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1 The whole Israelite community left Elim and went to the Desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. This was on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt. 2 There in the desert they complained to Moses and Aaron.
3 “The Lord should've killed us back in Egypt!” the Israelites told them. “At least there we could sit down beside stewpots of meat and eat bread until we were full. But you had to bring all of us out here in the desert to starve us all to death!”
4 The Lord told Moses, “Just watch! I'm going to rain down bread from heaven for you! Each day the people are to go out and collect enough for that day. I'm going to test them by this to find out whether they'll follow my instructions or not. 5 On the sixth day they are to collect twice as much as usual and prepare it.”
6 So Moses and Aaron explained to all the Israelites, “This evening you will have the proof that it was the Lord who led you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord displayed as he responds to the complaints he's heard you making against him. For why should you be complaining to us? We're nobodies!”
8 Then Moses continued, “The Lord is going to give you meat to eat this evening and as much bread as you want in the morning, for he has heard your complaints against him. Why are you complaining to us nobodies? Your complaints aren't directed against us, but against the Lord.”
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole Israelite community, ‘Present yourselves before the Lord, because he has heard your complaints.’ ”
10 While Aaron was still speaking to all the Israelites, they looked toward the desert and saw the glory of the Lord appear in a cloud.
11 The Lord told Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘In the evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have as much bread as you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
13 That evening quail flew in and landed, filling the camp. In the morning dew covered the ground all around the camp. 14 Once the dew had gone, there was something thin and flaky on the desert, looking like frost crystals on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked each another, “What is it?” because they had no idea what it was.
So Moses explained to them, “It's the bread the Lord has provided for you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has ordered you to do: ‘All of you shall collect as much as is needed. Take an omer for each person in your tent.’ ”
17 So the Israelites did as they were told. Some collected more, while others collected less. 18 But when they measured it out in omers, those who had collected a lot didn't have any left over, while those who had only collected a little still had enough. Each person collected as much as they needed to eat.
19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to leave any of it until the morning.” 20 But some didn't listen to Moses. They did leave some of it until the morning, and it was full of maggots and smelled bad. Moses became angry with them.
21 So each morning everyone collected as much as they needed, and when the sun became hot, it melted away to nothing. 22 However, on the sixth day, they collected twice as much of this food, two omers for each person. All the Israelite leaders came and told Moses what they had done. 23 Moses replied, “These are the Lord's instructions: ‘Tomorrow is a special day of rest, a holy Sabbath to honor the Lord. So bake what you want, and boil what you want. Then put to one side what's left and keep it until morning.’ ”
24 So they kept it until morning as Moses had ordered, and it didn't smell bad or have any maggots. 25 Moses told them, “Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath to honor the Lord. Today you won't find anything out there. 26 You can go out collecting for six days, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it won't be there.” 27 However, on the seventh day some people still went out collecting, but they did not find anything.
28 The Lord told Moses, “How long are you going to refuse to obey my commands and instructions? 29 You need to understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath, so on the sixth day he will provide you with food for two days. On the seventh day, everyone has to stay where they are—no one needs to go out.” 30 So the people did no work on the seventh day.
31 The Israelites called the food manna.*Meaning, “What is it?” See verse 15. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has ordered: ‘Keep an omer of manna as a reminder for future generations, so that they can see the food I used to feed you in the desert when I led you out of Egypt.’ ” 33 So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar†In Hebrews 9:4 it is referred to as a “golden jar.” Whether this is the original container is not certain. and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept as a reminder for future generations.” 34 Aaron did so and placed the jar in front of the Testimony,‡The meaning of this term in the context is uncertain. It usually refers to the two tablets of the Ten Commandments (see 25:16, 40:20 etc.). The pot of manna was eventually placed in the Ark of the Agreement together with the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, but neither had yet been made (see chapters 25 and 26). to be preserved just as the Lord had ordered Moses. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to the land where they would settle down—they ate manna until they arrived at the border of Canaan. 36 (An omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

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*16:31 Meaning, “What is it?” See verse 15.

†16:33 In Hebrews 9:4 it is referred to as a “golden jar.” Whether this is the original container is not certain.

‡16:34 The meaning of this term in the context is uncertain. It usually refers to the two tablets of the Ten Commandments (see 25:16, 40:20 etc.). The pot of manna was eventually placed in the Ark of the Agreement together with the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, but neither had yet been made (see chapters 25 and 26).

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher