Manna was the miraculous bread from heaven that God provided for the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness. After their deliverance from Egypt, the people grumbled for lack of food, and God responded with provision. Exodus 16:4 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.’”
Each morning, manna appeared on the ground like small white flakes. It tasted like wafers made with honey (Exodus 16:31), and the people were to gather only enough for each day, except before the Sabbath, when they gathered twice as much. If stored overnight on other days, it would rot and breed worms, but on the sixth day, it remained fresh (Exodus 16:19-24).
God used manna to teach dependence on Him and obedience to His Word. Deuteronomy 8:3 says, “He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna… that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone.”
Manna also served as a symbol of God’s faithful provision. A jar of it was kept in the Ark of the Covenant as a testimony to future generations (Exodus 16:33-34).
Jesus declared Himself to be the true and greater manna. John 6:32-33 says, “Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread… For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”
Manna points to Christ as the only source of eternal nourishment for the soul, given by the Father to sustain and save.
