Counsels on Christian Worldview

Counsel #4 — The Manna

Picture: Counsel #4 — The Manna CCW 96.1

As we have already seen, there are several biblical examples of travel or work occurring on days that would have been lunar sabbaths (though there is no evidence that ancient Israel were observing monthly lunar sabbaths rather than annual festivals). Because the punishment for sabbath-breaking, including travel or work, was death,^[146] this demonstrates that lunar sabbaths could not be regarded as equivalent to the weekly Sabbath of the 4th Commandment. Furthermore, we know that when God first began providing manna for His people in the wilderness, it did not fall on the weekly 7th day Sabbath.^[147] Yet we do have evidence that it fell on a 15th of the month, because Joshua 5:10-12 says it only ceased (did not fall) on the 16th. This divine action disproves any equivalence of an asserted lunar sabbath to the 4th Commandment.^[148] CCW 96.2

“Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.” Exodus 16:26 NKJV CCW 96.3

“Before the law was given from Sinai, God wrought a miracle each week to impress the people with the sanctity of the Sabbath. He rained manna from heaven for their food, and each day they gathered this manna; but on the sixth day they gathered twice as much, according to the directions of Moses…” Ellen White in The Signs of the Times, February 1, 1910, par. 9 CCW 96.4

Reflect: How did God's miraculous provision of manna emphasize the sanctity of the weekly Sabbath? CCW 96.5