Exodus 16:16-18

“This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'” The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.”

To exercise faith, in opposition to all the dictates of sense, is no easy attainment. For instance; the Jews in the wilderness soon found that they had no means of subsistence; and no prospect was before them, but that of speedily perishing by hunger and thirst. Yet they did not well to murmur against Moses and Aaron, who, as God’s appointed agents, had brought them forth from Egypt; in fact, their murmuring was against God himself, to whom they should rather have applied themselves in earnest prayer for the relief of their necessities. The wonders which he had already wrought for them were abundantly sufficient to show them, that, while under his care, they had nothing to fear. Doubtless the pressure of hunger and of thirst rendered it difficult for them to believe that God would provide for them; and God therefore mercifully bore with their impatience, and relieved their needs; he gave them water out of a rock; and supplied them with bread from the clouds, even with bread sufficient for them from day to day.

In relation to the manna, which was rained every night round about their tents, and which they were commanded to gather for their daily use before the risen sun had caused it to melt away, there was this very peculiar circumstance daily occurring during the whole forty years of their sojourning in the wilderness, that, while the head of every family was to gather a certain portion (an omer, about five pints,) for every person dependent on him, “and when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.”

Now this circumstance being so very peculiar, I shall endeavor to unfold it to you in its proper bearings; in order to which I shall consider it,

I. As a historical record.

A more curious fact we can scarcely conceive; and it is the more curious, because it occurred, not occasionally in a few instances, but continually, for forty years, through the whole camp of Israel.

It arose, I apprehend,

1. From God’s merciful disposition towards them.

A variety of circumstances might occur from time to time to prevent some heads of families from making the necessary exertion before the sun should have dissolved the manna, and have deprived them of the portion which they ought to have gathered. Illness, in themselves or their families, might incapacitate them for the discharge of their duty in this matter; or a pressure of urgent business cause them to delay it until it was too late. In this case, what must be done? God, in his mercy, took care that there should be in some a zeal beyond what their own necessities required, and that their abundance should he sufficient to counterbalance and supply the needs of others. In order to this, he needed only to leave men to the operation of their own minds. They did not collect the food by measure, but measured it after they had brought it home; so that they might apportion it to every member of their family, according to the divine command.

Hence it would often occur, that one who was young, active, vigorous, and disengaged, would exceed his quota; while another who was enfeebled by sickness, or depressed by sorrow, or occupied with some urgent business, as that of attending on his sick wife and family, might collect but little. Neither the one might think of administering relief, nor the other of receiving it; but in all cases where there was excess or lack found in the exertions of one, there was a corresponding lack or excess in another; so that, on measuring the whole, there was no excess or defect throughout the whole camp.

In fact, this, in some respect, obtains throughout the whole world; for though there is doubtless a great disparity in men’s possessions, arising from different circumstances, the rich unwittingly supply the necessities of the poor, by dispersing their wealth in return for the comforts or elegancies of life. And thus, to a much greater extent than men in general are aware, is equality produced among them; all having necessary food and clothing.

2. From their bountiful disposition towards each other.

In this view Paul quotes the very words of my text. He is exhorting the Corinthians to liberality in supplying the needs of their poorer brethren; he tells them, however, that he did not mean to burden them for the purpose of easing others; but only that, by an equality, their present abundance might be a supply for the needs of others; who, in return, might supply Their needs, in case circumstances should arise to admit of it and require it; so that there might be, under all circumstances, an equality; as it is written, “He who had gathered much had no excess; and he who had gathered little had no lack, 2 Corinthians 8:13-15.”

This sense does not at all oppose that which I have before given; on the contrary, it rather confirms the former sense; for it supposes that the excess was collected accidentally, as it were, in the first instance, and without any express intention to dispose of it to others; but on its being found to exceed their own needs, they liberally dispensed it to supply the needs of others; the donors at one time being the recipients at another; and the obligations conferred being mutual, as occasion required.

This, too, is still agreeable to the order of God’s providence in the world. No one can tell what change of circumstances may arise, to elevate or depress any man; but events continually occur to render a reciprocation of friendly offices both practical and necessary, and to call forth among ourselves the dispositions that were exercised among the people spoken of in our text.

But, to enter more fully into the design of God in this fact, we must notice it,

II. As a mystical ordinance or appointment.

That the manna was a type of Christ, is beyond a doubt; our blessed Lord himself drew the parallel, in the most minute particulars, John 6:31-58; On this account the manna is called “spiritual food, 1 Corinthians 10:3;” and when, in the bestowment of it, there was so remarkable a circumstance perpetuated throughout the whole camp for forty years, we cannot doubt but that it was intended to convey some particular and very important instruction. Nor does the construction put upon it by Paul in one point of view, at all militate against a different construction of it in another view. His interpretation refers to it only as a temporal ordinance; but, as it was a spiritual ordinance also, we must endeavor to derive from it the instruction which, in that view, it was intended to convey Matthew’s explanation of Isaiah 53:4-5. (See Matthew 8:16-17.) This does not invalidate the construction put upon it by Peter, 1 Peter 2:24. Both senses were true; but the spiritual sense was the more important; I think, then, that we may see in it,

1. Our privilege, as believers.

Believers now feed on Christ, as the whole Jewish nation fed upon the manna; and from day to day it is found, that “those who gather much have no excess; and those who gather little have no lack.”

