Principle
God fed Israel with manna during the exodus.
Explanation
As Israel journeyed from Egypt towards Mount Sinai, they grew hungry. Instead of taking their concern to GOD and asking for His help, they complained. But GOD was compassionate and answered their need.
GOD miraculously provided a small sweet-tasting seed upon the ground each morning so that the Israelites had enough to make food to sustain themselves.
1 Now they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron. 3 The children of Israel said to them, “Would we had died, smitten by the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate bread to the full. For you brought us out into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread out of heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 5 So it shall be on the sixth day, they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”
6 Then Moses and Aaron said to all the congregation of the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know the Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 In the morning you shall see the Lord’s glory; for He hears your complaints against God. But what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 Also Moses said, “The Lord’s glory shall be seen when He gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints you make against Him. But what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against God.”
9 Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before God, for He has heard your complaints.’” 10 Now when Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and behold, the Lord’s glory appeared in the cloud. 11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know I am the Lord your God.’”
13 So it was that quail came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. 14 But when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the desert, was a small round substance, white like coriander seed, like frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is this?” For they did not know what it was. Thus Moses said to them, “This is the bread the Lord gives you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has ordered, ‘Let every man gather it for his family, one omer according to the head count and number of souls among you. Each one should gather it with those who share your tents.’”
17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Each one gathered according to the need of those sharing the tent with him. 19 Moses then said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.” 20 Notwithstanding, they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. So Moses was angry with them. 21 Thus they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need, and when the sun became hot, it melted.
22 So it was, on the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to them, “This is the word the Lord has spoken: ‘Tomorrow is the Sabbath, a holy rest to the Lord. Bake what you will bake, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains to be kept until morning.’” 24 So they laid it up till morning as Moses commanded them; but it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for 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 the Sabbath, there will be none.”
27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 29 Behold, for the Lord has given you this day as the Sabbath; therefore, on the sixth day He gives you bread for two days. Let every man remain in his house; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 Thus the people rested on the seventh day.
31 Now the children of Israel called its name manna, and it was white like coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Then Moses said, “This is the thing the Lord commanded: ‘Fill an omer with the manna to be kept for your generations, so they may see the bread you ate in the desert when the Lord led you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 Moses then said to Aaron, “Take a golden pot, put one full omer of the manna in it, and lay it up before God to be kept for your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the testimony to be kept. 35 Thus the children 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 Phoenicia. 36 Now an omer was the tenth part of three measures.
Exodus 16:1-13 OSB
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