Exodus 16:4–30

The first thing to notice is the grace with which God meets the desires of the people. In Numbers 11 He also meets their desire in similar circumstances. But there "the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague." Here there is no sign of judgment — only patient and forbearing grace. The difference springs from the dispensation. In Numbers they were under law, and God dealt with them on that ground. Here they are under grace, and so grace reigned despite their sin.

When they were hungry enough to cry out for bread, God gave them bread. How true for us also! If He had first given them bread before they were hungry, they might well have complained that they wanted something different. The flesh in us always thinks it knows what we need better than God.

Even God's grace in this way proves us. In fact, nothing proves us more than grace. The very name "manna" carries as much meaning in the picture as it did in the history. It reminds us how little even the people of God enter into what we have here. "They said to one another, 'manna' (what is it?), for they did not know what it was."

Only a heart weaned from Egypt's influences could be satisfied with "bread from heaven," or enjoy it. In fact, we know that the people were not satisfied with it. They despised it, called it "light food," and craved meat. So they showed how little their hearts were free of Egypt, or willing to walk in God's law… It takes a heavenly taste to feed on bread from heaven. Nature cannot enjoy such food.

The people were not yet formally under the law, so the Lord at once stepped in with mercy. Yet by the bread from heaven there would be a first testing: would they walk in His law when He gave it, or would they not? This we see in verse 4.

The manna was a daily provision for daily need. No one could hoard it; if anyone tried, it bred worms and stank. In the same way we cannot live on yesterday's enjoyment of Christ. We must enjoy Him today… Constant dependence upon God, constant drawing from Him, is what He appoints as the way of blessing for us. He would keep us with Himself. We must recognise the hand of God that supplies us, and gives us no store that would let us live, even a little, independently of Him.

We must gather the heavenly manna fresh every morning. We must make Christ our primary object. We must seek Him "early," before "other things" have had time to take possession of our poor, easily-captured hearts.

Manna was food for the wilderness, and presents to us Christ, a humbled Christ in this world. This uniquely attractive picture brings before us the matchless, heavenly grace that marked Him in His lowly path of pleasure for His God and Father. It shows His obedience, meekness, gentleness, dependence, His love of righteousness, His hatred of lawlessness, and every other feature of perfection.

The Lord Jesus said to the Jews, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven" (John 6:32). What a beautiful answer to murmuring is God's tender action. Here were these people all murmuring, and the Lord steps in and "rains bread from heaven" for them.

Notice this carefully: God gave the Sabbath of Jehovah's rest before the law, along with the eating of this bread from heaven. It was first given to Israel as a privilege, not by command, or on the principle of law. And here the people rested on the seventh day. I know of no other single instance where the people rested on the Sabbath day. From Adam to Moses, right up to this chapter, more than 2,500 years passed. In all that time the Spirit never uses the word Sabbath, in its root or in any of its forms. And here, in the wilderness of Sin, it is God's gift to His redeemed people, in perfect grace.

So we find that God made the "manna" — the heavenly food He supplied to meet His people's daily need — serve the "rest" which He appointed for them. That rest outweighed every other consideration. The Lord says, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

"Sabbath" means rest. Here, if the connection means anything as a type — and it surely must — then the teaching is clear. Our hearts find rest as we take in and enjoy Christ as the Bread from heaven.

Everyone had to gather it every day according to his eating (Ex. 16:16); and if he gathered more — unless it was for "the Sabbath" — it would certainly become corrupt. No, dear friends, there must be constant feeding upon Christ, day by day and hour by hour; and we can never receive more than we need at the time. This keeps us in continual dependence, with our eyes always on Christ.

Collected this way on any other day, out of self-will, it became worthless and rotten. But done in obedience, with the Sabbath in view, it stayed sound and good. The truth taught is that when we share in God's rest, in His grace, throughout eternity, Christ will still be our food. There is perhaps another thought. It is that whatever we gain of Christ here becomes our eternal possession and delight. Gather as much manna as we may, two omers instead of one; if it is kept for the rest that remains, it will be a source of strength and joy throughout eternity.

On the sixth day they were to gather twice as much as on other days, to provide for the Sabbath, when they were not to gather at all (v. 5). As a type this teaches two things. There will be no labour of gathering in eternity, but that labour increases as eternity draws near.

On the sixth day the amount is twice as much as usual. The sixth day is the day of discipline, and it is also the day of spiritual harvest.

They say they wish they had died in the land of Egypt, while they sat by the meat pots and had plenty to eat. But they forgot the harsh slavery they had suffered under, complaining bitterly all the while! They accuse Moses and Aaron of bringing them out of Egypt. Yet only a short time before, they had sung in triumph to the Lord, thanking Him for His great deliverance. How is it possible that their eyes had grown so dim, and in so short a time?

By now they had surely eaten all the food they brought out of Egypt, and in the wilderness there was no visible source of supply. Sad to say, the people were walking by sight. The wonders of the Passover night and the crossing of the Red Sea had happened within the month. Yet they had completely forgotten the power of their God.

These miracles gave no honour to the men who worked them, though of course they proved that their ministry came from God. They were wholly a testimony to the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, and all He taught. This is true even of Moses' works of power. In Exodus 16:8 and elsewhere we read, "What are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD."

It was as great a miracle to bring the quails, but seeing the glory is not said in connection with them. God had promised, "in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD." What took place at evening? God gave them flesh to eat. That was God's proof that He had brought them out of the land of Egypt. It showed that if He led them through the wilderness, He would feed them also. But more than this was to be seen in the morning.

The bread that Israel gathered every morning was only a type of the true bread... But the flesh in the evening, what may we learn from that? Does it not tell us of the provision God makes to meet our bodily needs? After the toil of the day the body needs refreshment... Just as the evening quails meet every bodily need, so the morning bread teaches us to begin each day with Him who alone sustains the soul... The quails are as much His gift as the bread; both are of His grace.

In Numbers 11 He also meets their desire in similar circumstances. But there "the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague." Here there is no sign of judgment — only patient and forbearing grace. The difference springs, if we may so describe it, from the way God was dealing with them at the time. In Numbers they were under law, and God treated them accordingly. Here they are under grace, and so grace reigned despite their sin. Their grumbling was also the occasion for the display of the glory of the Lord. So when man shows what he is, God reveals from the depths of His heart what He is.

He does not judge them. Instead, He lets His glory draw near, so that the light of His presence might shine in on this grumbling people.

God had heard the murmurings of the children of Israel against Him. They may say they were complaining only against Moses and Aaron. But these men were nothing more than representatives of God. So Moses insists that their murmurings were not against Moses and Aaron, but against the Lord (v. 8).

These miracles gave no honour at all to the people who performed them. Of course they confirmed the divine character of their ministry. They were entirely a testimony to the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to all He taught. This is true even of Moses' works of power, as in Exodus 16:8 and elsewhere: "What are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD."

Moses and Aaron speak to the children of Israel, to subdue them before the Lord. They tell them that at evening they will have a fresh reminder that the Lord — not Moses and Aaron — has brought them out of Egypt. Then the next morning they would see the glory of the Lord in a way they had not imagined.

Look back at Exodus 16 and 17. Those chapters record their murmurings and complaints before God gave the law. We see a difference at once. Then no judgment followed, as it did later in Numbers 11. It illustrates the statement that "sin is not counted where there is no law" (Rom. 5:13), and also that other statement of the apostle, "when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died" (Rom. 7:9).

