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Exodus 16:1-15 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

16 The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. ² The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. ⁵ On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” ⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ⁷ and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” ⁸ And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.”

⁹ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites: ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’ ” ¹⁰ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. ¹¹ The Lord spoke to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

¹³ In the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. ¹⁴ When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. ¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”^[a] For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

There is a particular irony in this story that almost makes me laugh. The Israelites have been liberated. They have begun the journey toward the Promised Land. And then, after about a month, they start complaining. A month. Apparently, even biblical heroes have a fairly short honeymoon period.

The people say to Moses and Aaron, essentially, “Why did you bring us out here? At least in Egypt we knew where our next meal was coming from.”

The irony? Egypt was no picnic. They were enslaved. They were oppressed. They cried out to God for liberation. And yet, when the wilderness gets difficult, they start romanticizing the past. I think that is something we humans all do. When the present is uncertain, the past can start looking awfully good. We long for the familiar and conveniently forget the painful reasons that sometimes precipitate change.

The Israelites don't know what's coming next. They don't know where their food will come from. They don't know how long the journey will take. So they complain. 

For those of you that say, I cannot complain… it would not do any good… Go ahead. Voice your concerns. Because, what happens next in this story? We are told that God hears their complaints. And God provides. 

“At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.”

And what God provides is quail and… manna. Which is a wonderfully honest name for the flaky white stuff provided for them to eat. The Hebrew word means essentially, “What is it?”

Sometimes God's provision does not look completely, or at all, like what we expected. Sometimes we pray for bread and God gives us something we've never seen before. 

And perhaps that's one of the most important take-aways from this scripture: We do not always recognize God's provision when it appears.

The Israelites are looking for something familiar. Something they can understand. Something they can store away and control. Instead, God gives them enough for today. Not enough to eliminate every uncertainty. Simply enough for today. 

A reminder to take life one day at a time. Because we live in a culture that tells us we should always be accumulating: more money, more certainty, more plans, more guarantees, more control.

This scripture reminds us to receive what we need for today. Trust that tomorrow will bring its own manna. Trust that we do not have to carry the entire future on our backs.

That feels especially important for this community, now, as we are entering this time of transition. Because transitions can feel like wilderness.

There is excitement. There is anxiety. There is grief. There may even be some complaining. Honestly, complaining is not always a sign that something has gone wrong. Sometimes complaining is simply what human beings do when we are scared or experiencing uncertainty.

The Israelites complain because they are hungry. They complain because they don't know what happens next. They complain because the future is unknown.

And God hears them. And God hears us. Now, as we enter this new chapter, I don't want to suggest that faith means pretending everything will be easy. Faith is not simply saying, “Don't worry. Everything will be fine.” Faith is something more courageous. Faith is not knowing exactly what will happen, yet trusting that it will not be faced alone. 

God will provide for this congregation. Not necessarily in the way imagined. Not necessarily according to human timetables. And not necessarily in a form immediately recognized. But God will provide.

There will be manna. There will be people who step forward. There will be gifts you did not know you had. There will be new relationships, new ideas, new leadership, new possibilities. 

Notice in this scripture that the manna is not given to Moses alone. It is given to the whole community of Israelites. The future of Israel does not depend on Moses personally having all the answers. Neither does the future of this church depend on one person having all the answers. Not me. Not Pastor Pete. Not Nick, our President or Doug, our Senior Deacon. Not whoever it is that you call as your next Settled Minister. 

That may be one of the unexpected gifts of my leaving: being reminded to whom the church belongs. This church does not belong to one person. It belongs to God. And it belongs to all of you.

I have been blessed to walk with you on this journey. I have loved being among you. I have witnessed your kindness, your humor, your courage, your faith. 

And soon your journey continues without me, and mine without you. There will be moments when we will miss what was familiar. There may be moments when we ask, “What happens now?”

When that happens, I hope you remember the bread from heaven. Remember that God heard the Israelites when they complained. Remember that God provided. Remember that the provision didn't always look like what was expected. And remember that when the Israelites gathered their provisions, they worked together. 

In the days, weeks, months, and years to come: Trust God. Trust the process. And trust one another.

Amen

Rev. TJ Mack – Union Congregational Church of Hancock – September 20, 2026