14. The Manna on the Dew

The Manna on the Dew

"In the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, ‘It is manna’..." (Exodus 16:13 b to 15 and following). For forty years God fed His people with manna! What a marvelous provision! Who could have imagined such a thing! Their food came with the dew of heaven! Where did they find this wonderful food? Not in the camp. Why not? Remember, God had given them a pillar of cloud which stood between them and the Egyptians in Exodus 14:19-20. It was to be their shade throughout their desert journey. At night it was a pillar of fire. This pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night was a wonderful comfort to them in providing shade by day, plus heat and light by night. But their food was not to be found under it. The conditions under the cloud and pillar of fire were not favourable for the dew of heaven. The sun could not pour forth its energy there. But all around the cloud the conditions were unimpeded. There the earth could take the full force of the sun during the day and the energy was free to go back during the night. These were the ideal conditions for the formation of the dew of heaven. And this was the place where God provided the food for His people. His people could not provide their own food. They must go out from themselves to His appointed place. But it was not far away — just outside and "round about the camp." Each morning, except the Sabbath, they were to gather their food. But they must do so before the sun got hot and it disappeared for that day.

How full of lessons is this for us as we seek to dwell together as brethren in unity! Our place is to dwell together in unity under His cloud and pillar of fire. He has called us to a most wonderful place in the family of God. Oh, that we appreciate, ever more and more, what has been done for us to redeem us from the world (Egypt) and to provide so sumptuously for us on our way to heaven! Israel had been physically separated from the worldly influences of Egypt. In the wilderness there was a place for them (provided by their God) to dwell together in unity. There was no lack of food, with manna every morning and quails every evening. We too live in a wilderness and there is a place for us to be separated to our Lord and from the world. Our food is not from ourselves. We are to "go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach" (Hebrews 13:13).

He, our Living Bread, will provide our food there. This food brought into our dwellings and feasted upon will unite us in Him! Are we willing to leave our nice warm and comfortable places and go out "round about the camp" to individually gather our "manna" for ourselves and for our families? We do not need to get wet with the dew, but we must be there just after the dew goes up. We must not be far removed from what God has done the day before and during the night. Divine energy has come and gone, but precious food has been left behind for us to gather. There is a time prescribed by the Lord for us to gather our "manna." Our Lord Jesus, our bread who came down from heaven (John 6:1-71), is not only God’s food but ours as well. Are we spending that necessary time gathering from Him each morning? Are we feeding on Him with our families throughout the day? Any lack here will be a source of complaining, starting in our families and spreading throughout the company of believers.

Sadly, the children of Israel still carried the things of Egypt in their hearts, and their murmurings caused much disunity among them. And are not the things we bring from this world the sources of our disunity? Sadly, it is so!