Moses Brings Water From the Rock as Manna Is Gatheredby CBPepper
78:24Psalms 78:24
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
After bringing Israel out of Egypt, Christ himself led them through the wilderness and daily fed them with manna rained down from heaven to sustain and preserve their lives, a gift from God the Father and not from Moses. The food is the corn and bread of heaven, angels' food, a simple, wholesome and strengthening non-flesh diet without meat, best suited to preserve health, leave no tribe feeble, and train Israel to bless and teach the world. The manna was a type foreshadowing God's gift of His Son, the true bread from heaven and bread of life, so that as manna preserved temporal life, eating Him by believing gives immortality and eternal life, in contrast to the fathers who ate manna and died. Despite this rich blessing revealing unfailing care and power over nature, the people grew weary of it, loathed it as light bread, murmured against God and longed for the meat of Egypt. Their craving was granted only for a short time and became a curse bringing sickness, plague and death to thousands, warning that heavenly food is the source of strength and those who fully receive truth of heavenly origin are sanctified by it and advance in the divine life instead of complaining as Israel did.
Manna in the Wilderness
Psalm 78:24 belongs to a psalm composed as a song for Israel to keep in time with as they journeyed through the wilderness. After bringing Israel out of Egypt, God rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them food from heaven to sustain and preserve their lives in the wilderness with daily provision. That daily supply preserved their lives and sustained them day by day after they left Egypt.
The food is described as the corn or bread of heaven, heaven's grain, and angels' food. It was the corn of heaven sent down for them to eat, the bread of heaven supplied for His people, and heaven's grain provided in the wilderness. As described with the following verse, it was angels' food and simple food without flesh.
The provision was a rich blessing and a benefit recounted alongside the poor return made for it. It was a mighty act of deliverance and care that revealed power over nature and served as an object lesson to the surrounding nations about who God is. It showed unfailing care and love, taught that His promise made the people secure from want, and served as the source of their strength, so that despite the hardships of the wilderness none of their tribes was feeble.
Christ himself led the Hebrews through the wilderness and daily fed them the manna. The manna was a gift from God the Father and not from Moses. Christ Himself was its giver, having led and fed Israel each day.
The manna was a simple, wholesome, healthful and strengthening non-flesh diet without meat. It was the food God wanted them and their children to have, the bread He had prepared for them and sent from heaven by angels. It was part of the best food supplied to preserve their health and lengthen their lives, and the food best suited to preserve health, lengthen life, leave no tribe feeble, and train Israel to become a people through whom God could bless and teach the world. This non-flesh diet belonged to His plan to lead them without a flesh diet and teach them simple habits of eating during their training after bringing them out of Egypt.
Christ the True Bread
The manna was a type of the true bread from heaven, foreshadowing God's gift of His Son as the bread of life sent to give life to the world. Christ Himself was its giver, having led Israel and fed them, the provision coming from God the Father and not from Moses. In its deeper meaning the manna signifies the life-giving Spirit flowing from God to give life to the world.
As the manna preserved temporal physical life, so through eating the bread of life by believing in Christ people receive immortality and eternal life. That gift stands in contrast to the temporary manna, after eating which those who ate it died, while Christ as the true bread from heaven gives eternal life to those who receive Him by believing His word. The people who demanded a sign from Jesus blindly cited this miracle done for their fathers, quoting it in caviling unbelief to Christ Himself as its very giver.
Ingratitude and Present Lesson
The psalm recounts the rich blessings and benefits God bestowed on His people and the poor return they made for them. The children of Israel constantly worked against His goodness in feeding them, and their disobedience brought them into the state that was the sure result of their own course of action. Despite generous provision they were not satisfied with the food He gave them but grew weary of it, loathed it as light bread, murmured and complained against God, forgot Him when trials came, and from discontent longed for the meat and food of Egypt.
That provision was bread from heaven given after He brought them out of Egypt as part of His plan to train them without a flesh diet, to teach them simple habits of eating, and to make them His people through whom He could bless and teach the world. It was the healthful food He wanted them and their children to have, sent from heaven by angels as part of a restricted diet provided for their good. Yet they craved the flesh foods and flesh-pots of Egypt, demanded meat, and their demand arose from discontent and murmuring. Because of that craving and discontent God granted their desire for flesh, but only temporarily and for a short time.
Their gluttony and refusal to restrain appetite brought dissension, sickness, physical and mental harm, disease, a great plague, and death to thousands and to many. What was granted became a curse rather than a blessing, for the use of animal food so obtained brought disease and death, and craving brought a great plague in which many died. Under rebuke and chastisement the people repented, but under temptation, self-indulgence, and self-gratification they fell again.
The psalm is worthy of earnest consideration for its teaching on eternal realities. The people of God should be far in advance of where they now stand in understanding those realities because a solemn work is before them. That work is to become fishers of men, to explain the truths of the Word to those who do not know them, to begin earnest self-sacrificing efforts for those perishing in their sins, and to sow seeds of truth that will reap a rich harvest of unselfish good beyond human estimate. As God freely gave manna in the wilderness as food from heaven and as angels' food, so strangers joined to Israel who comply with the conditions and do not profane the Sabbath are to share the goods of heaven. As with the manna, God puts no patent right on endowments of skill for making healthful foods, and those entrusted with such knowledge must put no exclusive claim on it or put a price on it but freely let it bless all who will receive and act on the light.
Heavenly food was the source of their strength, yet when trials came they complained and forgot Him. Those who fully receive truth of heavenly origin are sanctified through it, keep advancing in the divine life, and do not complain as the children of Israel did.
