Sermon Tone Analysis

Sunday, June 1, 2008 – Communion Sunday

*Why do we need a Sabbath-rest?*

Exodus 16:1-36; Exodus 20:7-12; Deuteronomy 5:11-16

/28 //Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My commands and My instructions?

29 //Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He gives you bread for two days.

/Exodus 16:28-29 NIV

*-----------*

This morning I begin *a 5 part series* on the topic of *the* *Fourth Commandment*, “Remember the *Sabbath* to *keep it holy*.”

If ever there was a *time to apply the principle of the Sabbath* to our lives personally and corporately, *it is now*.

*As an introduction* to the subject of the Sabbath, we are looking at *Exodus chapter 16* where the word *Sabbath* is *first mentioned* in the Bible.

The *concept* of the seventh day as a *day of rest* goes *back to creation*.

So, *just because* this is the *first mention* of the word Sabbath *does not mean* it is a *new idea.*

*God called Abraham* to leave his home and follow Him *to an unknown place* that would become *his new home* and a place where he would be the *father of a new nation*.

*Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)*

/1 //The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

/

/2 //“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

/

*That nation* would become known as *Israel*.

To Abraham was *born Isaac*.

To Isaac was *born Jacob*.

To Jacob was *born Joseph*.

Joseph was *sold by his brothers into slavery* and eventually became *second in command in **Egypt*.

*In this position*, Joseph was able to bring *his family to **Egypt* to survive during a *great famine*.

But, as Joseph’s *family grew*, Pharaoh *became threatened* by them.

*Exodus 1:6-14 (NIV)*

/6 //Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 //but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

/

/8 //Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in //Egypt//.

9 //“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 10 //Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

/

/ /

/11 //So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

12 //But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so *the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites* 13 //and worked them ruthlessly.

14 //They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.

/

Eventually, *God provided Moses to lead His people out *of Egypt to the land that would be theirs; *the Promised Land*.

The *Pharaoh* at that time *did not like the idea* of letting God’s people go.

But, *after 10 plagues of persuasion*, he finally *relented*.

The *final plague* was the *death angel*.

To *counter the effects* of the death angel, God provided the *festival of Passover*.

It was *the redeeming act* that set the Israelis *free from the oppression of **Egypt*.

One of the *most spectacular miracles of God* came when the Israelis came to, what looked like *a dead end*, the Red Sea.

But, *God opened up the Sea* so the entire nation could walk across *on dry land*.

When we *come to the story* in Exodus 16, Israel had been *out of **Egypt** for about 45 days*, time enough to have *forgotten how awful the conditions had been* for them in Egypt.

Well, *actually*, it *only took 3 days* after crossing the Red Sea for them to *start complaining* for lack of water to drink.

And *God provided*.

I found it interesting that *last week’s sermon text* in John 12 led us to look at *Numbers 21* regarding the *origins* of the phrase, “*the Son of Man must be lifted up*” and in that text we see *God’s response to the Israelis complaining* was to send them *snakes that bit them*.

Then, God *provided* a *means of healing through faith* by requiring them to *look toward the bronze snake* lifted up on a pole.

In our *text today* in Exodus 16, we will see *another response of God* to the *grumbling* of the Israelis.

At the *end of Exodus 15*, we see *Israel** camped* by the *springs of Elim* for several weeks, lingering *under the palm trees* and taking *long drinks of cool water*.

Then it was *time to move on*.

God was going to give them *more opportunities to trust Him*.

Those opportunities would *be tests of their faith*.

*Exodus 16:1-2 (NIV)*

/1 //The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the //Desert// of //Sin//, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of //Egypt//./

/2 //In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

3 //The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in //Egypt//!

There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

/

*Grumbling* was *second nature* for Israel.

They *complained* when it appeared that *Moses was failing* to get Pharaoh to *let them leave* Egypt.

They *grumbled* when facing *the **Red Sea*, accusing Moses of *intentionally bringing them out* of Egypt *to die* in the desert.

When they got *thirsty*, they *grumbled*.

In fact, they *grumbled most of the forty years* they wandered in the wilderness.

*Now* they were *grumbling about their meal plan*.

Folks, we need to *pay close attention* to what this *text is telling us*.

*Grumbling is not a testimony of trust in God*.

In fact, it is *quite the opposite*.

Philip Ryken says this about grumbling.

“*Our complaints really are never caused by our outward circumstances*.

Instead they reveal the inward condition of our hearts.

The Scripture says, ‘*Rejoice in the Lord always*.

I will say it again: Rejoice!’ (Phil.

4:4).

*Our joy* in the Lord *should not be circumstantial* but fundamental.”

So, *did the Israelis really have something to complain about*?

They said *they were starving*.

But that *wasn’t true*.

They still had *livestock and herds* that they had brought of our Egypt.

No. *So characteristic of complainers* is that they *exaggerate*.

“Remember the *good old days*?

Remember *how stuffed we used to get*?

Remember when we used to *belly up to Pharaoh’s buffet*.”

Yah, *get real*.

What’s *terribly sad* here is how their *exaggeration* goes to *blatant lying*.

Here they *accused* Moses and Aaron of *intentionally bringing them out* into the wilderness so they would *die of starvation*.

These men were *dedicated men of God* and their *motives* were *being impugned* by *whiners and complainers*.

When you are *tempted to grumble and complain, give it up*.

Count your *blessings*.

*Renew* your *commitment* and *relationship with Jesus Christ*.

Let Him *transform your complaining spirit* to that of a *joyfully grateful heart*.

You see, ultimately, *our complaining is against God*.

He *hears it like* He hears our *prayers*, only, instead of *approaching Him as His servant*, we approach Him as though *we are His boss* and He is *our servant*.

*A complaining spirit always indicates a problem in our relationship with God.*

I am amazed *how generous with grace God is* towards them.

*Four times* our text says that *God heard their grumbling*.

In verses 7, 8, 9 and 12.

He not only heard them, *He responded with generosity* towards them.

/11 //The Lord said to Moses, 12 //“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.

Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread.

Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ” /

*God made good on His promise*.

He provided *food* that very *night*, and then again the following *morning*.

/13 //That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14 //When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.

15 //When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?”

For they did not know what it was.

/

/Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat./