Bitter-Sweet
As the people move on from the Red Sea crossing, they search for water but find none in the desert for three days, until they come to a place they name Marah, the name is a play on the Hebrew for bitter. There is something off about the water, it tastes bitter. The people begin to grumble, “what are we going to drink now?” They demand of Moses. Under YHWH’s guidance he throws a log into the water and the people find that they can drink it, the bitter water has become sweet (Exodus 15: 22-25a).
This is described as both a test from God, to see how they will respond and a statute, before Sinai, God is giving the people commands which make practical and personal his covenant with them. In this case, it is a command with a conditional promise. If they prove faithful and obedient to the Lord and his laws, then he will be their healer and keep them from the diseases that the Egyptians were afflicted wit (v25b-26). They then move on to an oasis named Elim. There they provide an abundance of shade/shelter and water (v27).
Grumbling, testing and the glory of God
The people journey out into the desert toward Sinai and away from Elim. They begin to grumble about hunger and lack of food. They fondly remember easy provision of meat and bread in Egypt though they seem to forget their harsh treatment as slaves (Exodus 16:1-3).
God tells Moses to gather the people together because he is about to “rain down” an abundance of bread. This will test the faithfulness of the people because they will need to trust God’s daily provision by collecting enough for one day at a time except for the day before the Sabbath when they are to collect enough food for two days. Hamilton observes:
To complain about the lack of drinkable water or a morsel of bread or meat in such unforgiving and inhospitable surroundings is not to quibble about nonnecessities or luxuries. Israel finds itself in another life-and-death situation. This time the threat is not from the Egyptian behemoth, but from potential life-sapping thirst and starvation, to say nothing of roving bands of desert robbers who would find vulnerable Israelites and anything they had with them an easy “take” (18:8–16). In such circumstances, can the God who has pulverized the Egyptians be trusted to be a God capable of providing for the basic survival needs of the Hebrews and protecting them from assault?[1]
Now, it is possible that the pre-prepared unleavened bread was beginning to run out but we were told back in Exodus 13:38 that:
“ 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.
In other words, there was a supply of food. However, perhaps it would not be so easy for a people on the move to prepare bread. It seems that there wasn’t a shortage of meat but perhaps that did not seem as rich and as civilised a diet as they were used to. It does seem to be less about immediate peril and more about the inconvenience of being a people on the move that causes them to grumble. That being so, it is perhaps telling that what God offers in the form of manna and later in the chapter quails remains essentially travel food. Will they be satisfied with his provision? Are they content to be a people on the move? Maybe too, there is fear of the unknown ahead. Yes, they have provisions for now but will they survive the harshness of the wilderness ahead? Will what they have be enough. Moreover, can God be enough for them? Again the nature of the provision tests that trust on God’s provision of what they need, day to day (v4-5).
Moses and Aaron assemble the people. They challenge them over their grumbling, making it clear that they are complaining against God, not simply their human leaders They promise them that they will now see the Lord’s glory. They will receive bread in the morning and meat in the evening from God (v6-8).
Heaven sent food
In the evening a flock of quail descend on the camp providing meat. The next morning, a flake like substance has settled on the ground. The people gather this to eat. It doesn’t matter how much they gather, all end up with just the right amount. Some do not follow Moses’ instructions and save some for the next day but it became worm infested. On the sixth day, some do not follow the instruction to collect double. They go out the next day expecting to find some and there is none (v13-30)
We are then given a bit more information about the “bread”, it’s described as white, looking like coriander seeds and tasting like honey. They call it “manna” which has the sense of “what is this?” Moses tells the people that a measure of it is to be kept to help future generations remember what God has done for them. Aaron is to place this in the presence of the Lord, a reference to a later moment when it will be placed in the ark of the covenant. This is the food that the Israelites will eat for the next forty years as they wander in the wilderness (v31-36).
Food, faithfulness and covenant
Moses links up the attitude of the people to food with covenant faithfulness and unfaithfulness. This is brought home by the fact that some of the manna is kept and placed symbolically in the Lord’s presence I, eventually in the ark of the covenant. The food represents testing and how the people respond. The grumbling here is an act of disobedience because they have already seen God’s ability to miraculously supply and they should have had plenty of resources with them coming out of Egypt.
God’s provision echoes the provision of fruit in the Garden of Eden. God provides abundantly, a food that “rains down”. At the same time, he places boundaries around the provision to foster trust. As in Genesis 3, some of the people do not trust and so over step the boundaries or fail to heed God’s instructions. We see people seeking to be in control but we also see them looking to rely on God without following his ways or listening carefully to his words. There are warnings for us here.
For those who failed to collect enough food for the Sabbath, the day becomes a fast day. They of course will not suffer, it is perfectly possible to survive one day. Furthermore, as we have noted, they have livestock but to kill and eat will come at a cost as they will have to take from their own flocks. An aspect of fasting may be to remind us of how disobedience leads to loss.
