What is Manna?

In Exod., it is the edible substance God gave the Israelites in the desert. Popular etymology is "man hu" (what is it?), the question the Israelites asked each other when they saw it. Various descriptions of it are in Exod 16 and Numb. 11. In Deut., Neh., Ps. and later in the NT, it is equated to bread.

Sher - in a recent fictional series I read that depicted the Bible quite well, Manna was depicted as a "soft, bread-like substance, that fell to earth much like snow, to feed man. It had a honey-like taste, and left one wanting for nothing more. It had to be consumed when offered and not hoarded, as saving it would show lack of faith."

Sher...If you haven't yet, I recommend the "Left Behind" series of books. Even as an athiest, I really enjoyed them. It is a series of 15 (?) books, and has some in depth analysis of biblical passages and their meanings, which translate very well into the story.

Too bad that such fictional nonsense as those books are passing for prophecy. No wonder such entertainment instead of teaching does not result in any enlightenment or spiritual development.

Yikes, tsaeb, for a moment there I thought you were responding to juanruiz’s post! I would have agreed with you there, too, as I do about the fictional nonsense of the “Left Behind” series. But at least everyone understands (or should) that it’s fiction. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the book juanruiz mentions…

I’m sorry, every time someone says “manna,” I just think of Magic.

quote:

Originally posted by tsaeb:
Too bad that such fictional nonsense as those books are passing for prophecy. No wonder such entertainment instead of teaching does not result in any enlightenment or spiritual development.

Well considering I'm not after enlightenment or spiritual development, I admit that I'm ignorant of that series being fictional nonsense...I have, however, read some reviews elsewhere that applauded the authors for their "take" on the scriptures.

I never went and looked up the chapter & verse that referred to manna myself, but if people were meant to dine on it, and it alone for any length of time, hopefully it WOULD taste like honey and be filling.

OH! And by the way, didn't I say right off it was FICTION??

Manna; The sweetness of words.
Psalm 55:21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Revelation 10:10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Sweet or bitter, it all depends on the take of the reader. Amos 5:14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

philalethist: In another thread, some are having trouble perceiving of a consumption as one of food, thinking it to be a destruction. Well, it looks as though the food is the word to be eaten, that is, read, heard, digested, and used to energize us to do His will and not our own disobedient wills.

Just a Note on Manna.

There was a jar of Manna placed in the “Ark of the Covenant.”?

Exodus 16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

Ark of the Covenant is also seen as the Ark of the Testimony:

Hebrews 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

The pot of Manna was not really recorded as being put INTO the Ark. (Not sure where the Author of Hebrews is seeing this?) And it is not shown as being there later.

Book of the Law was put into the Ark, But was later found Hidden in the Temple.

1-Kings 8:9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

The Pot of Manna, the Rod that budded and the Book of the Law then are missing when they wrote 1-Kings 8:9. However, That does not mean they are still missing from within the Ark.

The Ark of the Covenant, along with the Altar of Incense is hidden in a cave on Mount Nebo which is now in the Country of Jordan. It is not seen in the KJV, But a Jerusalem Bible will show it, Jeremiah was bringing it back from Babylon, The walls of Jerusalem had not yet been rebuild.



2 MACCABEES 2:4 It was also in the writing that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God.

2 MACCABEES 2:5 And Jeremiah came and found a cave, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar of incense, and he sealed up the entrance.

2 MACCABEES 2:6 Some of those who followed him came up to mark the way, but could not find it.

2 MACCABEES 2:7 When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: "The place shall be unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy.

2 MACCABEES 2:8 And then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses, and as Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated."

Ken