GOD PROVIDES MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS

Passage: Exodus 16:13-36

Key verse: 35

NIV

13 That evening quail(A) came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew(B) around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost(C) on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know(D) what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread(E) the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer[a](F) for each person you have in your tent.’”

17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.(G) Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”(H)

20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.(I) So Moses was angry(J) with them.

21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice(K) as much—two omers[b] for each person—and the leaders of the community(L) came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath(M) to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,(N) there will not be any.”

27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you[c] refuse to keep my commands(O) and my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 The people of Israel called the bread manna.[d](P) It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”

33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna(Q) in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”

34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law,(R) so that it might be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna(S) forty years,(T) until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.(U)

36 (An omer(V) is one-tenth of an ephah.)(W)

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Footnotes
  1. Exodus 16:16 That is, possibly about 3 pounds or about 1.4 kilograms; also in verses 18, 32, 33 and 36
  2. Exodus 16:22 That is, possibly about 6 pounds or about 2.8 kilograms
  3. Exodus 16:28 The Hebrew is plural.
  4. Exodus 16:31 Manna sounds like the Hebrew for What is it? (see verse 15).
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

13 In the evening (A)quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning (B)dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, (C)“What is it?”[a] For they (D)did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, (E)“It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an (F)omer,[b] according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, (G)whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and (H)it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22 On (I)the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of (J)solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and (K)it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for (L)today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, (M)“How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people (N)rested on the seventh day.

31 Now the house of Israel called its name (O)manna. It was (P)like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a (Q)jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before (R)the testimony to be kept. 35 The people of Israel (S)ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till (T)they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (An omer is (U)the tenth part of an ephah.)[c]

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Footnotes
  1. Exodus 16:15 Or “It is manna”; Hebrew man hu
  2. Exodus 16:16 An omer was about 2 quarts or 2 liters
  3. Exodus 16:36 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

As promised (8), God sent quail into the camp so the people could eat meat. The next morning the dew contained something unusual: the bread of God. This blessing was also a test of obedience (4). As they obeyed, all was provided (18).

But when Moses gave the first limitation (do not keep it until morning), some paid no attention. The LORD provided clear instructions for the Sabbath, that his people might enjoy that day of rest. The flakes enduring an extra day were a special grace of God. But some people went out to look for flakes anyway. Obedience requires carefully listening to the instructions. So too in relationship with Jesus: he expects us to follow him (Lk 9:23) and obey him by listening to his words (Jn 14:15), not just doing what we think is best or right. This requires giving our full attention to understanding his words.

Verses 32-36 refer to a later time, after the giving of the covenant at Sinai (31:18). The jar of manna would be kept as a memorial and a reminder and a witness to God’s continued faithfulness and grace to his people, which endured 40 years! As we participate in communion we remember Jesus, the bread of heaven, provided for us by God.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your faithfulness, not only to provide for my needs, but to teach me and help me to grow as an obedient disciple. Help me give careful attention to your word today.

One Word: Jesus is the Bread of Life