The Manna Ceased

“And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” Joshua 5:10-12

The people of Israel had been eating the manna that fell from heaven every day for forty years. After they crossed the Jordan River, they celebrated the Passover and began preparing themselves for battle against the inhabitants of the land. Canaan was described as a land “flowing with milk and honey.” When they had wandered in the wilderness, there was no natural source of food. Now they found themselves moving into a land of plenty, and they no longer needed the manna from heaven. It is interesting to note that the very next day the manna ceased.

God knows exactly what we need, and He knows how long we need it. God did not send the manna for the Israelites to make their lives easy; He sent the manna because the only way they could be sustained was by miraculous means. Sometimes we want manna when there is a harvest to reap. We must not expect miraculous provision when God has work for us to do.