What is it?
Since we are looking at Israel’s journey to the Promised land as the journey of soul on which the Lord shepherds His people into alignment with Him, we skipped past the plagues in Egypt and Red Sea crossing to the desert of Sin where we find Israel out of sorts and out of sync. The serious level of their complaining – wishing they had been left behind to die – just shows how unsatisfying signs and wonders are on their own. They just experienced miraculous deliverance from their oppressors, watched their slave drivers drown in the sea behind them, enjoyed bitter water that became sweet, and an oasis in the desert. Yet here we find them deeply unsatisfied, hungry, and unaware of the God with them who met their every need.
The people went to Moses and Aaron with their grievance: “you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” They could only see what was in front of them, the visible leaders, and forgot it was God who brought them out of slavery. Yet even though the Israelites weren’t talking to Him or even cognizant of His presence with them, the Lord still hears His people. He told Moses to give them the same message that assured their souls when they were in bondage: “I have heard the grumbling” just as He had heard their groaning. (Exodus 16:12) Despite the condition His people are in, God still hears and also gives them the meat and bread they longed for.
God also took this opportunity teach them that enjoyment and life itself were found not in the literal things received or in what they saw, but in the way His Word led them to realize what they saw and received. So the bread appeared in such a way that the people needed to be told: “this is the bread the Lord gave you!” They could not discern what they were given without hearing what it was. And, along with the food, the Lord gave instructions for how to steward and approach the new miracle of bread. If they listened, they would experience a constant supply of grace each day, and live each week in the rhythm of His rest.
“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.”
- Deuteronomy 8:2-5
It is so beautiful to see how God “disciplined” and taught them to follow His instruction. When, instead of listening, the people overdid it by gathering more Manna than was needed for a day, their leftover supply simply rotted and was filled with maggots (Exodus 16:20). They tested the limits and learned, but the Lord did not punish, neglect, or withhold Manna from them when they refused to literally “take His Word for it.” Instead, He continued to feed and clothe, to hear and to care for those He led out as His own. Our faithful God gave manna each morning for the entire forty years it took “until they reached the border of Canaan.” (Exodus 16:35) It truly is His loving kindness that leads us to repentance, and His steadfast love that keeps us safe and supplied for however long it takes for us to come into agreement and alignment with Him.
