South Calhoun Baptist Church
August 31, 2003 PM
Exodus 16: 1-7, 10-19
Back to the Basics #2
"Manna in the Morning"
You have received Dr. Stephen Olford’s booklet "Manna in the Morning." This book has been helpful to me more than anything else on the subject of my personal devotional life. I hope you find it to be so, too.
Manna means, "What is it?" The size, shape, color, and taste caused them to ask about it.
Thinking of that title produced a message about the manna Israel received each morning and how that is a representation of our morning devotional time. Look at these similarities:
1. It was Divine Manna – Exodus 16:4; John 6:31
"Came down from heaven"
2. It was Glorious Manna – 16:7
It revealed the glory of God to them
3. It came out of a need for physical existence
If they did not have the manna, they physically would not have been sustained in the wilderness.
4. It was a daily provision
They needed it everyday. It teaches us to look to God daily for our provision. "Give us this day our daily bread."
God has provided all you need in His Word and prayer for your day.
5. It was fresh each morning
No left overs. The Holy Spirit will make the Word fresh each morning. Even those passages you have read over and over.
6. It was consumed daily
It could not be left over for the next day. When they tried to carry it over it was eaten up with worms.
7. It was propositioned according to the need – 16:16
Younger Christians need milk while older Christians need meat. The time we spend daily should grow as we grow.
8. The desire was essential
The people had to pick it up each day. It didn’t fall in their laps. It was provided, but God did not put it in their mouth.
9. The teaching the manna produced – 16: 32-33
They were to share it with all generations and tell them how God provided.
10. The people who became disenchanted – Numbers 11:6
They did not like the manna any more. "We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!"
When you become disenchanted with your daily devotional time you will become a complainer about all of life.
11. When the manna ceased – Joshua 5:12
When they began eating the corn of Canaan, they no longer ate the manna. There will be a day when we will no longer need a daily time with God because we will be spending all of Heaven with Him.
12. The hidden revelation of the manna – Revelation 2: 7-8
"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone."
There is hidden manna.
Matthew 11:25 "At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes."
13. The manna personified – John 6: 32-35
Jesus is the manna. It is a picture of eating of Jesus each day.