Most of us growl in hangriness when our stomachs endure periods of emptiness. The ads showing a person transform from a monster back to a human being after enjoying a candy bar strike home—we’ve all experienced the same phenomenon.

The Israelite community grew hangry as they moved further and further from Egypt, and grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out to this desert to starve the entire assembly to death.”

These folks forgot about foraging for straw and beatings from slave masters. Miracles and plagues and a walk through the Red Sea faded in their hunger. The stomach overwhelms good intentions.

How did the Lord respond? Not with anger or frustration, but simply said to Moses—I will rain down bread from heaven. Which he did for forty years.

I overlook this blessing. When I’m hungry I satisfy my stomach. While I don’t go out and collect manna, I do find plenty to eat in my fridge. In fact, I strive not to overeat. My daily walk to the kitchen reflects a fundamental gift from our loving God.

Which is why we say grace before we eat, to thank the provider of manna—and mashed potatoes—for his daily goodness to us.

Exodus 16 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Parnis Azimi