In the last message we laid the foundation for knowing the manna. In this message we need to consider the hidden manna, the manna in the golden pot.
The term hidden manna is used in Revelation 2:17, where the Lord Jesus says, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.” This word was spoken to the church in Pergamos, a degraded, worldly church. If anyone overcomes degraded Christianity, the Lord will give him the hidden manna. Nearly everything mentioned in the book of Revelation, including the manna, can be found in the Old Testament. Exodus 16:32 and 33, referring to the manna, say, “Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.” The Lord commanded that an omer of manna be put into a pot. An omer is “the tenth part of an ephah” (Exo. 16:36). An ephah is a complete unit, and an omer is one tenth of a unit. This small portion was put into a pot and laid up before the testimony to be kept (Exo. 16:34). In Exodus, the testimony means the two tables of the law which were put into the ark. The omer of manna was put in front of the testimony, meaning that it was quite close to the ark. This portion of the manna became the hidden manna.
Manna came from heaven, from God, as a gift to His people. It was not a temporary gift; it was a gift lasting for forty years. Morning after morning, this gift came down from heaven to feed and satisfy the children of Israel. After they had been satisfied, God seemed to say, “Take an omer of what you have enjoyed and put it before Me as a testimony and a reminder that the coming generations may be reminded that you enjoyed this heavenly food as you wandered in the wilderness.” The open manna, the people’s portion, came from God, and the hidden manna, God’s portion, was offered back to God.
Now we need to consider the tithe, the basic concept of one tenth of the produce. The children of Israel were required to take the top tenth, the choicest portion of their produce in the good land, and offer it to God (Deut. 14:22-23). All the produce came from God. God ordained that one tenth of the produce which He had given the children of Israel be offered back to Him. The majority of the produce was for the people, but the tithe was offered to God as His portion. The tithe which was offered to God went to the priests and the Levites (Num. 18:21) who in turn took a tenth of the tithe they received and offered it to God. This tenth of the tenth went to the high priest who ministered in the Holy of Holies (Num. 18:26, 28-29). I repeat, the children of Israel offered one tenth of their produce to God as His portion. After this had been offered to God, it was given to the serving ones, to the priests and Levites who served the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites then took one tenth of this top tenth and offered it to God. It was then given to the high priest who ministered in the Holy of Holies. The Levites who served in the outer court and the priests who served in the outer court and in the Holy Place could only enjoy the tenth offered by the children of Israel. Only the high priest who served in the Holy of Holies was privileged to enjoy the tenth of the tenth, the topmost portion of the produce of the good land. Thus, the more we serve, the more we shall enjoy the topmost portion, God’s portion.