Exodus 15:22—17:16: Adversities of the Desert
ONE OF THE premier sports events in America is the Super Bowl, a football game played each January for the championship of the National Football League. Contending teams get two weeks to prepare. Players and coaches get the best of everything in order to win. Suppose the teams ran out of water and food. Suppose the players mutinied. If that happened, suppose you were the coach. Could you possibly concentrate on your game plans? Of course not. But that's what confronted Moses as he led team Israel. This study chronicles not only defection in the ranks but also attack from outside. Not a pretty picture, really, until we see how God intervened.
Warming Up to God
What needs or longings do you have? Present them to God and let his peace—and the knowledge that God promises to meet your needs—dwell in your heart.
Read Exodus 15:22—17:16. »
Discovering the Word
- Put yourself in the shoes of an Israelite three days into the desert with no water. How would you feel?
- Faced with starvation, the Israelites attacked Moses and Aaron (16:1-3). In what sense were they groaning against God (16:7-8)?
- Why and how did God respond to Israel's complaints (16:9-15)?
- In what ways did Israel violate God's commands and why (16:16-30)?
- Israel's next hurdle is an enemy attack (17:8-16). What was God's plan for victory over the Amalekites?
- Reflect on how Moses summarized the day. What did he do, what did he emphasize, and why (17:15-16)?
Applying the Word
- When you have reached the end of the rope, what do you say to God and to those whom you think are to blame? Why?
- Reflect on God's meeting your needs in emergencies. How might you be able to keep such events as a testimony to future generations?
Responding in Prayer
What happens after the miracle? Ask God to help you be obedient even after he "parts the Red Sea."
For Further Study
Exodus (LifeGuide Bible Study) by James Reapsome