Manna

 



Listening this morning to the book of Exodus this morning on my way to work, and my mind began wondering at the miracle of manna:

Exodus NKJV 16:14-17 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: 'Let every man gather it according to each one's need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.' " 17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.

The Jews ate this manna for 40 years.  It is not said that they ate anything else.  Therefore on the surface of it, it must have been a 100% nutritionally complete food.  It had to provide every vitamin, mineral, protein, carbohydrate, trace element in perfect proportions. . .  and not only that, but for a completely diverse population. . . small children, nursing mothers, men doing the heavy labor of carrying, the elderly, and sick. . . all had to be completely fed by this wondrously perfect heavenly food.

What would such a food look like?  What would the protein, carbohydrate content look like. . . what would a perfect food's list of vitamins and minerals and trace elements contain?  It's amazing to me to even consider.

But. . . is that even possible.  Rapidly growing children's nutritional needs are certainly far different than the elderly.  Is there an underlying, unspoken miracle here.  We read:

Deuteronomy NKJV 29:5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.

Their clothing, and foot wear didn't wear out in 40 years.  Daily walking through the rocky, sandy wilderness of sin, and after 40 years neither your sandals or nor your clothes were worn out.  Amazing beyond comprehension. . . 

Could it be that the manna was given from heaven to fill their bellies and satisfy their hunger, but God quietly miraculously provided for each individuals unique nutritional needs?  I don't understand how the exact same food could properly nourish all the individual requirements of the estimated 2-3 million people who traversed the desert for those 40 years.

There are no answers for such questions found on the pages of the Bible, but interesting for me to ponder upon. . .  

I know that behind the scenes God does many times over what we give Him credit for doing. . . 

I love You my God. . . 

<3

Dave

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