Manna is All You Need! Text: Number 11:1-10
1The people soon began to complain to the LORD about their hardships; and when the LORD heard them, his anger blazed against them. Fire from the LORD raged among them and destroyed the outskirts of the camp. 2The people screamed to Moses for help; and when he prayed to the LORD, the fire stopped. 3After that, the area was known as Taberah--"the place of burning"--because fire from the LORD had burned among them there.4Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt, and the people of Israel also began to complain. "Oh, for some meat!" they exclaimed. 5"We remember all the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic that we wanted. 6But now our appetites are gone, and day after day we have nothing to eat but this manna!"7The manna looked like small coriander seeds, pale yellow in color.8The people gathered it from the ground and made flour by grinding it with hand mills or pounding it in mortars. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into flat cakes. These cakes tasted like they had been cooked in olive oil. 9The manna came down on the camp with the dew during the night.10Moses heard all the families standing in front of their tents weeping, and the LORD became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated
Introduction: The Israelites allowed some of the Egyptians to leave their homeland, and travel to a land of promise filled with newness and plenty! Moses had the direction, and vowed to follow this old promise first given to Abraham! Egypt was supposed to be a short resting place, but this country became the Hebrews land of bondage! (They stayed there too long!)
I. God’s all about purpose and destiny; however, many times our future and promise gets lost during the hardships! (We get off track.) Moses didn’t have any insight about any other land until he spent 40 years on the backside of the desert filled with rejection, he meets God within a burning bush!
A. I believe God’s word, and it say’s in Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Isaiah 55: 9-12 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 “ For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
B. Therefore, if we will trust God throughout life, He will get us from point A to point B.
C. Numbers 11:1 Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. ( When someone comes to you to tell you something they can’t say openly they are talking on the outskits of the camp!)
D. God detest someone who refuses to live a life of faith! Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
E. Numbers 11:4-5 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;
F. There’s a story about a farmer who was known for his negative attitude. One day a neighbor stopped by and commented on the farmer’s wonderful crop. “ You must be extremely happy with this year’s harvest,” he said. The farmer grudgingly replied, “ Well, yes, it looks like a pretty good one, but a bumper crop is awfully hard on the soil!”
G. Numbers 11:6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” ( John 6 )
H. Listen, physical food or Spiritual food won’t help you if you complain and become faithless!
I. Give me something better than manna! When you aren’t in the word, and God’s word isn’t in you, you can spend your life standing at the complaint counter!
J. When you murmur or complain you are actually blaspheming God’s grace! Hebrews 3: 19, 4:1-3 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. 1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:“ So I swore in My wrath,‘ They shall not enter My rest,’ although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
K. Numbers 11:9 And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
L. Hear me, “As the manna falls (through the teaching and preaching of God’s word) if we will receive it, we will be changed, challenged and forever grateful!”
