exodus 16 and 17

Read Exodus 16 and 17 at Bible Gateway.

Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Exo 15:27-16:3 {s} Israel complained of no bread
Exo 16:4-10 {p} YHVH answered that He will provide bread from heaven
Exo 16:11-27 {s} YHVH provides manna + Sabbath rest commandment
Exo 16:28-36 {p} The Sabbath rest is YHVH’s commandment + memorial of manna
Exo 17:1-7 {p} YHVH provides water from the rock at Massah and Meribah
Exo 17:8-13 {p} Amalek fought with Israel + Joshua defeated Amalek
Exo 17:14-16 {p} YHVH will have war with Amalek from generation to generation

Picking up our strong themes from yesterday, the next strong theme is from Exo 15:20-16:10:

Exo 15:20-21 {s} Dance of Miriam + Sing to YHVH, for He has triumphed gloriously!
Exo 15:22-26 {s} Israel complained of no water + bitter waters made sweet
Exo 15:27-16:3 {s} Israel complained of no bread
Exo 16:4-10 {p} YHVH answered that He will provide bread from heaven

The thing that stands out about these two strong themes (the song of Moses strong theme, Exo 15:1-19, and the dance of Miriam strong theme, Exo 15:20-16:10), is that it doesn’t make sense that Miraim’s dance and song, which mirrors Moses’, is separated from Moses’ and put within a theme which seems to have nothing to do with it. Scripture sets up these puzzles on purpose to teach something!

These two strong themes teach:

Exo 15:1-19 {sx18+p} The song of Moses + praise for what YHVH has done;
Exo 15:20-16:10 {sx3+p} The dance of Miriam + complaints for what YHVH has not done.

YHVH Himself was leading them in the way, by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. He knew that the place He was leading them to did not have fresh water, or bread, or meat. Why is He leading them into a place of perceived lack?

“I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am YHVH your God.” Exo 16:12

God is still teaching Israel who He is – what “I am YHVH” means; what it means that YHVH their Deliverer and Redeemer is their also God. He is also their Healer. He is also their Provider. At every place of perceived lack, in the process of meeting their need, He is revealing a new facet of His character in His name YHVH.

When we come to a place of need, we can complain about our lack as Israel did. Or we can remember that YHVH is our God, and simply ask Him to meet the need. We can praise Him that He is our God who has done great things, and who will do great things again on our behalf!

The next strong theme is:

Exo 16:11-36 {s+p} YHVH teaches Sabbath rest with manna (bread from heaven)

Sabbath rest predates the giving of the Law on Sinai. In fact, Sabbath rest predates the Fall of Man – it is the original proclamation of the Gospel of Grace from the foundation of the world.

Exo 13:17-17:16 {px4+sx18+p+sx4+px5} chiastic structure (torah portion beshalach)

1a) Exo 13:17-15:21 {px4+sx18+p+s} Wilderness journey + war with Egypt + YHVH’s triumph/ memorialized:

1) Exo 13:17-22 {p} All the congregation of Israel set out on their journey by the way of the wilderness;
2) Exo 14:1-31 {p+p+p} Egypt fought with Israel + YHVH defeated Egypt through Moses;
3) Exo 15:1-21 {sx18+p+s} Song of Moses + dance of Miriam (YHVH triumphed gloriously);

1b) Exo 15:22-26 {s} Contention at the waters of Marah:

1) Exo 15:22-23, Israel went out into the Wilderness of Shur + found no water;
2) Exo 15:24, Israel complained against Moses;
3) Exo 15:25a, Moses cried out to YHVH;
4) Exo 15:25b, YHVH showed Moses how to make the bitter water sweet;
5) Exo 15:25c-26 {s} There YHVH tested Israel;

1c) Exo 15:27-16:1, Israel came to Elim (twelve wells + seventy palm trees);

1d) Exo 16:2-3 {s} Lack of bread in the wilderness;

1e) Exo 16:4-5, YHVH will rain bread from heaven + that He may test them;

1f) Exo 16:6-12, Israel saw the glory of YHVH;

1g) Exo 16:13-15, Manna from heaven;

1h) Exo 16:16a, The thing that YHVH has commanded;

central axis) Exo 16:16b-27 {s} Gathering manna day by day + not gathering manna on Sabbath; i.e., Sabbath rest taught;

2h) Exo 16:28-30, Sabbath rest is YHVH’s commandment;

2g) Exo 16:31, Israel called its name Manna;

2f) Exo 16:32, That future generations may see the bread from heaven;

2e) Exo 16:33-34, Aaron will keep bread from heaven + as a Testimony;

2d) Exo 16:35a, Provision of bread in the wilderness;

2c) Exo 16:35b-36 {p} Until Israel came to Canaan;

2b) Exo 17:1-7 {p} Contention at the waters of Massah and Meribah:

1) Exo 17:1, Israel went out from the Wilderness of Sin + found no water;
2) Exo 17:2-3, Israel complained against Moses;
3) Exo 17:4, Moses cried out to YHVH;
4) Exo 17:5-6, YHVH showed Moses how to bring water from the rock;
5) Exo 17:7 {p} There Israel tested YHVH;

2a) Exo 17:1-16 {p+p+p} Wilderness journey + war with Amalek + YHVH’s triumph/ memorialized;

1) Exo 17:1-7 {p} All the congregation of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin;
2) Exo 17:8-13 {p} Amalek fought with Israel + YHVH defeated Amalek through Joshua;
3) Exo 17:14-16 {p} Moses: “The LORD is my banner” + war with Amalek from generation to generation.

At the place of no water, there YHVH tested Israel, and there Israel tested YHVH. His test for us, is, Do you know the meaning of My name? Do you trust Me? And our test of Him is by our complaints. LOL. You know, I had always known that complaining and discontent were not fruits of the Spirit. But it was not until I started studying Torah, and asking to learn how to apply Torah in my life, that God really delivered me of a discontented spirit. If YHVH is on His throne, and He is, then all that happens to me He has His eye upon. For all that happens to me, He has either planned, or has a plan for deliverance, if I will but learn to rest in Him (what is the central axis of the structure? LOL). I have said it before and will say it again, it was when I began resting on the Sabbath that I started becoming acutely aware of just how far away I really was from true Sabbath rest. Fortunately for us, our Abba is a gentle and patient teacher!