God’s Desert Provision

As a family, read Exodus 15:22 – 16:31 and Philippians 4:19 together. Afterwards, share the discussion below.

What happened?

Immediately after crossing the Red Sea, Moses led the people of Israel away from Egypt.  After traveling three days in the desert without finding water, they came to a spring, but the water tasted bitter.  So the people grumbled to Moses, “What shall we drink?”  Moses prayed and the Lord told him to throw a branch into the water to make it sweet.  When everyone was refreshed, God guided Israel to an oasis where they could camp and rest before continuing on their journey.

After a month of traveling, the food supplies from Egypt were gone.  Once more, the people complained to Moses who told them that their grumbling was not against him, but against God.  The Lord spoke again to Moses and said that quail would appear in camp that night, and manna would rain from heaven every morning.  God provided food for His people, but He gave them specific instructions. They were to gather only enough manna for that day. On the sixth day they were to gather twice as much because the next day was the Sabbath, a day of rest.

Most of the people followed Moses’ instructions and had the exact amount of food they needed.  The ones who didn’t listen and tried to keep manna for the morning found maggots in the rotting leftovers.  On the Sabbath, however, the manna didn’t get maggots or stink, just as Moses had said.  Some people went out on the Sabbath looking for food, but there was none.  God reminded Moses that the people must follow His instructions and gather twice as much on the sixth day.  For forty years, God faithfully provided food for His people in the desert.

Why is this important to us today?

Israel had seen God perform miraculous feats to save them from Pharaoh. But when the next obstacle arose, the people complained to Moses instead of turning to God. If the Israelites had trusted the Lord and continued on their journey, they would have come to the oasis at Elim sooner.  The same God who delivered them from Egypt and parted the sea would provide for them in the desert. They quickly forgot how God had miraculously provided water and grumbled to Moses again – this time about food.  As Moses pointed out, all complaining is sin and is really against the Lord. God is sovereign and ultimately in control of everything that happens.  He wanted the Israelites to depend on Him to solve their problems.

Once again, God miraculously provided for His people as He brought quail and manna to cover the ground around their camp.  As the people followed God’s instructions, there was never too little or too much manna.  They learned to be dependent on God for each day’s provisions.

We, too, need to make the choice to trust God rather than worry or complain. When something doesn’t go according to our plans, we often gripe and complain before we turn to God and pray. The same God who provided for the Israelites in the desert will provide for us today. God wants us to recognize Him as the provider of everything we have or need.

Spend a few minutes talking about what you just read by answering these questions together:

Why do you think the people complained to Moses rather than prayed to God?

Why is all grumbling ultimately against God?

How can we better follow God this week?

When do you grumble, whine, or have a bad attitude? Briefly share with each other how God has provided for your family in the past.  How does God’s previous faithfulness encourage you in a present challenge or need? Pray together about the needs you have as a family and as individuals.  Make a commitment to follow God’s instructions and depend on Him for what you need.