A few weeks after the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived at the desert of Sin. There they grumbled against Moses and Aaron, complaining about the lack of food. God responded by supplying them with manna. According to Exodus 16:31, manna was "white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey." The name "manna" actually means "What is it?", as the people had never seen anything like it before (16:15).
The supply of manna each morning was given to sustain them physically. It was also supplied in order that they would "know that I am the LORD your God" (16:12), as they would realize him as the source of their daily bread. But, even more, God gave it to them as a test, to "see whether they will follow my instructions" (16:4). Along with the manna came instructions as to how much and when they were supposed to gather it. They were to collect only as much as they needed and not save any for later. However, on the sixth day, they were to gather twice as much, saving a portion for the Sabbath. Some of the people dismissed Moses' words, which angered both Moses and God (16:15-36).
