Bible Talks

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 7
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“AND THE house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”
As remarked earlier, the manna is a type of Christ the Son of God in His humiliation here below. And how this verse reminds us of the invitation, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” Psalms 34:88O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8). The people of Israel in their folly did not always find the manna appealing to them “like wafers made with hoy,” but here they received it as a welcome and pleasing gift from God.
“And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness.” verse 32. Later when the tabernacle was built, Moses put this manna in a golden pot in the ark. It was to be a perpetual memorial. Just as the golden pot full of manna was to be kept for the generations to come, so God would ever have bore Him and His people the remembrance of His beloved Son and His blessed life here below. In Revelation 2:1717He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Revelation 2:17) the promise to the overcomer is: “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.” How blessed to know that through the eternal ages we shall feed upon Christ, that “hidden manna,” and never weary of thinking of Him as the One who came down to earth and went into death for us.
“There on the hidden Bread
Of Christ — once humbled here 
God’s treasured store — forever fed,
His love my soul shall cheer.”
The subject of the manna is a solemn one for both the believer and the unbeliever to consider. When the Lord Jesus was here on earth He was challenged time and again by Pharisees and scribes and those who refused to acknowledge Him as Son of God. On one occasion they approached Him, saying, “What signs showest Thou then, that We may see, and believe Thee? What dost Thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true Bread from heaven. For the Bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world... I am the Bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:30-3730They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:30‑37).
Thus the Lord Jesus definitely and clearly answered any question that might arise as to the true meaning of the manna and showed that all who would not accept Him as the true Bread of life condemned themselves, but that all who do come to Him will never be cast out; they will receive eternal life.
In what way is Christ the Bread of God? He is the same Bread that God Himself feeds upon, and He is also the bread that God has given for a world perishing with hunger. How precious this is! When a soul comes to Christ He finds all his hunger and his thirst met in Jesus. He has that which meets the need of his soul both now and evermore.
ML-09/28/1969