The Green Forest tribune., 1913-08-22

1t was the sin of unbelief that lay be. hind their murmurings.
 l. Despair, w. ?, 3. We sometimes censure the Israelites for their com blaming within month after their miraculous deliyerance from the Red Sea, but if We examine ourselves closely we will not be surprised at their lack of faith nor at the Savior g delight when he discovered faith duke 7:91. Their song, Chapter 15, of deliyerance has scarcely died on their lips when new danger con- fronts them, viz, that of privation. How many today fail at just this point. and think only of the "fesh-pots." " They complained more over the priva- tions of Gods service than over the slavery of Pharaoh, though as a mat ter of fact the man in Egypt does not have bread to the full" John 4;13, Feel Is. Truly Moses and Aaron had a task on their hands for the whole congregation murmured" They had to bear the brunt of it all for they were Gods visible representatives tPs. 69:9; Rom. 15:3). Human na- ture is ever the same. Rather to die by the hand of Pharaoh with full stomach than to live in a freedom which was accomplished by any priya- tions The trouble was that having everything done for them they lacked that moral backbone, that fixedness of purpose. which a great principle in spires and moves men to suffer and to overcome. The life of slavery in Egypt had made the Israelites craven.
 Gods Answer
 II. Deliverance, w. 4-1o. God an- swered their grumbling with most gracious promise. He met their bitter cry with a bounteous provision of bread. That they might know it was he who provided, God said T will rain bread from heaven" But to guard against oriental improvidence or ex- cess, they were directed to gather a days portion for the day (y. 4 marg1 This provision was also to be test to see if they would obey him, walk in my law, or no" Some of them failed at the very first, and that which they attempted to keep over spoiled see ". 19, %. To hoard is to lose, to use is to increase, Prov 11:24, 25 To hoard wealth, whether it be tenn poral or spiritual, is to distrust God and it was this very distrust which God was combating It was super natural gift and was type of Christ John 6:31-33 35 The mama sustain ed life for day at a time; he, Christ gustains forever, John 6;56. Notice, God did not place the mama in their mouths, each must gather. appro- priate, for himself. so also must they who feed on the bread of life, Christ Jesus, and as they were to gather daily, so also must we feed anew each day on Jesus, Matt. 6:11. Fur thermore, they had to gather it early in the morning otherwise the sun de- stroyed it, V. 21. So also we do we'll to get our daily portion early In the day or the chances are we still not get it at all. God also honored the Sabbath by not sending any mama, nor allowing them to garner on that day. On the other hand those who refused to make provision for that day had to go hungry, w 27, 28.
 Visible Proof
 That the Israelites might realize fully that Moses and Aaron were not working some trick of necromancy, or taking advantage O. some botanical or pathological knowledge of the coun- try, God revealed to all, at the break of day, his glory, V. 10; and that their descendants might see and know of Gods marvellous goodness and deliv- erance, they were commanded to fill a vessel with mama as visible con yineing proof (v. 32). Nor did this V. 35, Phil. 4:19
 III. Delight, w. 11-16. What emo tions must have filled the hearts of the Israelites when at evening they beheld the quails and Tn the morning the mama. The mighty God who brought them out of Egypt has again shown his power. The mama was to teach them that "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord" Deut. 8:2, 8. Do not lose time speculating upon what the mama was like. simply read w. 14-37 and Mum 11:7 s. Strangely enough not all were satisfied with the bread from heaven (Num. 21:5) but they had to eat it or die. Some cried out for the food of Egypt, (Num. 11:5, 6) even as today some who profess to be Chris tians are not satisfied with Christ. As against these feelings of delight there must have been a sense of rebuke (v @ when God through Aaron com manded the Israelites to "come near before the Lord' the reason was all too patent for, He hath heard your mur- murings." Those who complain and murmur against God will surely have to answer for it. Job. 40:1; Rom. 9:20; 14:12 However, 1t was not with harshness that he rebuked them but with tenderness. As they beheld his glory their hearts must have been filled with remorse even as Peter was rebuked by look from his Lord.
 W. The Teaching. The gift of the mama taught the Israelites that they must depend upon God. Man not only needs spiritual relationship but mate rial sustenance for the maintenance of his life
 Tt Is usually not so much the greatness of our trouble as the little ness of our spirits which makes us complain "-.Jeremy Tayior.