When Jesus stared down Satan in Matthew 4:4 and declared that “man should not live on bread alone,” we applaud that statement. We champion it. That’s courage defined.
But it’s more than that. Jesus references Deuteronomy 8:3 here (as you know) which mentions the simple fact that the manna that was eaten by Israel was not a food before the wilderness wanderings.
That’s the point of this passage. Read it again: “He…fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”
Just as they didn’t know about manna, their fathers didn’t know about it either, which is saying something, since the Sinai Peninsula is not known for it’s wealth of resources. If there was any food in this area, it would’ve been well-known—and most likely, closely guarded—by its inhabitants.
Modern-day understandings of manna are equally quizzical. It’s defined by some places as the “sweet, edible honey-dew” that is secreted by insects on trees, and then drops to the ground.
Sounds tasty.
But even if that were the actual definition of this substance, what eludes most people is the timing of it. It was only known during the wilderness period, and lasted year-round, despite the seasons, and didn’t appear on the Sabbath. There was also plenty of it for everyone to have as much as they needed.
And, just as conveniently as it appeared, it disappeared completely when the people made significant headway into Canaan (Joshua 5:12). They didn’t need it anymore, so God removed it from the ecosystem.
The Israelites were also puzzled. When they saw it, they literally said “What is it?” (Exodus 16:15, 31). That’s akin to us in the South calling something a “doohickey” or a “whatchamacallit.” There’s no word; it’s more onomatopoeia than anything else.
Why did it appear? For exactly the same reason that Moses (Deuteronomy 8:3) and Jesus (Matthew 4:4) identified. It taught the people that they weren’t to live on (physical) bread alone, but on the trust that God’s Word provides. Food was temporary, but his promises were forever.
To help the Israelites deepen their faith, God literally created a brand new food that was never seen before, and never seen again, and He dropped it right out of the sky for them to enjoy right when they needed it.
What can He do for you?