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Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 1
16 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.”
This is what people do they grumble. Things got hard so they grumbled ,
this is a natural thing that most normal people do. We all have limits when it
comes to grumbling, ever single person has their own unique limit. Jesus on
the other hand was limitless, he did not even grumble when He was crucified ,
so He is the supreme example of “not grumbling” I do not grumble to human s
anymore, I used to grumble to humans until I realized that humans canno t
solve my problems or make me feel better, only God can fundamentally solv e
my problems and make me feel better. That is why now, I bring all of m y
troubles, pains, heartaches, and whatever it is to God, there I am filled with
peace, even when I do not know what to say, when I just sit there before Him ,
His peace fills me and I have peace. This is one of the things that I reall y
wanted in Jesus Christ. When I was very young in Christ my shepherd at th e
time asked me “what do you want?” In other words, what do I want in Jesus, I
responded as honestly as I could and said “I want peace” I cannot speak fo r
everyone else, but peace is something very important to me, I grew up in a
chaotic household, there was always noise, I was in troublesome daycare s,
middle-school was tough, high school was hard, college was a pain, basical ly
because of sin in the world, everywhere I go and wherever I am, there is n o
peace. BUT , when I come to the feet of Jesus, I always find peace, that is, if i
am not sinning myself... Also grumbling is not productive on just a human-level. Those tha t
complain and do not present solutions are what I like to call “whiners” Nobod y
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 2
likes a whiner. My mom used to say “want a little cheese with that whine?” I
know the solution to grumbling and all pains as a matter of fact, it is b y
coming to Jesus, I have solved all of my life problems by coming to Jesus, whe n
I come to Jesus, all my problems simply go away. As I continually come to Him ,
the grip of the world loses its hold on me, and there I have the confidence t o
live the way God wants me to truly live. I also find my happiness and meanin g
in Jesus Christ, because He shows me how much He loves me. I know He love s
me because He disciplines me in power and miraculous ways and He reward s
me even according to my own style. He does things that I simply canno t
comprehend or fathom and they are all practical things, not my imagination ,
not metaphysical, or anything of the like… So God is real and God is good .
Another thing to consider about grumbling is that is contagious becaus e
it is a sin after all, if it were not a sin, God would not have chastised th e
Israelites for their actions. People grumble fundamentally because of their lac k
of faith. They grumble because they lack or there is a difficulty of some kind .
God tells us that if we lack or if there is a difficulty of any kind, we should pra y
to Him, and surely our Heavenly Father will be glad to answer any of ou r
requests as long as they are reasonable and not sinful. So there are two way s
to take when faced with difficulty or challenge, they way of faith or the way of
unbelief, unbelief expresses itself in the form of grumbling, while faith
expresses itself through prayer . It is just a choice that you have to make like
anything else in life, it is not difficult to choose the way of faith .
Another thing to consider is the root of which all this grumbling took
place. The grumbling came out of their mouths as soon as they looked bac k G. od
was leading them forward, but they were looking back .God was leading them
forward in their spiritual lives, but their flesh was yearning for the so-calle d
“comforts” of Egypt. This is a very real concept in our modern day Christian
lives. We are called forward to live according to the Spirit, obeying God 's
commands, and serving God's will, but because of the insatiable appetite of ou r
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 3
flesh we yearn for things even though they are not as what we thought them t o
be. There is a simple answer to this, w e must put our flesh under our ful l
control. Each person must make his or her own person struggle to keep the ir
flesh under their full control, for me I have to spend 45 minutes with God in
the morning just so that I can control myself before God in the day. When ther e
are more demands in my life, I am required to retreat more often to prayer o r
else I would have no way to overcome my flesh on my own, only Jesus Chris t
gives me the power to overcome my weaknesses. For example during
conference days or days where I am required to serve, often multiple times I
must quietly retreat for some kind of secret prayer. Sometimes at work ther e
are difficulties that throw me off guard, so I retreat to God, where He gives m e
strength to meet the challenges.
We know not to look back, but sometimes we feel like their is nothing t o
look forward too... I have felt like this many times, but it is only because I
bought into that lie, it is Satan's lie that there is nothing to look forward to in
this life. In this life we are to look to Jesus Chris tHimself through whom al l
things come from, even life itself, as we look forward to Christ, streams of livin g
water flow from within us and we are living because Christ Himself is Lif e.
