God answers Moses in the desert
Bible Accent: The Bible
Saint for Today: St. Philip Evans
God answers Moses in the desert
The Israelites had endured many hardships since the Lord delivered them out of the slavery of Egypt. They complained frequently to Moses. After they had been wandering for more than a month, they entered a desert between the mountains of Elim and Sinai. The name of the desert was Sin. Under blazing heat with no shade, with parched throats, empty stomachs, sunburned skin and blistered feet, the Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron with the last of the energy they could pull from within themselves. “Would that we had died at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine.”
Moses was very upset. He could understand the resentment his people were feeling, but he did not want them to be angry with God. God, may in turn, become angry with them because of their ungratefulness. God had set them free, but they thought their slavery was better than what they were experiencing now. So Moses did what he always did when he was troubled. He found a place where he could be alone and he prayed.
God heard the prayer of Moses and answered it. “I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion.”
Moses was delighted at God’s response, but God was not through talking to Moses. “I will test my people, whether they follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on other days.”
Moses went back in front of the Israelites and said, “At evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord.”
Then Aaron announced, “Present yourselves before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling!” The people looked out into the vastness of the desert and the glory of the Lord appeared to them in a cloud. “In the evening you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you will know that the Lord is your God.”
READ MORE ABOUT IT:
Exodus 16
Q& A
1. Why were the Israelites unhappy?
2. How did God take care of the Israelites?
Bible Accent: The Bible
The Bible is a collection of more than 60 books, written over a period of thousands of years.
There are two major sections. The Old Testament covers the time from the creation of heaven and earth to a few hundred years before the birth of Christ. The New Testament opens with the genealogy and birth of Jesus and closes with John’s revelation of a new heaven and a new earth.
The first five books of the Old Testament are often called the books of law, because they tell how God gave the first laws and commandments to the Israelites. The rest of the Old Testament contains books of history, prophecy and poetry. The New Testament contains the four Gospels; Acts of the Apostles, which is a history book; letters written by the early Christians; and the Revelation of John.
Saint for Today: St. Philip Evans
Philip Evans joined the Society of Jesus when he was 20 years old. He was ordained in 1675 and was a missionary to South Wales for several years when, in 1678, a justice of the peace wanted priests arrested and offered a reward for Philip. The priest was locked in an underground dungeon in Cardiff Castle. After five months, he was brought to trial. The only charge the judge was able to convict him of was for entering the country illegally. He was sentenced to death. Many people then visited Philip. He did not lose his faith in God. He gave a short speech to the people before his execution. We honor him on July 22.