Their murmurings were the occasion of the display of the glory of the Lord (v. 10). So the display of what man is draws out from the depths of the heart of God the revelation of what He is. It was so in the garden of Eden, and indeed all the way down the line of His dealings with man. We see this principle in perfection at the cross. There man appeared in all the utter corruption of his evil nature, and God showed Himself fully.

God in His grace answered Israel's murmuring. He gave them flesh and manna, and He also appeared in His glory (Ex. 16:2-10). God did not rebuke them for murmuring, but appeared in His glory to show His care for them in wonderful grace. It was not until the people had undertaken to keep the law that the glory of God brought terror to the hearts of Israel.

All our complaints, our expressions of unbelief, our murmurings, are against the Lord, and come straight into His ears. If the Lord were visibly before our eyes, we would not dare to say what we often allow ourselves to say in the hastiness of our unbelief. And yet we really are before Him, His eyes are upon us, and He hears our every word.

How does God answer the murmurers? And how does He answer us if we are walking in their path? Read the whole of Exodus 16 for the answer. For forty years — the whole time of their wanderings in the wilderness — He gave them manna. He puts Christ before us the whole time of our wilderness journey. Christ is the always humble, dependent, obedient One. He is the only One who accepted everything in the wilderness path as from God His Father, without a single murmur. The manna is Christ in humiliation, seen here as a dependent Man. That is how God meets your murmuring and mine.

God had heard the murmurings of the children of Israel against Him. They may say they were complaining only against Moses and Aaron, but those two men were nothing more than God's representatives. So Moses insists that their murmurings were not against Moses and Aaron, but against the Lord (v.8).

Note also that murmuring against Moses and Aaron was murmuring against the Lord. (v. 8.) All sin is really against God. (See Psalm 51:4; Luke 15:18-21.)

We generally find out where we are by a murmuring spirit. Nothing is easier than for a murmuring spirit to get into the heart of a believer, or a whole church... The murmuring was really against God, and not against the servants of God. Examine any murmuring honestly. It is not against the circumstances, nor against God's people. It is always the outcome of downright unbelief towards God. That is the point.

Don't murmur, Christian, for it is a most unchristian, a most ungodly thing to do. Nothing dishonours God more, nothing does greater damage to the soul. Of all the sins Israel committed in the wilderness, this was the chief one. It meant they did not believe their God was fit to be trusted.

The people murmured. They showed how much they wanted to go back to Egypt, almost as soon as God had rescued them from it... But grace, without judgment, answers their murmuring, and provides for their need. The Lord heard them, but did not rebuke them. They cried for bread — it was rained from heaven; He gave them flesh every evening, and bread every morning.

We do not remember often enough that all our complaints, our expressions of unbelief, our murmurings, are against the Lord, and come straight into His ears. How often our sinful words would die away on our lips if this thought were in our minds! If the Lord were visibly before our eyes, we would not dare to say what we often allow ourselves to say in the hastiness of our unbelief. And yet we really are before Him, His eyes are upon us, and He hears our every word.

In chapters 15, 16 and 17 the Lord bears their murmurings with long-suffering and tenderness, and He meets their needs out of the fulness of His unwearied love. But after Sinai, murmurings of the same kind bring judgment. The reason is simple: the people themselves had asked to be put under law.

How very solemn it is that the first mention of the display of God's glory has to do with meeting their murmurings... Aaron, directed by Moses, said to the whole congregation, "Come near before the Lord: for He has heard your murmurings." Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud (verse 10). Although Israel had murmured, God was dealing with them in grace. He answered their murmurings in grace, with the rich provision of flesh and manna.

He does not judge them. On the contrary, He lets His glory draw near, so that the very light of His presence might shine in on this murmuring people.

And that is the lesson we learn here, in the wilderness of Sin. It is met by the words, "Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling" (Ex. 16:9). Ah, He does not judge them. On the contrary, He lets His glory draw near, so that the very light of His presence might shine in on this complaining people. They had said, "Would that we had died" (Ex. 16:3)... They had forgotten their bondage. All they remembered was what they had fed upon. They were away from the meat pots of Egypt. But they had not yet learned that the fullness of God's hand is enough.

Notice, further, that murmuring against Moses and Aaron was murmuring against the Lord (v. 8). All sin is really against God... Their complaints were also the occasion for the display of the glory of the Lord (v. 10). So the display of what man is brings out of the depths of the heart of God the revelation of what He is. It was so in the garden of Eden, and indeed all down the line of His dealings with man. The cross shows this principle perfectly. There man displayed the complete corruption of his evil nature, and God revealed Himself fully.

These miracles were kept completely separate from any honour given to the people who performed them. Of course they proved the divine character of their ministry. But they were wholly a testimony to the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, and all He taught. This is true even as to Moses' works of power; as Exodus 16:8, and elsewhere, "What are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD."

He asks the people to "come near" before the Lord who had heard their complaints. He had known that effect in himself. Like a wise master builder, he wanted to lead his brothers into the same thing, even if it was by a different path. The glory of the Lord and the resources of the Lord had already taught him. Now he wants the people to receive the same blessed teaching, even though their discontent and complaining is what draws it out... Let us note that a servant's discipline must always be in advance of the service required of him. He cannot lead beyond that point to which he himself has been led.

While the glory-cloud of Jehovah's presence shaded and lit up the camp, the hearts of Israel were on Egypt. Their faces were turned that way, and it needed Aaron's words to change their attitude, but after a while "they looked toward the wilderness" (v. 10). In these words, "they looked toward the wilderness," lies the key we seek. God had displayed His glory in judgment, both in Egypt and in the Red Sea; He would now display His glory in the wilderness.

God was the Provider. The bitter water was made sweet; the manna came down each night; the water flowed out of the hard rock — and all for a complaining people. What grace, what patient dealing by God! And until they reached Sinai and promised to obey the law, God dealt with them in pure grace. He supplied each need, and He did not punish them for their complaining.

Their grumbling was the occasion of the display of the glory of the Lord (v. 10). So the display of what man is draws out of the depths of God's heart the revelation of what He is. It was so in the garden of Eden, and indeed all down the line of His dealings with man. The cross shows this principle in perfection. There man appeared in all the utter corruption of his evil nature, and God revealed Himself fully... Notice too that grumbling against Moses and Aaron was grumbling against the Lord (v. 8). All sin is really against God.

It is met by the words, "Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling" (Ex. 16:9). Ah, He does not judge them. On the contrary, He lets His glory draw near, so that the very light of His presence might shine in on this grumbling people. They had said, "Would that we had died" (Ex. 16:3)... Which was better: to toil at the brick-kilns of Pharaoh, or to travel in the desert with God?

While the glory-cloud of Jehovah's presence shaded and lit up the camp, the hearts of Israel were on Egypt. Their faces were turned that way. It took Aaron's words to change their attitude, but after a while "they looked toward the wilderness" (v. 10). In these words, "they looked toward the wilderness," lies the key we are looking for. God had displayed His glory in judgment, both in Egypt and at the Red Sea; He would now display His glory in the wilderness.

