to all the world, in the issue, what an ungrateful people they were, whom nothing could affect with a sense of obligation. Let favour be showed to them, yet will they not learn righteousness, Isa. 26. 10.
2. How Moses made known these intentions to Israel, as God ordered him; here Aaron was his prophet, as he had been to Pharaoh; Moses directed Aaron what to speak to the congregation of Israel; (v. 9.) and some think, that, while Aaron was giving a public summons to the congregation to come near before the Lord, Moses retired to pray, and that the appearance of the glory of the Lord, (v. 10.) was in answer to his prayer. They are called to come near, as Isa. 1. 18, Come, and let us reason together. Note, God condescends to give even murmurers a fair hearing; and shall we then despise the cause of our inferiors, when they contend with us? Job, 31. 13.
(1.) He convinces them of the evil of their murmurings; they thought they reflected only upon Moses and Aaron, but here they are told that God was struck at through their sides. This is much insisted on; (v. 7, 8.) "Your murmurings are not against us, then we would have been silent, but against the Lord; it was he that led you into these straits, and not we." Note, When we are tempted to murmur against those who are instruments of any uneasiness to, us, whether justly or unjustly, we do well to consider how much we reflect upon God by it; men are but God's hand. They that quarrel with the reproofs and convictions of the word; and are angry with their ministers; when they are touched in a tender part, know not what they do, for therein they strive with their Maker. Let this for ever stop the mouth of murmuring, that it is daring impiety to murmur at God, because he is God; and gross absurdity to murmur at men, because they are but men.
(2.) He assures them of the supply of their wants; that, since they had harped upon the flesh-pots so much, they should for once have flesh in abundance that evening, and bread the next morning, and so on every day thenceforward, v. 8, 12. Many there are, of whom we say, that they are better fed than taught; but the Israelites were thus fed, that they might be taught; he led him about, he instructed him; (Deut. 32. 10.) and as to this instance, see Deut 8. 3, He fed thee with manna, that thou mightest know that man doth not live by bread only. And, beside that, here are two things mentioned, which he intended to teach them by sending them manna; [1.] By this ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt, v. 6. That they were brought out of Egypt, was plain enough; but so strangely sottish and short-sighted were they, that they said it was Moses that brought them out, v. 3. Now God sent them manna, to prove that it was no less than infinite power and goodness that brought them out, and that could perfect what was begun. If Moses only had brought them out of Egypt, he could not thus have fed them; they must therefore own that that was the Lord's doing, because this was so, and both were marvellous in their eyes; yet, long afterward, they needed to be told that Moses gave them not this bread from heaven, John, 6. 32. [2.] By this ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, v. 12. This gave proof of his power as the Lord, and his particular favour to them as their God; when God plagued the Egyptians, it was to make them know that he was the Lord; when he provided for the Israelites, it was to make them know that he was their God.
3. How God himself manifested his glory, to still the murmurings of the people, and to put a reputation upon Moses and Aaron, v. 10. While Aaron was speaking, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The cloud itself, one would think, was enough both to strike an awe upon them, and to give encouragement to them; yet, in a few days, it was grown so familiar to them, that it made no impression upon them, unless it shone with an unusual brightness. Note, What God's ministers say to us is then likely to do us good, when the glory of God shines in with it upon our souls.
13. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon, the fate of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar-frost, on the ground. 15. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat: 16. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded: Gather of it every man according to his eating; an omer for every man: according to the number of your persons, take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17. And the children of Israel did, so, and gathered some more, some less. 18, And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack: they gathered every man according to his eating. 19. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and, stank; and Moses was wrath with them. 21. And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
Now they begin to be provided for by the immediate hand of God.
I. He makes them a feast, at night, of delicate fowl, feathered fowl, (Ps. 78. 27) therefore not locusts, as some think; quails, or pheasants, or some wild fowl, came up, and coveredthe camp, so tame, that they might take up as many, of them as they pleased. Note, God gives us of the good things of this life, not only for necessity, but for delight that we may not only serve him, but serve him cheerfully.
II. Next morning, he rained manna upon them, which was to be continued to them for their daily bread.
1. That which was provided for them was manna, which descended from the clouds, so that, in some sense, they might be said to live upon the air. It came down in dew that melted, and yet was itself. of such a consistency as to serve for nourishing strengthening food, without any thing else. They called it Manna, Manhu,—"What is this?" Either, "What a poor thing this is!" despising it: or, "What a strange thing this is!" admiring it: or, "It is a portion, no matter what it is; it is that which our God has allotted us, and we will take it, and be thankful," v. 14, 15. It was pleasant food: the Jews say, it was palatable to all, however varied their tastes.*[1] It was wholesome food, light of di-
- ↑ * Our Author alludes, we presume, to the following passage in the Apocryphal Book of Wisdom, ch. 16. 20, 21.——Thou hast... sent them bread... which had abundance of all pleasures in it, and was meet for all tastes. For thy sustenance declared thy sweetness unto thy children, which served to the appetite of him that took it, and was meet to that which every man would.——Ed.
