Bob Josey- Miracle of Manna - Aug 20, 2023

SLIDES

The Miracle of Manna

Exodus 16

Introduction

‌Do you believe in miracles? What do you consider a miracle to be? Have you ever observed or better yet, been part of a miracle that changed your life or someone else’s?

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What is a miracle? A miracle is when God reveals His divine power to draw people to Himself or to reveal or validate something to someone or a group of people as we see in Exodus 4:30-31.

30 and Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people.

31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.

Some think that all miracles are contrary to natural law. That is inaccurate. Yes, there are miracles that are contrary to nature such as the resurrection of a dead person. However, sometimes God uses nature such as the parting of the Red Sea with and East wind. Does anyone here like congealed salad? Well, they had something congealed on the day Israel crossed the Red Sea as we see in Exodus 15:8. 

8 “At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled

up,

The flowing waters stood up like a heap;

The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.”

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There are two types of miracles. There are Type A miracles that happen on a grand scale such as opening up the Red Sea, the Resurrection of the dead, Daniel not being burned to death by fire and not eaten by lions in the lion’s den, and of course, the birth of Israel in 1948 and regathering of Israel from all the nations of the earth to live in that new nation. Most miracles today are Type B miracles. There are type B miracles would include God healing people that have been diagnosed with a disease in which they have not been given long to live. A Type B miracle is much more conman than a Type A. I know a pastor in Virginia whose wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer. For five years she has been in remission because of God’s grace.

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However, God does not always perform miracles in our lives. The key to God’s miracles today is that we believe that He can do miracles in our lives, but believing that He can does not mean He will.

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Thirty-five hundred years ago God did a Type A miracle each and every day for forty years except for the Sabbath. Today we are going to delve into the complexities of that miracle which shows that it could only have come from God. The study of this great miracle should inspire awe and wonder in us and give us a little insight into how gracious and powerful the God that we serve is even when we are disobedient. Today the miracle that we are going to study is God raining down manna for forty years.

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Some so-called scholars have associated manna with natural phenomena. Certain trees found in the middle east produce a gum-like substance comparable to the description of manna. However, the Bible clearly indicates that manna was God’s miraculous provision as He consistently and sufficiently provided for the people of Israel. (Exodus 16:4) “Then Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day... that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.’” As we shall see they did not pass the test. You would have thought that after Israel witnessed the following, that it would have made a positive impact on them:

·      ‌‌The raising up of Moses from Pharoah’s house to lead Isarel our of Egypt to the Promised Land.

·      The ten plagues unleased on Egypt.

·      The giving in of Pharoah to let Isael leave Egypt.

·      The looting of some of Egypt’s treasure.

·      Opening up of the Red Sea for them to pass through when they were hemmed in on all four sides.

Not only did God sustain the Israelites’ physical needs with manna, but He also used it to expose the Israelites’ weakness and lack of trust in Him. This should have demonstrated to them their need for spiritual food. After God rescued them from slavery, the Israelites complained of their hunger, at times claiming that they would prefer to die in slavery rather than dying of starvation. (Exodus 16:2–3)

2 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

This was a bit dramatic. The Israelites were not actually starving; rather, they craved “meat pots” and “bread to the full” In Exodus 16:3-4 God proclaimed, “I am about to rain bread from heaven … that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not” Thus, one of the purposes for providing manna was to test whether the Israelites trusted that He would bring them into the promised land. Psalm 78:18-19 describes that Israel “willfully put God to the test demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God; they said, ‘Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?’” Scripture continually juxtaposes God’s provision with Israel’s lack of trust. Rather than responding to God’s provision with obedience and faith, the Israelites continued to ask, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 17:3; Num 11:20) Nevertheless, God continued to supply them with daily bread in the wilderness because of the Mosaic covenant He made with them. (Exodus 20–24)

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A. Miraculous Manna

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Now let’s explore from Scripture how miraculous and incredible the manna was that God provided to Israel in the desert. In reality the manna demonstrates how incredible and powerful the God whom we serve really is. The following describes some in interesting things about the manna God miraculously provided for Israel.

1.The word manna means “What is it.” that comes from Exodus 16:15.

 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.”

‌2. Manna is also called bread from heaven (Exodus 16:35) and the bread of angels. (Psalm 78:24)

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3. Manna was a supernatural gift from God. (Exodus 16:4)

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* It was not a product of earth.

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* It was not made by man.

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* It was not brought out of Egypt.

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* It came down from Heaven every day but the Sabbath.

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* It was furnished by the Lord Himself.

‌4. Manna began on the 15th day of the second month after leaving Egypt and continued until the day after they ate in the promise land which was approximately 40 years. (Joshua 5:12)

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5. Manna as a white substance similar to coriander seed that tasted like wafers made with honey (Exodus 16:31)

6. Manna began as dew but dried as a flake of bread. (Exodus 16:13-14)

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7. The Israelites were to gather 1 omer (approximately 2 quarts) for each person in the household each day. After picking up manna and returning to their tents, if a container had more than an omer or less than an omer, when they returned to their tent, there would be exactly an Omer in each container. (Exodus 16:17-18)  That is amazing!

