A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. ³Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, ⁴which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant (Hebrews 9: 2-4 NIV).

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What is it?

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It’s manna! Manna means “what is it” in ancient Hebrew. God miraculously provided manna as bread for the Israelites when they wandered in the desert for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. You can read Exodus 16 or Numbers 11 to learn more, but here is some background on manna.  

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Soon after the Israelites escaped from Egypt, they began a pattern of complaining.  In their defense, it was hot, and they were tired, hungry, and thirsty. They felt lost and afraid. The people complained that they never should have left Egypt, because they could eat what they wanted in Egypt! In response to the complaints, God provided them food. He sent manna, which lingered on the ground each day after the dew evaporated. Manna was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers and honey. God sent just enough that each person could get an omer of manna (an omer is 1/10 of an ephah, which doesn’t help me understand how much that is. Modern scholars think an omer is about 10 cups, which is more helpful). If the Israelites took too much to save for the next day, it would rot and get maggots – except for the day before the Sabbath! Then, they could gather double, and it would not rot on the Sabbath. God did not send manna on the Sabbath, as it was a day of rest. Despite God’s clear instructions, some Israelites gathered more or less than they were supposed to and bore the consequences.  

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In this week’s chapter in Hebrews, Chapter 9, the author of Hebrews writes about God’s first covenant with the Israelites and the Tabernacle, the moveable tent-like structure the Israelites used for worship. But there were rules! Check out Exodus 25-27 to get an idea of the design God had for the Tabernacle. Inside the Tabernacle was the Most Holy Place – a place that the high priest could only enter once a year. Inside that was the ark of the covenant (think Indiana Jones and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), which held several items – Aaron’s staff, the Ten Commandments, and a jar of manna. Manna was there to remind the Israelites of God’s provision under the Old Covenant, but also its spiritual significance.

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The psalmist talks of manna in Psalm 78. He notes that manna shows the extravagance of God’s provision, but he also laments in verse 32 that, despite God’s generosity, “they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe” and again in verse 40, “How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland!”  

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Jesus compared Himself to manna in John 6 when He told the crowds that He was the bread of life. After having fed the 5,000 with physical bread and fish, Jesus told them that He was spiritual bread, provided by God for spiritual provision.

What can we learn from manna?

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God provides what we need, even if it’s not what we want.

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It’s easy to overlook God’s blessing. Experiencing daily miracles wasn’t enough to earn the Israelites’ gratitude or trust. It seems like every day would be a miracle, but the Israelites got tired of daily miracles. What daily miracles do we experience that we take for granted? Did you thank God for another day when you woke up this morning?

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Jesus is spiritual manna. Do we overlook His presence like the Israelites overlooked manna?

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Lord, thank You for Your many blessings, many that I see, but many that I do not see. Soften my heart to see Your presence and Your blessings; keep me from having a hardened heart, like the Israelites who refused to rejoice in Your daily blessings. Thank You for Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer. Help me to rejoice in His spiritual nourishment and in Your provision.