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The Story of Manna

Exodus 16 focuses on a period just after the Israelites had been liberated from slavery in Egypt, and traveling to their promised land. One would assume that they would be appreciative of their present circumstances, in comparison to their previous situation as slaves, which had caused great physical and emotional harm to them. However, instead of being thankful, and celebrating their freedom and their potential life opportunities in the promised land, they encountered a reality of impending starvation in the wilderness, which caused them to become anxious and resulted from them complaining to Moses and Aaron, depicting that they had a better life while in captivity because of the presence of food. God manifested to the Israelites by providing them with daily rations of food to indicate that He is a daily provider, but cautioned them against taking extra rations as it constituted disobedience against His command, and was an act of greed.

In response to the Israelites complaints, God conducted two actions. In the early morning, manna rained from heaven, and the Israelites were instructed to just collect enough for their family for that day. Manna was derived from the Hebrew word, ‘man-hu’, which translates to ‘what is it?’ It is an indication that they had not encountered this type of food before (Wotton 1). God provided them with new food that they had never eaten to sustain their hunger. The second action was that during the evening, God provided meat in the form of Quails so that they could eat (Kim 67). An important point to note is that God was aware of their circumstances that, while they were in the desert, they could not cultivate crops, or keep animals to satisfy their nutritional needs. He then miraculously provides them with what is constituted as a balanced diet to satisfy their needs. In terms of rations, God was teaching them about obedience and just taking what is enough, and avoiding being greedy. In this chapter, the aspect of the Holy Sabbath is introduced as Moses is instructed to inform the Israelites that it is only on the sixth day that they can take double rations to account for the sixth and the Sabbath. It is an indication that God was preparing them for the two commandments.

The daily bread or manna from heaven is an assurance to the Israelites by God that He will always take care of the Israelites. God proves that He is not only a God of Delivery from bondage, but He is also a provider. In addition to that, God also demonstrates that he hears the complaints of the people, and in a just manner addresses the issues at hand (Kim 72). This is indicated by the different verses in this chapter such as Exodus 16:2, 7, and 8. He is a God of action as He feeds the Israelites when they are hungry. This is replicated in the New Testament when Jesus in Mark 6; 30-44 fed the multitude that came to listen to His sermon with five loaves and two fish. It can also be deduced that the part of the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Give us our daily bread in Matthew 6:11. God is a provider who can meet our daily needs, and proved it by providing Israelites with manna.

God’s portions are enough to fulfill the needs of human beings. In Exodus 16:17-18, God instructed the Israelites to gather the manna following their needs. In verse 18 it states that “…the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed (Bible Gateway).” The manna was enough to facilitate the fulfillment of the daily needs of the people. It is an indication that God understands the needs of us human beings today, as he did during the time of the Israelites in the wilderness, and that He is capable of providing just enough of what we need to satisfy our needs (Vorster1). In addition to that, as was the case with the different households who took different portions, but each had enough, it is important to focus on our needs, and the ‘portions’ of our people because what God provides is enough.

God does not advocate for disobedience and greed, but instead, He punishes those who are greedy and disobedient. God instructed the Israelites to take enough portions for a day, except for the sixth day when they were to take double portions. On the other days, the Israelites who took more than they consume for that day suffered because it was filled with maggots and smelled. It is a great lesson that can be practiced in the modern-day. Today, factors such as tax reforms and the wealth of the nations being controlled by a minority few, while a majority of people cannot afford to purchase their basic needs can be argued to be a contributor to a majority of the world’s problems. Greed has contributed to the rot that is experienced in the society whereby some people hoard money to become and enjoy the status of being the richest people in the world, while others are dying of starvation, and diseases because they cannot afford medication.

In conclusion, Exodus 16:1-32 provided a great lesson to the Israelites that is relevant in 2021 and will be so for many years to come. First, it proved that God was a provider to the daily needs of people and that if individuals believe and trust Him, then He can fulfill their daily needs. Second, it indicated that God understands the needs of people to the point of providing enough portions of what they need and that what He provides is enough. Thirdly, He cautions people against being disobedient and greedy. God can provide and satisfy our needs satisfactorily. However, we should learn to take only what is enough based on our current needs and avoid being greedy.

Works Cited

Bible Gateway. “Bible Gateway Passage: Exodus 16:1-32 – New International Version.” Bible Gateway, 2021, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2016%3A1-32&version=NIV.

Kim, Sun W. “The Wilderness as a Place of the New Exodus in Mark’s Feeding Miracles (Mark 6:31–44 and 8:1–10).” Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture, vol. 48, no. 2, 2018, pp. 62-75.

Vorster, J.M. ““Go out and gather each day …”: implications of the ethics of Exodus 16 for modern consumerism.” Koers – Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, vol. 76, no. 1, 2011.

Wotton, Roger S. “What was Manna?” Opticon1826, no. 9, 2010.