Manna

Introduction

Every culture in the world has bread. In India it is na’an. In Greece, it is pita bread. In North America, Europe, and North Asia, it is a loaf. In Central and South America, it is tortilla. Every culture has a type of bread.

Bread represents sustenance, and it is a staple in every culture. Everywhere in the world has their own type of bread.

The Lord is going to provide them sustenance and provision

Explanation

Exodus 16:1-12 // “Know that your complaining is not against us, but it is against the Lord.

Explanation

Moses wanted them to understand that they were not complaining against Moses and Aaron. They were complaining against God.

When you complain, it might be about your son, husband, doctor, or air conditioner repairman, (or your pastor!) but it is ultimately about God.

You are saying that what God has given to you isn’t enough.

Application

Instead of complaining or criticizing, we exercise our faith.

Exodus 16:13-21 // God provides enough for the day so that His people will depend upon him - not their storehouses.

Explanation

God only gave Israel enough manna for one day, except for the day that he wanted them to gather for two days!

God wants them to depend upon Him.

Application

The once-per-day manna rations probably affected the Israelites in different ways.

Frustrated. “I just can’t get ahead.” “I want to do thing with my life, and I feel like I’m spinning my wheels, waiting on God.”

Nervous. “He’s only giving one day of food? What happens if He doesn’t come back tomorrow? How can we KNOW that he will come back tomorrow?

We do the same thing physically and spiritually.

Nothing is ever enough. God can help us.

Physically, we horde and grow and keep, because we need to have safety.

Spiritually, we get a day at a time.

Spiritual, day-by-day dependence upon God.

The bigger our storehouses,

We need to rely upon Jesus a day at a time. Spiritually, God brings us to into a day-by-day dependence upon Him.

Yesterday’s mercies were for yesterday. Today’s mercies is for today. Tomorrow’s mercies are for tomorrow.

We lament what happened in the past, and we worry about what will happen in the future. When we live this way, we neglect the present.

God was wanting Israel to live with Him in the moment. To Abide. To Know intimately.

Exodus 16:22-30 // God’s provision for the Sabbath is a means for us to rest.

We will talk more about the Sabbath later in this study, but the principle of rest begins here.

God grants, and actually commands, a day of rest for his people. He forces it upon them, saying that there will not even be the temptation of manna on the Sabbath.

An aspect of dependence and rest is knowing that God will provide. Rest in a weary world.

Some of you are stressed and weary, not because you do not have time to rest, but because of your desire to have more.

The reason that you believe that you cannot take a break is because you have slowly and steadily added to the number of things that you think you need to survive.

Could the things that you think define thriving actually rob you of the peace that it takes to thrive? The Israelites lived very simply. So should we.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. // 1 Tim 6:6

e. Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. // Eccl. 4:6

Exodus 16:31-36 // Israel kept the manna as a reminder of God’s provision.

Manna would not always be a staple of the Israelite diet. In fact, the day that they ate the produce of the Promised Land, the manna stopped.

However, God wanted his provision to be a reminder for the people that, even though they would have to raise cattle and sheep, sow and harvest their fields, and gather their fruit, the provision was no less from God than the manna.

Everything that they continued to have could come through the Lord.

We are no different.

Jesus is the greater Manna. He literally says, “I am the bread of life.”

Manna was a temporary solution, while Jesus was an eternal one.

Manna humbled the people, making them take daily portions to walk with God. Jesus on the cross gives us the ability to walk daily with God.

Conclusion

Do you feel lost? God is your provider in Jesus.

Let us embrace radical contentment so that we can abide in Jesus.