Journal Through the Bible: Week 13 Saturday

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Exodus 15:22-16:36

Does God make any promises in this passage?

• After He used a tree to make the bitter waters of Marah sweet He told them that if they would diligently listen to Him and do as He commanded, then none of the diseases that afflicted the Egyptians would be sent to punish them. (15:26)
• God promised sustenance by raining bread from heaven for them to eat each morning. 
• God also provided quail for them to eat in the evening.

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Jesus made it clear in the New Testament that He was the Bread sent from heaven as the Bread of Life and that the feeding with manna was a symbol of His provision

Are there any references to yet-future events?

• Before Jesus was born God fed His people bread from heaven in the wilderness. When Jesus was on earth God fed His people with the Word that was also the Bread of Life ("Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God."). And we are told that in the future God's people will sit at His table and be fed by Him. Thus the manna is symbolic of more than one stage of history.

Does God issue any commands?

• The promise of good health that God made them in 15:26 was conditional. They had to listen to God, do what was right in God's sight, and obey Him. Then the promise would apply.
• The gift of bread (manna) was provisional also. They would only gather 6 days out of the week and they were to keep no leftovers except on the sixth day. Then there would be enough for the sabbath rest, but if they kept any on the other days it would spoil and breed worms.
• God commanded them to rest on the sabbath day.
• He commanded them to keep an omer pot of the manna to show future generations