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| 1 Then moved they on from Elim, and all the assembly of the sons of Israel entered into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, by their coming forth out of the land of Egypt. |
Wilderness of Sin – Typical of the Christian journey through the wilderness of sin to the heavenly Canaan. A221
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| 2 Then did all the assembly of the sons of Israel murmur against Moses and against Aaron, in the desert; |
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| 3 and the sons of Israel said unto them–Oh that we had died by the hand of Yahweh, in the land of Egypt, when we remained by the pot of flesh, when we did eat bread to the full,–for ye have brought us forth into this desert, to cause all this multitude to die by famine. |
The flesh pots – The world's theories. R5307:1
Bread to the full – How apt are all to remember the pleasures of the sinful condition and to forget its burdens and disappointments. R3036:3
With hunger – Having learned of their need they were able to appreciate the provision and its miraculous source. So with spiritual Israelites, they are permitted to feel their needs, and to ask, that they may receive. R3036:1
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| 4 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Behold me! raining down for you bread out of heaven,–and the people shall go out and gather, the portion for a day, on its day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. |
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| 5 And it shall come to pass, on the sixth day, that they shall settle what they shall bring in,–and it shall be twice as much as they gather day by day. |
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| 6 So Moses and Aaron said unto all the sons of Israel,–At eventide, then shall ye know that it was, Yahweh, who brought you forth, out of the land of Egypt; |
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| 7 and, in the morning, then shall ye see the glory of Yahweh, in that he hath heard your murmurings against Yahweh,–what then are, we, that ye should murmur against, us? |
What are we – Spiritual Israelites are to keep in mind that the real leader is the Lord and not men. R3036:2
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| 8 And Moses said–In that Yahweh giveth you in the evening flesh to eat, and bread in the morning, to the full, in that Yahweh heareth your murmurings, wherewith, ye, are murmuring against him, what then are, we? Not against us, do ye murmur, but against Yahweh. |
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| 9 And Moses said unto Aaron, Say unto all the assembly of the sons of Israel, Draw near, before Yahweh,–for he hath heard your murmurings. |
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| 10 And it came to pass, when Aaron spake unto all the assembly of the sons of Israel, then turned they towards the desert,–and lo! the glory of Yahweh, had appeared in the cloud. |
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| 11 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses–saying, |
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| 12 I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel,–speak unto them, saying–Between the two evenings, shall ye eat flesh, and, in the morning, shall ye be filled with bread,–so shall ye know that, I Yahweh, am your God. |
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| 13 And it came to pass, in the evening, that there came up quail, and covered the camp,–and in the morning was the outpouring of dew, round about the camp; |
Quails came up – In the spring. They often come in great flocks and, wearied with their long flight across the water, fly low, and thus are easily caught. R4012:3, R3036:4
Corresponding to the invasion of Darwinism among God's people. Evolution gives the people worldly doctrines for religious food. R5267:3*
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| 14 and, when the outpouring of dew went up, then lo! on the face of the desert, a thin flake, thin as hoar-frost, on the earth. |
A small round thing – Evidently deposited in, or from, the dew by some power of God working in harmony with the natural laws of chemistry not yet thoroughly understood. R3036:4
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| 15 And when the sons of Israel saw it, they said one to another–What is that? For they knew not what "that" was. Then said Moses unto them, "That" is the bread which Yahweh hath given you to eat. |
It is manna – Nothing of the kind was known to the Israelites, and they asked, "What is it?" and this became its name--"What is it?"--or, "that manna." R5279:4
A symbol of our Lord's flesh, the bread from heaven. B130; T122; R5279:4
The grains were small and white, required painstaking labor to gather, and had to be boiled or baked before using. R3036:4
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| 16 This, is the thing which Yahweh hath commanded, Gather ye thereof, each man, what he needeth for eating,–an omer a head, by the number of your souls, each man–for them who are in his tent, shall ye take. |
Gather of it – To obtain the bread from heaven requires some effort on the part of him who would partake. R3036:6, R5279:4
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| 17 And the sons of Israel did so,–and gathered, [some] more, and [some] less; |
