Well, we're in Exodus 16, verses 1 through 8. My title for this passage and this study is, “Bread from Heaven.”
They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”
As I read and studied this passage, I was convicted about how easy it is for me to grumble—and I'm sure I'm not alone. I mean, seriously, do we ever go through a day in our lives without complaining and grumbling? It's not an exaggeration to say that grumbling is the default language of the human community. And notice, in their grumbling, what these people say. They say, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt.” They're saying, “We wish there wasn't a Passover. We wish you had killed us like you killed the Egyptians.” It's outrageous what they're saying because one of the things we don't talk about enough is grumbling distorts your perspective on what is. They had a distorted view of their lives. They are able, this is shocking, to look back at a place of slavery, injustice, and suffering, and remember it as a place that just had great food. They have forgotten their miracle deliverance. They have forgotten the loving presence of the LORD. And the accusations they hurl at Moses are really accusations against the LORD. As Moses said, “Your grumbling is not against us. Who are we? But against the LORD.” God didn't lead them into the wilderness to abandon them. Of course, he's going to provide everything they need. And since he's the LORD of heaven and earth and sovereign over his creation, he can command creation to do his bidding. Every day, God caused bread to rain down from heaven, manna. And again, this falling of the manna is a prophecy of what is to come. Jesus would take manna as his name. He was the "Bread from heaven," the only bread to satisfy our hearts.
You see, there really are only two ways to live. You live believing in God, believing that he is who he says he is, believe that he is trustworthy, that he keeps his promises, that he's present with you as he said he is, and you rest, even though you don't have a clue what's going on, because your rest is not in your circumstances, it's in him. Or you doubt and deny his presence, you doubt and deny his goodness; you don't believe that he's going to keep his promises and you live a life of grumbling and anxiety. There's the spiritual struggle. And I just want to say, “There is glorious grace that meets us in this struggle!”
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. What would you say is the thing or things you grumble about the most in life? In what ways has grumbling become the default language of your heart? What is at the root of your grumblings toward God? What has grumbling led to in your life? What kind of person has it shaped you into?
2. In what ways has grumbling distorted your perspective on what is actually true about your life and the world around you? Take a moment to pause and reflect on the ways your grumbling has affected you, your perception of the world, and others around you. Has it made you a better person or a worse one? Why?
3. When you think about the fact that your grumblings are really against God, how does that make you feel? What does that make you want to do when it comes to addressing the root of your grumbling?
4. Why is true rest really in God and not in your circumstances?
5. How is grumbling and doubt shaping what you truly believe about God and his character? In what ways has grumbling bolstered your anxious thoughts?
6. How is God graciously meeting you in the midst of your grumbling and struggles with doubt? What would you say is a good, biblical antidote to the problem of grumbling?
For Younger Children:
1. What are some things that make you want to complain? How does complaining about things make you feel?
2. Do you like being around other people who complain a lot? Why or why not?
3. What do you think is really going on in our hearts when you and I complain about something? How can we ask God for help to change us into people who don’t constantly complain about things in our lives?
For Older Children:
1. What do you think are the easiest things for you to grumble and complain about? How does grumbling and complaining usually make you feel?
2. Who or what do you think you’re actually accusing when you complain and grumble about something? Why is it important to think about those accusations?
3. In what ways do you think I need to change when it comes to complaining and grumbling about life? How can we help each other to be people who don’t frequently complain about our lives?
4. What do you think is a good, biblical antidote to the problem of complaining and grumbling?
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