what is it?

Manna: What is it?

I have decided to read through the Old Testament with the footnotes and currently I am in Numbers 11. This is where the children of Israel are stirred up to abhor the heavenly taste of manna and to lust after the worldly taste of the Egyptian food. At first one may think, what's their problem? Don't they know that none but Christ can satisfy? But then I realize that many times this is my case too. I see others enjoying the fleshly enjoyment of the world and I am stirred up to want it too. I find that my appetite for the things of God has gone and I see that here in the wilderness there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. (v. 6) Crying out together with those around me saying, Who shall give us meat to eat? (v. 4) But why is it that such a dis-appreciation for the manna that God has provided for my unique source of supply and enjoyment exists? Perhaps I have forgotten or been distracted from what manna is.

Manna wasn't merely for looking at.
Manna was meant to be eaten as food; as a daily all-inclusive supply
to become the sustenance of the people of God.
When we review its characteristics we can see how awesome it really is to us.
The characteristics of manna portray the characteristics of
Christ as the heavenly food of God's people (John 6:29-35).

Manna was :

• fine (v. 14) ~ indicating that Christ is even & balanced & He became small enough for us to eat.
  
• round (v. 14) ~ indicating that as our food Christ is eternal, perfect, and full, without shortage of defect.
  
• white (v. 31) ~showing that Christ is clean & pure, without any mixture.
  
• like frost (v. 14) ~ signifying that Christ as our heavenly food not only cools and refreshes us but also kills the negative things within us.
  
• like coriander seed (v. 31) ~ indicating that Christ is full of life that grows in us and multiplies.
  
• solid (Num. 11:8) [implied in the fact that the people 'ground it between two millstones or beat it in a mortar, then they boiled it in pots'] ~ signifying that after gathering Christ as manna, we must prepare Him for our eating by 'grinding, beating, and boiling' Him in the situations and circumstances of our daily living.
  
• like bdellium in appearance (Num. 11:7) ~ indicating the brightness & transparency of Christ.
  
• in its taste like the taste of cakes baked in oil (Num. 11:8) ~ signifying the fragrance of the Holy Spirit in the taste of Christ.
  
• in its taste like wafers made with honey (v. 31) ~ signifying the sweetness of the taste of Christ.
  
• good for making cakes (Num. 11:8) ~ indicating that Christ is like fine cakes rich in nourishment.

[notes taken from Exodus 16:31 note 1 in the Recovery Version, 2003, Living Stream Ministry.]

I especially enjoyed the characteristic of manna being like frost. I'm so thankful to have a Christ who is both cooling and refreshing as I enjoy Him. Many times things in my day act as instigators to heat me up in my emotions and set me in a tailspin of fiery distress. But the Christ who I can enjoy in His word, in song, and in prayer can put out that flame and at the same time refresh & cool my soul as if the flame was never there. The killing element in the Word through the All-Inclusive Spirit removes the negative things in my heart and replaces it with songs of joy and rejoicing. Don't you just love Him more? I know I do.