“Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day… and the house of Israel called its name manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:4, 31).

“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:6).

It takes food and water to survive very long. Hikers are advised to take between 1.75 and 2 pounds of food per day per person (How Much Food Should You Pack for a 3-Day Backpacking Trip? by Philip Werner, sectionhiker.com). They are advised to have between 3 and 5 liters of water per day when hiking through dry country (How Much Water to Carry When Backpacking?, hikeoregon.net). Imagine the quantities needed in the exodus.

God provided the food. He provided manna in the wilderness. It had to be gathered (Exodus 16:4-5, 16-18). There were rules on how it was to be gathered. It had to be prepared (Numbers 11:7-8). It came to them as grain, not bread or cakes. Nevertheless, God provided them with food. He sent this manna to them each night until they entered the Promised Land (Exodus 16:35; Joshua 5:10-12; Nehemiah 9:20-21).

God provided the water when they had little to none. “He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink in abundance like the deeps. He also brought streams out of the rocks, and caused waters to run down like rivers” (Psalm 78:15-16). “He opened the rock and water gushed out; It ran in the dry places like a river” (Psalm 105:41). It had to be drank by them to do any good (Exodus 17:6). Nevertheless, God provided it.

Thoughts

1. God provided them with food and water in the wilderness.

He still provides for man. “He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17).

2. God provided them with what they could not provide for themselves. He provided them with food and water in the wilderness. These things ceased in the Promised Land.

He spiritually provides what we cannot. He provides water which springs up into everlasting life (John 4:13-14). He provides bread that one may eat and live forever (John 6:35, 51).

3. God’s provisions did not remove the need for human response. They still had to gather the manna and prepare it. They still had to drink of the water.

God’s provisions today do not eliminate the need for human response. Consider from the book of John: (1) Drink > everlasting life (John 4:13-14); (2) Come/believe > no hunger/no thirst (John 6:35); (3) See/believe > everlasting life (John 6:47); (4) Believe > everlasting life (John 6:47); (5) Eat > live forever (John 6:50-51); (6) Feeds > live (John 6:57); (7) Words > life (John 6:63, 68); (8) Abide in Jesus’ words > Know truth / freedom (John 8:31-32). A response of faith is needed. This should not be considered meritorious work. It is a humble response to His provisions.