Psalm 78:25
This verse is not referring to the sponge-like sweet treat that is often served as a dessert in America and called “Angel Food Cake”. Believe me, this food was much better! What a delightful vision we get in the words, “Man did eat angels’ food”. When did this blessed event occur? Who were these men? And, can we expect to eat this food as well?
The answer begins in the wilderness between Egypt and Mt. Sinai, where Israel began to whine to Moses about the lack of food in the desert. God opened the windows of heaven as they slept and rained down bread upon the earth. When they awoke the next morning, they looked outside of their tents and saw the small substance covering the ground around them. They said, “Manna?” meaning, “what is it?” in Hebrew. The name stuck, and manna had become their provision.
The provision of the manna was given as a gift of God, with no performance required on the part of the Jews. They simply collected it every day and twice as much on the day before the Sabbath. They did not plant the seed, nor cultivate the ground nor pray for rain. They need not harvest or grind the wheat to bake it into bread; it simply existed every morning of their lives. This was grace in the form of bread and each man could have as much or as little as he so desired (Exodus 16:16-18).
Jeremiah said that the Lord’s compassions fail not, “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22). Just as the bread was new every morning for Israel, the compassions and mercies of God are new every morning for each of us. We have a day-to-day, fresh provision from heaven for our day-to-day problems!
Jesus called Himself, “the bread of life” (John 6:48). We consume a little more of Him each day, giving us a spiritual diet of His beauty and loveliness. Just as manna came from heaven, Jesus is our spiritual manna, and we consume His mercy and goodness to get us through each day. Notice that we do not consume things OF Jesus, but rather we actually consume Jesus Himself. Feast on who He is, not just what He can do.
After growing wearied by the wilderness journey following the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai, Israel begins to look around at the things of the world around them. Their eyes glaze over with lust at the things that the heathen nations had nearby, and their longing and desire for the Lord began to wane. As soon as they desired something else, the manna began to be viewed as “worthless bread” (Numbers 21:5). Had the manna changed? Absolutely not, but their perception of it had. When other things steal your affection, the lovely Jesus will seem a little less lovely than before.
Angels wish that they could eat what the redeemed can eat! You have the sacrificed Lamb of God to consume each day. No angel has ever been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, but you have. No angel has been transformed from one creation into a brand new creation, but you have. No angel can know the joy of sins forgiven or the bliss of having no wrongs counted against them, but you do. Christian, you are most blessed, because you not only eat angels’ food; you eat better than they do, for you eat of Christ. Hallelujah!
This verse is not referring to the sponge-like sweet treat that is often served as a dessert in America and called “Angel Food Cake”. Believe me, this food was much better! What a delightful vision we get in the words, “Man did eat angels’ food”. When did this blessed event occur? Who were these men? And, can we expect to eat this food as well?
The answer begins in the wilderness between Egypt and Mt. Sinai, where Israel began to whine to Moses about the lack of food in the desert. God opened the windows of heaven as they slept and rained down bread upon the earth. When they awoke the next morning, they looked outside of their tents and saw the small substance covering the ground around them. They said, “Manna?” meaning, “what is it?” in Hebrew. The name stuck, and manna had become their provision.
The provision of the manna was given as a gift of God, with no performance required on the part of the Jews. They simply collected it every day and twice as much on the day before the Sabbath. They did not plant the seed, nor cultivate the ground nor pray for rain. They need not harvest or grind the wheat to bake it into bread; it simply existed every morning of their lives. This was grace in the form of bread and each man could have as much or as little as he so desired (Exodus 16:16-18).
Jeremiah said that the Lord’s compassions fail not, “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22). Just as the bread was new every morning for Israel, the compassions and mercies of God are new every morning for each of us. We have a day-to-day, fresh provision from heaven for our day-to-day problems!
Jesus called Himself, “the bread of life” (John 6:48). We consume a little more of Him each day, giving us a spiritual diet of His beauty and loveliness. Just as manna came from heaven, Jesus is our spiritual manna, and we consume His mercy and goodness to get us through each day. Notice that we do not consume things OF Jesus, but rather we actually consume Jesus Himself. Feast on who He is, not just what He can do.
After growing wearied by the wilderness journey following the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai, Israel begins to look around at the things of the world around them. Their eyes glaze over with lust at the things that the heathen nations had nearby, and their longing and desire for the Lord began to wane. As soon as they desired something else, the manna began to be viewed as “worthless bread” (Numbers 21:5). Had the manna changed? Absolutely not, but their perception of it had. When other things steal your affection, the lovely Jesus will seem a little less lovely than before.
Angels wish that they could eat what the redeemed can eat! You have the sacrificed Lamb of God to consume each day. No angel has ever been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, but you have. No angel has been transformed from one creation into a brand new creation, but you have. No angel can know the joy of sins forgiven or the bliss of having no wrongs counted against them, but you do. Christian, you are most blessed, because you not only eat angels’ food; you eat better than they do, for you eat of Christ. Hallelujah!
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