When God gave Israel manna, He also taught them about rest. This passage records the first mention of the Sabbath in the Bible (v. 23). The Lord told the people to gather twice as much manna on the sixth day because the seventh day would be a day of rest—holy to the Lord. On that day, they were to do no work and to trust that God would provide enough food for both days.

Some of the people disobeyed and went out to gather manna on the seventh day, but they found nothing (v. 27). God wanted them to learn that life is not only about working and collecting but also about resting and worshiping. He was teaching them to depend on Him, not on their own efforts. By resting, they were showing their trust that God could take care of them even when they stopped working.

This weekly rhythm of work and rest was a new idea for the Israelites, who had been slaves in Egypt with no rest at all. The Sabbath was a gift—a reminder that they belonged to God, not to Pharaoh or to their labor. It was also a sign of their relationship with Him (v. 29).

Moses told the people to keep a jar of manna as a reminder for future generations (vv. 32–33). This jar was later placed in the Ark of the Covenant to remind Israel how God had fed them faithfully for 40 years in the wilderness. Even when the manna stopped after they entered the Promised Land (v. 35), God’s faithfulness continued.

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