He had commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven, had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven. Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full. (Psalm 78:23-25)

Just before the destruction of Sodom, Abraham and Sarah were visited by three angels. Seeing them, Abraham welcomed them into his tent and instructed his household to prepare a meal for them which they ate. Because Abraham demonstrated such hospitality and served human food to angels, God rewarded him by offering the food of angels to his descendants in the wilderness. He opened the doors of heaven and poured down food in abundance to sustain them throughout their journey.

The Bible reveals that when the people first saw it they said to one another, “What is it?” Apparently, it did not resemble anything they were familiar with. In fact, later Moses would say, “He fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know” (Deuteronomy 8:3). In other words, it was unfamiliar to them, in part, because beyond filling their bellies, it was meant to provoke them to believe. In Hebrew the question, “What is it?” is מן הוא man hu,; interestingly the letters that form this phrase also form the word אמונה emunah, “faith.”

God gives us our daily bread to provide for our physical needs while, at the same time, prompting us to believe Him for all of our other needs. If He can take care of something so mundane as our daily meals, surely He can provide for those needs that aren’t so mundane, that is to say, the issues  that seem impossible to overcome. The manna also teaches us that, when He does provide for us in these situations, don’t be surprised if we don’t recognize His means of provision. It might look foreign and unfamiliar, and we might be provoked to ask “What is it?” Therefore, it behooves us to be spiritually keen and discerning lest we overlook what God is doing in our life.

Remember, God gave them the bread from heaven to teach them a more important concept: “Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Though we may, at times, ask מן הוא man hu  “What is it?” — let us be quick to transform our uncertainty into אמונה emunah, “faith,” and believe that God is fulfilling His promise to provide, protect and preserve us.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill 

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