Welcome to
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church

Friday, 24th July 2026

Rev Xi An Poon

主題經文：

「耶和華又對摩西說：『我已經聽見以色列人的怨言。你告訴他們說：到黃昏的時候，你們要吃肉，早晨必有食物得飽，你們就知道我是耶和華——你們的神。』」——出埃及記16:11–12

引言：

以色列人離開埃及之後，所走的不是一條輕鬆的道路，而是一條不斷認識神，也不斷被神改變的道路。

在紅海面前，他們因為前無去路、後有追兵而發怨言。神使紅海分開，他們便向神唱歌讚美。可是到了瑪拉，因為水是苦的，他們又再次埋怨。神使苦水變甜之後，他們來到汛的曠野，這一次所面對的是食物的缺乏。

他們說，寧願死在埃及，因為那時可以坐在肉鍋旁邊，吃得飽足。他們的身體雖然已經離開埃及，思想卻仍然留在埃及。他們記得埃及的食物，卻忘記了埃及的捆綁；看見今天的缺乏，卻忘記了昨天的拯救。

摩西對他們說：「你們的怨言不是向我們發的，乃是向耶和華發的。」——出埃及記16:8

怨言不只是言語上的問題，更顯明我們對神失去了信心。當我們只看見眼前的困難，卻忘記神過去的作為；只看見手裏沒有甚麼，卻忘記神是誰，我們的心就會從相信變成埋怨。

一、看清怨言的根源——只看缺乏，忘記了神

「你們的怨言不是向我們發的，乃是向耶和華發的。」——出埃及記16:8

以色列人面對食物缺乏時，第一個反應不是禱告，也不是記念神過去的作為，而是發怨言。

他們忘記神曾經降下十災，忘記逾越節羔羊的血怎樣保護他們，也忘記神怎樣使紅海分開。昨天，他們才經歷神使苦水變甜；今天，卻再次懷疑神是否能夠供應。

很多時候，我們也以為自己只是埋怨環境、事情或某一個人，但如果我們相信生命的道路是在神手中，我們的怨言最終所質疑的，其實是神的帶領。

怨言背後是在說：「神不明白我的需要，神帶錯了道路，神沒有能力照顧我。」

因此，對付怨言不能只從控制說話開始，而要重新記念神過去的信實。那位曾經拯救我們、保守我們的神，今天仍然沒有改變。

二、重新認識我們的神——祂知道，也能夠供應

「到了晚上，你們要知道是耶和華將你們從埃及地領出來的。早晨，你們要看見耶和華的榮耀。」——出埃及記16:6–7

以色列人以為自己將要在曠野餓死，但神從來沒有忘記他們。祂知道他們的需要，也聽見了他們的怨言。

到了晚上，神讓鵪鶉飛來；到了早晨，神使嗎哪降在營地周圍。神不只是要填飽他們的肚腹，更要他們重新認識：「我是耶和華——你們的神。」

信心不是否認眼前的缺乏，也不是假裝困難不存在。信心是在真實的缺乏中，仍然把眼目從環境轉向神，相信祂知道，也相信祂能夠。

神的榮耀不只顯現在紅海分開的偉大神蹟中，也顯現在每天早晨平凡而穩定的供應裏。紅海的神蹟只發生一次，嗎哪卻持續了四十年。神不只在危急的時候拯救我們，也在每天的生活中供應並托住我們。

三、每天按照神的話而行——以順服活出信心

「百姓可以出去，每天收每天的分，我好試驗他們遵不遵我的法度。」——出埃及記16:4

神沒有一次把四十年的糧食全部賜給以色列人，只吩咐他們每天收取當天所需要的分量。因為神不只是要供應他們，更要訓練他們每天信靠祂。有人害怕明天沒有食物，便把嗎哪留到第二天，結果嗎哪生蟲變臭。到了安息日，也有人不相信神的預備足夠，仍然出去尋找嗎哪，結果甚麼也找不到。每天收取，是相信神明天仍會供應；安息日停止，是相信神已經預備足夠。

