II. The wrong and the right ways of taking the bitter experience. The people grumbled: Moses cried to the Lord. The quick forgetfulness of deliverances. The true use of speech is not complaint, but prayer.

III. The power that changes bitter to sweet. The manner of the miracle is singular. God hides Himself behind Moses, and His miraculous power behind the material agent. Perhaps the manner of the miracle was intended to suggest a parallel with the first plague. There the rod made the Nile water undrinkable. There is a characteristic economy in the miraculous, and outward things are used, as Christ used the pool and the saliva and the touch, to help the weak faith of the deaf and dumb man.

What changes bitter to sweet for us?--the Cross, the remembrance of Christ's death. 'Consider Him that endured.' The Cross is the true tree which, when 'cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.'

Recognition of and yielding to God's will: that is the one thing which for us changes all. The one secret of peace and of getting sweetness out of bitterness is loving acceptance of the will of God.

Discernment of purpose in God's 'bitter' dealings--'for our profit.' The dry rod 'budded.' The Prophet's roll was first bitter, then sweet. Affliction 'afterwards yieldeth the peaceable fruit.'

THE BREAD OF GOD

'Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain
bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out
and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove
them, whether they will walk in My law, or no. 5. And
it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall
prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice
as much as they gather daily. 6. And Moses and Aaron said
unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall
know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of
Egypt: 7. And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory
of the Lord; for that He heareth your murmurings against
the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
8. And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give
you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread
to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings
which ye murmur against Him: and what are we? your murmurings
are not against us, but against the Lord, 9. And Moses
spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the
children of Israel, Come near before the Lord: for He
hath heard your murmurings. 10. And it came to pass, as
Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children
of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and,
behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
11. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 12. I have
heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak
unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in
the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall
know that I am the Lord your God.'--EXODUS xvi. 4-12.