Exodus 16:28
Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and instructions?
Then the LORD said to Moses
This phrase underscores the direct communication between God and Moses, a central theme in the narrative of Exodus. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the sacred tetragrammaton, which signifies God's eternal and unchanging nature. This divine name is a reminder of God's covenantal faithfulness and His role as the ultimate authority. The direct address to Moses highlights Moses' unique role as a mediator between God and the Israelites, emphasizing the weight of responsibility on his shoulders to lead the people according to divine will.

How long will you refuse
The phrase "How long" is a rhetorical question that conveys God's frustration and disappointment with the Israelites' repeated disobedience. The Hebrew root for "refuse" is "ma'en," which implies a stubborn or willful rejection. This reflects the Israelites' persistent struggle with faith and obedience, despite witnessing God's miraculous provisions. It serves as a call for introspection, urging the people to recognize their resistance to divine guidance and to realign themselves with God's will.

to keep My commandments and instructions
The word "keep" is derived from the Hebrew "shamar," meaning to guard, observe, or give heed. It suggests a vigilant and active commitment to God's laws. "Commandments" and "instructions" refer to the divine laws and decrees given by God, which are meant to guide the Israelites in their covenant relationship with Him. This phrase emphasizes the importance of obedience as a demonstration of faith and trust in God's provision and wisdom. Historically, this moment is set against the backdrop of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, where their reliance on God for sustenance was a daily test of faith. The call to keep God's commandments is a timeless reminder of the blessings that come from living in accordance with divine principles, encouraging believers to embrace a life of faithful obedience.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who delivered the Israelites from Egypt and provided for them in the wilderness.

2. Moses
The leader and prophet chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness.

3. The Israelites
The people of God, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and were journeying to the Promised Land.

4. The Wilderness of Sin
The location where the Israelites camped and where God provided manna and quail for them.

5. Manna and Sabbath Instructions
The context of God's provision of manna and the command to observe the Sabbath, which the Israelites struggled to obey.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Commands
The importance of adhering to God's instructions, as disobedience leads to consequences and hinders our relationship with Him.

Trust in God's Provision
Encouragement to trust in God's provision, as He knows our needs and provides for them in His timing and way.

The Significance of the Sabbath
Understanding the Sabbath as a gift from God for rest and reflection, and its role in our spiritual discipline.

Learning from Past Mistakes
Using the Israelites' example to learn the importance of faithfulness and obedience in our walk with God.

God's Patience and Mercy
Recognizing God's patience and mercy, even when we fail, and His desire for us to return to Him in obedience.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the context of Exodus 16:28 highlight the importance of obedience to God's commands in our daily lives?

2. In what ways can we see God's provision in our lives, and how does this encourage us to trust Him more fully?

3. How can we apply the principle of the Sabbath in our modern context to ensure we are resting and reflecting on God's goodness?

4. What lessons can we learn from the Israelites' disobedience that can help us avoid similar pitfalls in our spiritual journey?

5. How does understanding God's patience and mercy in Exodus 16:28 encourage us to seek His forgiveness and strive for obedience?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 2:2-3
The institution of the Sabbath at creation, highlighting the importance of rest and obedience to God's commands.

Deuteronomy 8:3
The reminder that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD, emphasizing reliance on God.

Psalm 78:22-25
A recounting of Israel's disobedience and God's provision of manna, illustrating God's faithfulness despite human failure.

John 6:31-35
Jesus as the Bread of Life, connecting the provision of manna to the spiritual sustenance found in Christ.

Hebrews 3:7-19
A warning against hardening hearts and disobedience, using the Israelites' wilderness experience as an example.
Manna for the SoulH.T. Robjohns Exodus 16:1-36
The Manna of the BodyH.T. Robjohns Exodus 16:1-36
Divine Provision for Daily NeedJ. Urquhart Exodus 16:13-31
The Manna - Regulations for Type Gathering and Using of itD. Young Exodus 16:16-36
The Law of the MannaJ. Urquhart Exodus 16:19-36
The Manna and the SabbathJ. Orr Exodus 16:22-30
People
Aaron, Ephah, Israelites, Moses
Places
Canaan, Elim, Sin Desert, Sinai
Topics
Commandments, Commands, Instructions, Laws, Orders, Refuse, Refused
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 16:1-30

     8131   guidance, results

Exodus 16:27-28

     7429   Sabbath, in OT

Library
The Bread of God
'Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no. 5. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. 6. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

