God commanded the Sabbath in connection with manna to teach Israel the importance of rest, trust, and obedience. When God provided manna in the wilderness, He instructed the people to gather only enough for each day, but on the sixth day they were to collect twice as much so they could rest on the seventh.
Exodus 16:23 explains:
“Then he said to them, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.”’”
Unlike other days, the manna gathered for the Sabbath did not spoil. This miracle reinforced that God Himself provided for their needs and that His command to rest was for their good. The Sabbath was a sign of their covenant relationship with God and a reminder that life does not depend on endless labor but on His faithfulness.
Exodus 16:29 emphasizes the lesson:
“See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days.”
This command tested whether Israel would obey and trust God’s word. Those who tried to gather manna on the seventh day found none (Exodus 16:27), proving that provision comes from God’s timing, not human striving.
The Sabbath principle connected with manna points to a deeper spiritual truth fulfilled in Christ. Hebrews 4:9–10 teaches that believers enter God’s ultimate rest by faith, ceasing from their own works and trusting in the finished work of Jesus. Just as Israel learned to depend on God for daily bread, we are called to rest in Christ as our eternal provision.