Water from the rock
The assembly continue to journey. They are now suffering a water shortage. This is perhaps a greater threat than the problem they had with a lack of bread. Again, they grumble to Moses. They complain that they have been brought out into the desert to die. Moses cries out to God, he too fears for his life believing the people will rise up and kill him (Exodus 17:1-3)
God commands Moses to take his staff and strike a rock. Drinking water comes from the rock when he does. Note that the rock is described as “at Horeb”. This is the place where God will give his law (v4-7).
Enemies defeated
The Amalekites come and attack the Israelites. Moses senses Joshua to fight them. Meanwhile, he goes up the mountain to intercede, raising his hands. When his hands are raised, the Israelites prevail but when he weakens and drops his arms, the Amalekites gain the upper hand. Aaron and Hur who have accompanied Moses find a rock for him to sit on and then they support his arms until victory is won. Moses’ raised hands and staff are a visible pointer to the ffact that it is God who wins the victory.[2] God allows this trust in him and its consequences to be played out visibly and this sis surely another reminder that the people are not to test him(Exodus 17:8-13).
Moses is instructed by YHWH to write down the events in a book. Specifically, he is to record that the Amalekites have become an ongoing enemy of Israe until they are blotted out. Moses builds an altar to the Lord not just to remember the battle but also as a witness to this promise and judgement on Amalek (v14-16).
The God who provides and protects
If Exodus is about God’s people in God’s place under god’s rule experiencing his provision and protection, then here we see the emphasis on God’s rule, his protection and provision. We may also see a chiasm in play here going back to the destruction of the Egyptian army.
A God delivers Israel from their enemy
B God provides water to drink
C God feeds his people
B God provides water to drink
A God delivers Israel from their enemy
Furthe, we may also see a repeating pattern of God providing food, drink and protection going back to the Passover meal. The image of the people eating and drinking before Amalek attack reminds us as well of how God the good shepherd feeds his people in the presence of their enemies (Psalm 23).
We can also see echoes of Eden here. Just as there was an enemy in the garden in Genesis 3, so too here after being provided with abundant food and with boundaries, the people are under attack. Amalek becomes identified with the seed of the serpent. Just as there will be a generational struggle leading to the defeat of the Serpent, so too with the Amalekites.
Organisation
Moses’ father in law, Jethro comes to meet him with Zipporah, Moses’ wife and their sons. Moses had sent his family back to stay with Jethro.[3]Moses reports back to his Father in Law all that has happened and this causes Jethro to acknowledge YHWH as God and offer him sacrifices (Exodus 18:1-12).
Jethro observes Moses as he seeks to lead the people, making judgements between them, hearing their concerns, giving advice. He offers Moses advice. He encourages him to divide the people up into families, clans and tribes and appoint people under him to judge and lead the groups. Moses should only allow the matters of greater importance or most difficult cases to come to him (v13-22). Moses follows the advice (v24-27).
Wise advice or something more?
There was certainly wisdom in what Jethro had to say and Moses did well to follow it. We can also pick up on the wisdom when we consider church leadership. Church leaders have found it helpful as churches grow to broaden their leadership teams by bringing on additional staff and elders. Small groups (home groups, life groups, community groups, whatever you call them) help organise people so that they can receive appropriate pastoral care as well as disciple one another. This can help protect pastors from becoming over burdened and burnt out.
Furthermore, there are lessons about justice and impartiality here. Alexander writes:
“Building on all that Is said in this chapter, Christians should be active in promoting judicial systems that are free from corruption. Those appointed to judge should not be swayed by personal financial gain.”[4]
However, the context of these events might be drawing us to something else. As much as Moses sought to love, serve and lead the people, he was limited and needed to make accommodations. This contrasts with God’s effortless ability to cope with the complaints of the people, to see their needs, to provide for them, refresh them and protect them. Furthermore, the meeting with Jethro will be followed by Moses going up the mountain to receive God’s Law. More than a man, the people need to hear God’s Words, to know him and obey him. Even still, the Law must come through weak, limited Moses as mediator. Something, or someone better is still needed and awaited.
Jesus, the true and better Moses
Better than the people coming to Moses with all their worries and questions will be a system that enables others to exercise leadership and justice. Better than this will be for the people to have heard and to know the Law of God for themselves. Even better still will be when they have the law written on their hearts when the true and better Moses comes.
Jesus is the true and better Moses. Yes, he will organise his people, appointing the twelve apostles. Those apostles will themselves recognise their own limited capacity and appoint deacons. However, Jesus has all authority and is with us through the Holy Spirit. The New Testament points us to Jesus as the rock through whom we receive the living water of life when we fear death (John7). Jesus not only gave bread to the multitudes but announced that he is the bread of life (John 6). Jesus is the one who on the Cross disarmed and defeated the enemy. Just as one day, Amalek would be blotted out, so Jesus fulfils the promise that one would come who would crush the serpent’s head.
[1] Hamilton, Victor P.. Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (pp. 402-403). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[2] See Alexander, Exodus, 339.
[3] Note elsewhere Jethro is known as Ruel.
[4] Alexander, Exodus, 354.
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