What I learn from all this grumbling is that I need to be a man of faith
and not of unbelief , if they believed God was leading them to the promised land
and that God was Who He was, that is, he had the capabilities to get them
there, then there would be no need for complaints, but because they did no t
believe, they were grumbling. Such behavior is unacceptable for people of God ,
because people of God are people of faith and not of unbelie f.
It is pitiful to see a man who has no faith, I know because I have had n o
faith and I pity myself looking back at my actions, they were shameful and
pathetic because God expects me to have faith in Him and God has done s o
much in my life, so there is no reason I should doubt God ever, especially a t
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 4
this time in my life. When people takes their eyes off God, they start to dry ou t
because they are disconnected from God at that very moment they take the ir
focus off of Jesus Chris t, when you are losing life it is painfu ,l it is a painful way
of life not to be constantly looking to Jesus Christ, because you are truly dyin g
at that time, and then to see a dying person come to another person wh o
cannot give them life or do anything to help them, even though that othe r
person may try their very best... i t is a tragic sight to see . Christ is the true vine
through which all things come, even life itself. If you like coming to humans fo r
life, see where that leads you. T he love of this life is sweet to the taste, but in
the end it bites like a viper, you will die . Loving Jesus is plain and life in Him is
not extravagant but pure, you will live.
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.”
God wanted to test them and see whether they would obey His
instructions or not. God is good and He has the right to test us . When I am
tested it is just an opportunity to show who I really am in Go ,d so I can look
forward to tests! Like a student who studies the whole semester, a test is jus t
there to show how great the student is. But someone who does not study, when
a test comes, will fail the test, and just show how bad He is I. will trust in God
continually, knowing that He wants me to succeed and do wel lG. od could have
given them bread in many other ways, but He chose this way because through
it, they could grow up as God’s people. It is important for people to do thing s
themselves before God while obeying Him, in this way all people can grow up i n
God as mature and reliable.
Also, on the 6th day they are to bring in twice as much in this way the y
can fulfill God's purpose for them on the Sabbath. T he Sabbath they are to
remember God's creation and God’s salvation . I too must remember this by
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 5
really meditating on them both .On the Sabbath I should not do what the world
does, but instead spend special time with God, this does not mean be lazy, bu t
with all focused efforts come to God in all the right ways .
6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the
Lord who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord,
because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble
against us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your
grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”
What sticks out to me here is that Moses and Aaron say Y“ou will know
and you will see ” This was actually their problem from the start, they did no t
know and they did not see . They did not have faith in God because they did no t
know God, they had forgotten who God was and what he had done. Why ?
Because they did not see. They did not set their eyes on God, they took the ir
eyes off of God and looked back at their old life in Egypt S. o now God was going
to help them to know and see again . God was going to show them who He was
again so they would see Him again, or focus back on Him, in this way God
helped them to continually live as His people. I t is good to know that when I
have little or no faith, God wants to help me to know and see Him again, not tha t
He would punish me out of spite .In my life God has helped me many times to
set my eyes back onto Him so that I would be reminded of who He is and wha t
He is capable of. I am glad that God reveals Himself to me more as I live for Him ,
a life of seeking God is an enjoyable and rewarding life .
9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”
One thing to consider here is that God hears our grumbling when we do it t o
humans. In this way we should never grumble to humans, but instead come
directly to God by faith and have our prayers answered in due tim e G. od always
hears and always knows, so when we come to Him He is glad to help us. When
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 6
I come to God I have confidence that he hears me and knows what I am goin g
through and not only that I feel good just coming to God and He doe s
something divine in my heart, where I can have peace no matter the storm .
10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.
11 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.’”
13 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.
The first thing that I learn here is that whenever we see the glory of God
it is very cool. Everyone wants to be cool and do cool things, the best way to do
that is to seek God, then you get to see His glory .
Second, God did what He said He was going to do, so God is faithful t o
keep His promises. God has promised me things very personally, so I to o
believe that He will fulfill these at His right time. God fed His people just lik e
He said. Today God has given us His Word, now all that I have to do is eat i t.
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. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”
It is like the Word of God, at first we wonder “what is it” but then after w e
eat it we realize that its taste is good.
Also, God is the one to give us bread to eat from heaven. God provide s
the true word which is food for our souls. The best thing is everyone is t o
gather as much as they need! The same way everyone could eat as much as th e
Word of God as they want, for me I get to have the Word of God and prayer 1 4
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 7
hours a week! Yum! This is my true blessing that I get to come to God so much
to have fellowship with Him.
