Lesson 51

Exodus 16:1–17:7

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Showing love and respect for the Lord, others, and the word of God helps you prepare to learn through the Holy Ghost.

Begin your study with prayer.

When we face challenges, it is important to turn to the resources the Lord has provided for help. Ultimately, Heavenly Father is our greatest source of direction and strength. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles talked about a time when he relied heavily on the Lord for daily help.

What can you learn from Elder Christofferson’s experience?

Our Need to Eat

When did you last eat? Are you hungry now?

Why do we have to eat regularly?

The Lord used our need to eat regularly to teach truths about developing spiritual strength. Look for these truths as you study Exodus 16–17.

A Test

As recorded in Exodus 16:1–3, the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron because they were hungry. They longed to be back in Egypt, where they could eat whenever they wanted.

Read Exodus 16:4–5, looking for how the Lord provided food for the Israelites. It may be helpful to understand that the word prove in verse 4 means “to test” (see footnote c).

Murmuring

After Moses received instructions from the Lord, Moses and Aaron addressed the people of Israel.

Read Exodus 16:6–8, looking for what Moses and Aaron told the Israelites concerning their murmuring.

Think about what you have learned from these verses. Who are we also murmuring against when we murmur against Church leaders?

Murmuring against the Lord

From Exodus 16:6–8 we can identify the principle that when we murmur against Church leaders, we are actually murmuring against the Lord. You may want to mark the phrase that teaches this principle in verse 8.

We read in Exodus 16:9–13 that even though the children of Israel had murmured, the Lord mercifully sent quail into their camp during the evening.

Read Exodus 16:13–15, looking for what the Lord did the next morning for the Israelites.

Manna

In Exodus 16:16–21, 31, we can see some very specific instructions the Israelites had to follow in order to subsist on manna. In these instructions, there are spiritual lessons for all of us as well. Read Exodus 16:16–21, 31, looking for the spiritual lessons we can learn from the Lord’s instructions about manna.

Quiz 1

1. How much manna were the Israelites told to gather?

   1. Only as much as they needed each day

   2. Enough for the entire week

   3. Enough for three days

   4. No more than the size of their fists

2. What happened if they tried to save it until the next day?

   1. It melted

   2. It rotted

   3. They got sick

   4. There was no manna the next day

3. How often did the children of Israel need to gather the manna?

   1. One time each week

   2. Six times each week

   3. Every day

4. According to verse 21, what happened to the manna that wasn’t gathered?

   1. It melted

   2. It rotted

   3. It made the people sick if they tried to later eat it

   4. It doubled

Spiritual Nourishment

The Israelites’ need to gather manna daily was symbolic of our need to make daily efforts to rely on the Lord. From this account, we can learn that if we rely on the Lord daily, He will bless us with the spiritual nourishment we need for that day.

Watch this video, located on LDS.org, entitled “Daily Bread: Pattern.” In it, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains our need for daily spiritual sustenance. How does the Lord provide spiritual nourishment as we rely on Him daily?

Watch this video, located on LDS.org, entitled “Daily Bread: Pattern.” In it, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains our need for daily spiritual sustenance. How does the Lord provide spiritual nourishment as we rely on Him daily?

Daily Reliance on the Lord

Consider the difference between times when you have relied on the Lord daily and times when you have forgotten Him or not sought His strength and guidance each day.

1. Answer the following questions:

• What are some things we can do to rely on the Lord daily?

• What difference do you notice in your life when you rely on the Lord and seek Him every day?

What Will You Do?

What are some things that you need the Lord’s help with every day?

What will you do that you are not currently doing to seek His help daily?

“On the Sixth Day”

Read Exodus 16:22–26, looking for what the Israelites did on the sixth day.

What reason did the Lord give the Israelites for why the sixth day should be different?

What do we learn from this passage that might influence the things we choose to do on the Sabbath day?

Consider this teaching from President Russell M. Nelson about the Sabbath day:

“The Sabbath was [God’s] gift to us, granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal. God gave us this special day, not for amusement or daily labor but for a rest from duty, with spiritual and physical relief. …

“Faith in God engenders a love for the Sabbath; faith in the Sabbath engenders a love for God. A sacred Sabbath truly is a delight” (Russell M. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 129, 132).

“Give Us Water”

We read in Exodus 16:27–36 that some people were slow to obey the Lord. Moses commanded Aaron to place some manna in a pot so that it would serve as a testimony, or reminder, for future generations of the Lord’s physical deliverance of the children of Israel. The Lord continued to bless the children of Israel with manna as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

As recorded in Exodus 17:1–4, the people were thirsty and murmured against Moses. They complained that he had led them out of Egypt “to kill [them] and [their] children and [their] cattle with thirst” (verse 3). Moses prayed to the Lord and asked what he should do.

Read Exodus 17:5–7, looking for what the Lord told Moses to do.

Symbols of the Savior

Just as the requirement to gather manna can symbolize what the Lord requires of us today, the account of Moses striking the rock also has symbolic meaning. The scriptures sometimes refer to Jesus Christ as the “rock” (see 1 Corinthians 10:4; Helaman 5:12). Christ also refers to Himself as “the bread of life” (John 6:35) and a provider of “living water” (John 4:10).

2. Answer the following questions, and think about what the symbols teach you about the Savior:

• How is Jesus Christ like a rock?

• How is He like bread?

• What does Jesus Christ provide that is like living water?

The Source of Spiritual Nourishment

One truth that the Israelites’ experiences with manna and water can help us understand about the Savior is that the Lord is the source of all spiritual nourishment.

3. How has partaking of the spiritual nourishment that Jesus Christ offers blessed you or someone you know?

Seek the Lord

The following truths were identified in this lesson:

• When we murmur against Church leaders, we are actually murmuring against the Lord.

• If we rely on the Lord daily, He will bless us with the spiritual nourishment we need for that day.

• The Lord is the source of all spiritual nourishment.

Think of ways you can better seek the Lord and be nourished by His word daily, serve Him, and obey His commandments.

Doctrinal Mastery: The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Read the following key statements of doctrine about the Atonement of Jesus Christ:

• Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice provided the only way for us to be cleansed and forgiven of our sins so that we can dwell in God’s presence eternally.

• As part of His Atonement, Jesus Christ not only suffered for our sins, but He also took upon Himself the pains, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities of all mankind.

Using your scriptures, identify which Old Testament doctrinal mastery passages help teach these truths.

What are some ways you can remember these passages and the doctrine they help teach?

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) a; (2) b; (3) b; (4) a