THE next morning after the sad murmuring of Israel, the dew lay round about this great host of people, and when it disappeared, the ground was covered with something white, like frost, and small, like a coriander-seed, and sweet to the taste. They were surprised when they saw this, and asked one another what it was. Moses told them that it was the bread which the Lord had given them to eat; and they called it manna, which means, “What is it?”
Then Moses told them that the Lord had commanded that they should gather up the manna— an omer for every man. They set to work and some gathered more, and some less; but when they measured it, those who had gathered much had nothing over, and those who had gathered little had no lack. Then Moses told them that no one should leave of it till morning; but, some of them, not heeding his words, left part of theirs until morning, only to find that it had bred worms, and was very offensive. This disobedience made Moses very angry with them.
Each morning the manna was found upon the ground, and had to be gathered for their daily food; it must be gathered early, too, for when the sun grew hot it melted.
Now there are precious lessons to be gleaned from this narrative. Shall we seek to gather up some of them?
The manna was to be gathered every day; so we who are now the people of God should feed daily on Christ. The children of Israel were not allowed to gather enough for two days, or to leave any over for next day. Yesterday’s manna will not do for today, nor today’s for, tomorrow. I must feed today, I must feed tomorrow, I must feed next day upon Christ, if I would grow in the knowledge of Him.
If the manna was not gathered early, it melted and was lost. If we do not begin the day with Christ, before other things come in to claim our thoughts and time, He is shut out. The children of Israel rose early in order to gather their daily food; blessed for us, if we rise early to seek the heavenly things! The new life which we have in Christ can be sustained only through feeding upon Him; “so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” John 6:5757As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (John 6:57).
Do not forget, my dear young reader, it is one thing to have life in Christ, and it is another thing to be feeding on Him by faith. One may be a child of God, and yet be feeding upon light reading, and many vain and trifling things; and these are not the dew drops upon which the manna, pure and sweet, came down from heaven. Ah, no! the heavenly bread must not be brought into contact with these gross things of earth.
May God give to each of His own redeemed ones to feed upon the living bread, and to be filled with joy and gladness through it!
ML 03/15/1903