Initially when God gave the manna to the Israelites, what an exciting thing it was! Such a divine, delicious and ready- to-eat food was packed, encased in ice and God would rain it down from heaven into their camp daily! The second day the excitement lightened and gradually over the years it diminished but God provided the manna for forty years without fail. (Exodus 16 )
The miraculous manna, which no one else in the world had ever tasted became their staple food and eventually the second generation was born into this. Since it was all over the camp, maybe they even grew up ‘playing cricket’ on it and it’s significance slowly was overlooked. Later they started grumbling saying, “ there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”(Numbers 11:6 )
In the gospel of John, Jesus says that those who ate the manna that Moses provided died, but that it is His Father who provides the real manna from heaven, and the one who eats will never die! He also declared, “I am the bread of life…” (John 6:32- 35)
So, the never ending eternal life that a believer has received through Christ is the real manna. Even a billionaire cannot achieve the surety of this everlasting life by giving his money as a ransom for his sins. But we have that guarantee and this hope that we have received is our priceless Manna.
When we received Jesus, we experienced tremendous peace in our hearts and also got the hope of eternal life. On the day we had received this joy and peace we were so excited. But we have to search ourselves whether that excitement, peace , hope and thankfulness is diminishing as time passes. Are we too burdened with our earthly matters that we have forgotten the Manna?
1 Corinthians 10.10 says we should not grumble like the Israelites did. Let’s remember the Manna without grumbling. God commanded Moses to place the golden pot which had the manna in the arc of the covenant as a memorial for ever. ( Hebrews 9.4; Exodus 16.32-34)
Now God has kept this imperishable Manna forever in our hearts and let us enjoy it always and be thankful to God for it. So, forget not the Manna !
– Thomaskutty Bro