Wormy Manna

In Exodus 16:14-27 the Lord began feeding the people of Israel with Manna. Initially, they did not recognize it as the food God gave them. God told them through Moses to go out each day and gather enough Manna to feed their family for that day. Disregarding God's command, they tried to keep enough Manna for the next day. However, they found it to be wormy and had a foul odor.

On the day before the Sabbath, God told them to gather enough Manna to last two days. They did as He commanded, and the wafers neither had worms nor spoiled, providing their daily bread without defiling the holiness of the Sabbath. Again, the people defied God's instructions and attempted to gather Manna on the Sabbath, but they did not find any to gather.

God instructed His people to gather a measure of Manna to keep so that His people could witness the evidence of His provision for generations to come. The measure set aside was an Omer, one-tenth of an Ephah representing a tithe unto God, and not be eaten.

John 6:31-33 KJV(31) Our fathers did eat Manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.(32) 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.(33) For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Today, the Lord has given us Jesus, the true Manna from Heaven who gives life to the world.

John 6:48-51 KJV(48) I am that bread of life.(49) Your fathers did eat Manna in the wilderness, and are dead.(50) This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.(51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

God has told us that man does not live by physical bread alone but by every word that proceeds from God's mouth. Taking communion allows us to eat and drink His body and blood and have eternal life and healing, but hearing His voice infuses us with His life daily.

Matthew 6:11 KJV(11) Give us this day our daily bread.

Jesus alone is the distributor of God's life, and we must consume His words daily to receive an infusion of His life. The Bible reminds us of God's provisions from the first page to the last. However, it is a tithe unto God and not to be eaten. It is the words of God, but it is about 1900 to 2000 years old and, therefore, unsuitable for consumption.

It is time for the church to stop playing God by seeking our own meaning and interpretation of the Bible. We should humble ourselves in prayer until we hear from Him, back up what we hear with scriptural proof, and preach the living Word of God. Comparing the Manna we receive daily as a Word from God with the Bible should assure us of its validity. When you fail to distribute the living Word, old Manna is quickly rejected, and people leave.

The church knows unity is the key to a powerful, world-changing congregation. We should concentrate on getting in tune with Jesus. Doing that will bring the unity and power we desire within the church.