After bringing Israel out of Egypt, Christ himself led them through the wilderness and daily fed them with manna rained down from heaven to sustain and preserve their lives, a gift from God the Father and not from Moses. The food is the corn and bread of heaven, angels' food, a simple, wholesome and strengthening non-flesh diet without meat, best suited to preserve health, leave no tribe feeble, and train Israel to bless and teach the world. The manna was a type foreshadowing God's gift of His Son, the true bread from heaven and bread of life, so that as manna preserved temporal life, eating Him by believing gives immortality and eternal life, in contrast to the fathers who ate manna and died. Despite this rich blessing revealing unfailing care and power over nature, the people grew weary of it, loathed it as light bread, murmured against God and longed for the meat of Egypt. Their craving was granted only for a short time and became a curse bringing sickness, plague and death to thousands, warning that heavenly food is the source of strength and those who fully receive truth of heavenly origin are sanctified by it and advance in the divine life instead of complaining as Israel did.
Manna in the Wilderness
Psalm 78:24 belongs to a psalm composed as a song for Israel to keep in time with as they journeyed through the wilderness. After bringing Israel out of Egypt, God rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them food from heaven to sustain and preserve their lives in the wilderness with daily provision. That daily supply preserved their lives and sustained them day by day after they left Egypt.
The food is described as the corn or bread of heaven, heaven's grain, and angels' food. It was the corn of heaven sent down for them to eat, the bread of heaven supplied for His people, and heaven's grain provided in the wilderness. As described with the following verse, it was angels' food and simple food without flesh.
The provision was a rich blessing and a benefit recounted alongside the poor return made for it. It was a mighty act of deliverance and care that revealed power over nature and served as an object lesson to the surrounding nations about who God is. It showed unfailing care and love, taught that His promise made the people secure from want, and served as the source of their strength, so that despite the hardships of the wilderness none of their tribes was feeble.
Christ himself led the Hebrews through the wilderness and daily fed them the manna. The manna was a gift from God the Father and not from Moses. Christ Himself was its giver, having led and fed Israel each day.
The manna was a simple, wholesome, healthful and strengthening non-flesh diet without meat. It was the food God wanted them and their children to have, the bread He had prepared for them and sent from heaven by angels. It was part of the best food supplied to preserve their health and lengthen their lives, and the food best suited to preserve health, lengthen life, leave no tribe feeble, and train Israel to become a people through whom God could bless and teach the world. This non-flesh diet belonged to His plan to lead them without a flesh diet and teach them simple habits of eating during their training after bringing them out of Egypt.
Christ the True Bread
The manna was a type of the true bread from heaven, foreshadowing God's gift of His Son as the bread of life sent to give life to the world. Christ Himself was its giver, having led Israel and fed them, the provision coming from God the Father and not from Moses. In its deeper meaning the manna signifies the life-giving Spirit flowing from God to give life to the world.
As the manna preserved temporal physical life, so through eating the bread of life by believing in Christ people receive immortality and eternal life. That gift stands in contrast to the temporary manna, after eating which those who ate it died, while Christ as the true bread from heaven gives eternal life to those who receive Him by believing His word. The people who demanded a sign from Jesus blindly cited this miracle done for their fathers, quoting it in caviling unbelief to Christ Himself as its very giver.
Ingratitude and Present Lesson
The psalm recounts the rich blessings and benefits God bestowed on His people and the poor return they made for them. The children of Israel constantly worked against His goodness in feeding them, and their disobedience brought them into the state that was the sure result of their own course of action. Despite generous provision they were not satisfied with the food He gave them but grew weary of it, loathed it as light bread, murmured and complained against God, forgot Him when trials came, and from discontent longed for the meat and food of Egypt.
That provision was bread from heaven given after He brought them out of Egypt as part of His plan to train them without a flesh diet, to teach them simple habits of eating, and to make them His people through whom He could bless and teach the world. It was the healthful food He wanted them and their children to have, sent from heaven by angels as part of a restricted diet provided for their good. Yet they craved the flesh foods and flesh-pots of Egypt, demanded meat, and their demand arose from discontent and murmuring. Because of that craving and discontent God granted their desire for flesh, but only temporarily and for a short time.
Their gluttony and refusal to restrain appetite brought dissension, sickness, physical and mental harm, disease, a great plague, and death to thousands and to many. What was granted became a curse rather than a blessing, for the use of animal food so obtained brought disease and death, and craving brought a great plague in which many died. Under rebuke and chastisement the people repented, but under temptation, self-indulgence, and self-gratification they fell again.
The psalm is worthy of earnest consideration for its teaching on eternal realities. The people of God should be far in advance of where they now stand in understanding those realities because a solemn work is before them. That work is to become fishers of men, to explain the truths of the Word to those who do not know them, to begin earnest self-sacrificing efforts for those perishing in their sins, and to sow seeds of truth that will reap a rich harvest of unselfish good beyond human estimate. As God freely gave manna in the wilderness as food from heaven and as angels' food, so strangers joined to Israel who comply with the conditions and do not profane the Sabbath are to share the goods of heaven. As with the manna, God puts no patent right on endowments of skill for making healthful foods, and those entrusted with such knowledge must put no exclusive claim on it or put a price on it but freely let it bless all who will receive and act on the light.
Heavenly food was the source of their strength, yet when trials came they complained and forgot Him. Those who fully receive truth of heavenly origin are sanctified through it, keep advancing in the divine life, and do not complain as the children of Israel did.