He desires the people to "come near" before the Lord who had heard their grumbling. He had known the effect in himself. Like a wise master-builder, he would lead his brothers into the same, though by a different path. The glory of the Lord, and the resources of the Lord, had already taught him. Now he wants the people to receive the same blessed teaching, even though their discontent and grumbling drew it out.

But more — in the morning they were to see the glory of Jehovah. And "in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up," a new thing happened, one which had never been before on earth... "Manna?" — "What is this?" — the people exclaimed. It was God's glory in the wilderness — it was the gift of God.

Exodus 16 teaches us much. It is where the manna first appears, and along with it the glory of God appeared in the wilderness. Those whose eyes were opened saw in Jesus here God manifest in the flesh, Emmanuel, come near to us to bless us.

The second appearing of the glory came in very different circumstances, for Israel had bound themselves by a covenant of death to keep the whole law. The contrast between these two appearings of the divine glory is very striking. It shows the difference between the Lord's dealings with Israel under grace and under law. Those who seek to stand before God on the ground of law deal with a God who is a consuming fire. Those who deal with God in grace, as made known in Jesus, learn His goodness in the rich provision He has made for His people.

But grace, without judgment, answers their grumbling and provides for their need. The LORD heard them, but did not scold. They cried for bread, and He rained it down from heaven. He gave them meat every evening and bread every morning.

Note, too, that grumbling against Moses and Aaron was grumbling against the Lord. (v. 8.) All sin is against God. (See Psalm 51:4; Luke 15:18-21.) That is why the Lord says, "I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel."

Exodus 16 shows us Israel murmuring again, but the Lord answers in nothing but grace… Wrath did come upon them another day. They despised the manna, insisted on meat, and kept on in their craving… But that was after the law came in. God then judged in righteousness the sinners who dared to make the blessing depend on their own power to obey it. But up to Sinai it was not law, but grace. "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." So the Lord told Moses to say, "At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God."

How precious this display of divine grace is! It shines against the dark background of man's sin, and that sin is the very thing that drew it out. Exposing what is in the heart of man brings out of the depths of God's heart all that He is in blessing to man… But at the cross we see man at his lowest, rejecting the Son of God. And there we see the heart of God fully revealed in grace.

The bread that Israel gathered every morning was only a picture of the true bread. Of that bread the Lord said, "if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever" (John 6:51). But what about the meat in the evening — what may we learn from that? Does it not tell us how God provides for our bodily needs?… The quails are as much His gift as the bread; both are of His grace. The quails only met bodily needs, so they were not laid up before the Lord; but the manna, the bread from heaven, was.

It seems we must draw a very clear distinction between the quails and the manna. God gave both to meet their hunger. But the quails came more in His chastening ways with a people who wanted what they had eaten as they sat by the pots of meat in Egypt. So the psalmist speaks of them craving in the wilderness and testing God in the desert: "He gave them what they asked, but sent leanness into their soul" (Psalm 106:14-15).

But there is a far deeper meaning in the manna than this… Then comes the Lord's answer: "it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven." And He adds, "I am the bread of life." He is the reality the manna pictured — our God gives us food for this wilderness life.

Exodus 16 shows us Israel murmuring again, but the Lord answers with nothing but grace. Yet, as Moses and Aaron said, the murmuring was against Him, and not against them... Wrath did come on them another day. They despised the manna, demanded meat, and kept on craving, when they should have been ashamed and grieved at their self-will and unbelief... But this was after the law came in. God was right to judge sinners who dared to make the blessing depend on their own power to obey it. But up to Sinai it was not law, but grace... Their absolute need was now plain. In the wilderness, who but God could supply bread for such a multitude?

Their murmurings were the occasion of the display of the glory of the Lord. So the sight of what man is draws out of the depths of God's heart the revelation of what He is. It was so in the garden of Eden, and indeed all down the line of His dealings with man... Note, moreover, that murmuring against Moses and Aaron was murmuring against the Lord. All sin is really against God.

What may we learn from the meat given in the evening? Does it not tell us of the provision God makes to meet our bodily needs?... So, "in the evening quail came up and covered the camp." There was abundance. God provides for the natural needs of His saints... The evening quails meet every bodily need. In the same way, the morning bread teaches us to begin each day with Him who alone sustains the soul... The quails are as much His gift as the bread; both are of His grace. The quails only meet bodily needs, so they are not laid up before the Lord, but the manna, the bread from heaven, is.

The quails have no special teaching connected with them, while the manna is a very striking picture of the Lord Jesus. The quails were given to satisfy the desires of the people, but brought no blessing... God may hear the cry of His people, even in their unbelief, and grant them their desires — but for discipline rather than for present blessing.

What took place at evening? God gave them meat to eat. It was God's proof that He had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and that if He led them through the wilderness, He would feed them too. But the morning would show more than this. Then they would have not only proof that God had freed them from slavery; they would also see the glory of the LORD.

There is a far deeper meaning in the manna than this. You remember how the Lord interprets it in John 6... "It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven." Then He adds, "I am the bread of life." He is the fulfilment of the manna. Our God provides the food we need for this wilderness life. The wonder of it is so great that no one has ever been able to take it in. "God manifest in the flesh!"

This is how divine grace serves, and they depend on it completely. No human hands bestowed this bread. God Himself showers it around their tents in the night while they sleep. It comes in the dew, the beautiful figure of the Spirit, who ministers Christ, and not Himself — the dew lifts and leaves the manna on the ground. But it lies there, an insignificant thing, and small as the frost.

But grace, without judgment, answers their murmuring, and provides for their need. Jehovah heard them, but did not scold them. They cried for bread, and He rained it down from heaven. He gave them flesh every evening, and bread every morning.

So divine grace ministers, and they are dependent entirely upon it. No human hands gave this bread. God Himself showers it around their tents in the night while they sleep.

Does it not tell us of the provision God makes for our bodily needs? After the work of the day the body needs refreshment... He who sent the quails is the same One who said, "Do not be anxious about tomorrow"... And just as the evening quails meet the body's needs, so the morning bread teaches us to begin each day with Him who alone sustains the soul... The quails are as much His gift as the bread; both are of His grace. The quails, since they only meet the body's needs, are not laid up before the Lord, but the manna, the bread from heaven, is.

We take our stand with the hungry people at the end of the anxious day. And look — "In the evening quail came up and covered the camp." Here was the flesh they wanted. Jehovah, their salvation, had not appointed Israel to perish! It was He who had brought them out from the land of Egypt, and this the quails showed to Israel. But there was more — in the morning they were to see the glory of Jehovah... It was God's glory in the wilderness — it was the gift of God.

Only part of one verse deals with the miracle of the quails. All the rest of our chapter gives the details of the manna. That is because the manna is a picture fulfilled in Christ, the wilderness food of His saints. The Lord's own words in John 6 make this clear. The manna was the picture, but He is the "true bread from heaven."

The word of the Lord came true in an extraordinary flight of quails that evening. This bird migrates and is easy to catch, but the huge numbers settling on the camp made the event a miracle. Nothing more is said here about them. But when this miracle was repeated under the law, judgment followed, as we see in Numbers 11:31-34.

A flight of quails comes before the manna, in the evening. It supplies the people with the flesh they had been promised. We know well what this death as the food of life means, so it raises no difficulty here. The Lord Himself, in His sermon on this text of manna (John 6), assures us that we must not only eat His flesh, but drink His blood, or we have no life in us. His person and His work are both necessary to us. And His sacrifice must come first. In the same way, Israel could eat the lamb only inside the house sprinkled with blood. So the quails come first, and in the evening.

