The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 50

has opened the way for the free communication of the Spirit's influences. He dwells by this Spirit in each of his members, nourishing, strengthening, and purifying them. To nourish ourseh-es upon Christ is to take more of this Spirit into our hearts and lives. Thus is Christ the bread of life.----,J. 0. Vers. 16-22.-The law of the manna. God had said (ver. 4) that rules would be given in connection with the manna by which the people would be proved, whether they would walk in his law, or no. One rule is given in ver. 5, and the rest are givrn here. Consider- !. THE LAW AS TO QUANTITY (vers. 16--18). "According to his eating," in this passage, means, according to the quantity allowed to each person for consumption. This was fixed at an omer a head (ver. 16). The simplest way of explaining what follows is to suppose that each individual, when he went out to gather, aimed, a.8 nearly as possible, at bringing in his exact omer ; but, nec~rily, on measuring what had been gathered. it would be found that some had brought in a little more, some a little less, than the exact quantity; excess was then to go to balance defect, and the result would be that, on the whole, each person would receive his omer. It may be supposed, also, that owing to differences of age, strength, agility, etc., there would be great room left for one helping another, some gathering more, to eke out the deficiencies of the less active. lf the work were conscientionsly done, the result, even on natural principles, would be pretty much what is here indicated. The law of averages would lead, over a large number of cases, to a mean result, midway between excess and defect, i.e., to the net omer. But a special superintendence of providence---such, e.g., as· that which secures in births, amidst all the inequalities of families, a right proportion of the sexes in society as a whole-is evidently pointed to as securing the result. We cannot suppose, however, that an intentionally indolent or unconscientious person was per- mitted to participate in this equal dividend, or to reap, in the way indicated, the benefit of the labours of others. The law here must have been, as with St. Paul," if any would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thess. iii. 10). There is nothing said as to the share to be allotted to juveniles: these may be supposed to have received some recognised proportion of an omer. The lessons of all this and its importance as a part of the spiritual education of Israel, are very obvious. It taught-I. That what is of Divine gift is meant for common benefit. The individual is entitled to his share in it; but he is not entitled seifu;hly to enrich himself, while others are in need. He gets that he may give. There was to be a heavenly co=unism practised in respect of the manna, in the same way as a common property is recognised in light and air, and the other free gifts of nature. This applies to intellectual and spiritual wealth. We are not to rest till all have shared in it according to their God-given capacity. 2. 1'/iat in the Church of Christ it is the duty of the stronger to help the weaker, and of the richer to help the poorer. This ia the lesson drawn from the passage by St. Paul in 2 Cor. viii. 12-16. It is presumed in his teaching, first, that there is the "willing mind," in which case a gift "is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not" (ver. 12). Each gatherer of the manna was honestly to do his part, and put what he could into the common stock. 'l.'he end is not, secondly, that other men be eased, and the Corinthians burdened (ver. 13). But, each doing what he can, the design is, thirdly, that the abundance of one may be a supply for the deficiency of another, that so there may be equality (ver. 14). This is a principle of wide appli- cation in Church finance, and also in the aiding of the poor. Strong congregations should not be slow to aid weak ones, that the work of the latter may go on more smoothly, and their ministers may at least be able to subsist comfortably. 'J'he Scottish Free Church has given a praiseworthy illustration of this principle in her noble "Sustcntation Fund." 3. That where a l,elpful spirit is shown by each toward.~ all, tl.ere will be found no lack of what is needful for any. God will see that all are provided for. The tendency of the rule is to encourage a friendly, helpful, unselfish spirit generally, and in all relations. The gatherer of manna was forbidden to act selfishly. A Nemesis would attend an attempt on the part of any to appropriate more than his proper share. II. THE LA w AB TO TIME. 1. The manna was to be gathered in early morning. The people had to be up betimes, and had to bestir themselves diligently, that their CIJ, XVI. 13-31.] THE llOOK OF EXODUS. 51