What is the meaning of Exodus 16:20? But they did not listen to Moses • God’s command through Moses (Exodus 16:19: “No one is to leave any of it until morning”) was crystal clear, yet some Israelites chose to ignore it. • Their selective obedience mirrored earlier grumbling at Marah (Exodus 15:24–26) and foreshadowed later rebellions (Numbers 14:1-4). • Disregarding a prophet’s word equals disregarding God Himself (1 Samuel 15:22; Luke 10:16). Some people left part of it until morning • Hoarding manna showed a lack of daily trust in the Lord who had promised, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day” (Exodus 16:4). • The impulse to stockpile revealed hearts still shaped by Egyptian scarcity, not by covenant sufficiency (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 6:11, 34). • Like the rich fool who built bigger barns (Luke 12:16-21), they tried to secure tomorrow on their own terms instead of resting in God’s faithful provision. And it became infested with maggots and began to smell • The rapid decay was a divinely timed object lesson: earthly food spoils, but obedience endures (John 6:27; James 5:2). • Notice the contrast two verses later: manna kept overnight for the Sabbath “did not stink or have maggots” (Exodus 16:24), underscoring that preservation depends on God, not human effort. • The stench exposed hidden disobedience; what was tucked away privately became publicly offensive (Ecclesiastes 12:14; 1 Corinthians 4:5). So Moses was angry with them • Moses’ anger was not petty irritation but righteous indignation on behalf of the Lord (Exodus 32:19; Psalm 106:32-33). • As mediator, he felt the tension between God’s holiness and the people’s stubbornness, prefiguring the grief Christ experienced over unbelief (Mark 3:5; Luke 19:41-44). • His response reminds believers that tolerating sin in the camp harms the whole community (1 Corinthians 5:6; Hebrews 3:12-13). summary Exodus 16:20 reveals that hoarding manna was more than poor planning—it was unbelief. Ignoring Moses, some Israelites tried to secure tomorrow without trusting God today. The resulting rot and Moses’ anger spotlight the certainty that disobedience breeds decay while daily reliance on the Lord brings life. God still calls His people to fresh, ongoing dependence, confident that the One who provides today will provide again tomorrow. |
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