But notice, it was in connection with the dew that the manna came. It is the Holy Spirit who makes Christ our food; and may there not be a fitness in the dew being withdrawn so that the manna may be seen? The Spirit always presents Christ and none but Him. But the same things that removed the dew also melted the manna. The sun of this world soon drives away, as far as our enjoyment goes, what should be our food.

Water in Scripture is a figure of the word of God in its cleansing or purifying power. The Israelites got manna in connection with dew — we receive Christ through the word.

God stamped the character of grace on this gift of the manna, given to meet the people's need. Their grumbling should have brought down judgment. Instead, God met it by supplying this food.

And when the dew lifted, a new thing appeared, one which had never been on earth before. "Manna?" — "What is this?" — the people exclaimed. It was God's glory in the wilderness — it was the gift of God.

This then is the meaning of the manna: the bread which God gave the Israelites to eat in the wilderness. It is therefore the proper wilderness food for the Lord's people. The Jews once said to our Lord, "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" He replied: "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:32-33.) The manna, then, is clearly a type of Christ — a picture of Him as He was in this world. He came down from heaven, and He becomes the food of His people as they pass through the wilderness.

Second, it looked like "a small round thing," as small as the tiny specks of frost. The Son of God came down from heaven into manhood, so that He might give His flesh for the life of the world. In doing so He did indeed make Himself small and of no account in the eyes of men. It was also round, not angular and uneven. In the same way, in Christ once humbled here, there was an evenness that came from perfection in every detail.

The manna was round, picturing how accessible Christ is. A round thing is not like a square or an oval. Wherever you touch its edge, you are the same distance from its center. So the round shape shows how easy our Lord was to reach — young and old, rich and poor, religious and irreligious. Think of the woman who was a sinner, and Mary Magdalene, out of whom seven demons were cast. Think of the dying thief, and the children whom the disciples would have driven away. All alike could reach Him and be blessed.

It is on the ground, so they must stoop to gather it. It lies on the face of the wilderness — something fine, as if pounded to pieces, fine as the frost on the ground. It does not look like much. It carries marks as if of rough handling. It reminds us of the prophet's words: "no beauty that we should desire Him." "What is it?" they say; for they did not know what it was. "The world knew Him not."

The manna was found where the dew of heaven had fallen around the camp. The barren wilderness received the dew on its face. The moisture gathered unseen and fell from above. Where it settled on the ground, God spread the angels' food for man — "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." So we have both before us: the Spirit of God, who presents Christ to us, and Christ our food... We must gather our spiritual food diligently, day by day, early in the morning before the sun is up.

"Behold" — on the face of the wilderness at this very moment, despite all the bareness and roughness of your path. Behold, for you, God's own provision. Stoop, gather it up, and it will be sweet to your taste, and it will supply strength to you for all your desert way! Yes, weak as you are, surrounded by sorrow as you are, or, sadly, proud as you are, it is there waiting for you... not covered up, but out in the open... It is for every saint of God.

"It is manna" (Ex. 16:15) has no meaning to a reader who does not know Hebrew, but translated as the earliest versions had it — "What is this?" — the passage is simple enough.

The people say to one another Man-hu? "What is it?" And the question remained as its name, for no one ever really found out what it was — nor ever will. But something we know: it is the sustenance and strength of the redeemed soul.

The mark of grace is on this gift of the manna, given to meet the people's need. Their murmurings did not bring down judgment. Instead, God met them with this food.

This, then, is the meaning of the manna: the bread which God gave the Israelites to eat in the wilderness. It is therefore the proper wilderness food for the Lord's people. The Jews said to our Lord, "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" He replied, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven." So the manna is plainly a type of Christ — Christ as He was in this world. He came down from heaven, and in that character He becomes the food of His people as they pass through the wilderness.

It lies upon the ground, so they must stoop to gather it — on the face of the wilderness — something fine, as if pounded to pieces, fine as the frost on the ground. This is how the people see it, who have not yet tasted it, and do not know what it is. It clearly does not look like much; it carries marks as if of rough handling. It reminds us of the prophet's words, "no beauty that we should desire him." "What is it?" they say; for they did not know what it was. "The world did not know Him."

The barren wilderness received the dew on its face. The moisture gathered unseen and fell from above, and where it settled on the ground, God spread the angels' food for man — "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." So we have both before us: the Spirit of God, who presents Christ to us, and Christ our food. "The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven" (John 6:33), and we find Him, we may say, where the Holy Spirit presents Him to us.

The heavenly manna must be gathered fresh every morning. Yesterday's manna will not do for today, nor today's for tomorrow. We must feed on Christ every day, with fresh energy of the Spirit, or else we shall stop growing. What is more, we must make Christ our first object. We must seek Him "early," before "other things" have had time to take hold of our poor, easily-swayed hearts.

You and I cannot feed on that manna unless we come to it through death. Manna, then, is Christ humbled, as He was in this scene. "The old grain of the land" is Christ glorified. You and I have to eat both, because we are in the wilderness and yet going to heaven. We are on our road home to God, and the Spirit of God carries our souls into heavenly places now. You must eat both.

What, then, is the Manna for the believer? It is Christ come in human flesh — a humbled Christ… So Christ is the Manna in all that He was in the flesh. He is the Manna in the expression of what He was, both as the revealer of the Father and as the perfect man. His grace, compassion, sympathy, tenderness, and love; His meekness and lowliness of heart; His patience, forbearance, and long-suffering; His example — all these are found in the Manna. God has given us that Manna as our food for the journey through the wilderness.

In the giving of the manna, you remember, God said, "an omer for every man." Whether one gathered much or little, it was all measured. Each one had his full quota — "an omer for every man." A full Christ for every man was the thought of God… So the omer was the measure of Christ coming into this world. He came to meet the need of man, and in doing so to show the grace and glory of God.

An omer was the measure people used in the tents of Israel for ordinary purposes. It held the usual portion of a man's daily food. So it made the gift of the manna personal to the need of every single person in the camp.

First, they were to gather it every man according to his eating (vv. 16-18). As a result, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. The appetite governed the amount collected. How strikingly true this is of the believer! We all have as much of Christ as we desire — no more, and no less. If our desires are large, if we open our mouth wide, He will fill it. We cannot desire too much, nor be disappointed when we desire. On the other hand, if we barely feel our need, we shall have only a little of Christ.

Some explain that although several in a family went out to gather the manna, when it was brought home and measured it came to just an omer for each of them. The more likely explanation is that an omer was the average portion for each. Some needed more and others less, so every one gathered "according to his eating," according to what he knew he would need. That way every one had enough, and nothing was wasted.

Human responsibility went together with divine goodness. The heaven-sent provision lay around Israel's camp, yet each Israelite still had to be diligent to make that provision his own portion… To gather the manna, a man had to stoop, for it fell on the ground. Without question, the lowliest find for themselves the most of Christ.

But they must gather the manna "according to each one's need" (v. 16). This would take time, and would also mean bending down. First it says "an omer for each person." God would provide for each one individually. But it is also specifically said that each man should gather for all who were in his tent. The head of the household is responsible to share with his whole house the preciousness of the Lord Jesus.

