This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Exodus 16, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Once upon a time, the people of Israel were traveling through the desert. They were very hungry and thirsty, and they began to complain to Moses and Aaron. They said that it would have been better if they had stayed in Egypt, where they had enough to eat and drink.
But God heard their complaints and decided to help them. He told Moses that he would send bread from heaven to feed the people, but He also promised to give them meat. He said that He would send quail in the evening, so the people would have meat to eat.
So God rained bread from heaven, called “manna,” for the people to eat, and in the evening, quail came up and covered the camp for them to eat. The people had to gather just enough bread and meat for each day. They were not allowed to keep any extra for the next day, except for on the sixth day, when they could gather enough for two days.
If someone gathered too much, it would spoil and they would have to throw it away. God always made sure that everyone had enough to eat.
On the sixth day, the people gathered enough bread and meat for two days, and they were able to rest on the seventh day, which was the Sabbath. God had told the people not to go out and gather on the seventh day, but some of them did not listen. When they went out to gather food, they found nothing, and God told Moses that they were not allowed to go out and gather on the Sabbath.
Moses commanded that a jar of manna be kept so that future generations could see how God had provided for their ancestors in the wilderness. So Aaron placed a jar of manna before the Lord to be kept throughout the generations.
For 40 years, the people of Israel ate manna every day, but when they finally reached the land of Canaan with plenty of food, they no longer needed it. But they never forgot how God had provided for them in the wilderness, and they always remembered His faithfulness.
Biblical Lessons
- God provides for His people in ways that we may not expect.
- We should remember and be grateful for all the blessings that God gives us, even the small things.
- We should trust in God and rely on Him for our daily needs.
- God’s provisions are not only physical but also serve as a reminder of His faithfulness and love.