Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated “complain” means to make no progress. Hmmm.
There is one final detail regarding the manna at the conclusion of Exodus 16. The Lord commanded, “Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations” (v 33). This Aaron did. This manna would never corrupt, being a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness to His people in giving them daily bread. It would also point forward to the True Bread, the Lord Jesus, who would say, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51). Think of it! The children of Israel were meant to eat the manna for only a few months as they journeyed to Canaan, but they “ate manna forty years” (Ex 16:35) for several million mouths. But Christ, the true Bread, is more than enough “for the life of the world.” The soul who receives Him today will find Him as fresh, sweet, and satisfying as ever. Christ says, “To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat” (Rev 2:17). Yes, hidden manna in the secret place. But the Lord didn’t only provide bread. The people had complained about the lack of meat as well. “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God”’ So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp” (vv 11-13). So they had meat delivered by air to supplement the daily manna. What a good God we serve! Lord, may we make it our way of life to “declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night” (Ps 92:2).