The earlier part of the passage comes up again in 2 Corinthians 8:15. It shows that when believers make a collection for poor fellow believers, this divine principle of "equality" should be worked out: what some have in abundance supplies the need of others.

Exodus 16 shows us Israel murmuring again, but the Lord answers with nothing but grace... Their absolute need was now plain. In the wilderness, who but God could supply bread for such a multitude? But He did supply it generously, and at their doors. "Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat." ... It is Christ, the true manna from heaven, who gives eternal life and brings us into rest.

But the manna had to be gathered. Human responsibility went together with God's goodness. The heaven-sent provision lay all around Israel's camp. Even so, each Israelite had to work at gathering it before it became his own portion... To gather the manna, a man had to stoop, because it fell on the ground. Beyond all argument, the lowliest find for themselves the most of Christ.

First, each man was to gather as much as he could eat (vv. 16-18)... The appetite governed the amount collected. How strikingly true this is of the believer! We all have as much of Christ as we desire — no more, and no less. If our desires are large, if we open our mouth wide, He will fill it. We cannot desire too much, nor be disappointed when we desire. On the other hand, if we are only feebly conscious of our need, only a little of Christ will be supplied.

You cannot have too much of Christ... On the other hand, the amount we have does not depend on the time or effort we spend gathering. Not the amount of time, but the amount of heart, counts with God, and that is where the fruit is.

When the children of Israel gathered the manna, some gathered more than others (v. 17). But there was no difficulty. The larger amount was not too much, and the smaller was not too little. Each had gathered just what he could eat. One may have a larger capacity to enjoy Christ, another a smaller capacity. Neither one carries any stigma.

God adjusted the supply to the demand with a wisdom and power that ruled out surplus just as much as shortage. He who gave the manna from heaven measured it exactly, whatever the differing measures in man's hands. And we have to do with the same God, and He surely regulates everything in the church with no less care and love.

Verse 15 quotes Exodus 16:18 in support of this. Reading Exodus, one might suppose the verse simply meant that each gatherer of the manna was able to judge his appetite rightly and gather accordingly. The way the verse is quoted here shows, however, that there is more in it than that, since it is cited in support of the principle of sharing with others what God may have entrusted to us.

Some explained that when several from one family gathered and brought the manna home to measure, it came to just an omer each. The more likely explanation is that an omer was the average portion for each person, but some needed more and others less. So everyone gathered as much as he could eat — what he knew he would need. That way everyone had enough and nothing was wasted. The earlier part of this passage is quoted in 2 Corinthians 8:15. It shows that a collection for poor believers should carry out this divine principle of "equality" — the abundance of some meeting the need of others.

The Rabbis explain it this way. Several in a family went out to gather the manna. When they brought it home and measured it, it came to just an omer for each of them. A more likely explanation is this. An omer was the average portion for each person, but some needed more and others less. So each one gathered "as much as he could eat," what he knew he would need. Everyone had enough, and nothing went to waste. 2 Corinthians 8:15 quotes the first part of this passage. It shows that a collection for poor believers should carry out this divine principle of "equality," where the abundance of some supplies the need of others.

The One who gave the manna from heaven measured it exactly, whatever the differing measures in man's hands.

These words hold three things. First, on God's part, He makes equal provision for each — an omer for every person. Second, on man's part, "each of them gathered as much as he could eat." The appetite governed the amount collected. Third, whatever the amount gathered, "whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack." Both the large desire and the small one were satisfied by the amount each one obtained.

We all have as much of Christ as we desire — no more, and no less. If our desires are large, if we open our mouth wide, He will fill it. We cannot desire too much, and we will never be disappointed when we desire. On the other hand, if we barely feel our need, we will receive only a little of Christ.

You cannot have too much of Christ… On the other hand, the amount we will have does not depend on the time or effort we spend gathering. Not the amount of time, but the amount of heart counts with God, and that is where fruit is found.

One may have a larger capacity to enjoy Christ, another a smaller capacity, but no stigma is attached to either.

This principle holds true of soul-hunger. God's people have such different appetites for heavenly things! Some find half an hour over the Bible a long time; others meditate in it day and night. Yet though this is true of us, all the gathered manna measured out at an omer for every man. Every man had enough. Every man's need was fully met, for the measure was the satisfaction of every man.

Reading Exodus, you might think the verse simply meant that each gatherer of the manna could judge his appetite and gather to match it. But the way the verse is quoted here shows there is more in it than that. It supports the principle of sharing with others what God may have entrusted to us.

This is not necessarily an equality in wealth or social position. It means that each one is equally delivered from need… The amount of manna gathered could differ a great deal from person to person. Some gathered much and some little. But all were alike in this: every need was met.

That was God's thought and desire for them all. But He does it through human hands, binding the hearts of His people to each other and drawing out their love. The gift, if it amounted to anything, was only the expression of that love.

The manna could not be stored for future use. No one was to leave any of it until the morning; but some disobeyed this command, only to find that what they had left had become corrupt. No — the food collected today cannot sustain us tomorrow. We can feed on Christ only by a present exercise of soul. Much damage has come to souls from forgetting this principle. They have had a rich meal of manna, and they have tried to feed on it for days; but it has always ended in disappointment and loss instead of blessing. God only gives the portion of a day in its day, and no more.

It was bread that showed them, morning by morning, that they had to depend on Him. Had He withheld the manna one day, they would have had nothing to eat; for they could not keep it till the next day — "it bred worms and stank." The Lord will not allow us to lay up anything in store — no, not even grace — that would tend to lead us into independence of Himself; it will turn to evil if we do. He showed His people constant grace in the way He dealt with them. But He never took them out of the condition of dependence on Himself, and He never will take us out of it.

It is impossible in grace to make provision for tomorrow, or to rest on the grace of yesterday. There is no resting place but God: absolute dependence on Himself is what God desires. God remembers Israel every morning for forty years (the sabbath was no real exception). The unbeliever may like to receive God's gifts; the believer loves the One who gives them. If God had only given the manna once a month, He would have shown His love only once, and not every day. God shows every moment how He loves us. If our eyes are not content with seeing the manna every morning, we despise the love of God. Are we happy to be completely dependent on God?

The heavenly manna must be gathered fresh every morning. Yesterday's manna will not do for today, nor today's for tomorrow. We must feed upon Christ every day, with fresh energy of the Spirit, or we shall stop growing. What is more, we must make Christ our primary object. We must seek Him "early," before "other things" have had time to take hold of our poor, easily captured hearts. Many of us, sadly, fail here. We give Christ a secondary place, and the result is that we are left weak and barren.

He looks at the manna placed in his hand; he keeps some of it until the morning, and it breeds worms and stinks. (Ex. 16:19-20.) The flesh lays claim to the effects of grace, and Job's conscience and heart become less impressed with the abounding goodness and perfect holiness of God. Taken up with his own goodness, he loses sight of God's goodness in the same measure.

Although manna could not be kept even for one day's need in the wilderness, it could be kept for the land of Canaan. And so we shall find that while we cannot feed on yesterday's experience and make it satisfy today's need, it will be for rich blessing when reviewed with our blessed Lord above.

This then is the meaning of the manna: the bread which God gave the Israelites to eat in the wilderness. It is therefore the proper wilderness food for the Lord's people. The Jews said to our Lord, "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" He replied, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:32-33.) The manna, it is clear, is a picture of Christ — of Christ as He was in this world. He is the One who came down from heaven, and as such He becomes the food of His people while they pass through the wilderness.

