“It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this ark were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant” (Hebrews 9:4 NET).
In addition to the “…stone tablets with the commandments written on them” (GNT) and “Aaron’s staff that budded” (CSB), the ark of the covenant also contained a jar of manna. “Manna” was the food that God miraculously provided for the people of Israel following their departure from the land of Egypt. The Biblical book of Exodus provides us with a description of this supernatural, frost-like substance…
“…in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor… when the sun grew hot, it melted away… The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:13-14, 21, 31 NIV).
Manna turned out to be a highly versatile ingredient and the people of Israel promptly began to bake it, boil it, grind it up, and make it into cakes (Exodus 16:23, Numbers 11:8). That was good- for a while, at least…
“Then the Egyptians who had come with them began to long for the good things of Egypt. This added to the discontent of the people of Israel and they wept, ‘Oh, for a few bites of meat! Oh, that we had some of the delicious fish we enjoyed so much in Egypt, and the wonderful cucumbers and melons, leeks, onions, and garlic! But now our strength is gone, and day after day we have to face this manna!'” (Numbers 11: 4-6 TLB).
As you might expect, that ungrateful demonstration did not end well. The book of Exodus also tells us how this jar of manna made its way into the ark of the covenant…
“Then Moses gave them this further instruction from the Lord: they were to take two quarts of (manna) to be kept… so that later generations could see the bread the Lord had fed them with in the wilderness, when he brought them from Egypt. Moses told Aaron to get a container and put two quarts of manna in it and to keep it in a sacred place from generation to generation. Aaron did this, just as the Lord had instructed Moses, and eventually it was kept in the Ark in the Tabernacle” (Exodus 16:32-36 TLB).
So this jar of manna symbolized God’s gracious provision, as well as a reminder of the need to demonstrate respect and appreciation for His blessings in our lives.