A Jar of Manna | Exodus 16

"And Moses said, ‘This is what the LORD has commanded: Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness…’"
Exodus 16:20

After the daily miracle of manna, God gave Moses one more instruction: preserve a jar of it. One omer, about two quarts, sealed in a container and laid before the Lord. Why?
Because the generations to come needed to know. They needed to see the provision of God — even if they hadn’t tasted it themselves.

Provision Remembered Is Faith Strengthened
We’re forgetful people. The Israelites had short memories; so do we. That’s why God commanded them to keep the jar — not to worship it, but to remember what it represented: God’s daily, faithful, sufficient provision.

Hebrews 9:4 tells us this jar of manna was later placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, right alongside the tablets of the Law and Aaron’s staff. These weren’t just holy relics — they were tangible reminders of God’s covenant faithfulness.

R.C. Sproul wrote, “The manna was not just bread for the body — it was a sign of divine covenant. A token of love from a faithful Father.” And that’s exactly what your life is filled with — tokens of God’s faithful care. But are you remembering them? Recording them? Passing them on?

Legacy Requires Intentional Memory
William Perkins once said, “A faithful soul feeds on past mercies to fuel present faith.” The jar of manna was future-oriented. It was for the children and grandchildren. For those who would grow up hearing stories of a God who fed His people in the desert.

Matthew Henry observed, “Mercies forgotten are mercies lost.” If we don’t make intentional memorials — written, spoken, or lived — our children may never know the hand that carried us.

Three Ways to Respond Today

1. Build Memorials in Your Home
   Create physical or written reminders of God’s faithfulness: a prayer journal, a testimony wall, a family storybook of answered prayers. Show the next generation what God has done.
2. Speak of God Often
   Deuteronomy 6 calls us to talk about God’s Word and works “when you sit, walk, lie down, and rise.” Make your home a place where the glory of God’s provision is part of daily conversation.
3. Live Faith That Can Be Imitated
   The next generation needs more than stories — they need examples. Let your trust in God’s daily provision shape the kind of Christian life your children and grandchildren can follow.

Final Encouragement
Don’t let the daily grace of God go unnoticed or unrecorded. Just like the Israelites, you are surrounded by “manna moments” — gifts of mercy that call for remembrance.

So keep a jar. Build a legacy. Write the stories. Preach the faithfulness of God to yourself and to those who come after you.

And as you do, may your heart be filled with fresh awe for the One who still gives daily bread.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” And let us never forget it.