1712. The Pot of Manna

The Pot of Manna

"And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations" (Exo_16:33).

The pot of manna was placed within the Ark. This symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ as the life and the sustenance of His people.

1. Christ the life of His people. The meaning of the manna in its symbolical setting, is given us in the 6th chapter of John, beginning with Joh_6:32, Joh_6:33. There we read these words; "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."

The people said unto Christ, "Lord, evermore give us this bread." Jesus answered, "I am the Bread of Life: He that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst" (Joh_6:34-35).

The Jews murmured at Him, and they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He saith, I came from Heaven?"

Then the Lord said plainly: "I am that Bread of Life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead * *. I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (Joh_6:42, Joh_6:48-49, Joh_6:51).

We may marvel that the Jews murmured and that certain of His disciples also murmured and that from that time many turned back from following after Christ. Yet, all that Christ taught was set forth very plainly in the manna that was placed in the Ark.

It may be a hard saying, which many wrest to their own destruction, but it remains true that he that eateth the flesh and drinketh the Blood of the Son of God, hath life (see Joh_6:54).

2. Christ the sustenance of His people. The manna did not only speak of life; it also typified Jesus Christ the strength of His people.

We not only begin to live when we eat the Heavenly manna, but our life is sustained in eating the manna.

The Lord's Table has the bread, as well as the cup. The cup, in remembrance of the Blood, speaks more particularly of redemption; the bread, in remembrance of the broken body, speaks more particularly of sustenance.

Christ said: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Mat_4:4).

This verse may be read thus: "Man shall not begin to live by bread alone;" or, it may be read, "Man shall not continue to live by bread alone."

We are begotten by the Word of Truth, according to Jam_1:18, we are sustained and built up by the same Word–according to 1Pe_2:2.

When the children of Israel left Egypt, they were under the blood for safety, but they ate the roasted lamb that they might have strength for the journey.

How happy we should be that God provides for His people.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR