Exodus 15:1-27
The Song of Moses and Miriam
Here is the song that Moses and the people of Israel sang to the Lord. They said,
“I will sing to the Lord.
He is greatly honored.
He has thrown Pharaoh’s horses and chariot drivers
into the Red Sea.
The Lord gives me strength and protects me.
He has saved me.
He is my God, I will praise him.
He is my father’s God, and I will honor him.
The Lord goes into battle.
The Lord is his name.
He has thrown Pharaoh’s chariots and army
into the Red Sea.
Pharaoh’s best officers
drowned in the sea.
The deep waters covered them.
They sank to the bottom like a stone.
“Lord, your right hand
was majestic and powerful.
Lord, your right hand
destroyed your enemies.
Because of your great majesty,
you threw down those who opposed you.
Your burning anger blazed out.
It burned them up like straw.
The powerful blast from your nose
piled up the waters.
The rushing waters stood firm like a wall.
The deep waters stood up in the middle of the sea.
“Your enemies bragged,
‘We will chase Israel and will catch them.
We’ll divide up what we take from them.
We’ll eat them alive.
We’ll pull our swords out.
Our powerful hands will destroy them.’
But you blew with your breath.
The Red Sea covered your enemies.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.
“Lord, who among the gods is like you?
Who is like you?
You are majestic and holy.
Your glory fills me with wonder.
You do amazing things.
You reach out your right hand.
The earth swallows up your enemies.
“Because your love is faithful,
you will lead the people you have set free.
Because you are so strong,
you will guide them to the holy place where you live.
The nations will hear about it and tremble.
Pain and suffering will take hold of the Philistines.
The chiefs of Edom will be terrified.
The leaders of Moab will tremble with fear.
The people of Canaan will melt away.
Fear and terror will fall on them.
Your powerful arm
will make them as still as a stone.
Then your people will pass by, Lord.
Then the people you created will pass by.
You will bring them in.
You will plant them on the mountain you gave them.
Lord, you have made that place your home.
Lord, your hands have made your holy place secure.
“The Lord rules
for ever and ever.”
Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the Red Sea. The Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the people of Israel walked through the sea on dry ground. Aaron’s sister Miriam was a prophet. She took a tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her. They played tambourines and danced. Miriam sang to them,
“Sing to the Lord.
He is greatly honored.
He has thrown Pharaoh’s horses and chariot drivers
into the Red Sea.”
The Waters of Marah and Elim
Then Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea. They went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert. They didn’t find any water there. When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink its water. It was bitter. That’s why the place is named Marah. The people told Moses they weren’t happy with him. They said, “What are we supposed to drink?”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord. The Lord showed him a stick. Moses threw it into the water. The water became fit to drink.
There the Lord gave a ruling and instruction for the people. And there he tested them. He said, “I am the Lord your God. Listen carefully to me. Do what is right in my eyes. Pay attention to my commands. Obey all my rules. If you do, I will not send on you any of the sicknesses I sent on the Egyptians. I am the Lord who heals you.”
The people came to Elim. It had 12 springs and 70 palm trees. They camped there near the water.
Exodus 16:1-36
The Lord Gives Israel Food Every Day
The whole community of Israel started out from Elim. They came to the Desert of Sin. It was between Elim and Sinai. They arrived there on the 15th day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community told Moses and Aaron they weren’t happy with them. The Israelites said to them, “We wish the Lord had put us to death in Egypt. There we sat around pots of meat. We ate all the food we wanted. But you have brought us out into this desert. You must want this entire community to die of hunger.”
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people must go out each day. Have them gather enough bread for that day. Here is how I will test them. I will see if they will follow my directions. On the sixth day they must prepare what they bring in. On that day they must gather twice as much as on the other days.”
So Moses and Aaron spoke to all the people of Israel. They said, “In the evening you will know that the Lord brought you out of Egypt. And in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord. He has heard you say you aren’t happy with him. Who are we? Why are you telling us you aren’t happy with us?” Moses also said, “You will know that the Lord has heard you speak against him. He will give you meat to eat in the evening. He’ll give you all the bread you want in the morning. But who are we? You aren’t speaking against us. You are speaking against the Lord.”
Then Moses told Aaron, “Talk to the whole community of Israel. Say to them, ‘Come to the Lord. He has heard you speak against him.’ ”
While Aaron was talking to the whole community of Israel, they looked toward the desert. There was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud!
The Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the people of Israel talking about how unhappy they are. Tell them, ‘When the sun goes down, you will eat meat. In the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
That evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning the ground around the camp was covered with dew. When the dew was gone, thin flakes appeared on the desert floor. They looked like frost on the ground. The people of Israel saw the flakes. They asked each other, “What’s that?” They didn’t know what it was.
Moses said to them, “It’s the bread the Lord has given you to eat. Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, ‘Everyone should gather as much as they need. Take three pounds for each person who lives in your tent.’ ”
The people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, and some gathered a little. When they measured it out, the one who gathered a lot didn’t have too much. And the one who gathered a little had enough. Everyone gathered only what they needed.
Then Moses said to them, “Don’t keep any of it until morning.”
Some of them didn’t pay any attention to Moses. They kept part of it until morning. But it was full of maggots and began to stink. So Moses became angry with them.
Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed. But by the hottest time of the day, the thin flakes had melted away. On the sixth day, the people gathered twice as much. It amounted to six pounds for each person. The leaders of the community came and reported that to Moses. He said to them, “Here is what the Lord commanded. He said, ‘Tomorrow will be a day of rest. It will be a holy Sabbath day. It will be set apart for the Lord. So bake what you want to bake. Boil what you want to boil. Save what is left. Keep it until morning.’ ”
So they saved it until morning, just as Moses commanded. It didn’t stink or get maggots in it. “Eat it today,” Moses said. “Today is a Sabbath day to honor the Lord. You won’t find any flakes on the ground today. Gather them for six days. But on the seventh day there won’t be any. It’s the Sabbath day.”
In spite of what Moses said, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather the flakes. But they didn’t find any. Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “How long will all of you refuse to obey my commands and my teachings? Keep in mind that I have given you the Sabbath day. That is why on the sixth day I give you bread for two days. Everyone must stay where they are on the seventh day. No one can go out.” So the people rested on the seventh day.
The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seeds. It tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, “Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, ‘Get three pounds of manna. Keep it for all time to come. Then those who live after you will see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert. I gave it to you when I brought you out of Egypt.’ ”
So Moses said to Aaron, “Get a jar. Put three pounds of manna in it. Then place it in front of the Lord. Keep it there for all time to come.”
Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses. He put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law. He put it there so it would be kept for all time to come. The Israelites ate manna for 40 years. They ate it until they came to a land where people were living. They ate it until they reached the border of Canaan.
The jar had three pounds of manna in it.
