Exodus 16:32 - Meaning and Application

God gave manna as food for his people in the wilderness, and it became like a daily feast for them. Here we are told how its memory was kept alive. An omer of manna was put in a gold pot, as we read in Hebrews 9:4, and later kept before the testimony, that is, before the ark of the covenant, after it was made (Exodus 16:32-34). Because this manna was preserved from waste and decay, it remained a lasting miracle, and so it was a fitting memorial of this miraculous food.

God said, in effect, that future generations would see the bread with which he fed his people in the wilderness. They would see what kind of food it was, and how much each person received each day. Then they could judge between God and Israel whether the people had any real reason to complain about their food. They could also see that both the people and their children had strong reason to remember and praise God’s goodness. Eaten bread should not be forgotten. God’s miracles and mercies should stay in our memory, so they can strengthen our trust in him at all times.

The mercy of manna also continued as long as the people needed it. It never stopped until Israel came to the border of Canaan, where there was plenty of bread (Exodus 16:35). This shows how steady God’s care is. Seedtime and harvest do not fail while the earth remains. Israel was often stubborn in the wilderness, yet the manna never failed them. In the same way, God still causes his rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

The manna is called spiritual food (1 Corinthians 10:3) because it pointed to spiritual blessings in heavenly things. Christ himself is the true manna, the bread of life, and the manna in the wilderness was a picture of him (John 6:49-51). The word of God is also manna, because it feeds our souls (Matthew 4:4). The comforts of the Spirit are hidden manna (Revelation 2:17). These gifts come down from heaven, just as manna did, and they support and comfort the new life God gives within us while we are in the wilderness of this world.

This food is for Israelites, for those who follow the pillar of cloud and fire, meaning those who follow God’s leading. It must be gathered, because Christ, offered to us in the word, must be received by faith, and we must use the means of grace. Each of us must gather for ourselves, and gather early, while our chance is still open. If we let the morning of opportunity pass, it may be too late to gather.

The manna was not meant to be stored up, but eaten. In the same way, those who receive Christ must live on him by faith, and not receive his grace in vain. There was enough manna for everyone, enough for each person, and no one had too much. So in Christ there is full sufficiency, and no waste. Yet those who ate manna became hungry again, and they died in the end. God was not pleased with many of them. But those who feed on Christ by faith will never hunger, and they will never die again. With them God will be pleased forever. The Lord give us this bread always.