[Twentieth in a series of posts on Bible Stories] Encore Post: Once the people of Israel were safe on the other side of the Red Sea and the joy of freedom faded, they realized they had to provide for themselves. They grumbled at Mara that they were thirsty, and God provided water to drink. Once they reached the Wilderness of Sin, they grumbled that they had nothing to eat. God told Moses that he would provide bread in the morning and quail at night for them to eat.
When the people saw the bread God provided, it looked so strange to them that they said, “What is it?” They called it Manna, which means “what is it? ” in Hebrew. Moses answered that it was bread that God provided for them. God provided this food for six days, doubling the amount on the sixth day. On the Sabbath, manna did not come.
From the time people first planted crops until this very day, bread has been a staple food for people. God fed His people in the wilderness with manna to teach them to trust their Heavenly Father for daily bread.
God would do other miracles with bread. The prophet Elijah would feed the widow and her son with bread, flour, and oil that never ran out. Elisha would feed one hundred men with a few loaves. Later, Satan would tempt Jesus to make stones into bread rather than trust Him. Jesus quoted what Moses said to Israel about Manna: man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.. (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus fed crowds in the desert with a few loaves and fish. The crowd knew what it meant. Jesus was the Messiah, and like Moses and Elijah.
Jesus also used bread in another way. During His Last Supper, He took bread, broke it, blessed it, and gave His body for them to eat. To this day, when we gather for communion, Jesus feeds us with His body — the true Bread from Heaven. When we receive this bread, we are given strength for our journey through this life to life everlasting.
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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