Study note

Exodus 16:4–5

These were the Lord’s instructions for gathering the food he gave in the wilderness. He provided enough for each day. On the sixth day, he gave a double portion. This way, the people did not need to gather food on the Sabbath (see 16:21–30).

The Israelites kept the Sabbath even before it was written in the Ten Commandments.

Many people resist a way of life that requires daily trust in God. We prefer to store up supplies so that we feel independent. But God was teaching his people to live by faith. They had to trust him each day to provide what they needed (compare Matthew 6:11).