Gathering Mana (Ex. 16:16-18 & 21)

5/20/2008 8:07 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                    Focus: The gathering of Manna

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference Exodus 16:16-18, 21

Message of the verses:  “16  "This is what the LORD has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.’"  17  The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little.  18  When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat.

21  They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.”

I believe that God was going to give manna to the nation of Israel when the time was right, and it would have been better for them if they would have handled there lack of food in a different way than grumbling, they could have set down and prayed to the Lord about there desperate situation and looked back at the way God had taken them out of Egypt and then waited for the God to provide food for them in another miraculous way, but they did not.

The giving of the manna was something new from the Lord and with it came rules from Him on how to gather it, how much to gather it, and when to gather it.  God gave them these rules for a reason, yet they would not completely obey all of these rules and be in trouble again.

Israel was to get up early to gather the manna; they were to gather two quarts for each person in their household.  The manna must surely have been very nutritious for them as it sustained them each day as they traveled in the wilderness for those forty years.  The Scripture goes on to say that those who did not gather enough had enough and those who gathered too much only had enough.  Paul uses this principle when writing to the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 8:13-15  “13  For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality—14  at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; 15  as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK.’”  (In these verses Paul was speaking of giving an offering).

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In yesterday’s SD there was a principle taught that the manna was spiritual in that it was like the Word of God, and in today’s SD it can be seen that it was gathered early in the morning, for it not it would melt.  The principle for me is that I should get up early and then the first thing to be done is feed on the Word of God so that I will be sustained throughout the whole day.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to trust the Lord to lead me as Proverbs 3:5-6 speaks of, continue to yoke up with the Lord as Matthew 11:28-20 speak of, continue to learn contentment as, Phil. 4:11 speak of, and continue to trust the Lord to handle my temptations as 1 Cor. 10:13 speaks of.

Memory verses for the week:                      Matthew 11:28-30

28.    Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

29.    Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30.    For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.