Israel fed from Heaven.
Exodus xvi. 1.
We read in the Bible, that after they had crossed the Red Sea, they came into the wilderness of Chur. While travelling onwards through the wilderness of Sin they suffered from hunger, and murmered against Moses and Aaron. But again God heard their cries, and sent them bread from heaven to eat. The Lord said unto Moses, “Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day—at even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread.” And in the morning there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar-frost, on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, “It is manna.” And Moses said, “This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.”
Moses Smiting the Rock.
Exodus xvii. 1.
We now find the children of Israel travelling from the wilderness of Sin, and, according to the commandment of the Lord, pitching their camp at Rephidim. There being no water here, we find those stubborn and rebellious people, saying unto Moses, “Give us water that we may drink; wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, and our children, and our cattle, with thirst?” The Lord had shewed them signs and mighty wonders in the land of Egypt—he had delivered their children from the sword of the destroying angel, when all around them was anguish and dismay—he heard them when they cried and groaned under the lash of the oppressor, amid the brick-kilns of Egypt, and emancipated them from the same—he opened a passage for them in the mighty waters at the Red Sea, when about to fall a prey to the rage and fury of Pharaoh king of Egypt—moreover, he had given them bread to eat in the wilderness when they hungered for the same; and was still able to give them what they now desired. But they, instead of praying to the Lord that he would once more condescend to look down with compassion upon them, and grant them their request, reproached, and murmured against Moses, the servant of the Lord. And Moses said unto them, “Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?” Moses tired of their complaints and discontent, felt that he could do nothing with the people under his care; but knew that the Lord could either quench there thirst, or put a stop to their rage. He, therefore, cried unto the Lord, and said, “What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.” Nor did he cry in vain, for the Lord said unto him, “Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Thus did God open streams in the desert—he clave the hard rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink thereof, as it had been out of the great depth—he brought waters out of the strong rock, so that it gushed out like rivers: and this he did although his people had sinned against him, and provoked the Most High in the wilderness.