Manna lesson one: the value of work

Work is an integral part of life. Many people see work as a necessary evil - something they have to do to provide for themselves and their families. But their dream, or maybe even their goal, is to be able to lead a life of leisure where they don't need to work any more. That's often part of the reason why people dream of winning the lottery and becoming millionaires who can afford to be idle. Maybe we even justify this position scripturally by pointing out that Adam didn't need to work until after he and Eve had fallen into sin.

But that's not how God sees things in the world today. He sees work as something valuable that can contribute to our sense of freedom and self worth. So when God provided food for His people in the wilderness (see Exodus chapter 16), He didn't ship it in and distribute it around like we see happen today in so many refugee camps. No, He sent the people out to work for it: they had to go outside the camp and gather as much manna as they needed for their household/family that day.

God "works" to sustain the universe and take care of people and animals. Right from these earliest times, He wanted His people to learn the value and satisfaction of working for what they would eat. He warned them that even when they arrived in the Promised Land, they would need to do a different kind of work to provide for their families. And in the New Testament, Paul tells the Thessalonians (2 Thess 3: 6 - 10) that, "Those unwilling to work should not get to eat."

The first lesson from the manna was that work is something valuable and worthwhile. But that vitally important principle needed to be balanced by a second one; read on in the post below for more about the second lesson from the manna.