Manna was God’s gift of food to his people, the Israelites, as they wandered through the desert for 40 years after the exodus from Egypt. According to Jewish rabbis this heavenly bread was preternatural, that is, God created it in Heaven outside the structure of the natural world. God provided it daily, and the people were to not store it except for the day before the Sabbath. It melted in the sun, so they did not need to dispose of it. Jewish tradition also says that it would be completely absorbed into the body and did not create bodily waste. This heavenly substance that resembled bread, but had qualities beyond those of ordinary bread was a prefigurement of the true bread from Heaven which is Jesus’ body given for the salvation of the world. He told the people in John 6 that their ancestors had eaten the Manna in the desert and still died,but that he was going to give them the true heavenly bread so that anyone who eats of it might live forever.
Exodus 16:4–36 The main account of God providing manna to the Israelites after they complain about hunger. God gives instructions on gathering manna and keeping the Sabbath.
Numbers 11:6–9 Description of manna’s appearance and taste.
Numbers 21:5 Israelites complain about manna.
Deuteronomy 8:3, 16 Moses reminds Israel that God fed them with manna to teach dependence on Him.
John 6:31–35, 48–51 Jesus refers to manna when teaching that He is the “Bread of Life.”
Hebrews 9:4 Mentions the golden jar of manna kept in the Ark of the Covenant.
Revelation 2:17 Promise of “hidden manna” to those who overcome.
Illustration by: Colton Rompala