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8. The Israelites were to eat all of the manna they gathered each day. If they kept any of it until the next morning, it would become rancid and contain worms. (Exodus 16:19-20)

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9. The Israelites were to gather the manna in the morning before the sun became hot. If they didn’t, the manna would melt in the sun. (Exodus 16:21)

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10. Manna did not fall on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:25)

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11. Since the manna could not to be gathered on the Sabbath. The day before the Sabbath, they were to gather enough manna for each person for two days. (Exodus 16:22-28) This two-day supply would not become rancid or produce worms on the second day. (Exodus 16:24) Some Israelites went out on the Sabbath to gather manna, but found none. (Exodus 16:27)

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12. Manna could be baked or boiled. When manna was ground and boiled, it could be cooked into bread that tasted like oil-baked bread cakes (Exodus 16:23; Num 11:8)

‌13. An omer of manna was placed in the ark of the covenant to as a memorial or testimony to remind the covenant people that it was God who provided for them for 40 years in the wilderness. (Exodus 16:33-34; Hebrews 9:4)

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Manna and the New Testament

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The word manna is used four times in the New Testament and alluded to in several other passages in a figurative sense. It’s possible that Jesus alluded to manna when He taught the disciples the model prayer in

Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3 when he said, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

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Three other passages in the New Testament mention “manna” in a figurative sense to convey the significance of Christ. The first is

John 6:32–35.

“Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” This is basically what Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4.

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Jesus assured the Jews, that He, and not the food they ate in the wilderness, was the true Bread from heaven. It conferred eternal life on those who partook of Jesus’ free gift of by trusting in Him to remove their sin. (John 6:30–58).

Secondly, He is the Messiah who gives not only physical sustenance to believers but also spiritual substance. Jesus told Satan in

Matthew 4:4 by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 that “... It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” Paul adds to this in 1 Corinthians 10:1-5.

‌For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

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Jesus is Yahweh of the Old Testament who provided spiritual nourishment for the people of Israel and the Messiah of the New Testament who provides spiritual nourishment to those who are part of the Body of Christ.

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The third Passage that refers to manna is Hebrews 9:3-4.‌

3 Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;

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In the opening verses of Hebrews 9 the author explained to them about some of the furniture in the Tabernacle and some of the worship practices. He did this so he could compare the earthly ministry of the High Priest in the Tabernacle on earth to the Tabernacle in heaven and the High Priest who ministers there for all who believes in Him.

A jar of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments on them were placed in the Ark of the Covenant. The three items were placed in the in the Ark of the Covenant as a testimony. Aaron’s rod that budded testified that Aaron was God’ choice as the High Priest. The two stone tablets testified that Israel was under the authority of the Torah. Lastly, the pot of manna testified that God took care of them for forty years in the wilderness.

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The final reference comes from Revelation 2:17 which is in the context of the seven churches. In verses 12-17 Jesus is dealing with the church at Pergamum.

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17 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’

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First, the phrase "To him who overcomes" refers to a believer who from the beginning of his faith in Christ to the end of life stands victorious because he has overcome whatever the enemy had thrown to him or her.

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The hidden manna, since it’s in the Ark of the Covenant in heaven, may refer to the rewards a believer will receive, if they overcome, at the Judgement Seat of Christ that will occur in heaven after the Rapture.

Application

When we trust in our own strength and abilities instead of the Lord to provide the things we need, we end up frustrated at times some complain that God is not providing what they need. God has promised He would never leave us nor forsake us. We must trust in God because He knows what we need and what is best for us. The story of God doing a miracle each and every day for forty years by providing manna for Isarel shows that God is always present, powerful enough, and resourceful enough to take care of our needs. We have the character of God and the promises of God to rely on. Trusting God for our needs is looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. Proverbs 3:5- 6 says, 

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

Not trusting God to meet our needs sometimes results in unnecessary stress which leads to complaining which may lead to a cold heart. When we have a cold heart, it not only affects our relationship with other people but also with God. When this occurs our worship of God suffers. We then attend church out of obligation and just go through the motions of worship. Is attending church out a sense of obligation any better than being there and wishing you were somewhere else? Sometimes the expressions on some peoples faces during Bible study tell their story. An up happy face means an unhappy person. As Vance Havner put it, they need “a spiritual heart lift as well as a facelift.”  

Not trusting God brings somber looks and long faces that belong at a funeral service for an unbeliever not a service to worship the Lord, our provider. Abraham learned the lesson of the Lord being his provider when he took Isaac to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him. When God provided a lamb for a sacrifice instead of Isaac, Abrham called God, Yahweh Yireh, the Lord Will Provide. When we consciously choose to take our eyes off our problems by giving them to Him, then we will behold the glory of God that will result in gladness and singing that will break forth in our barren hearts. Our daily demeaner, especially worshipping the Lord at church, should be marked with gladness and our assembling with exuberant singing.    

SELAH!