September the Twenty-Eighth the Daily Manna
"I will rain bread from heaven for you." --EXODUS xvi. 11-18. And this gracious provision is made for people who are complaining, and who are sighing for the flesh-pots of Egypt! Our Lord can be patient with the impatient: He can be "kind to the unthankful." If it were easy to drive the Lord away I should have succeeded long ago. I have murmured, I have sulked, I have turned Him out of my thoughts, and "He stands at the door and knocks!" I yearn for "the flesh-pots," "He sends me manna," "Was
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Dining with a Pharisee. Sabbath Healing and Three Lessons Suggested by the Event.
(Probably Peræa.) ^C Luke XIV. 1-24. ^c 1 And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him. [The Pharisees were an unorganized party, hence their rulers were such not by office, but by influence. Those who were members of the Sanhedrin, or who were distinguished among the rabbis, might fitly be spoken of as rulers among them. The context favors the idea that Jesus was invited for the purpose of being
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Beauty and Glory of the Risen Body.
We have seen in the foregoing chapters that, in the Beatific Vision, the human soul sees, loves, and enjoys God, and that her essential happiness consists in that unfailing, blessed vision. But, although the blessedness she now enjoys is far greater than words can express, it is not yet integral or complete, and never will be, except when she is again clothed in her own body, beautified, and glorified after the likeness of her Saviour's body. However, although her happiness is not yet complete, you
F. J. Boudreaux—The Happiness of Heaven

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Tithing
There are few subjects on which the Lord's own people are more astray than on the subject of giving. They profess to take the Bible as their own rule of faith and practice, and yet in the matter of Christian finance, the vast majority have utterly ignored its plain teachings and have tried every substitute the carnal mind could devise; therefore it is no wonder that the majority of Christian enterprises in the world today are handicapped and crippled through the lack of funds. Is our giving to be
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing

The Personality of Power.
A Personally Conducted Journey. Everyone enjoys the pleasure of travel; but nearly all shrink back from its tiresomeness and drudgery. The transportation companies are constantly scheming to overcome this disagreeable side for both pleasure and business travel. One of the popular ways of pleasure travel of late is by means of personally conducted tours. A party is formed, often by the railroad company, and is accompanied by a special agent to attend to all the business matters of the trip. A variation
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power

Epistle xvii. To Felix, Bishop of Messana.
To Felix, Bishop of Messana. To our most reverend brother, the Bishop Felix, Gregory, servant of the servants of God [246] . Our Head, which is Christ, to this end has willed us to be His members, that through His large charity and faithfulness He might make us one body in Himself, to whom it befits us so to cling that, since without Him we can do nothing, through Him we may be enabled to be what we are called. From the citadel of the Head let nothing divide us, lest, if we refuse to be His members,
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

How Subjects and Prelates are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 5.) Differently to be admonished are subjects and prelates: the former that subjection crush them not, the latter that superior place elate them not: the former that they fail not to fulfil what is commanded them, the latter that they command not more to be fulfilled than is just: the former that they submit humbly, the latter that they preside temperately. For this, which may be understood also figuratively, is said to the former, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: but to
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

1 to Pray is as it were to be on Speaking Terms with Me...
1. To pray is as it were to be on speaking terms with Me, and so by being in communion with and abiding in Me to become like Me. There is a kind of insect which feeds upon and lives among grass and green leaves and becomes like them in colour. Also the polar bear dwelling among the white snows has the same snowy whiteness, and the tiger of Bengal bears upon its skin the marks of the reeds among which it lives. So those, who by means of prayer abide in communion with Me partake, with the saints and
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet

Appendix viii. Rabbinic Traditions About Elijah, the Forerunner of the Messiah
To complete the evidence, presented in the text, as to the essential difference between the teaching of the ancient Synagogue about the Forerunner of the Messiah' and the history and mission of John the Baptist, as described in the New Testaments, we subjoin a full, though condensed, account of the earlier Rabbinic traditions about Elijah. Opinions differ as to the descent and birthplace of Elijah. According to some, he was from the land of Gilead (Bemid. R. 14), and of the tribe of Gad (Tanch. on
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Deity of the Holy Spirit.
In the preceding chapter we have seen clearly that the Holy Spirit is a Person. But what sort of a Person is He? Is He a finite person or an infinite person? Is He God? This question also is plainly answered in the Bible. There are in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments five distinct and decisive lines of proof of the Deity of the Holy Spirit. I. Each of the four distinctively Divine attributes is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. What are the distinctively Divine attributes? Eternity, omnipresence,
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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