In the way of appropriating this heaven-sent food, God set up a test. Each day the people were to learn afresh their dependence on God, who gives us our bread day by day. They were not to store up for tomorrow, as if a heavenly supply, like an earthly one, might run out. Those who hoarded it found only worms and a foul smell for their disobedience. In the hoarding there was not only a misuse of the food, there was also a misunderstanding of its character.

If spiritual sloth fails to gather the manna, spiritual stinginess cannot keep it. There is no such thing as a hoard of spirituality. Daily we must feed on Christ. Yesterday's grace will not do for today. How this strikes at the root of "attainments in holiness." We practically have only as much of Christ as we enjoy at this present moment. We are never to look back on our past experiences with self-satisfaction: if we do, the corruption of spiritual pride soon shows itself.

There were some who did not take the trouble to eat all they had gathered, and leaving it until the next day, it bred worms and stank. So it became worse than useless… We may apply this. What we gather of Christ from the Scriptures is for our food and enjoyment now. It is not something to store away and display to others. If we treat it that way it will only stink when we display it.

The manna had to be eaten on the same day it was gathered, except on the sixth day, because of the seventh day of rest. Think of the unconverted person who claims to follow Christ. He speaks the words Christ spoke when He was here in lowliness and humility, but he does not take Christ into his being and life. He has no real hunger for the heavenly bread. He has never felt his need of the Saviour as a lost sinner. He answers to the manna kept overnight.

In the wilderness, manna could not be kept even for one day's need. Yet it could be kept for the land of Canaan. So we cannot feed on yesterday's experience and make it satisfy today's need. But that experience will be rich blessing when we review it with our blessed Lord above.

The manna, I need not say, is Christ, the bread of God from heaven, to be our food. It is Christ come down, Christ in all the circumstances of an earthly life, to sustain the life of His people... Here then we have, not a Christ in glory, but a Christ humbled — all that is in His blessed person to support and nourish us during our wilderness journey.

But the manna had to be gathered. God's goodness came with human responsibility. The heaven-sent food lay all around Israel's camp, but each Israelite still had to work hard to make it his own portion... In gathering the manna, man had to stoop, for it fell upon the ground; and, without contradiction, the lowliest find for themselves the most of Christ.

I must gather the manna, gather Christ, early in the day, to be properly fed for the day. I can only gather Christ out of Scripture, so that is what makes the reading of the Scripture, and the study of the Scripture, so important.

The appetite governed the amount collected. How strikingly true this is of the believer! We all have as much of Christ as we desire — no more, and no less. If our desires are large, if we open our mouth wide, He will fill it. We cannot desire too much, and we will never be disappointed when we desire. On the other hand, if we are only faintly aware of our need, we will receive only a little of Christ.

The manna was so pure and delicate that it could not bear contact with earth... So it is with the people of God now. The heavenly manna must be gathered fresh every morning. Yesterday's manna will not do for today, nor today's for tomorrow. We must feed upon Christ every day, with fresh energy of the Spirit, or else we shall cease to grow... Only Christ can nourish and sustain the new life in the believer: "As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me." (John 6:57)

But this heavenly food is most sensitive; it does not tarry after the sun has risen, when this world's attractions or cares absorb the mind. If Christ is to be the food of our souls, we need the "early rising" that Scripture speaks of again and again — the purpose of heart that overcomes our natural laziness... Where Christ's things are given the first place, there will always be food and sustenance for the soul. But when "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches" come in, the heavenly manna melts away.

It is a good thing to see the face of the Lord Jesus by faith before we see any other face. Time spent with Him gives us power before we start the day's duties... The way the first part of the morning engages us often tells the real state of our souls.

The manna disappeared when the sun grew hot: it melted. In the sanctuary and in the home they still stored it up. But no one saw it out in the open once the sun shone in full splendour over the earth... when our blessed Lord shines out as the Sun of righteousness and reigns in supreme splendour over the earth... there will no more be seen on the face of the wilderness the heavenly man in lowliness... Not that there is any change in our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The surroundings and circumstances change, but not Jesus. They also stored the manna inside, out of public sight; and in that coming day of glory and rest, those who are within will have the high honour of sharing the "hidden manna" (Rev. 2:17).

God provides their rest before He commands it. He gives them the food for the Sabbath before He even mentions the Sabbath. They rest not merely as a duty, but as a privilege.

If there is a true way of learning God's mind, it is by weighing what He does as well as what He says. The God who had given Israel the manna gave them a double portion on the sixth day, but none on the seventh. Was this pointless? Was it not for the express purpose of guarding against any activity on His people's part, even gathering manna, on the seventh day? All the leaders came and told Moses that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread. Moses told them this was what the LORD had said: tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD.

Notice that the Sabbath comes here as a gift. "The LORD has given you the Sabbath." Further on in this book we will find it put in the form of a law, with a curse and a judgment attached if people disobey.

Exodus 16:5, 22, 30 — given as a gift in grace to the people while they were under grace, before the law.

The lamb is killed. The Passover blood is sprinkled. The Lord brings out His redeemed people. They sing the song of redemption. God gives the manna from heaven. And then, and not till then, He formally sets up the Sabbath.

"Sabbath" means rest. If the connection here is a picture — and it surely must be — then it teaches this: we find rest for our hearts by taking and enjoying Christ as the Bread from heaven.

If they gathered it on any other day in self-will, it became worthless and corrupt. But when they gathered it in obedience, with the Sabbath in view, it stayed sound and good… There is perhaps another thought. Whatever we gain of Christ here becomes our eternal possession and delight. Gather as much manna as we can, two omers instead of one. If we keep it for the rest that remains, it will be a source of strength and joy throughout eternity.

They were so little able to value the high and holy privilege of keeping the LORD's Sabbath that on the seventh day some of them went out to gather, and they found none. Their neglect of the Sabbath proved their moral condition to be completely wrong — it proved them to be astray about all the commandments and laws of God. The Sabbath was the great test, the measure and gauge of the real state of their hearts toward the Lord.

Whether fallen man gets a privilege or a law, a blessing or a curse, it is all alike. His nature is bad. He can neither rest with God nor work for God. If God works and makes a rest for him, he will not keep it; and if God tells him to work, he will not do it.

If they gathered it that way on any other day in self-will, it became worthless and corrupt. But when they did it in obedience, looking ahead to the sabbath, it stayed sound and good.

They were not to store it up for the next day, as if a heavenly supply, like that of earth, would come to an end. Those who hoarded it found only worms and what stank, because of their disobedience. In the hoarding there was not only a misuse of the food, there was also a misunderstanding of what it was. It was not only sent fresh from heaven each day; it also reached man each day in its heavenly freshness. Christ is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb. 13:8), and He is never to be brought down to the level of the ordinary supplies of earth; to do that is corruption.

And now, along with the manna, the Sabbath appears. God provides for it in the double measure of the sixth day before He commands it: they rest not as a mere duty, but as a privilege.

Here the people rested on the seventh day, and I am not aware of another single instance where the people rested on the Sabbath day... Just as God gave them twice as much as they could eat, so they rested on the seventh day. In the same way, by the gift of His beloved Son He has more than met our deepest need. So they rested by gift, not by command. And so in Christ we rest by grace, and not by works.

