a culture of accumulation, whereby people want to gain more and more in life, and they have no qualms about working on Sundays to earn extra money. Secondly, people prefer to follow their own agendas and plans. They do not want God to tell them how to spend their time; they do not want God to tell them how to live their lives. But they fail to realise that their lives, their plans, their days, hours, minutes, and even seconds are all in the hands of the almighty God. Do you realise that our time is in the hands of the almighty God? No more, no less, appointed by Him, controlled by Him. Even if we want to live one second more than we should, if it is not God's will, we cannot. Everything is in the hands of the almighty God.
Thirdly, there is the problem with legalism. Some people are discouraged with those so-called Christians who try to make a list of “dos and don'ts” for the Sabbath. There are some people who say you cannot travel a certain distance to go to church on the Lord's day, or you cannot eat out, or you cannot visit your family and friends on Sundays.
Instead of being blessed by this day of rest, they are burdened by the loss of men. In fact, that was the issue that caused the religious leaders during Jesus' time to accuse him of breaking the Sabbath rules. For example, Jesus healed the people on the Sabbath. Dear friend, do you struggle with the command to keep the Sabbath because of the pleasures of the world, because of your own sinful desires? You want to follow your own agendas and plans; you want to live your own life. Or because of the so-called Christians who are legalistic about the Sabbath?
Well, we must not follow the world or the people or our own sinful desires. We must follow our Creator who set the pattern of work and rest. God worked for six days, and He rested on the seventh, and that sets the pattern for all of us to follow. And we must obey. Let us move on to verse 24: "And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 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.”
Verse 26: "Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none." Notice, God was so adamant that His people must obey this command that it was not simply that the Israelites should refrain from gathering food on that day. But God Himself refrained from supplying food on that day. No manna, no quail was found on that day. Why? Because God rested; His people should rest as well. God did exactly what He said He would do, and He stopped sending the manna.
Sending the manna was unnecessary because He had already given them more than enough the day before. All the people needed to do was to rely and depend on what God had already provided. But there would always be some people who would disobey. Verse 27: "And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none." The problem was not that these people had not heard or could not understand; they just would not listen. So they went out looking for manna because they did not trust God and His word.
Today, like the Israelites, there are some people who profess to be believers and yet refuse to obey God and His Word. They still want to work on Sundays. They may say, "Well, who says I cannot find manna like the Israelites on Sunday? I go out on Sundays, I work, I earn so much money." Even if you can get the money, you cannot keep it. Your wealth will ruin you. In a sense, it will cause your physical, spiritual, and emotional health to be destroyed. Isn't it true that many of those people who refuse to obey this command to keep the Sabbath lost their health due to overwork? Spiritually, they went out; they drifted far, far away from God. Emotionally, it is eating them inside out. Please do not do that. We must obey God, keep the Sabbath holy. It is a day of rest and worship.
IV. The Gift of the Sabbath
Our final point is: “The Gift of the Sabbath”. Verse 28: "And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?" This was a stern rebuke, very similar to the rebuke God gave to Pharaoh: "How long will thou refuse to humble thyself before me? How long will thou refuse to let my people go?" Remember, God said that to Pharaoh several times. In other words, God was angry when He said, "How long will my own people ever learn to trust and obey my commandments and my laws?"
Why was God so angry? Firstly, God was angry because He had saved the Israelites for His glory. If they refused to obey His commandments, they were refusing to give Him glory. They were refusing to follow His pattern of work and rest. They were refusing even to give Him one day in a week of seven days. There was the story of a man who was approached by a beggar on the streets. The man reached out into his pocket to see what he could give, finding $7 and feeling sorry for the beggar.
He held out $6 and said, "This is for you, here, take it." Not only did the beggar take the $6, but with his other hand, he struck his benefactor across the face and grabbed the seventh dollar as well. What do you think of the beggar? Don't you think he was a wretched fellow? Then what do you think of the sinner saved by the grace of Jesus Christ who insists on taking seven days a week all for himself, nothing for God? That is who we are if we refuse to keep the Sabbath.