真正的信心不只是在口裏說「我相信」，而是在還沒有看見明天的答案時，今天仍然按照神的話而行。神不一定一次讓我們看見整條道路，卻每天賜下夠用的恩典；祂不一定立刻解決所有問題，卻每天用祂的話帶領我們走下一步。

總結：

《出埃及記》第16章讓我們看見，缺乏能夠顯明我們內心真正倚靠的是甚麼。

神首先讓以色列人看清怨言背後的不信，然後藉着供應使他們重新認識祂，最後教導他們每天按照祂的話而行。神不只是要帶以色列人離開埃及，更要把埃及從他們的生命裏除去；不只是要改變他們的環境，更要使他們成為真正信靠祂的子民。

當我們再次面對缺乏，不要急着發怨言。讓我們先看清自己內心的不信，重新仰望那位知道並且能夠供應我們的神，然後每天按照祂的話，走好今天的一步。帶領我走到這裏的神，知道我的需要；今天供應我的神，明天仍然信實。

省察：

1. 當我面對不如意的環境時，我第一個反應是發怨言，還是轉眼仰望神？
2. 我是否只看見眼前的缺乏，卻忘記了神過去在我生命中的作為？
3. 今天有哪一件事情，是神要我停止憂慮，按照祂的話踏出順服的一步？

禱告：

親愛的天父，求祢赦免我常常只看見眼前的缺乏，卻忘記祢過去的信實。求祢除去我心中的怨言、懼怕和不信，使我重新認識祢是那位知道我需要、也有能力供應我的神。幫助我每天倚靠祢，按照祢的話而行，把未知的明天交在祢手中。使我在缺乏中仍然相信祢，在曠野中仍然忠心跟隨祢。奉主耶穌基督的名禱告，阿們。

Theme Scripture:

“I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel… At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.” —Exodus 16:11–12 NKJV

Introduction

After leaving Egypt, the Israelites did not travel along an easy road. It was a journey of learning to know God more deeply and allowing Him to transform their lives.

At the Red Sea, there was no way forward, while Pharaoh’s army pursued them from behind. The people complained to Moses, but God divided the sea and brought them safely across on dry ground. After experiencing this great deliverance, they sang praises to God.

However, their praise did not last long. When they arrived at Marah and found that the water was bitter, they complained again. God showed Moses a tree, and when he cast it into the water, the bitter water became sweet.

In Exodus 16, the Israelites travelled from Elim and entered the Wilderness of Sin. By this time, they had been away from Egypt for about one month, and the food they had brought with them was running out.

Once again, the whole congregation complained against Moses and Aaron. They said that it would have been better to die in Egypt, where they had sat beside pots of meat and eaten until they were full.

Although their bodies had left Egypt, their minds were still living there.

They remembered Egypt’s food but forgot Egypt’s bondage. They saw today’s need but forgot yesterday’s deliverance. When they experienced a present difficulty, they began to romanticise their past. They even believed that remaining in Egypt would have been better than following God.

They thought they were only complaining against Moses and Aaron, but Moses told them: “Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.” —Exodus 16:8 NKJV

Complaining is not merely a problem with our words. It reveals that we have lost confidence in God.

When we see only the difficulties before us, we forget what God has done in the past. When we focus only on what is missing, we forget who God is. Our hearts then quickly move from faith to complaint.

None of the difficulties Israel faced in the wilderness was accidental. Yesterday, the problem was bitter water. Today, it was a lack of food. In the future, they would face many other challenges.

Through every situation in the wilderness, God was revealing and dealing with what was hidden inside the lives of His people.

Exodus 16 therefore asks us an important question: When we experience need, do we still believe that the God who has brought us this far understands what we need and is able to provide for us?

1. Recognise the Root of Complaining—Seeing the Need but Forgetting God

“Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.” —Exodus 16:8 NKJV

When the Israelites faced a shortage of food, their first response was not to pray or remember what God had done. Their first response was to complain.

