Monday: Quail and Manna
Daily Lesson for Monday 11th of August 2025
Unfortunately, there is a repetitive pattern of rebellion in these pilgrimage stories. The people were notoriously forgetful that the mighty hand of God had helped them in the past and that He had provided solutions to their problems. They let their present problems blind them to their ultimate goal and their promised wonderful future. It’s a common problem even among God’s people today, as well.
Read Exodus 16:1-36. What was the cause of the Israelites’ grumbling, and what followed?
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
It is important to notice that temptations in the Bible are often related to food. In the Garden of Eden, the Fall was related to eating from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:1-6). In Jesus’ wilderness temptations, Satan’s first shot at Him was through food (Matthew 4:3). Esau lost his firstborn rights because of his undisciplined appetite (Genesis 25:29-34). How often was Israel’s disobedience connected to food and drink! No wonder Moses reminded later generations:
“ ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord’ ” (Deuteronomy 8:3, ESV).
Manna, of course, was a heavenly bread that God supplied the Israelites with during their 40 years of sojourning in the wilderness. Through this gift, He taught them that He is the Creator and the Provider of everything. Also, God used His supernatural provision of manna to show them how to keep the seventh-day Sabbath.
Each week four miracles happened: (1) for six days, God gave a daily allotment of manna; (2) on Fridays, a double portion of manna was given; (3) the manna did not spoil from Friday to Sabbath; and (4) no manna fell on Sabbath. God was constantly performing these miracles so the people would remember the Sabbath day and celebrate God’s goodness on that day. God said: “ ‘Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath’ ” (Exodus 16:29, NIV).
|
People like to eat. We were created to like to eat. The rich abundance of food, growing out of the ground (our original diet), reveals not only that God wants us to eat but that we are to like what we eat, too. How, though, can this wonderful gift, that of food (and our liking to eat it), be abused? |
(10)
For the last 2 days I have been on a very restricted diet. The list of things I can eat is about 2 sentences long and includes cornflakes and yoghurt, neither of which are foods I regularly eat. In our refrigerator is a large bunch of out-of-season black grapes, and I would love to sneak a few of those while Carmel is not watvhing. But, I know I would not get away with it. I have a colonoscopy coming up tomorrow and my restrictions are essential, but the situation has given me a fair bit of empathy with the Hebrews and their restricted diet in the desert. They wanted something with a bit of flavour.
... and they got an abundance of quail and made pigs of themselves and got sick.
I was photographing birds in Queensland recently when I found a little flock of Brown Quail. They did what quails so when confronted with photographers, They flew 30m and crashlanded in the scrub. I sat near the scrub waiting for them to come out. I could see them but could not get a clear photo. While all this was going on, a man of Mediterranean extraction was watching me. Eventually, I got my photograph and made my way back to the path where the man was standing. He said, "Ooh, very good eating!" I didn't ask him how he knew, because Brown Quails are a protected species in Australia.
So the Hebrews had to learn the danger of indulgence. And I don't think it is a mundane thought to take away from this lesson that for many of us in our modern world, indulging in food is still an issue. You do not need to look very far to find evidence that we are overeating and how health is suffering as a result. Some of us need to be more selective when we visit the supermarket.
Hello Maurice,
Thank you for this contribution.
I came to say that I trust the colonoscopy went well & you are hale & hearty.
Thank you. I am home now and am the report is good.
We live in a world whose culture tells us there is always something more, something better, something we have to have in order to be happy. Whether it is the latest Personal computer ,Big Screen etcetera. , Advertisers are paid stunning amounts to tell us we need something more. The idea of wanting more is found throughout our society and is called the “Destination Disease.” a mindset that says, “I can’t be happy right now. My current situation does not allow me to be happy.” It insists that contentment will only come when—when I get a new job or boss, when I get a new car or get rid of my old one, when I get married or divorced, when I move to a different city or church, when I go on vacation, win the lottery, or pay off all my bills. In short, it says, “I cannot be happy right now; I first need more of this or that in order to be happy.”
The Bible counters this thinking through the story of manna and quail in the wilderness, where God provided the Israelites exactly what they needed each day, teaching them to trust Him for their daily bread rather than longing for “more” (Exodus 16:4-18). When they grumbled for meat, God gave them quail in abundance (Numbers 11:31-34), yet their discontent revealed that wanting more does not guarantee happiness. Just as manna spoiled when hoarded (Exodus 16:20), our joy also spoils when we depend on future circumstances for contentment instead of God’s present provision. This is why Paul could say he had “learned to be content in whatever circumstances” (Philippians 4:11), a reminder that true satisfaction is found only in trusting the Lord who provides for our needs daily.
The fourth item in the Lord’s prayer is food. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Jesus recognised that food is critically essential in the life of a believer, and more importantly, it is God who provides it and gives us good health to enjoy the food. To have food on our table and enjoy it is one of God’s great blessings here on earth. Some people do not even have a morsel of food (for instance, the situation in Gaza), some people have lots of food, but no health, some people have lots of food and good health as well, but no peace. This week, may we offer a special prayer of gratitude to God for the provisions of food, health, and peace under our roof.
“When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt” - Deuteronomy 8:10-14 (NLT).
How, though, can this wonderful gift, that of food (and our liking to eat it), be abused?
The problem as I see it was not the quail as much as the reason the Israelites and yes we were gluttons too.
I have found for the most part two meals per day works for me. Now yes, it is tempting to snack. What overcomes that temptation is to get busy, also to whisper to yourself, just say no.
But godliness with contentment is great gain 1 Timothy 6:6
He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. Eccle 5:10
Many a life was lost in the quest of having "more than" the best God has given and longing for something different from that which God delight not in given.
Numbers 11:33
But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague.