In the Church of God at this day people are very differently circumstanced; some having much leisure, and deep learning, and many opportunities of attending ordinances in public, and of acquiring information in private; while others are so entirely occupied with temporal concerns, or so remote from opportunities of instruction, that they can gather but little comparatively of the heavenly bread. But have the one therefore any excess, or the other any lack? No. We will ask of those who are most devoted to the Word of God and prayer, whether they find their attainments in knowledge and in grace so abundant, that they have more than their necessities require? No. You know, that if your attainments were a hundredfold more than they are, there were scope enough for the employment of them, without overburdening your souls; you would still “forget all that was behind, and be reaching forward for that which was before, if by any means you might obtain the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus, Philippians 3:13-14.”

On the other hand, I will ask of those whose attainments are more contracted; Do you not find that your more slender portion is sufficient for you? You feed on the Lord Jesus Christ as the bread of life; and do you not find that he nourishes your souls; and that pardon, and peace, and holiness, are the fruits of your communion with him? Yes! It is said, “He who believes” (not he who is very strong in faith) “shall be saved;” yes, and that “all who believe (whatever be their stature or growth in grace) are justified from all things.”

If you are but a child in the faith, incapable of digesting strong meat, you find that “the sincere milk of the word” is sufficient to nourish and support you. If you be but a lamb in Christ’s flock, “he carries the lambs in his bosom,” because “it is not the will of your Father that one of his little ones should perish.” This is no reason for your neglecting to exert yourselves to the uttermost; but it is a comfort to you to know, that, though from the peculiarity of your circumstances you have been able to gather but little, you neither have, nor shall have, any occasion to complain that you have “lacked” what was needful for you. If you have had no superabundance of grace, “your strength has been according to your day.”

2. Our duty, as saints.

All, while they judged their first offices due to those who were immediately dependent on them, considered themselves as members of one great family, and bound to administer help to all whose necessities should require it. Thus should the whole collective mass of believers consider themselves bound to render every possible assistance to every part of Christ’s mystical body. Every joint is to supply a measure of nutriment according to its capacity, for the good of the whole body; so that the whole may be strengthened, and edified in love, Ephesians 4:15-16. The command is plain, “Strengthen the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees; say unto those who are of a fearful heart, Be strong; fear not; your God will come and save you! Compare Isaiah 35:3-4 with Hebrews 12:12-13.”

With whatever we are enriched, we should be ready to impart of our stores liberally and without grudging; considering that we are but stewards of all that we possess, and that in dispensing to others the benefits we have received, whether they are of a temporal or spiritual nature, we most resemble our Heavenly Father, and best answer the ends for which those blessings have been committed to us.

True, indeed, we have not anything of our own, which we can impart to others; (we have no more oil in our lamps than is needed for ourselves Matthew 25:8-9;) nor can any diligence in the head of a family supersede the necessity of every member gathering for himself; (for “every man must bear his own burden Galatians 6:5;”) but still, as instruments in God’s hands, we may be serviceable to many, James 5:19-20, and may, as golden pipes, convey the golden oil, for the enlightening and edifying of the Church of God, Zechariah 4:12 with 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:14.

Having thus marked the distinct views in which I conceive the fact before us ought to be regarded, I will now, in conclusion, suggest the instruction to be derived from it in a collective view.

We may learn from it:

1. Contentment.

The whole people of Israel had but this food for forty years; nor, except for use on the Sabbath-day, was any of it to be treasured up, even for a single day. The whole people of Israel were to exist on God’s providence, exactly as the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. Nor was anything more than food and clothing to be the portion of so much as one among them; with this they were to be content; and with a similar portion should we also be content, 1 Timothy 6:8.

Hear Paul’s experience on this subject, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in need, Philippians 4:11-12.”

Precisely such should be the frame of our minds also. We should offer continually, and from our inmost souls, that prayer which our Lord has taught us, “Give us day by day our daily bread;” and we should be willing to live dependent on our God for every blessing, whether for body or for soul, whether for time or for eternity.

2. Confidence.

In parting with any excess which they might have attained, the whole people of Israel showed that they looked to God alone for a supply of their necessities, and that they had no doubt of his continued care even to the end.

The same lesson should we also learn. “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34.”

We should regard God as our Parent; who, if he does not neglect the birds of the air, or the lowest worm of the earth, will surely not neglect his own children, but will rather feed them with bread from Heaven, and cause that bread to follow them in all their journeys, than leave them one day without the supply that is needful for them.

3. Liberality.

Certainly, to give away the excess which they had gathered, when they had not anything in hand for their subsistence on the morrow, was a bright example of generosity. I am far from saying that we, under our dispensation, should carry our liberality to the same extent; but I have no doubt but that the spirit which they manifested should be cultivated by us also, and that to a much greater extent than is generally imagined.

The instruction given by John the Baptist to the people of his day was, “He who has two coats, let him give to him that has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise, Luke 3:11.”

If it is thought that this was nothing but an Eastern proverb, I answer, that Paul, in the very place where he quotes the words of my text, proposes to our imitation the example of the Macedonians, “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 2 Corinthians 8:1-4.”

Nay more, he proposes to us the example of our blessed Lord himself, who “though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich! 2 Corinthians 8:9.”

Let this mind then be in you, my beloved brethren; and account yourselves rich—not in proportion to what you can consume upon yourselves, but according to what you are able to administer for the benefit of others. “In bearing one another’s burdens, you shall best fulfill the law of Christ! Galatians 6:2.”

Charles Simeon (1759-1836)