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little.
18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much,and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.
Here in this same way everyone should gather as much as they can
before God so they can be filled. I too can gather as much as I need, I like t o
spend time with God in the morning in prayer and the Word and now I get t o
spend more time in testimony writing, this is true blessing .
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.
Also, when people disobey they cannot be happy. Maggots do not mak e
anybody happy but they are gross, in the same way when people disobey then
only bad things happen. This is why I like to obey so that good things can
happen in my life. Obedience is the way to live, and Jesus says when we obe y
His commands we remain in His love. I have remained in God’s love through my
obedience. God has not forsaken me, but instead God has loved me all the way .
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers[ b ] 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 sabbath 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.”
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 8
Here I see that God worked outside of his own laws, and God does no t
have any specific pattern that He has to follow. At first the manna was ther e
each day and it should go away every day like God commanded at first. Bu t
then on the 6th day miraculously the manna remained for two days. So th e
manna was subject to God Himself… not some natural law alone. This is much
like how God controls nature and other things. In my life I too can rely on God ,
my life does not follow a mere pattern. If the manna was not subject to a
pattern but could change by God, of course I who am greater than manna can
always change according to God's divine will. So what Moses said came true, i n
the same way I can rely on the word of God and of God's servants that wha t
they say will come true. I am thankful for all of God's servants and especial ly
for the Word of God!
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[ c ] 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 they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
From this I see that people really need to obey God’s commands, in th is
way they can grow up as people of God. Also, God's commands are good ,
whatever He orders is right, just and fair. God’s commands always have a
purpose, there are rules, laws, and many things set in place by the Word o f
God, and when people obey these, good things happen G! od Himself has
become my shelter and reward in this lif e, and His Word is the way in which I
can know Him, when I come to God through His word there I have peac e
because I can see what life is about, who I am, and what I should do. Becaus e
of that I have no fears and can confidently live out my life striving always to d o
what is right in God's eyes.
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna.[ d ] It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 9
omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”
So the Manna even tasted good! In the same way even though the word
of God is plain, it actually tastes good . Whenever I read or meditate on the word
of God it satisfies me, I do not need to prepare it that much, but just natural ly
it tastes very good. It has been my delight to eat this food every morning so tha t
I would have strength in God, and be comforted to live out the day. Bu t
possibly it could get old eating this word (not for me), if it does get old, peop le
can always try to do something so that it would be nourishing and satisfying t o
them once again.
Another thing to consider is that God wanted them to save this manna in
a jar. This way they could remember the whole lesson of what had happened ,
their rebellion, how God helped them, and the manna itself which nourishe d
them, which came from God. God was really making all efforts to help H is
people so that their lives would be fulfilling, satisfying, and that they would b e
properly nourished. I am thankful to God for doing the same thing in my life. It
is true that ever since God called me in Spring 2011 that He has shaped an d
molded my life and given me one blessing after another, my life has by n o
means been easy, but it has been truly rewarding and carries real value. I hav e
been able to raise up sheep, serve God's mission, serve the church, and hav e
had great successes in my career, and doing things that I would never thin k
possible without God. I am able to make art, write books, make music, pain t
my car, and do many fun projects, G od has indeed made my life very fulfilling
and I am even more thankful now that in this new year I get to spend 14 hour s
with God each week , at first all I could see was the difficulty and challenge bu t
after coming to God, I see that this is like m y double portion of blessing , I
wanted 7 hours of fellowship but God gave me double that! !T! ruly God is good
and my life will be fulfilling and great as I remain in Jesus, I will do many grea t
things through Jesus Christ and for His name sake, in the mission field, a t
Brian Wangenheim’s Testimony - 7 hours - Exodus - Page 10
church, at home, and at work. My whole life will respect and honor God an d
God will be pleased with me because of my faithfulness .
33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”
34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, sothat it might be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.
It is amazing that they ate this manna for 40 years until they came to the lan d
and were settled ! In the same way I will eat the word of God, until I find myse lf
bowing before Jesus feet as His faithful servant. I find not other pleasure in
this life than to be with God and to delight in His wor ,d truly the word of God is
my delight, I would even possibly retire just to be alone with God in His word
forever and ever if that is what God wills .Unfortunately I cannot do that... b ut I
am sure to make ample time for what is really important being in the word of
God and coming to Jesus Christ to have fellowship with Him .
36 (An omer is one-tenth of an ephah.)
One Word: It is called Manna
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