Let me be clear, yesterday’s Nougat was more about preparing the people for what YHWH was about to do. So although it differs from what God said initially, it doesn’t negatively reflect on Moses’ integrity. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat™️ with me, as we discern together the import of Moses’ statement.
Exodus 16:6-7 AFV
[6] And Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At sunset, then you shall know that the Lord has brought you out from the land of Egypt.
[7] And at sunrise, you shall see the glory of the Lord, for He hears your murmurings against the Lord. And what are we that you murmur against us?”
At Sunset … At Sunrise
Did you notice the somewhat specific reference to time yesterday? I did. It struck me as ‘odd’ that neither Moses nor Aaron told the people, ‘this very minute…’, which would have made sense, given their anger with the grumbling. Rather, they referred to YHWH acting at sunset, sometime later. It made me wonder if that lapse would have made the Children of Israel nervous.
Self-Check
How about you, would you have been nervous to hear that at sunset you would know that it was the Lord Who brought you out of Egypt? Why/not?
Digging Deeper
With no information about their response, my next thought about Moses at sunset … at sunrise statements was that they adhere to God’s Creation rhythm. These two times are represented as ereb and boqer in Hebrew. For each day’s work in Creation, we’re told, There was evening, there was morning. The … day. (See Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31).
Firstly, what this confirms to us is that within the Jewish (religious) concept of time, a day begins at sunset … just as darkness prepares to descend. It doesn’t begin at sunrise. This is significant as some scholars propose that in the Creation narrative, the timing speaks to order being imposed on chaos; and not only the shift in hours or minutes.
In our Nougat however, Moses and Aaron spoke of recognizing YHWH as Deliverer at sunset, and seeing YHWH’s glory at sunrise. This suggests that there may be more to the Exodus reference.
The Nougat implies that God makes provision for our needs before ‘evening’ descends. Even when we’re grumpy and miserable. Thus, I hear this Nougat offering us hope in our vulnerable situations. When all is about to be lost and desolate, YHWH is revealed as the One Who delivers us. Then, after the intensity of the ‘night’, God’s glory is revealed to us.
I also agree with the argument that Exodus 16 reveals a brand new creative order and covenant for the Children of Israel. Moreover, it points to the new creative order that we will each experience in the morning after Christ’s return. In that sense, we may see ourselves as being in sunset … where we are all beginning to grasp the reality of God’s salvific work through Y’shua. We’re ‘coming out of Egypt’, moving towards the glorious morning with YHWH, Y’shua, God’s Spirit, and the saints. Indeed on that beautiful day, His glory will be fully revealed to the world.
That, for me, is a sure and certain hope.
Point to Ponder
In our Wilderness Wanderings and wondering, might we ask Y’shua to remind us of YHWH’s sovereignty and offer us a glimpse of God’s glory?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
