Manna and Quail from Heaven
A month into the journey, the whole congregation comes to the Desert of Sin and turns its hunger into complaint. Israel speaks against Moses and Aaron as though Egypt had offered life while the wilderness offers death.
O1n the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. 2And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”
The Lord promises bread from heaven and a measured pattern of gathering that will test whether the people follow his instruction. Through Moses and Aaron, he answers their grumbling by appearing in glory and promising meat at evening and bread in the morning.
4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. 5Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we, that you should grumble against us?” 8And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.” 9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’” 10And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared. 11Then 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.’”
Quail covers the camp at evening, and in the morning fine flakes appear after the dew lifts. Moses names it as the bread the Lord has given and orders each household to gather according to its need, with enough for all.
13That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground. 15When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. 16So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. You may take an omer for each person in your tent.’” 17So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less. 18When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.
When Moses forbids storing manna overnight, some ignore him, and what they keep spoils by morning. So the people learn to gather what they need each day before the heat melts it away.
19Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning.” 20But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. 21Every morning each one gathered as much as was needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.