0924 Reflection -- Exodus 16:2-15

Upcoming Sunday Old Testament Readings

Sunday 24 September 2017

Exodus 16:2-15

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the 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 complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’” And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

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It’s almost comical that the people have such a short memory.  In the wilderness, suddenly Egypt looks better than it was.  They forgot the fact that they were in bondage, forced into hard and unfair labor by the Egyptians.  But they remembered the food.  Was it really as good as they remember?  I doubt it!  And what does God do in response to these complainers with short memory?  He gives them bread in the morning and meat in the evening.  God shows them mercy, even though they hardly deserve it.  Before we go and think about what they deserve, cherish that mercy.  After all we too can often have a short memory and thus act in ways that are not prudent nor wise.  This reading reminds us that God gives in mercy not what we deserve but rather what God desires for us and will be for our benefit and blessing.

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Father Timothy Alleman