The Sabbath at the Fall of the Manna.
EXTRACTS FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE COMMENTARY.
Ex. 16:22. It is evident that the miracle on this occasion consisted in the larger quantity of manna that fell on the sixth day; which caused it to be so much thicker on the ground than at other times that the people gathered twice the quantity, with little additional labor (29); and not in a subsequent increase of the quantity which each person had gathered. As the rulers came to inform Moses that the people had gathered twice the usual quantity, it may be supposed they were appointed to superintend the distribution, and wanted his directions in the present case: and this gave him the opportunity of more fully stating to them, and by them to the people, the obligation of keeping the Sabbath as a holy rest unto the Lord. It is generally thought they were forbidden to bake or seethe it on the Sabbath-day; though the language used does not necessarily imply this. It is remarkable that three miracles were wrought, every week, in honor of the Sabbath, even before the promulgation of the Mosaic law. Double the quantity fell the day before; none fell on the Sabbath-day; nor did that corrupt which they kept for that day. This confirms the opinion that the institution of the Sabbath was from the beginning. Indeed the whole narrative implies that reference was made to an institution before known, but not properly remembered or regarded; and not to any new law given on the occasion, neither the inquiry of the elders, nor the language of Moses, can be consistently interpreted of an entirely new institution.—Scott. Ex. 16:22. We have here, 1. A plain intimation of the observing of a seventh-day Sabbath, not only before the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, but before the bringing of Israel out of Egypt, and therefore from the beginning. Gen. 2:3. If the Sabbath had now been first instituted, how could Moses have understood what God said to him (verse 5) concerning a double portion to be gathered on the sixth day, without making any express mention of the Sabbath? and how could the people so readily take the hint (verse 22), even to the surprise of the rulers, before Moses had declared that it was done with a regard to the Sabbath, if they had not had some knowledge of the Sabbath before? The setting apart of one day in the seven for holy work, and, in order to that, for holy rest, was a divine appointment ever since God created man on the earth, and the most ancient of positive laws. The way of Sabbath sanctification is the good old way. 2. The double provision God made for the Israelites, and which they were to make for themselves, on the sixth day (verse 29) appointing them to rest on the seventh day. He took care that they should be no losers by it, and none ever will be losers by serving God. On that day they were to fetch in enough for two days, and to prepare it. (Verse 23.) The law was very strict that they must bake and seethe the day before, and not on the Sabbath-day. 3. The intermission of the manna on the seventh days (Verse 25, 26). This showed it was not produced by natural causes, and was designed to confirm the divine authority of the law to be given by Moses. Thus God took an effectual course to make them remember the Sabbath-day, they could not forget it, nor the day of preparation for it.