# Day 50

# Food Rains from Heaven

Exodus 15:27–16:35

After Marah, Israel came to a place of twelve fresh springs. There they rested under seventy palm trees. But soon they were in a hot dry desert with no food. Everybody whined at Moses. “We should have died in Egypt,” they moaned. “That would be better than dying in this desert.”

God spoke to Moses, too. “I’m going to rain food from heaven for you,” he said. “Every day you’ll go out and gather enough for that day.” The next morning, they saw little white flakes like frost on the ground. “What is it?” they asked.

“This is the bread God has given you,” Moses answered. “Gather as much of it as you need. Don’t keep any leftovers. They’ll spoil.” Morning by morning they gathered as much as they needed. But when the sun got hot it melted on the ground. Some tried to keep it overnight. In the morning it was stinky and filled with worms.

Israel called this food “manna,” which means “what is it?” Every day for the next forty years, they ate manna. They were never hungry. Manna stopped falling when Israel came to Canaan.

Questions: Why did Israel whine at Moses? Where did manna come from?