February 14 Daily Devotional

Exodus 16

Leaving the shady palm trees of Elim behind, the Israelites entered the wilderness of Sin. At first they met an extended sandy plain and gradually the territory was getting more rugged and hilly. As they went on they became discouraged, when they had nothing to eat. They came to Moses and Aaron complaining, Would that we had died in Egypt; for ye brought us forth into the wilderness to kill us with hunger. Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them … In the morning ye shall be filled with bread, and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.”

In the morning the dew lay round about the camp. When the sun beamed warm and bright, the dew passed away, and left the ground covered with something which looked white like frost. “Man hu?” the people asked, which means “What is it?” Moses replied, “This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat … Gather of it every man according to his eating.” They did so and gathered, some more, some less. And the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Afterwards it was called “manna.”

Moses told the people they should not keep any of the manna for the next day, because God would send a fresh supply. Some took more than they needed, not trusting God’s word that there would be more on the next day. But that which was left over the next day, spoiled, so that it became useless. This was to teach the people, that each day they should trust God for their daily bread.

Moses told the people on the sixth day of the week they should gather an extra amount of manna for the sabbath day. On this day they would not find any. So on the sixth day the people gathered a double supply. On that day they found the manna which was not used did not spoil, but kept fresh for the next day. On the sabbath day, some of the people who had failed to listen to Moses went out, but they found none. All Israel should learn the lesson, which we also should remember that one day of each week belongs to God and should be kept holy to the Lord.

Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot and put an omer full of manna therein … to be kept for your generations.” Aaron did so, and this pot of manna was kept in the ark of the covenant. For many generations it was kept in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle and later in the Temple. All the time that the Israelites lived in the wilderness, which was forty years, they ate the manna which God gave them. When they entered the land of Canaan the manna ceased to fall.