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We’ve been going through the life of Moses, and God has rescued them from slavery in Egypt only to bring them out to the desert.  As they make their way through the barren terrain, the newness of freedom has worn off and the hardship of wilderness life has set in, and it leads to some unpleasant situations but ultimately some incredible revelations of who God is and how He gives us what we need to survive the wilderness.  This morning, I want to look at two questions:  what does the wilderness do to you, and how can you survive your time there?

Let’s begin by reading Exodus 16:1-5, 13-31 and 17:1-7:

Exodus 16:1-5  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."  ⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.  ⁵ On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."

Exodus 16:13-31   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.  This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'"  ¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little.  ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.  ¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."  ²⁰ However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.  ²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.  ²² On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much-- two omers for each person-- and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.  ²³ He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'"  ²⁴ So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.  ²⁵ "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today.  ²⁶ Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."  ²⁷ Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.  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. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out."  ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.  ³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

Exodus 17:1-7  The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.  ² So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"  ³ But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"  ⁴ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."  ⁵ The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.  ⁶ I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.  ⁷ And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"