And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
Moses directed Israel to gather only what was needed for that day and to eat each day's portion that same day, leaving none of it until morning. Some disobeyed and left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank and became unfit to eat, which kindled Moses' anger against them. That prohibition against keeping it overnight applied to the first five days of the week, while the portion kept overnight from the sixth day to the seventh by God's direction did not stink nor breed worms, because no manna would be found on the seventh day, which was the Sabbath.
The command belongs to the account of God miraculously giving manna as bread and heavenly food from heaven to Israel during the wilderness journey. That history unfolded under the leadership of Jesus Christ, who guided Israel in the pillar of cloud. The daily provision taught Israel to depend on God for food day by day and to gather what they needed each morning. The account shows that God could provide for His people, though He also expected them to cooperate with Him in religious service.
The giving of manna was part of God's all-embracing education of Israel in all their habits of life, in which everything touching their well-being was cared for and placed under divine law, and even in providing food God sought their highest good. The manna was of a nature to promote physical, mental, and moral strength, so that notwithstanding the hardships of wilderness life there was not a feeble one in all their tribes. The manna was sweet and nourishing when Israel accepted the allotted portion with contentment, while dissatisfaction brought worms in the manna.
God sustained the validity of the seventh-day Sabbath by a miracle in the manna, proving that the day hallowed and sanctified at creation still stands as a holy institution, whose sacredness was afterward proclaimed at Mount Sinai in the very bosom of the Decalogue, even though it is now discarded for a spurious first-day sabbath. This provision continually testified to the Sabbath commandment given in Eden before it was given at Sinai. Strangers who joined the Israelites and honored God's Sabbath could share in this heavenly food. The instruction to gather fresh manna rather than keep it for the next day pictures seeking fresh spiritual nourishment morning and evening.
Moses directed Israel to gather only what was needed for that day and to eat each day's portion that same day, leaving none of it until morning. Some disobeyed and left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank and became unfit to eat, which kindled Moses' anger against them. That prohibition against keeping it overnight applied to the first five days of the week, while the portion kept overnight from the sixth day to the seventh by God's direction did not stink nor breed worms, because no manna would be found on the seventh day, which was the Sabbath.
The command belongs to the account of God miraculously giving manna as bread and heavenly food from heaven to Israel during the wilderness journey. That history unfolded under the leadership of Jesus Christ, who guided Israel in the pillar of cloud. The daily provision taught Israel to depend on God for food day by day and to gather what they needed each morning. The account shows that God could provide for His people, though He also expected them to cooperate with Him in religious service.
The giving of manna was part of God's all-embracing education of Israel in all their habits of life, in which everything touching their well-being was cared for and placed under divine law, and even in providing food God sought their highest good. The manna was of a nature to promote physical, mental, and moral strength, so that notwithstanding the hardships of wilderness life there was not a feeble one in all their tribes. The manna was sweet and nourishing when Israel accepted the allotted portion with contentment, while dissatisfaction brought worms in the manna.
God sustained the validity of the seventh-day Sabbath by a miracle in the manna, proving that the day hallowed and sanctified at creation still stands as a holy institution, whose sacredness was afterward proclaimed at Mount Sinai in the very bosom of the Decalogue, even though it is now discarded for a spurious first-day sabbath. This provision continually testified to the Sabbath commandment given in Eden before it was given at Sinai. Strangers who joined the Israelites and honored God's Sabbath could share in this heavenly food. The instruction to gather fresh manna rather than keep it for the next day pictures seeking fresh spiritual nourishment morning and evening.