The LORD knew that these complaints against His servants were in reality complaints against Him, yet He looked with tender mercy upon the sad condition of the people. He therefore told Mo'ses of His purpose to supply Is'ra-el with meat in the evening and bread in the morning, declaring that He would send down like rain from Heaven all the food which the Is'ra-el-ites needed. These promises of God were announced to the entire company of Is'ra-el by the elders and leaders of each tribe. The people were called to worship, and in the evening as they looked toward the wilderness on the east the glory of the LORD shone in the clouds. As the sun sank in the horizon the LORD caused great flocks of quail to come up to their camp, so that the ground was covered with them. The quail were then used to supply the people with meat.
When the people arose on the next morning and looked out upon the wilderness around them, they saw that the ground everywhere was covered with small, round particles, white like frost, and sparkling in the dew like diamonds. Amazed at the strange sight, they cried aloud, "Manna! Manna!" which means , "What is it?"
Mo'ses explained to them that this was the bread which the LORD had promised to send like rain from Heaven, and that they were to go out and gather just enough of it to last them for one day. This wonderful supply of food was to be given by the LORD on every morning except the Sab'bath, so on the sixth day of each week the people were to gather a double supply.
The people gathered the manna as directed by Mo'ses, and prepared it for their meals in various ways. It was a fine, nourishing food, with a taste like that of wafers and honey. Whenever one of them disobeyed the LORD'S command and took more than he needed, it would spoil before it could be eaten. Those who failed to gather a double portion on the sixth day of the week found that there was no manna to be had on the Sab'bath; for their disobedience they had to go without food for one day.
Both the manner in which God supplied this food and the nature of the food itself were miraculous. The manna was not produced by any natural means, and it was wholly independent of climate, weather, or any other worldly condition. It was supplied in the same miraculous way during the entire forty years of Is'ra-el's sojourn in the wilderness, and fell upon them in the same manner at every encampment in various parts of the desert.