What is taught here is that when we share in God's rest, in His grace, throughout eternity, Christ will still be our food. You might even say that our enjoyment of that rest will consist in feasting with God on the once humbled Christ... There is perhaps another thought. Whatever we gain of Christ here becomes our eternal possession and delight. Let us gather as much manna as we may, two omers instead of one. If we keep it for the rest that remains, it will be a source of strength and joy throughout eternity.

The fulfilment of the Sabbath is not the "Lord's day" of the present period; it is still in the future (Heb. 4:9). "There remains therefore a keeping of Sabbath — sabbatismos — to the people of God." To keep Sabbath in that sense now would be to cut it off from Christ, which is to miss its whole connection. The same principle is true for the soul: it has rest with God only as it grasps Christ.

A small pot — an omer, the tenth part of an ephah — was to be filled with manna and laid up before the Lord. In due time Aaron laid it up before the Testimony. There it kept, without stinking or breeding worms, from generation to generation and from century to century.

Just as God gave them twice as much as they could eat, so they rested on the seventh day. In the same way, by the gift of His beloved Son He has more than met our greatest need. So they rested by gift, not by command. And so in Christ we rest by grace, and not by works.

Notice that the Sabbath comes here as a gift. "The LORD has given you the Sabbath." Later in this book it appears in the form of a law, with a curse and a judgment attached for disobedience. But whether fallen man gets a privilege or a law, a blessing or a curse, it comes to the same thing. His nature is bad. He can neither rest with God nor work for God.

The manna, as we have seen, is a picture of Christ, and so the connection teaches that it is Christ, and Christ only, who can lead us into the rest of God. He is the only way. The apostle says, "We who have believed enter that rest" (Heb. 4:3) — that is, it belongs to those who believe in Christ to enter into rest. This does not mean, as some have taught, that the rest is a present thing. The context shows clearly that it is a future blessing.

The lamb is killed and the Passover blood sprinkled. The Lord brings out His redeemed people. The song of redemption is sung. God gives the manna from heaven. Then, and not until then, He formally sets up the Sabbath.

This fixes the meaning of the sabbath, or the seventh day. Notice that it is the seventh and no other day. That shows clearly that it is God's rest… The sabbath is therefore a picture of God's rest. As given to man, it expresses the desire of God's heart that he should share His rest with Him. It is found here for the first time. There is not a trace of it through the whole patriarchal age, or during the stay of the children of Israel in Egypt.

They were so little able to appreciate the high and holy privilege of keeping the Lord's sabbath that "on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, 'How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?'" Their neglect of the sabbath proved their moral condition to be all wrong — proved them to be astray about all the commandments and laws of God. The sabbath was the great test, the measure and gauge of the real state of their hearts toward the Lord.

The time for the manna will then be past forever. Christ will never again be known in that character, because the wilderness circumstances of His people will have passed away forever. The store they collected while in the desert may still be enjoyed, but there will be no more to gather.

What this teaches is that when we share in God's rest, in His grace, throughout eternity, Christ will still be our food. You might even say that our enjoyment of that rest will consist in feasting with God on the once humbled Christ… There is perhaps another thought: whatever we gain of Christ here becomes our eternal possession and delight. Gather as much manna as we can, two omers instead of one. If we keep it for the rest that remains, it will be a source of strength and joy throughout eternity.

We read in Genesis 2 that "God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation." This fixes the meaning of the sabbath or the seventh day. Notice that it is the seventh day and no other. That shows it is God's rest. The sabbath is therefore a picture of God's rest, and as God gave it to man it expresses the desire of God's heart that he should share it with Him. It appears here for the first time. There is no trace of it in the age of Israel's forefathers, or during their stay in Egypt. But here it stands next to the manna, and that gives it a most blessed significance.

Christ's death is the only way to bring the sinner into the real rest of God. In the same way, if the sabbath were a shadow of God's rest in Christ, man could not enter the rest it pictures until the blood of that passover lamb was shed. That lamb pointed to the great sacrificial Lamb of God. So the lamb dies — the passover blood is sprinkled — the Lord brings out His redeemed people — they sing the song of redemption — the manna from heaven comes — and then, and not till then, God establishes the sabbath.

Notice that Jehovah gave the sabbath of His own rest before the law, along with the eating of this bread from heaven. He first gave it to Israel as a privilege, not as a command, and not on the principle of law. Here, in the wilderness of Sin, it is God's gift to His redeemed people, in perfect grace.

If the people of Israel were to do no work at all on the sabbath, then a merciful and gracious Jehovah provided a double portion of manna on the sixth day. In its original nature it was not a mere ban, but a positive blessing.

Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field." So little were they able to appreciate the high and holy privilege of keeping Jehovah's sabbath that "on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none." Their neglect of the sabbath proved their moral condition to be all wrong. The sabbath was the great test, the measure and gauge of the real state of their hearts toward Jehovah.

If they collected it on any other day in self-will, it went rotten and useless. When they collected it in obedience, with the sabbath in view, it stayed sound and good. Whatever we gain of Christ here becomes our eternal possession and delight. Gather as much manna as we can, two measures instead of one. If we keep it for the rest that remains, it will be a source of strength and joy throughout eternity.

The reality that answers to the sabbath is not the "Lord's day" of the present time; it is still in the future (Heb. 4:9). "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God." To keep sabbath in that sense now would separate it from Christ, and that misses its whole connection. In spiritual terms the same principle holds: only as we grasp Christ does the soul have rest with God.

The time for the manna will then be for ever past. Christ will never again be known in that character, for the wilderness circumstances of His people will have passed away for ever. The store they gathered while in the desert may still be enjoyed, but there will be no more to gather.

Even before this, when He gave the manna, He had marked its importance in a clear and solemn way. God had made it so plain that His people had no excuse if they ignored it. Yet they broke it outright — though there was no command even then, we may notice. But if there is a true way of learning God's mind, it is by weighing what He does as well as what He says. And the God who had given Israel the manna gave them a double portion on the sixth day, but none on the seventh. Was this pointless? Was it not done on purpose, to guard against any work by His people — even gathering manna on the seventh day?

And note that the Sabbath is here presented as a matter of gift. "The Lord has given you the Sabbath." Further on in this book we find it given as a law, with a curse and a judgement attached if people disobey. But whether fallen man receives a privilege or a law, a blessing or a curse, it is all the same. His nature is bad. He can neither rest with God nor work for God. If God works and makes a rest for him, he will not keep it; and if God tells him to work, he will not do it.

But sad to say, man has no heart for God's rest… God would have His people enjoying sweet repose with Himself. He would give them rest, food, and refreshment, even in the wilderness. But man's heart is not inclined to rest with God. The people could remember and talk about the time when they "sat by the meat pots" in Egypt. But they could not appreciate the blessedness of sitting in their tents.

So God placed the "manna" — the heavenly food He supplied to meet His people's daily need — below the "rest" He appointed for them. That rest surpassed every other consideration. The Lord says, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27)

Some of the people ignored the instruction and went out on the seventh day to gather manna. They found none (v. 27). Whatever displays of grace there were, man's heart remained the same. Disobedience belongs to his corrupt nature. It shows itself the same way under law and under grace. Through Moses the Lord rebuked what His people had done, though He bore with them in His patience and tender mercy.

