Topical Bible: Manna: The Israelites: Loathed

◄ Manna: The Israelites: Loathed ►

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Manna, often referred to as "bread from heaven," was the miraculous sustenance provided by God to the Israelites during their 40-year journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. This divine provision is first mentioned in Exodus 16, where God responds to the Israelites' complaints about the lack of food by raining down manna from heaven. The Israelites were instructed to gather it daily, except on the Sabbath, as a test of their obedience and reliance on God's provision.

Despite its miraculous nature and the sustenance it provided, the Israelites eventually grew weary of manna. Numbers 11:4-6 records their dissatisfaction: "Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, 'Who will feed us meat? We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. But now our appetite is gone; there is nothing to see but this manna!'"

This expression of loathing was not merely a complaint about the monotony of their diet but also a reflection of their spiritual state. The Israelites' disdain for manna symbolized a deeper ingratitude and lack of faith in God's provision. Their longing for the foods of Egypt revealed a desire to return to their former life of bondage, forgetting the oppression they had endured.

The manna itself is described in the Scriptures as being like coriander seed, white, and tasting like wafers made with honey (Exodus 16:31). Despite its pleasant taste and miraculous origin, the Israelites' complaints persisted, demonstrating their rebellious nature and lack of trust in God's plan.

In response to their grumbling, God provided quail as meat, but this was accompanied by a severe plague as a consequence of their ingratitude and rebellion (Numbers 11:31-34). This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of contentment and trust in God's provision, even when it does not align with personal desires or expectations.

The loathing of manna by the Israelites is a poignant example of human nature's tendency to take divine blessings for granted and to focus on immediate desires rather than eternal promises. It underscores the need for faith and gratitude in the face of God's provision, no matter how it may appear.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 21:5
And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this light bread.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Holy Communion.
... Just as many of the old Israelites loathed the manna and said, "Our souls are dried
away; there is nothing but this manna before our eyes," so there always ...
/.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/xxxix the holy communion.htm

The First Book
... Because we do not now eat manna daily as the ... not that we are better off than the
Israelites were, but ... They loathed what they had and longed for what they lacked ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the first book.htm

Thanksgiving Versus Complaining
... heavenly manna was provided they complained again because they "loathed such light
food." And we also complain about our spiritual food. Like the Israelites, ...
/.../smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 15 thanksgiving versus complaining.htm

The Panoply of God
... evil unsavoury, and just as the Israelites hungered for ... and garlic of Egypt, and
therefore loathed 'this light ... palates have been accustomed to manna will have ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the panoply of god.htm

The Convicting Facts
... The fugitive Israelites in the wilderness said, 'We do not want your light, tasteless
manna. ... has sent all His servants to ask"Have you loathed your sin? ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/the convicting facts.htm

Psalm LXVIII.
... inheritance being itself weakened; for they murmuring, fastidiously loathed the
manna, longing for ... to God." [2861] Not then of the Israelites alone, whence ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxviii.htm

Justification by an Imputed Righteousness;
... things for them'; no eye but his, whose glorious grace is unsearchable; no eye but
his, who could look and love; all others looked and loathed; but blessed be ...
/.../justification by an imputed righteousness.htm