I do not view the Israelites' conduct in the light of outright rebellion; rather, I see it more as the evidence of not yet having learned to trust the Goodness of God who introduced Himself with mighty signs and wonders, but had not yet been able to impressed His 'Goodness' onto their heart.
In the beginning, most of them might have perceived God as an autocratic ruler, one to be feared because He seem to not consider or address the peoples ‘needs’ - wishes, or opinions - quickly enough. But He does, just not in ways they would have liked for Him to interact with them.
I see Deut.8:3 as a vitally important Truth for all who call on the God of the Hebrews – I AM WHO I AM – to understand. His Word, His Sabbath, through His Holy Spirit, all communicate with mankind, all are given for us to be able to draw near to Him, loose our ‘self’ in Him, get to know Him through a personal, interactive, loving relationship. Yes, God is Goodness personified in His Son, Jesus Christ – after all, He is our Life! Luke 18-18-19.
Health has always been very important to our church and while it has been a blessing, there have always been people who have prioritized it to the point that it almost becomes the 11th commandment. We can be quick to emphasize what we should and shouldn't be eating and judge those who fail.
However, if we look at food just as you can eat that and you can't eat that, we are probably missing the point about the power that food has. The examples mentioned in the lesson are interesting. Eve desired fruit from a tree, not a hamburger. Satan encouraged Jesus to turn the stones into bread, not a piece of pie. Esau's desired stew was probably very healthy. And there was nothing wrong with Esau or Jesus being hungry. The issue to me is priorities. Hunger and a desire to eat are very natural. But when we prioritize them over God's will we have a problem. This is true both of healthy and unhealthy food. That's why God tells us we don't live by bread alone.
My other observation is our relationships with food are often driven by other things. For those who eat too much and/or the wrong things, there are usually complex reasons for these habits. Food can be a socially acceptable drug to numb feelings of sadness, low self-worth and so on. To really make the changes needed, the root problems often need healing. Otherwise, even if we stop eating a certain thing, we're bound to replace it with some other addiction.
I recall growing up.in the Caribbean at a time when many homes, including mine, did not have electricity and other means of keeping cooked foods under proper cold conditions to prevent food borne illnesses. However, my parents were of the belief that food should not be cooked on the Sabbath so Sabbath meals were prepared from Friday afternoon and stored at room temperature without spoilage. At the time out of ignorance I gave no consideration to the food spoiling and God protected the food. I am sure that this was common practice throughout the Caribbean. Today, I still do not cook food on the Sabbath.
400 years in captivity, working 24/7, can lead to "Stockholm syndrome." Stockholm syndrome is a proposed condition or theory that tries to explain why hostages sometimes develop a psychological bond with their captors. The children of Israel were physically emancipated but still enslaved in their minds, spirits, and emotions. God's love already considered their condition, and He was working towards breaking the mental and spiritual chains.
What we see is that God doesn't rush to issuing commandments in the first few months but allows them to appreciate freedom. Using practical examples, He re-introduces Israel to the forgotten Sabbath and rest—something that had become alien to them for generations. God is teaching us something here about evangelism: that taking time with people and showing the practical example of God's love through our characters yields better, more appreciated results, even if they're slow.
Today, our evangelism is more geared toward the number of baptisms of not very well-prepared souls. We've scared them with a coming fire and brimstone—a fiery end of the world by a wrathful God. We rarely take the opportunity to invite people to a God of love, patience, and one who offers salvation even when we have rejected Him. Think of it!
The "coming fire and brimstone" is foundational to our church doctrines. This is why so much of our focus is on delivering copies of Great Controversy, and Last Day Events, subheadings beginning chapter 1;
*Wide Spread Apprehension About the Future.
*Troublous Times Soon to Come.
*God Has Always Warned of Coming Judgements.
*God Has Told Us What to Expect in Our Day.
*Last Day Prophecies Demand our Attention.
We are intentionally an apocalyptic movement, and sometimes we may appear to not place sufficient emphasis on other aspects of the Gospel.
Food is such a delight. The problem with humans is that we want to exaggerate in everything. The pleasure of eating must be extended to the max. Why? We lack balance. Excess of anything, even being healthy, can be catastrophic.
Here are a few things that struck me about the stories of the water and food.
First, in Exodus God does not become angry with the people for complaining. It is not until they ignore direct instruction about manna that He is upset with them. It seems that God understands their frustration and gives them what they need. He is a very patient and understanding God. This is in great contrast with the way God is portrayed in Numbers 11 where He is shown to be angry with complaining to the point that He kills the complainers.
God obviously could supply Israel with what they needed. Why not do so immediately? Why wait until they were thirsty and hungry? Why wait until they complained? Why not start the manna the day that they crossed the Red Sea and bring water from the rock whenever they stopped for the night? Was He trying to teach them (or us) a lesson? If so, what was it? I would like to hear your thoughts.
Are the incidents of the quail related in Exodus and Numbers the same incident? In Exodus the quail are sent not long after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and before they reached Sinai. In Numbers they are sent after the Israelites leave Sinai and have already constructed a tabernacle. But the stories in the Bible are not always told in chronological order. In Numbers some "complaining" stories may have been bundled together at this point. Exodus and Numbers portray God and His response to complaints very differently.
I do personally think there were two quail incidents. I can see how they might be thought by some to be one and the same, but in Numbers 11, they are complaining they don't like the manna. In Exodus, the manna was given first. In a way, the order doesn't matter, but it seems unlikely they'd complain about hating the manna if they'd only eaten it a very short time.
Exodus culminates with the building of the Tabernacle following the giving of the law. Numbers seems to follow after the taberanacle was built. It's true that stories are not always in order, but I don't see too much indication in Exodus-Deuteronomy that they aren't in order.