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Daily Devotions

Exodus

Exodus 
Day 
Day 126

"To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?" Isaiah 46:5

Text: Exodus 16 : 23-27

THE KEEPING OF THE SABBATH

The children of Israel had failed the tests that had been given to them, on at least two occasions. They failed to trust God to provide water (Cf. Exodus 15:22-27). They also failed to trust God to provide for their meat and bread (Exodus 16)! A third test was now given – would they keep the Sabbath?

“Then he said to them, ‘This is what the LORD has said:
‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD.
Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil;
and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until
morning.’ So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded;
and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it.'”
EXODUS 16:23-24

And thus the children proved for themselves that Manna was no ordinary bread. It would not keep on any other day except for the Sabbath! This was God’s way of showing His people that He had indeed especially provided the food!

A FURTHER WORD OF EXPLANATION

To reinforce the teaching on the Sabbath rest, Moses told the people that God would not provide Manna on the seventh day!

“Then Moses said, ‘Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath
to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days
you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,
there will be none.'”
EXODUS 16:25-26

THE UNBELIEVINGS ONES

Once again, the recalcitrant ones rejected what Moses said! They were perhaps among those who tried keeping the manna overnight!

“Now it happened that some of the people went out
on the seventh day to gather, but they found none.”
EXODUS 16:27

What were these trying to prove? What point were they trying to establish when they disobeyed so blatantly? Surely there was nothing to prove!

WITH MAN IN MIND

It was out of love and kindness that the Lord gave to the children of Israel the law of the Sabbath. All had to work hard at gathering and then baking the manna. Those who wished for more meat on the table would also have to take time to especially prepare the quails for consumption! God wanted to give them a break from their daily chores! Why would that not be a welcome idea?