The manna hidden in the Ark of the Covenant was a memorial of God’s provision for Israel during their forty years of wilderness wandering. It served as a witness to future generations of how God fed His people with bread from heaven.
Exodus 16:32–34 records God’s instruction:
“Then Moses said, ‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: “Fill an omer with it to be kept for your generations…”’ … So Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.”
The “Testimony” refers to the Ark of the Covenant, located in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Inside the Ark, according to Hebrews 9:4, were:
“The golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.”
The golden pot of manna was a visible reminder of God’s faithfulness and provision during a time of complete dependence. For forty years, Israel was sustained daily by manna, except on the Sabbath, when they rested from gathering.
The preserved manna also had a teaching purpose. It reminded Israel that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus later drew on this when identifying Himself as the true bread from heaven. In John 6:49–51, He said:
“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead… I am the living bread which came down from heaven…”
The hidden manna points to God’s sustaining power and prefigures the greater provision of Christ Himself, who gives eternal life.
Revelation 2:17 also speaks of “hidden manna” given to the overcomer, symbolizing spiritual sustenance and intimate fellowship with God.
