An important characteristic of manna was that it could not be kept from one day to the next. How this jar of manna was able to keep fresh over a long period of time can be explained only by the power of the Lord.

The Israelites ate manna for forty years, that is, until they came to the land of promise. No doubt it was some time before the Hebrews got over the habit of going out to look for manna. To remind them of their prolonged lesson of dependence on Him, God had them place a jar of manna inside the Ark of the Covenant (Hebrews 9:4).

There is a time coming for us Christians when the manna will cease, so to speak.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (I Corinthians 13:10)

The day will come when we shall see Him face to face, shall be with Him for ever, and shall have a glorious body that no longer is subject to "thorns in the flesh."

There will be no more perceiving "through a glass darkly;" no more perplexities; no more attempting to glean God's will and purpose from tongues, prophecies, and dreams. Every Christian will possess the full revelation of the Godhead (Hebrews 8:11; Revelation 22:3-5).

We shall know and understand in that day as we now are known and understood by the Lord (I Corinthians 13:12). Because of our long "wilderness" experience in which we have learned dependence on God, engraved in our spirits will be the realization of the need for continual reliance on the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It seems likely we will bear this mark of dependence on God in our characters throughout eternity (I Timothy 4:8).

Another concept illustrated by the provision of manna is that of our need for continually eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ.

In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, starting with the thirty-first verse, the manna of the Old Testament begins to be placed in context with the bread from Heaven of the New Testament. Christ is the "bread of God... which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world" (John 6:33).

Christ is the "word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" by which every person must live. Except we "eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood" we have no life in us.

It is not enough that at one point only in our life we eat his flesh and drink His blood. The concept that we are to "get saved" and then wait to go to Heaven is only partially true. Just as the Jews ate manna each day, we each day must keep ourselves in the place where the living Lord Jesus Christ can come to us and feed us with His body and give us to drink of His blood.

The Communion service is a practice in the physical world representing the fact that in the spirit realm the Lord Jesus is continually nourishing us and imparting to us His body and blood so that we are becoming one with Him in every aspect of our personality and behavior.

To be continued.