"Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find anything in the field. Eat it todayThis phrase is a direct command from Moses to the Israelites, emphasizing the immediacy and urgency of obedience. The Hebrew root for "eat" is "אָכַל" (akal), which is a common verb in the Old Testament, often used in contexts of sustenance and provision. The command to eat "today" underscores the daily dependence on God's provision, reflecting the Lord's Prayer in the New Testament, "Give us this day our daily bread" ( Matthew 6:11). It is a reminder of God's faithfulness and the importance of trusting Him for our daily needs. Moses said
Moses, as the leader and prophet, is the mouthpiece of God to the people. His authority is derived from his unique relationship with God, as seen throughout the Exodus narrative. Historically, Moses is a central figure in the Jewish faith, and his leadership is pivotal in guiding the Israelites through the wilderness. His words carry the weight of divine instruction, and his role is to communicate God's will to the people. because today is a Sabbath to the LORD
The concept of the Sabbath is rooted in the creation narrative, where God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3). The Hebrew word for Sabbath is "שַׁבָּת" (Shabbat), meaning rest or cessation. This day is set apart as holy, a time dedicated to the LORD. The Sabbath is a covenant sign between God and Israel, a perpetual reminder of God's creation and deliverance. It is a day of rest and worship, reflecting God's desire for His people to find rest in Him. You will not find anything in the field today
This statement reinforces the miraculous nature of the manna, which was provided by God six days a week, with a double portion on the sixth day to cover the Sabbath. The absence of manna on the Sabbath is a divine provision and a test of obedience. It highlights the Israelites' dependence on God and the importance of trusting His instructions. The field, often a place of labor and harvest, is empty, signifying that true provision comes from God, not human effort. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt. In this passage, Moses is instructing the Israelites on how to observe the Sabbath. 2. The IsraelitesThe people of God who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and are now in the wilderness, learning to trust and obey God's commands. 3. The WildernessThe setting where the Israelites are journeying towards the Promised Land. It is a place of testing and reliance on God's provision. 4. The SabbathA day of rest instituted by God, signifying His creation rest and a covenant sign between God and Israel. 5. MannaThe miraculous bread from heaven provided by God to sustain the Israelites in the wilderness. Teaching Points The Importance of RestGod designed the Sabbath as a day of rest, reflecting His own rest after creation. It is a gift for physical, mental, and spiritual renewal. Obedience to God's CommandsThe Israelites were instructed to gather manna for six days and rest on the seventh. This teaches us the importance of trusting and obeying God's instructions. Dependence on God's ProvisionJust as the Israelites depended on God for daily manna, we are called to rely on Him for our daily needs, trusting in His faithfulness. Sabbath as a Sign of CovenantObserving the Sabbath was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, reminding them of their unique relationship with Him. Spiritual Rest in ChristThe Sabbath points to the ultimate rest found in Jesus Christ, who offers rest for our souls through His finished work on the cross. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the concept of the Sabbath in Exodus 16:25 relate to the creation account in Genesis 2:2-3? 2. In what ways can we practice the principle of Sabbath rest in our modern, busy lives? 3. How does the provision of manna in the wilderness teach us about God's faithfulness and provision in our own lives? 4. What are some practical ways we can demonstrate obedience to God's commands in our daily routines? 5. How does understanding the Sabbath as a covenant sign deepen our appreciation for our relationship with God through Jesus Christ? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 2:2-3The concept of the Sabbath originates from God's rest on the seventh day of creation, establishing a pattern for humanity. Exodus 20:8-11The Ten Commandments include the command to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, reinforcing its importance. Mark 2:27-28Jesus teaches that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, highlighting its purpose for rest and restoration. People Aaron, Ephah, Israelites, MosesPlaces Canaan, Elim, Sin Desert, SinaiTopics Eat, Field, Fields, Ground, Meal, Sabbath, To-dayDictionary of Bible Themes Exodus 16:1-30 8131 guidance, results Exodus 16:23-25 8270 holiness, set apart 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 ScriptureSeptember 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 Links Exodus 16:25 NIVExodus 16:25 NLTExodus 16:25 ESVExodus 16:25 NASBExodus 16:25 KJV
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