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The Beginning of the End
Holy Spirit of God—it is not God’s will for His people to be weighed
down with care.
Our Lord does not tell us there are no dangers in our path, but
He points us to a never-failing place of safety. He invites the weary
and care-burdened, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.” Take off the yoke of anxiety and
care that you have placed on your own neck, and “take My yoke
upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls” (
Matthew 11:28, 29
). Instead of
grumbling and complaining, the language of our hearts should be,
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (
Psalm
103:2
).
God knew all about Israel’s needs. He said to their leader, “I will
rain bread from heaven for you.” God directed that the people gather
a daily supply, with a double amount on the sixth day, to maintain
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the sacred observance of the Sabbath.
Moses assured the congregation that their needs would be sup-
plied, that the Lord would give them “meat to eat in the evening,
and in the morning bread to the full.” And he added, “What are we?
Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.” They must
learn that the Most High, not merely Moses, was their leader.
At nightfall the camp was surrounded by massive flocks of quails,
enough to supply the entire company. In the morning there lay upon
the ground “a small round substance, ... like white coriander seed.”
The people called it “Manna.” Moses said, “This is the bread which
the Lord has given you to eat.” The people found that there was an
abundant supply for all. They “ground it on millstones or beat it
in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it.” “And the
taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (
Numbers 11:8
;
Exodus
16:31
).
They were directed to gather an omer? each day for every person
and not to leave any of it until the morning. The amount for the day
must be gathered in the morning, because all of it that remained on
the ground was melted by the sun. “He who gathered much had
nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”