Secondly, God was angry because the Sabbath was for their own benefit. God had given them the Sabbath as a gift, and yet they refused to accept it. It is so wonderful to receive a gift, isn't it true, especially when it comes from someone who knows what we need and what we like and who knows us better than the almighty God? God, He gave us the Sabbath for our own physical and spiritual blessing. Jesus Himself taught this truth to His disciples. One day, His disciples were picking grain to eat because they were hungry – it was the Sabbath. Immediately, there started a controversy among the religious leaders, and the disciples were accused of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus defended their actions based on the fact, the truth, that the Sabbath was God's gift for humanity. Jesus said this in Mark 2:27: "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath”.
This principle is so fundamental in our understanding of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was not for God's benefit; it was for our blessing. The Sabbath contains many blessings. For example, it is not only a day of rest but a day for worship, worship for mercy. We will learn more about that when we come to the Ten Commandments in Exodus chapter 20. But its primary purpose is mentioned here in verse 29: "See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." Verse 30: "So the people rested on the seventh day." The main blessing of the Sabbath is rest for all God's people. Even worship is a form of rest, do you realize? It is to rest in God's grace and mercy.
Resting on the Sabbath distinguishes Israel from Egypt, and for that matter, from the rest of the world. Immediately, the Israelites will see the major difference between serving God and serving the Pharaoh. Although God recognises the importance of work – He is a God who calls His people to work – but does not want His people to work all day; He does not want His people to work all the time.
So, God gave His servants a Sabbath. By contrast, the Egyptians did not believe in giving time off to their servants, especially slaves. For the Israelites, the gift of the Sabbath was for the remembrance of salvation. Take a moment and consider this: every week as the Israelites rested in the goodness of God, they were reminded of their redemption from slavery while they were in Egypt. They did not have such rest in Egypt. So, as they rested, they were called to remember how God has redeemed them from Egypt.
But it was not only looking backward; it was also looking forward. Remember God's promise to bring them into the promised land. So, the Israelites were also looking forward to Canaan's rest, to the promised land of rest. There are these two aspects of looking backward and looking forward, dear friend. The gift of God's rest is still applicable to us today. The only thing that has changed is the day. The Old Testament Sabbath was on the seventh day of the week. However, the New Testament day of worship and rest is on the first day of the week because it is the day Jesus rose from the dead.
So, the early church changed from Saturday to Sunday, and they no longer call their day of rest Sabbath; they call it the Lord's day. As the Apostle John said in Revelation 1:10, "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day”. How do we know that the Lord's day is on the first day of the week? Well, the early Christians, like in 1 Corinthians 16:2, did their collection of offerings on the first day of the week. And there are other Bible passages that tell us that the early Christians worship on the Lord's day, which is the first day of the week. Again, we will come to this when we discuss the Ten Commandments in Exodus chapter 20.
So today, when you and I observe the Lord's day, we are looking back to the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. But we are also looking forward to the promised everlasting rest in Heaven. Remember these two aspects of looking backward and looking forward. One day we will find this promise everlasting rest in Heaven where we will rest in heavenly bliss forever and ever.
Sadly, we live in a world that is always busy, rushing here and there. People are constantly complaining about how tired and busy they are. As Christians, we grumble about not having enough time for Bible study, prayer, ministry, and for our family. People always put the blame on their workload, but the real problem is in our own disobedience, in us not keeping the Lord's day of worship and rest.
If you and I do not accept the gift of God's rest, then we are no different from the Israelites while they were in Egypt, working for the Pharaoh. We are rushing here and there from one activity to another, trying to get ahead in life, always working, never resting. They were working for the Pharaoh; we are working for the world. There's no difference. God forbids. The Lord's day is an opportunity for Christians to rest and worship. Keeping it holy will distinguish us from the world. It will give us the opportunity to evangelise to the unbelievers. It is also for our physical good. Our bodies need rest to recover from our daily work. It is beneficial for our souls. It will help us to lead spiritually balanced lives. So, it is not just work and work and work. We have to pause, rest, and worship God. Of course, that does not mean the other six days we forget about God. We must always look to Him. But six days we are given time to work; the seventh day is the day for us to be committed to God 100%, rest, and worship.
