Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.
Moses passes over God's rebuke in silence, but make no mistake: the Lord did not indulge their sin by keeping quiet. He reproved their forwardness sharply even as He fed these unworthy and wicked men. The manna itself, this bread of heaven, is the magnificent proof of His bounty, a type of Christ's flesh that nourishes our hope of eternal life. God gives daily rations to test whether His people will obey His instructions.
AI summary
They had bread for a month, and when it ran out, despair set in at once, as if the God who parted the Red Sea could not feed them in the desert. They charge Moses with malice when he acted by God's command for their good. The best actions get the worst colors put upon them, and people wish themselves back in bondage rather than trust the invisible hand that saved them.
AI summary
Commenting on Exodus 16:1-12
The Lord answered Moses' prayer with kindness that far outstrips their desert. These murmuring, rebellious people deserved fire like Sodom received, yet instead He rained down bread, prepared, ready, needing no labor. It fell from the sky thick as a shower, lying round their camp. Though it came through the airy heavens by angels' ministry, the true bread, Christ Himself, came down from the heaven of heavens.
AI summary