He instructed them to put out 12 loaves of bread in the tabernacle. One loaf for each tribe of Israel. And He was saying, Part of my being with you, Part of what it means for you to be my people, Is that I will provide. I will care for you.
Now, this wasn’t new. In Exodus 16 they had been in the desert for two months. Somewhere between 2 and 3 million people. The food they had brought with them out of Egypt had begun to run out and they began to fear and to grumble against the LORD. And the Lord provided for them. Every morning like dew on the grass they found… what?
Mana...Bread
Their basic needs provided for. The difference here is that God is specifically connecting that provision to His presence. He was saying I will be with you. I will provide for you.