Finally, verse 31: "And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." So, the manna was sweet like honey, which means it was delicious. From verses 31 to 36, God commanded Moses to keep some of the Mana as a memorial. By some divine miracle, those Mana were not subjected to contamination. Why did God do that? Because God wanted His people to remember His provision, to remember how He took care of them in the wilderness, giving them their daily bread for 40 years, up until the very day they entered into the promised land.
The Israelites must teach their children, remind them how gracious God was to provide for all their needs. So, their children would also learn to trust and depend on God for His provision. By teaching their children how God had provided, protected them in the past, they would help them to depend on Him in the present and in the future. This remembrance was beneficial, it was an encouragement for their faith.
Dear friend, today we are doing the same thing on the Lord's day every week when we come to church. It is a testimony of how God has so graciously provided, protected, and preserved us throughout the week. And then we teach our children to remember God's goodness so that they will, in turn, trust and depend on God not just in the present but in the future. And by the grace of God, they would be encouraged and strengthened in their faith.
If you have forgotten whatever I've said, remember these lessons about the Sabbath, the work before the Sabbath. God has commanded us to work six days; we are given time to do the work set before us. If you don't work, then don't eat. But on the seventh day, we must rest and worship. And then there is the purpose of the Sabbath, that is to rest and worship.
And then the origin of the Sabbath, it goes beyond the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai, it goes beyond the Wilderness where God gave the Mana. In six days, it goes all the way back to the creation of the world where God sets the pattern for all of us to follow. Six days He worked, and He rested on the seventh. And then finally, the gift of the Sabbath. It is for our blessing. It is for you and me. And God knows best. Will you obey Him to keep the Sabbath and to keep it holy? Let us pray.
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for this time that we are once again reminded of the Lord's day, indeed, the Christian Sabbath, whereby we are commanded to keep it holy, to rest and worship. Indeed, six days we work in the world, and often times we are so burdened by the workload that has been set upon us. But praise be to God, Thou has given us the strength to do the work, and we are reminded of Thy goodness. Thou art the gracious, merciful Master. Thou has commanded us to work but not all the time, not all day. Thou has given Thy servants a Sabbath. Six days we work hard, but we are to rest and worship on the Lord's day.
Thou art so gracious, and we pray that we will remember always that it is never a burden to remember the Sabbath; it is a blessing Thou has given to us. The Sabbath as a gift, and it is a wonderful, wonderful gift for us to find rest in Thee. Oh Lord, we thank Thee as we come week after week. We remember how Thou has saved us in times past, how Thou has convicted our hearts of our sins, and we have turned to Jesus for salvation. But we also look forward to the future, the future promise rest, the everlasting rest we will have in Heaven. What a blessing, what a wonderful gift. Help us that we will always remember we must keep the Sabbath and keep it holy, always to worship Thee. We give Thee thanks, and we pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.
THE BOOK OF EXODUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeExodus 21:18-36
The Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsThe Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsExodus 22:1-15
The Character Of GodThe Character Of GodExodus 22:16-20
Reaching Out To The Down-And-OutReaching Out To The Down-And-OutExodus 22:21-24
The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodThe Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodExodus 22:25-31
Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthTruth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthExodus 23:1-9
Remember Who God IsRemember Who God IsExodus 23:10-19
What Must We Do To Have VictoryWhat Must We Do To Have VictoryExodus 23:20-33
How We Ought To Worship GodHow We Ought To Worship GodExodus 24:1-4, 7
On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?Exodus 24:4-8
Responding To God’s InvitationResponding To God’s InvitationExodus 24:9-18
The Right Attitude Of GivingThe Right Attitude Of GivingExodus 25:1-8
There I Will Meet YouThere I Will Meet YouExodus 25:9-22
Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Exodus 25:23-30
Let Your Light So Shine Before MenLet Your Light So Shine Before MenExodus 25:31-40
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
