How does Exodus 16:6 connect to Jesus as the Bread of Life? Gathering the Story around Exodus 16:6 • Exodus 16 unfolds in the wilderness of Sin, just weeks after the Red Sea crossing • Israel is hungry and grumbling; God promises food in two forms—quail at evening, manna each morning • Verse 6 sets the purpose: “So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” Knowing the LORD through Evening Provision • The quail that arrived that night confirmed God’s saving hand “out of Egypt” (cf. 16:13) • Physical bread became a tangible reminder that salvation and daily sustenance come from the same Source • The focus is on recognition: God feeds to reveal Himself The Manna Pattern: Bread from Heaven • Exodus 16:4—God rains “bread from heaven” • Manna is: – Supernatural (never before seen, 16:15) – Sufficient (enough for each family, 16:18) – Daily (gathered every morning, 16:21) – Sabbath-honoring (double portion on the sixth day, 16:22-30) • Moses later calls it “the bread which the LORD has given you to eat” (16:15) Jesus Picks Up the Theme • John 6:32-35, 48-51—after feeding the 5,000, Jesus links manna to Himself: “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven… I am the bread of life.’” Clear Parallels between Manna and Christ • Source – Manna: sent by the Father from heaven – Jesus: “came down from heaven” (John 6:38) • Purpose – Manna: preserve Israel’s physical life in the wilderness – Jesus: give eternal life to the world (John 6:51) • Reception – Manna: had to be gathered and eaten daily – Jesus: must be received by faith continually (John 6:54-56) • Sufficiency – Manna: “He who gathered much had no excess” (Exodus 16:18) – Jesus: “Whoever comes to Me will never hunger” (John 6:35) How Exodus 16:6 Connects to the Bread of Life • The evening quail in verse 6 made Israel “know” the LORD; Jesus’ self-revelation through the cross and resurrection makes us “know” the Father (John 17:3) • Verse 6 anchors manna in redemption history—deliverance from Egypt; Jesus anchors the true bread in a greater redemption—deliverance from sin (Colossians 1:13-14) • Just as Israel’s recognition came “this evening,” our recognition centers on a specific event: the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:10) Living It Out • Trust God’s proven character: He who saved also sustains • Seek daily nourishment in Christ through Scripture and fellowship • Celebrate the Lord’s Supper as a continual reminder that the true Bread has come and will come again (1 Corinthians 11:26) |
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