Exodus 16:22-3022And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 27And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 28And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30So the people rested on the seventh day. (Exodus 16:22‑30)
THE SUBJECT of the manna has an important place all through Scripture. Referring to this very time, David speaks of it in the Psalms: “Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold... [He] opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food.” Psalms 78:19-2519Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? 21Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; 22Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: 23Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, 24And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 25Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. (Psalm 78:19‑25). God uses such exalted language in speaking of the manna because He has Christ bore Him.
“And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that today; for today is a sabbath unto the LORD: today ye shall not find it in the field... the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.”
Christians keep the first day of the week instead of the sabbath. This is the Lord’s day, and we should do our gathering of the manna dung the week, so that we can enjoy what we have gathered as we meet around His table on the Lord’s day to remember Him in His death.
The sabbath day, graciously prided for Israel, began at this time. It was the first time in the Bible that the sabbath was given to man to keep. It was one of those institutions through which God would bless His people and prove them “whether they would walk in His law, or no.”
The only previous mention of the sabbath in Scripture was after creation, when God saw that all was in perfection: “and on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” Genesis 2:2,32And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:2‑3). But when Adam sinned all was spoiled and God could not rest, nor will He until His heavenly people, the Church, are gathered home to heaven, and when Christ is reigning as the King of righteousness over this earth. At the giving of the law later on, the keeping of the sabbath was included in the commandments to God’s people, but here it was presented as a gracious gift “that the LORD hath given.” God always shows us His purposes in grace before responsibility comes in. The children of Israel were now a redeemed people and God could give them rest on the ground of redemption, though in no other way. Afterwards, when they put themselves under law, God gave them the sabbath as His promise of earthly rest if they could keep the law, but they could not. They will, however, enjoy the sabbath of rest during that blest millennial reign of Christ, where it will not be established upon law-keeping, but upon the work of Christ on Calvary (Psa. 132:88Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. (Psalm 132:8); Ezek. 44:2424And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. (Ezekiel 44:24)).
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