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| 18 and, when they measured it with the omer, he who had gathered more had nothing over, and, he who had gathered less, had no lack: each man, what he needed for eating, did they gather. |
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| 19 And Moses said unto them,–Let, no man, leave thereof, until morning. |
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| 20 But they hearkened not unto Moses, but certain men left thereof until morning, and it swarmed with worms, and become loathsome,–and Moses was wroth with them. |
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| 21 Thus then they gathered it, morning by morning, each man what he needed for eating, and, as soon as the sun waxed hot, so soon it melted. |
Every morning – So it will be necessary for the world ever to seek supplies of life and grace if they would live everlastingly. T123
Our own supply of grace in Christ needs to be gathered daily; it will not keep over for succeeding days. R4012:5
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| 22 And it came to pass, on the sixth day, that they gathered food twice as much, two omers for each one,–so all the princes of the assembly came in, and told Moses. |
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| 23 And he said unto them–That, is what Yahweh spake. The observance of a holy sabbath to Yahweh, is tomorrow,–what ye would bake, bake, and, what ye would boil, boil, and, all that is left over, put by you, to keep until the morning. |
To morrow is the rest – That the Sabbath was something new to the Israelites is evident by its explanation to them. R971:6
The holy sabbath – Type of the Millennial age. B40
There was no mention of the keeping of a sabbath prior to Israel's arriving at the Wilderness of Sin, of which Mt. Sinai is the center. R3039:2
Inaugurated as a memorial of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, in which they had no rest from their taskmasters. R1731:2
The Sabbath day was instituted about two weeks before the formal giving of the Law. R1731:2
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| 24 So they put it by until the morning, as Moses had commanded,–and it gave no unpleasant odour, neither was there, a worm, therein. |
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| 25 Then said Moses–Eat ye it today, for, a sabbath, is today, unto Yahweh,–today, ye shall not find it in the field. |
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| 26 Six days, shall ye gather it,–but, on the seventh day, a sabbath, it shall not be therein. |
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| 27 And it came to pass, on the seventh day, that there went forth some of the people to gather,–but they found not. |
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| 28 Then said Yahweh unto Moses,–How long have ye refused to keep my commandments and my laws? |
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| 29 See, because, Yahweh, hath given you the sabbath, for this cause, is, he, giving you, on the sixth day, food for two days,–abide ye every man in his place, let no man go forth from his dwelling, on the seventh day. |
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| 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. |
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| 31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna,–and, the same, was like coriander seed, white, and, the taste thereof, like flat-cake with honey. |
Wafers made with honey – Suggesting that the wafers on the Day of Atonement may have had a mixture of honey; but the prohibition of the burning of honey may imply otherwise. R4045:4
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| 32 And Moses said–This, is the thing which Yahweh hath commanded, Fill an omer therefrom, as a thing to be preserved, to your generations,–that they may see the bread wherewith I fed you, in the desert, when I brought you forth, out of the land of Egypt. |
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| 33 So Moses said unto Aaron–Take a single basket, and put therein an omer-full of manna,–and set it down before Yahweh, as a thing to be preserved, to your generations. |
To be kept – Symbolizing that our Lord's flesh did not see corruption and is possibly preserved as an everlasting testimony of infinite love and perfect obedience. B130
Illustrating the immortal, incorruptible condition promised to all members of the Church. "To him that overcometh will I grant to eat of the hidden manna." (Rev. 2:17) T122
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| 34 As Yahweh gave command unto Moses, so did Aaron set it down before the testimony, as a thing to be preserved. |
To be kept – In the Ark of the covenant. T121
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| 35 And, the sons of Israel, did eat the manna forty years, until they entered into the land wherein they were to dwell,–the manna, they did eat until they entered into the bounds of the land of Canaan. |
Forty years – Just as at the first advent they rejected him who was the antitype of Moses and Aaron and therefore did not enter into rest; instead, another long and wearisome journey in the wilderness for nearly 1900 years. R3064:4
The land of Canaan – Representing the Millennial Kingdom condition. R3064:3
Representing the rest promised to God's children who hear his call: "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) Have we the faith to ente T25
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| 36 Now, an omer, is, the tenth of the ephah. |
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