They forgot how God had sent the ten plagues. They forgot how the blood of the Passover lamb had protected them. They also forgot how God had divided the Red Sea and delivered them from Pharaoh’s army.

Only recently, they had experienced God making the bitter water sweet. Yet when they did not have enough food, they again questioned whether God was able to provide.

Complaining causes us to see only our present need while becoming blind to the God who has faithfully guided us. The Israelites saw that there was no food in the wilderness, but they forgot that the Creator of heaven and earth was present among them.

Many times, we behave in the same way. When everything is going well, we thank and praise God. But when circumstances do not meet our expectations, we begin to complain about the situation, other people or even those who are leading us.

We may think that we are only unhappy with a particular person or disappointed about a particular situation. However, Moses’ words remind us that our complaints may ultimately be directed towards God.

This is a very serious warning.

If God is the Lord who guides our lives, then when we continually complain about the circumstances He has allowed, the unbelief behind our complaints may actually be saying:

• “God does not understand what I need.”
• “God has led me in the wrong direction.”
• “God is unable to take care of me.”
• “If I could choose for myself, I could arrange my life better than God.”

Therefore, the root of complaining is not simply that our circumstances are difficult. The deeper problem is that, in the midst of difficulty, we have lost confidence in God.

Overcoming a complaining spirit is not simply a matter of controlling our words. We must return to the foundation of faith and remember what God has done in the past. The God who delivered, protected and guided us through the Red Sea has not changed today.

When we recognise the unbelief behind our complaints, we should not remain in self-condemnation. Instead, we must turn our eyes away from what we lack and look towards God, rediscovering who He truly is.

2. Rediscover Who Our God Is—He Knows and He Is Able to Provide

“At evening you shall know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD.” —Exodus 16:6–7 NKJV

The Israelites thought they were going to die of hunger in the wilderness, but God had never forgotten them. He knew that they had no food, and He heard their complaints.

God told Moses: “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel.” —Exodus 16:12 NKJV

God knew the needs of His people, and He was able to provide for them. In the evening, quail came and covered the camp. In the morning, a small round substance, as fine as frost, appeared on the ground.

When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” Moses answered: “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.” —Exodus 16:15 NKJV

God gave them manna not only to satisfy their physical hunger but also to help them know Him again. It was not Moses who had brought them out of Egypt; it was the LORD. The God who had led them into the wilderness would also sustain and provide for them there.

Therefore, God said: “You shall know that I am the LORD your God.”

The problem was not that the Israelites knew nothing about God. The problem was that, when they faced need, they forgot the God they already knew.

They knew that God had divided the Red Sea, but they did not believe that He could provide food that day. They knew that God had delivered them from Egypt, but they did not trust Him to continue leading them.

We can have the same struggle. We know that God is almighty, yet when we face our own difficulty, we wonder whether He is able to help us. We know that God loves us, yet when our prayers have not been answered, we question whether He truly cares. We know that God is faithful, yet because we cannot see tomorrow, our hearts become anxious. Faith does not deny that our needs are real, nor does it pretend that our difficulties do not exist.

Faith means that, in the midst of a genuine need, we turn our eyes away from the circumstances and look towards God, believing that He knows and that He is able. God’s glory was not revealed only through the great miracle of dividing the Red Sea. His glory was also revealed through His quiet and faithful provision every morning. The Red Sea was divided once, but God provided manna for forty years. God does not only rescue us during moments of crisis. He also provides for us and sustains us throughout our daily lives.

When we rediscover who God is, we cannot stop at simply saying, “I believe.” Genuine faith must be expressed through our daily choices and obedience.

3. Live According to God’s Word Each Day—Expressing Faith Through Obedience

“The people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.” —Exodus 16:4 NKJV

God provided manna, but He did not place forty years’ worth of food before the Israelites all at once. He instructed them to go out each day and gather only the portion they needed for that day.

Why did God not give them all the food at once? It was because God did not only want to provide for them; He also wanted to train them to trust Him every day. Some of the people did not listen to Moses. They kept part of the manna until the following morning, but it bred worms and began to smell.

The passage does not tell us exactly why they kept it. Perhaps they feared that there would be no food the following day. Whatever the reason, their actions revealed that they had not fully trusted God’s instructions.

On the sixth day, God told them to gather twice as much because the seventh day was the Sabbath. Yet some people still went out to gather manna on the seventh day, but they found nothing.

Although their feet went out to search for manna, their actions revealed the unbelief within their hearts. They did not trust that, if they stopped working according to God’s command, His provision would still be enough.

Through the manna, God taught His people two aspects of faith: Gathering each day meant believing that God would provide again tomorrow. Resting on the Sabbath meant trusting God’s Word and believing that He had already provided enough.

Genuine faith is not only a feeling or a spoken declaration. Truly believing God means that, even when we cannot yet see tomorrow’s answer, we are still willing to obey His Word today. We often want God to show us the whole journey before we are willing to move forward. We want Him to prepare all the resources before we are willing to obey. We want Him to change the circumstances first before we are willing to stop complaining.

However, God often gives us only the manna we need for today. He may not allow us to see all His plans for the future, but He gives us sufficient grace for each day. He may not immediately solve every problem, but He uses His Word to guide us as we take the next step.

Today’s manna cannot replace tomorrow’s dependence upon God. Yesterday’s experience also cannot replace today’s relationship with Him. Therefore, every day we must come before God again, receive His Word, accept His provision and walk according to His instructions. This is what it means to trust God in times of need. It is not because we already have everything in our hands, but because we know that the God who holds tomorrow will never leave us.

Conclusion:

Exodus 16 shows us that complaining is not a small matter.

On the surface, it may appear to be dissatisfaction with our circumstances, a particular situation or another person. In reality, it reveals that we have lost confidence in God’s guidance and provision. The Israelites saw that they had no food, but they forgot that the God who had divided the Red Sea was present among them.

They remembered the pots of meat in Egypt but forgot the bondage of Egypt. They saw their present need but forgot their past deliverance. Yet God still responded to them with grace. He provided quail and manna not only to satisfy their physical needs but also to help them know: “I am the LORD your God.”

First, God helped them recognise the unbelief behind their complaints. Then, through His provision, He helped them rediscover who He is. Finally, He taught them to live according to His Word each day.

Every need in the wilderness revealed what was inside their hearts, but it also gave them another opportunity to know God more deeply. God did not only want to bring the Israelites out of Egypt; He also wanted to remove Egypt from their hearts. He did not only want to change their circumstances; He wanted to make them a people who truly trusted Him.

Many times, we simply want God to take us out of the wilderness as quickly as possible. However, God wants to use the wilderness to remove the complaining spirit, fear and unbelief within us.

Therefore, when we face need again, let us not be quick to complain. Let us stop and recognise the unbelief within our hearts. Let us turn our eyes towards the God who knows our needs and is able to provide. Then, let us walk according to His Word, faithfully taking today’s step. We may not know what will happen tomorrow, but we can believe: The God who has brought me this far knows what I need. The God who provides for me today will still be faithful tomorrow.

Reflection:

1. When I face difficult or disappointing circumstances, is my first response to complain or to turn my eyes towards God?
2. Am I looking only at what I lack while forgetting what God has already done in my life?
3. What is one situation in which God is asking me to stop worrying and take a step of obedience according to His Word today?

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for so often focusing only on what I lack and forgetting Your faithfulness in the past.

Remove the complaining spirit, fear and unbelief from my heart. Help me to know You again as the God who understands my needs and is able to provide.

Teach me to depend upon You each day, walk according to Your Word, and place my unknown tomorrow into Your hands.

Help me to continue trusting You in times of need and to follow You faithfully through every wilderness.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.