Faith in the Wilderness – Manna from Heaven
March 15, 2020
Exodus 16:14-18, 22-23 NIV
“When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost 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 what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer 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, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community 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 to the LORD.
They went from living in homes eating what Pharaoh provided, to living in wilderness tents eating what God provided.
1. They had to go and gather the bread.
2. They were given a day of rest. (This is the 1st mention of sabbath)
4th Commandment – “remember the sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20
They remembered the sabbath because of the manna.
No other culture celebrated a day of rest.
God rested every seven days so his people could rest.
Scores of people are admitted to hospitals every day because they are suffering from physical and emotional exhaustion.
v. 26-27 – Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.”27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.
By choosing Sabbath, we’re protesting and rebelling against our self-sufficiency. Sabbath is declaring that God is our provider.
3.The bread was from God.
The bread only lasted one day.
Matthew 6:9-11 NIV
This, then, is how you should pray:' Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread.
• I have always felt this verse was redundant – “Give us TODAY our DAILY bread.”
Why not – “Give us bread today.”
TODAY refers to “when” and DAILY refers to an amount.
God knows when we need things and how much we need.
The Table:
Jesus gave us a meal to remember him.
Why not a secret handshake, a dance or a poem to recite?
John 6:48-51a NIV
I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.
This meal reminds us that Jesus is our provider and the provision!
