And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
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
Moses means that when the Lord gives flesh at evening and bread in the morning, His hearing of their murmurs will be made plain, though He shows no anger but acts graciously and marvellously. They resent the wrong men: Moses and Aaron are nothing, mere servants; their complaint is truly against the Lord whom we represent, and to strike us is to strike Him.
AI summary
When you condemn God's ministers, you condemn God Himself. The murmurings are not against Moses and Aaron, who are nothing, but against the Lord who brought you out of Egypt by His own power.
AI summary