Day 35: Exodus 16-18

Welcome to five -minute Bible your daily guide for your daily reading today's February the 4th and we'll be looking at exodus 16 through 18

Now today's reading shifts us from victory into formation

Exodus 16 through 18 shows us what happens after God saves his people

But his people still have to learn how to walk and live as redeemed people

The enemy has been defeated and the sea has went back to its normal state The song of victory has been sung and now the everyday gnawing features of life begin to kick in The people are hungry.

They're thirsty. They're fatigued and for Moses leadership fatigue begins to set in as well

These chapters remind us that freedom can be granted in a moment But maturity must be formed over a lifetime and in that way exodus 16 opens with the people who were just Miraculously delivered but now grumbling in the wilderness while the dead bodies were washing up on the shore the

Israelites were happy and Singing but hunger began to expose what was really in their heart and not long after this

All of the memory of God's goodness again. These are things that happened just yesterday began to fade

Misremembrance and doubt for what they thought they knew so well was settling in and before long slavery began to look better and more advantageous than rugged dependence on Yahweh now as you might imagine

God responds but not with condemnation Instead he responds with provision He sends manna from heaven a flaky bread that falls from the sky that people must not hoard and they must not overstore and they cannot go looking for on the

Sabbath and the reason for all of these bread gathering rules is Not because God wants to be a fuddy -duddy

But because he wants them to trust him to trust in his provision and his grace

They have to learn how to walk with him and trust him one day at a time Receiving what he gives even when they feel like they want more or when they feel like they've earned something else

They have to learn to trust God Exodus 17 Intensifies this testing where the people face thirst next and instead of trusting the

God who delivered them with water Literally just a couple days ago and just fed them with raining bread from heaven

They accuse him of abandonment as if God's master plan was to drag them out into the middle of the wilderness and decimate an entire nation with hundreds of millions of gallons of water only to let his own people die of Abject thirst the accusation was irrational

But so is fear whenever it comes stalking us We forget the blessings from the past and assume the worst for our future

Against that backdrop God does not destroy his people for their false accusation

He nourishes them again showing them grace The Lord brings water from a rock showing that provision flows even from places that appear lifeless and immediately after this

Israel is attacked by Amalek a well -developed people group who in their natural strength could have destroyed

Israel and yet God gives them victory not because of their military superiority or prowess

But because God is being miraculously gracious Moses is told to raise his staff the symbol of God's judgment against Egypt and so long as Moses has the staff raised

Israel's prevailing in the war But when his arms fall they begin to falter all of this the three testings so far are all teaching us that salvation is sustained by God and through prayer and through continuance finally

Exodus 18 turns towards the leadership in the community health within Israel Moses is told to raise his staff the symbol of God's Judgment against Egypt and so long as the staff is raised

Israel prevails in war but when his arms begin to fall they falter and all of this the temptation of the bread the temptation of the water and now the temptation of the war all of this is teaching them that salvation

Comes with a price and that price is trusting God even when things don't make sense

Finally Exodus 18 turns towards the leadership in the community health that's going on within the community

Jethro who's Moses's father -in -law returns and he sees Moses collapsing under the weight of a million

Responsibilities and in that world and in that moment he offers Moses wise and godly counsel

He tells him that authority ought to be shared burdens ought to be distributed and as a result The people are going to be served more effectively.

God is not only pressing his redeemed people to trust him He's shaping them through that trust into a functioning ordered and healthy community.

Now as you read today I want you to ask the following question How do I respond when following God feels harder than I expected what's it a 16 exposes that gap between?

Salvation and the long walk of obedience you see the central pattern in Exodus 16 through 18 is dependence upon God when you're walking through the

Discomfort when you're walking through the pain or even when you're walking through the pleasure God is intentionally leading his people into situations where their self -sufficiency

Collapses he's bringing them in a situation where their hunger is going to teach them daily Reliance where their thirst is going to expose their impatience where the battles are going to reveal the necessity of prayer and where?

Leadership fatigue is going to uncover the need for shared Responsibility and all of this is relevant to our life as well because God rarely trains his people by removing their difficulty but by using it actually to dismantle their illusions in the same way parents do not aid their children by removing difficulties and pain or Stockpiling over graces in the same way leaders don't bless their employees by carrying the work alone

Well, all of this applies to our faith, which is not formed in ease

But it's often formed in repeated ordinary acts of dependence on God and the pressures of ordinary daily life and Even more than that Exodus 16 through 18 points clearly and richly to Jesus Christ The manna from heaven anticipates

Christ the true bread of life who sustains his people daily not an excess But insufficiency the water from the rock foreshadows

Christ who is struck So that the living water may flow to his thirsty people the raised staff during the battle points to Christ Intercessory work where victory is secured not by human strength but by the faithful mediation of Jesus who won the battle with his arms raised left to right and When Christ stands his people prevail when he intercedes the enemy

Cannot overcome and unlike Moses whose arms will falter Jesus's arms never will

We also see that in Jethro's council There's an anticipation of Christ wisdom in forming a body where leadership is shared

Where burdens are carried by elders and deacons and congregants and no one is crushed under the responsibility in Christ Redemption is not only accomplished.

It is sustained by trust in God Now as you read Exodus 16 through 18,

I want you to notice how quickly their victory gives way to vulnerability And how patiently

God meets his people there Tomorrow the story is gonna slow down and deepen even as Israel arrives at Sinai where their redemption is gonna give way to Divine revelation and the

Lord is gonna speak directly to the people that he has spared and brought to the mountain But until then read your

Bible carefully Devotionally and joyfully and may the Lord use his word to sanctify you completely and we will continue our journey tomorrow.