Exodus

I have been reading in Exodus where the children of Israel have finally left Egypt and are headed toward the land of promise. We saw the terrible treatment the Israelites had at the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt. But finally after many signs, the Israelites were allowed to go. The death of the first born of all animals and humans was the last plague that God sent  and Pharaoh relented and let the Israelites go. The Israelites  plundered Egypt willingly. They borrowed gold and silver and left with much of Egypt's belongings. Of course Pharaoh has a change of heart and pursues the Israelites. The we see the story of the Red Sea parting for Moses and allowing Israelites to escape. Pharaoh and his armies pursue into the bottom of the Red Sea after the Israelites and Moses once again waves his staff over the Red Sea and the waters that were parted for the Israelites came back together and destroyed Pharaoh and his armies. God did this so we could see his salvation, his being sovereign over everything. Even the seas obey his commands. After a mighty deliverance, it seems to take only a few days for the Israelites to be complaining again. No water, no food they complain, forgetting the miracles God has performed to protect them. Once again God performs miracles for his people. A chuck of wood turns bitter water sweet. Manna falls from heaven and quail appear in great numbers to feed them. Take only what you need and don't try to save any for the next day. What happens, some try to save for tomorrow and it spoils. Then God does tell them on the sixth day to save an equal amount for the seventh day and it does not spoil. No matter how much they took it was always enough, never too little or never too much. God lesson for us is to understand God's provision is enough. If we have much it is enough, if we have little it is enough. So much in Genesis and now Exodus as God leads his people Israel.

Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer ^a for each person you have in your tent.’ ”

17The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

19Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

20However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

21Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers ^b for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’ ”

24So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25“Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.”

27Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you ^c refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? 29Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30So the people rested on the seventh day. Genesis 16:17-30     God bless, LVZ.