Exodus 16; 17:1-7.
THE children of Israel were very glad that they had got away from their cruel masters. Now they had no hard work to do, and they had a kind master, even Moses. Ought they not to have been good and happy? They were now in a very large wilderness. I will tell you what sort of a place this wilderness was. There were no men nor houses in it; but there were lions and bears, who roared and howled; and there were serpents which bite, and scorpions which sting; there were no rivers, nor brooks, but there were high hills and dark pits. There were scarcely any fruit trees or corn fields, so that there was very little to eat; and the Israelites could not sow corn, nor plant fruit trees, because they were traveling. What could the poor Israelites do for food?
There was such a number of people that they wanted a great deal of food to feed them. They had taken a little bread with them in their bags, when they had left Egypt; but they ate it up very soon.
What ought they to do now? They ought to pray to God. He loved them, and would not let them starve.
But these naughty Israelites began to grumble. They went to Moses and Aaron, and said, "We wish we had died in Egypt. At least we there had bread and meat, as much as we could eat; but now we shall be starved. You have only brought us out of Egypt to kill us.”
How ungrateful they were to Moses and to God!
Yet Moses did not answer roughly. He knew that God heard their wicked words; and God did hear them. God called to Moses, and said, "I have heard them, and I will feed them.”
Did they deserve to be fed? Oh no I How do you think God would feed them? He would rain down bread from heaven. Was not this kind?
Next morning the children of Israel, when they looked out at their tent-doors, saw the ground was white. They looked to see what made the ground white, and they saw little round white things on the ground. They said to each other, "What can this be? We never saw anything like it before.”
Then Moses said, "This is the bread that God has sent you from heaven; gather it, and take it to your tents.”
So all the men got jugs, and baskets, and gathered the manna for themselves, for their wives, and for their little children; and there was enough for them all; not too much, nor too little, but just enough. They tasted it, and found it was as sweet as honey, and they called it "manna.”
Then they took it home, and their wives cooked it for dinner; they crumbled it, and baked it, and made it into cakes. They had manna for breakfast, for dinner, and for supper; nothing but manna. It was very nice and wholesome. It was more fit for angels than for men to eat, because it came from heaven, and did not grow out of the ground, as corn does. God sent it very early, before it was light, and everyone was obliged to get up early to gather it, because, when the sun was hot, it melted away, so that if the Israelites did not get up soon, they had no food.
Moses said to them, "Do not save any of the manna, for God will send you some every day. If it is all gone at night, do not be afraid; trust God. He will send you more.”
But some people chose to save some of the manna. They were disobedient and ungrateful. They looked at their manna next morning, but it was full of worms. They could not eat it, but were obliged to throw it away. How foolish it is not to mind what God says! Soon afterward the people had no water to drink. There was no river in the wilderness, and very few wells or ponds. Do you think God would let them die of thirst?
These naughty Israelites thought God would. So they went to Moses, and spoke very angrily.
“Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? You mean to kill us, and our little children, and our cattle with thirst.”
They were so very angry, that Moses thought they would soon throw great stones at him and kill him. Yet Moses did not answer, but began to pray to God. "What shall I do for these people?" said Moses.
Then God said to Moses, "Take your rod, and go up a hill, and let some of the people go with you. Then, when you are come to a high place close by a rock, strike the rock, and water shall come out.”
So Moses took some people with him, and struck the rock, and the water came running out.
A rock is a hard dry place, yet God made water come out of it. The water came running down. The people at the bottom of the hill saw the water running down like a river, and flowing upon the dry ground.
What a pleasant sight for the thirsty people! Their mouths were dry, and their tongues were stiff, their throats burning; but now they might stoop down and drink, or they might fill their jugs with water. The poor cows, and sheep, and asses ran to the water to drink.
You see how kind God had been to them in their distress. Ought they not to trust Him always—and to feel sure that He would help them?
God is very kind to you, dear children. You ought never to murmur like the Israelites, but to thank and praise God.
Hymn 23
Israel must cross the desert wild,
Where craggy rocks on rocks are piled
No waters flow,
No flowers grow
upon that barren ground.
The pits are deep,
The scorpions creep,
And wild beasts howl around.
But Israel need not evil fear,
For Israel's God is ever near.
His cloud by day
Points out the way,
And shades them from the heat:
In robes of light
God Shines at night,
And guides their wandering feet.
What though no golden ears of corn
The barren wilderness adorn,
Yet angels' bread
From heaven is shed,
Like dew upon the ground:
Ten thousands eat
This manna sweet,
And still enough is found.
What though no river winds its way
Where travelers may their thirst allay.
At Moses' touch
The waters gush;
Fast from the rock they stream,
And rush, and roar,
As down they pour,
And like a river seem.
Child
They say this world's a vale of tears
(Although so pleasant it appears),
That all on earth
Is little worth,
And cannot make us blest;
That pleasures fly,
Friends droop and die,
And Sickness breaks our rest.
So let them say, for well I know,
From God the sweetest pleasures flow.
And He could be
A Friend to me,
Should all besides depart:
In sickness Soothe
My pillow smooth,
And cheer my fainting heart.
While through this world my footsteps stray,
This blessed God shall be my stay,
My manna sweet,
My shade from heat,
My light in deepest gloom:
His love shall flow Where'er I go,
Until I reach the tomb.