“Chapter 18: The Israelites in the Wilderness,” Old Testament Stories (1980), 73–74
“Chapter 18,” Old Testament Stories, 73–74
Chapter 18
The Israelites in the Wilderness
Jesus told Moses to put a tree in the water. The tree made the water taste good. The people drank and went on.
They traveled many days in the wilderness. Their food was gone. They were hungry. They were angry at Moses. Jesus gave them something to eat. They called it manna. It tasted like bread and honey. The manna was on the ground each morning.
Jesus told them to pick up only as much manna as they needed each day. Some people did not obey. They picked up too much. They kept some for the next day. But the next morning the manna was full of worms. It smelled bad. They could not eat it.
Jesus said they should not pick up manna on the Sabbath. They should pick up a lot of manna the day before. Then they would not have to work on the Sabbath. They could keep the Sabbath day holy. The manna stayed good on the Sabbath.
The Israelites traveled on in the wilderness. Again there was no water to drink. They were angry at Moses. Moses prayed.
Jesus told Moses to hit a rock. Moses obeyed Jesus. He hit the rock, and water came out. It was a miracle. It showed the people God’s power. The Israelites drank the water and traveled on.