The Bible speaks a lot of bread, the "staff of life." We can learn much from the Biblical teaching and analogies concerning bread.

Why do people spend money for that which is not bread, that doesn’t satisfy? The bread we really need is for the asking, Isaiah 55:1-2.

Jesus Christ, the Word, is the true bread of life, John 6:1-71. There is no other way to get the nutrients we need, except through Him. Some people say they can get their vitamins from pills and eat cheap white bread. It can’t be done! Manna was good bread. It had so much in it, the people didn’t need anything else to eat. But still they died, because they lacked faith and rebelled against Him. Eat Jesus Christ and you will never die. This bread is alive!

God’s word shall produce results, just like rain produces wheat which produces bread, Isaiah 55:10-13.

Manna was a type of Christ, the bread of life, Deuteronomy 8:3.

We should remember the lesson of Israel and manna, Exodus 16:1-36. Like Israel, we are not accustomed to eating the true bread. God’s bread must be consumed daily. It takes work to gather this bread, II Timothy 2:15. People who say II Timothy 2:15 means to discern what is binding, and what is not, are wrong. All God’s bread is good. Many children won’t eat the crust of the bread, the best part. Do I slice the word of God neatly, or hack it to pieces, choosing only what seems good to me? Bread on the Sabbath is miraculous bread, just as the manna that Israel gathered on the sixth day miraculously lasted through the Sabbath.

When we pray, "give us our daily bread," Matthew 6:11, it is not only for physical food, but most of all for spiritual food, that we pray.

God’s word, His bread, is not to be given to dogs; it is for His people, Matthew 15:26-27.

Amos 8:11 speaks of a famine, not of bread, but of hearing the words of the Eternal.

Malachi 1:7 tells of polluted bread. This means twisting God’s laws, making evil good, and good evil, Malachi 2:8,17.

Here are some other references to bad bread:

Proverbs 4:17, " . . . the bread of wickedness."

Proverbs 20:17, "Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel."

Proverbs 23:6, "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye."

Psalms 80:4-5, " . . . the bread of tears . . . ," when God is angry with His people for their sins.

Proverbs 9:17-18, "stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there . . . ."

I Kings 22:27, "bread of affliction"; Isaiah 30:20, "bread of adversity"; Psalms 127:2, "bread of sorrows" (possibly referring to Genesis 3:17-19).

In Ezekiel 4:9-17, "polluted bread" symbolizes Israel’s punishment.

God made herbs for the service of man, wine to make his heart glad, oil to make his face shine, "and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart," Psalms 104:14-15.

God’s blessings produce a land of bread and vineyards, Isaiah 30:23, 36:17.

Proverbs 28:19-21 says, "He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread . . . ." Proverbs 20:13 tells us, "Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread."

One who gives bread to the poor will live, Ezekiel 18:4-9.

Proverbs 22:9 notes that "He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor."

If you "deal thy bread to the hungry," Isaiah 58:6-7, you fulfil the kind of fast God wants of us.

God will remove the "staff of bread" if we rebel against Him, Leviticus 26:26, Psalms 105:16, Isaiah 3:1, Ezekiel 4:16-17.

When the land sins against God, He will break the staff of bread, Ezekiel 14:13.

Amos 4:6, "I also have given you cleanness of teeth . . . and want of bread,  . . . yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD."

The virtuous woman "eateth not the bread of idleness" Proverbs 31:27.

God gives spiritual bread for food, II Corinthians 9:10-11.

Work quietly and eat your own bread, II Thessalonians 3:8, 12.

The "breaking of bread" and prayers, of brethren from house to house, was an important part of New Testament fellowship, Acts 2:42, 46.

The disciples "came together to break bread," Acts 20:7, 11.

The resurrected Messiah was known by His disciples by the way He broke bread, Luke 24:30-35.

In referring to the bread and cup of communion, Paul tells us, "For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread" I Corinthians 10:17.

Bread symbolizes broken body of Christ for us, I Corinthians 11:23-28, Matthew 26:26.

Psalms 105:37-45 describes manna as a type of the coming "bread of heaven."

The blessed shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God, Luke 14:15, Revelation 19:9, Isaiah 25:6-8. W

NOTE: For an article discussing the Passover bread, please see our article "Polluted Bread for Passover", contained in our book, Biblical Holy Days. For an article discussing the physical aspects of preparing natural bread, see "Whole Grain Breads: Proven Recipes", by Shirley Nickels, contained in our book Biblical Health and Healing.

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