The manna prefigures Christ. So the connection teaches that it is Christ, and Christ only, who can lead us into the rest of God. He is the only way… The Sabbath is a picture of God's rest. Since sin came in, that rest is still future. So there is a clear lesson in there being no manna on the Sabbath. The time for the manna will then be for ever past. Christ will never again be known in that character. The wilderness conditions of His people will have passed away for ever. They may still enjoy the store they gathered in the desert, but there will be no more to gather.

It is true that the Sabbath of rest set up for man bore no fruit for him. Sin, into which he had fallen, kept him from enjoying it… So, to give His people the enjoyment of the Sabbath they had forfeited, God must take their sanctification on Himself.

And notice that the Sabbath is presented here as a matter of gift. "The Lord has given you the Sabbath." Further on in this book we will find it put in the form of a law. It carries a curse and a judgment for anyone who disobeys. But whether fallen man gets a privilege or a law, a blessing or a curse, it makes no difference. His nature is bad. He can neither rest with God nor work for God. If God works and makes a rest for him, he will not keep it; and if God tells him to work, he will not do it.

And now, along with the manna, the Sabbath appears. The double measure of the sixth day provides for it before any command requires it: they rest not as mere duty, but as privilege.

They were so little able to value the high and holy privilege of keeping the Lord's sabbath... Their neglect of the sabbath proved that their moral condition was all wrong — proved that they had gone astray from all the commandments and laws of God. The sabbath was the great test, the measure and gauge of the real state of their hearts toward the Lord.

The second thing is that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather manna, despite the instruction they had received. They found none. Whatever the displays of grace, man's heart remained the same. Disobedience belongs to his corrupt nature, and shows itself in the same way, whether under law or grace.

As God had told them, He gave no manna on the sabbath. The work of gathering was not to disturb God's day of rest. Even so, some of the people went out to gather (v. 27). God placed the blame for this on Moses, the representative of the people (v. 28). He stressed that the people were to keep the sabbath strictly by staying in their own places.

But in Exodus 16 we find that some of the people dishonoured this day, which the Lord had guarded so closely. They ignored His word and went out as usual to gather manna. As a result, God wrote the keeping of the sabbath straight afterwards into the ten commandments of the law, and fenced it about with a curse on anyone who broke it.

The manna, as we have seen, prefigures Christ, and so the connection teaches that it is Christ, and Christ only, who can lead us into the rest of God. He is the only way. The apostle therefore says, "We who have believed enter that rest" (Heb. 4:3).

Now it is worth special notice that God gave the Sabbath of Jehovah's rest before the law, in connection with the eating of this bread from heaven. It was first given to Israel as a privilege, not by command, or on the principle of law. And here the people rested on the seventh day... From Adam to Moses — yes, right up to this chapter, more than 2500 years — the Spirit never uses the word sabbath in any form. And here, in the wilderness of Sin, it is God's gift to His redeemed people, in perfect grace.

God provides their rest before He requires it of them. So the food for the Sabbath comes before any mention of the Sabbath. They rest not merely as a duty, but as a privilege. And the Lord connects this rest with the reception or rejection of Himself in a striking way in the Gospels. The Son of Man was the Lord of the Sabbath. They could not reject the Son of Man and have a Sabbath at all.

Then sin came in, and God could no longer own the sabbath, and His word says nothing more about it. We read of the sabbath no more until God takes up His people in delivering mercy, and gives them manna from heaven. Then the sabbath day becomes a marked thing, and rest follows — a picture of Jesus sent down from above. God makes rest once more. He was giving to man in grace when He brought Israel out of Egypt, and the sabbath was the fitting sign of it.

God gave Israel the Sabbath on the basis of redemption. They had the sabbath because they were redeemed. But they only rested on it, or enjoyed it, by gathering the heavenly manna — and this on the principle of pure grace.

[A sabbath day's journey] is the greatest distance a Jew could travel on the Sabbath. The law gives no instruction about this. It goes back to the Sabbath when some of the people went out to gather manna, and Moses told them to stay in their place and not leave it on the seventh day. Ex. 16:29. In New Testament times people understood that a person might travel two thousand cubits (about five furlongs)... The Lord perhaps referred to this custom. He told the disciples to pray that, when judgement fell on Jerusalem, their flight would not be "on a Sabbath." Matt. 24:20.

And note that the Sabbath is here presented as a matter of gift. "The Lord has given you the Sabbath." Later in this book we will find it put in the form of a law, with a curse and a judgement attached if anyone disobeys. But whether fallen man gets a privilege or a law, a blessing or a curse, it is all alike. His nature is bad. He can neither rest with, nor work for, God. If God works and makes a rest for him, he will not keep it; and if God tells him to work, he will not do it.

The manna, as we have seen, is a picture of Christ. So the connection teaches that it is Christ, and Christ only, who can lead us into the rest of God. He is the only way. The apostle says, "We who have believed enter that rest" (Heb. 4:3). That is, those who believe in Christ are the ones who enter rest. It does not mean, as some have taught, that the rest is something we already have. The context clearly shows that it is a future blessing.

Now note this carefully: God gave the Sabbath of the LORD's rest before the law, in connection with eating this bread from heaven. It was first given to Israel as a privilege, not by command, or on the principle of law. And here the people rested on the seventh day. I know of no other place where the people rested on the Sabbath day. From Adam to Moses, right up to this chapter — that is, for more than 2,500 years — the Spirit never uses the word "sabbath" in any form. Once they are under law, the Spirit never once repeats the words, "They rested on the Sabbath day."

After the fall of man came death and toil in a suffering world. From then until God gave the manna from heaven in the wilderness, His revelation makes no mention of sabbath. As a way of dividing time, the seven days were sacred in Chaldea. In Egypt the month had three sections of ten days. But a holy sabbath to the LORD was a new thing on the earth.

And note that the Sabbath is here presented as a matter of gift. "The LORD has given you the Sabbath." Further on in this book we will find it given as a law, with a curse and a judgement attached if they disobey. But whether fallen man gets a privilege or a law, a blessing or a curse, it makes no difference. His nature is bad. He can neither rest with God nor work for God.

Do not forget that God expressly gave Israel the Sabbath on the ground of redemption. They had the sabbath because they were redeemed. But they only rested on it, or enjoyed it, by gathering the heavenly manna, and this on the principle of pure grace.

In the wilderness, in the ways of divine grace, the LORD set up the Sabbath in connection with the manna that came before it. God told Israel to gather a portion each day, but double on the sixth, laying up for the seventh. The Lord called that day "a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD." This is no longer His creation and rest, but the gathering of manna, and rest. That surely points to the blessed Christ becoming the true Bread come down from heaven, who would establish rest for us also.

The manna was the heavenly food God supplied to meet His people's daily need. Yet He made it secondary to the rest He ordained for them, a rest that surpassed every other consideration. The Lord says, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Their neglect of the sabbath proved that their moral condition was all wrong. It proved that they were astray as to all the commandments and laws of God. The sabbath was the great test, the true measure of their hearts toward the LORD.

And God gave them enough for the sabbath, and so they rested. God has given you rest, my fellow believer. Do you not enjoy it? Do you not rest? Then you have not gathered enough manna. Read the word more. Think more on Christ.

Gather as much manna as we can, two omers instead of one. If we keep it for the rest that remains, it will be a source of strength and joy throughout eternity.