Manna

When God caused Pharaoh to release Israel from slavery in Egypt, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert before they entered the Promised Land. During this time, God in His grace provided food and water for them to eat every day in the form of water, quail (meat), and bread (manna). Exodus 16:4; Psalms 78:24.

"He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven." (Psalms 78:24, NASB)

Manna could sustain life, but it could not give eternal life. John 6:49.

" "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. " (John 6:49, NASB)

Manna is a picture of spiritual sustenance from the Word of God – Bible doctrine. Deut. 8:3; Jer. 15:16.

"Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16, NASB)

""He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:3, NASB)

Manna came down every day except for Saturday, so they had to gather a double amount on Friday. Exodus 16:4-5; Exodus 16:22; Exodus 16:27.

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. "On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily."" (Exodus 16:4-5, NASB)

"Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses," (Exodus 16:22, NASB)

"It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none." (Exodus 16:27, NASB)

If manna was kept overnight, it spoiled, except Friday night. Some Bible doctrine is used daily, like confession of sin and faith-rest. Some doctrine is stored for special times like love, service, and suffering. They were to use what they had gathered for the day and then the next day God provided again. God never let them down for 40 years. Exodus 16:20.

"But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them." (Exodus 16:20, NASB)

They were to gather all they should eat for the day and everyone in their family. Those with a larger family gathered more. This is the law of equality. God always matches capacity. Exodus 16:16-18; 2 Cor. 8:15.

""This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'" The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat." (Exodus 16:16-18, NASB)

"as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK."" (2 Corinthians 8:15, NASB)

God in His Word always meets your need, your capacity. If God seems to meet someone else’s need and not yours, it is not that He is unfair. The other individual has more capacity. God always gives right up to the maximum of your capacity - always. God never withholds anything.

Therefore, if anyone is going to enjoy manna, they must follow divine instructions. If you fail to follow instructions, you are going to have worms in the tent overnight. Or if you follow instructions on Friday, you can have manna overnight without worms. You must follow instructions! You can’t be stupid. There is no substitute for Bible doctrine.

Manna spoiled if kept overnight, but it was preserved indefinitely in the Ark of the Covenant. Remember there was a pot of manna in the Ark of the Covenant. There was never any worms or spoilage. Exodus 16:19-20; Heb. 9:4; Exodus 16:33.

"Moses said to them, "Let no man leave any of it until morning." But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them." (Exodus 16:19-20, NASB)

"having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;" (Hebrews 9:4, NASB)

"Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omerful of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations."" (Exodus 16:33, NASB)

Bible doctrine is analogous of manna in that it is transferred through faith, it never spoils as long as one stays in fellowship, and it prevents the believer from getting into reversionism. You cannot get too much doctrine because the greater your intake of doctrine, the greater your capacity for life. Some believers will tell you how stagnant you are by just learning Bible doctrine but not applying it as visible works or service.

The manna melted unless it was gathered in the morning. The rays of the sun stand for pressure. Only Bible doctrine absorbed under the grace apparatus for perception can help in time of pressure. The manna had to be gathered daily and assimilated. Manna not gathered is like Bible doctrine still in the Bible. The Bible is not a rabbit’s foot. Exodus 16:21.

"They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt." (Exodus 16:21, NASB)

The eating of manna is an analogy of the grace apparatus for perception. Manna on the ground are the facts, manna gathered is the study, manna taken into the tent is doctrine in the mind, manna eaten is the faith-transfer and circulation that makes it part of the right lobe of your soul. Only Bible doctrine absorbed is useable. Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3; Jer. 15:16; Job 23:12.

"But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" " (Matthew 4:4, NASB)

"Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16, NASB)

""I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:12, NASB)

Manna tasted good to some and bad to others. This illustrates negative and positive volition. In Exodus 16:31, the people who were positive loved it and tasted like honey. To the people who were negative, it tasted horrible. What was the difference? Attitude. Num. 21:5; Num. 11:6.

"The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey." (Exodus 16:31, NASB)

"The people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food."" (Numbers 21:5, NASB)

"but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna."" (Numbers 11:6, NASB)

Manna came as a result of a complaint from Israel. Therefore manna is grace provision. They did not earn or deserve it. Exodus 16:2-4; Psalms 78:18-25.

"The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction." (Exodus 16:2-4, NASB)

"And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire. Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? "Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?" Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel, Because they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation. Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven; He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance." (Psalms 78:18-25, NASB)

God provided manna when the Jews were negative toward doctrine. God provided manna when the Jews were generally in revolt. But regardless of their carnality, emotional revolt or reversionism, manna was delivered on schedule every day, except the Sabbath. Exodus 16:35. Regardless of how the Exodus generation failed the Lord, He was faithful in providing manna once a day, except on the Sabbath.

"The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan." (Exodus 16:35, NASB)

While manna was free to those who received it (grace), it was expensive to those who rejected it (judgment). The rejection of grace (manna) results in divine discipline. Num. 21:5-6.

"The people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food." The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died." (Numbers 21:5-6, NASB)

God blesses the believer under grace and when He decides to operate outside of grace this is called falling from grace. It is called “coming short of the grace of God” in Hebrews 12:15. So God disciplines in grace those who do not like direct blessing from grace. Gal. 5:4.

"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;" (Hebrews 12:15, NASB)

"You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4, NASB)