Brethren Archive

Manna.

by George Goodman


WE have a nine-fold description of the manna: it was (i) small; (ii) round; (iii) white (like coriander seed); (iv) in taste, like wafers made with honey or (v) like fresh oil; (vi) the colour of bdellium; (vii) it fell upon the dew; (viii) it melted when the sun was hot; (ix) if kept, it bred worms.
The Lord Jesus spoke of manna as a type of Himself.  He said, "The Bread of God is He which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (John 6: 33); "I am the Bread of Life" (John 6: 35); "I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven; if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever" (John 6: 51).  Perhaps we may spiritualize the nine points above as follows: small (Christ humbled, meek and lowly); round (eternal in being); white (sinless and spotless); honey (sweet to the Christian); fresh oil (born of and anointed by the Spirit); colour of bdellium (transparent----holy); falling on the dew (known only where the Spirit has prepared the heart); melting (must be sought "while He may be found"); breeding worms (head knowledge of Christ without fresh abiding in Him genders to pride, which God hates).
The fact that he that had gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little, had no lack, is explained by the apostle Paul as meaning that they supplied one another's need: "By an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance may be a supply for your want, that there may be equality, as it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over," etc. (2 Cor. 8: 14, 15).
We may thus minister Christ to one another so that those who have little time to gather much, may receive from the store of those who have more leisure to study the Word of God.






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