Exodus Chapters 15-17

Last week we saw Pharaoh, regret his decision, change his mind and pursue the Israelites with chariots and an army. The Israelites, camped by the sea, panic when they see the Egyptians approaching, crying out to Moses that they’d rather have stayed slaves than die in the wilderness. Moses reassures them, saying God will fight for them.

God instructs Moses to lift his staff over the sea. That night, the pillar of cloud moves behind the Israelites, shielding them from the Egyptians, while a strong east wind—sent by God—blows all night, parting the waters. The sea splits into two walls, with dry ground between, and the Israelites cross through.

The Egyptians follow, but once the Israelites are safe, God tells Moses to stretch out his hand again. The waters crash back, drowning Pharaoh’s army—horses, chariots, and all. We wrapped up with the Israelites witnessing this miracle, fearing God, and putting their trust in Him and Moses as their leader.

All is fine and calm in the lives of the Israelites…. right?  Right.  Let's see what happens next.

Exodus Chapter 15

• After the Israelites escape Egypt by crossing the Red Sea—and watch Pharaoh’s army get wiped out when the waters crash back—Chapter 15 starts off with a song. It is a reflection from Moses on how awesome God really is. Moses and the people belt out a victory jam, basically saying, “God’s the real MVP here. He drowned the Egyptian horses and chariots like they were nothing. His power’s off the charts—He’s got our backs and totally crushed our enemies.” They’re stoked, singing about how the sea swallowed up Pharaoh’s military, how God’s stronger than anyone, and how He’s going to lead them to the promised land, a new home, while other nations “tremble” hearing about it. 

• But then, three days later, the vibe shifts, from worship and praise. They’re trekking through the desert, hit up a spot called Marah, and the water’s nasty—undrinkable. The people start complaining to Moses, “What are we supposed to drink now?” Moses cries out to God, who’s like, “I got this.” He tells Moses to toss a piece of wood into the water, and boom, it’s suddenly good to drink. God lays down some ground rules there, saying, “Listen to me, do what I say, and I’ll keep you healthy—no Egyptian plagues for you.” Then they head out to Elim, a tranquil spot with springs and palm trees, and camp there.  Very different from the wilderness they were in!

Let's read a few verses…

Exodus 15:22- 27

Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” 

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

Takeaway - Believe God for Provision

How quickly we can turn from celebration to a state of lacking.  May we see our fragile state and depend on God for what is to come today and tomorrow.

Let’s move into where we will focus a bit more today …

Exodus Chapter 16 

• So, the Israelites are about a month into their desert road trip after leaving Egypt, and they’re already over it. They hit the Wilderness of Sin—great name, right? —and start griping to Moses and Aaron. They’re like, “Man, we should’ve just stayed in Egypt. At least there we had food—meat and bread on tap. Now we’re out here starving!” God hears the whining and tells Moses, “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. I’m going to rain down bread from the sky every morning, and at night, I’ll provide them with some meat. But here’s the catch: they’ve have trust me and follow the rules.”

Exodus 16:1-12

They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.  On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt,  and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.  And the Lord said to Moses,  “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

• That evening, a flock of quail rolls in, and everyone’s got meat for dinner—boom, problem solved. Next morning, the ground’s covered with this flaky stuff they call manna. Moses is like, “This is the bread God promised. Grab just enough for the day—no hoarding. Oh, and on day six, take double so you can chill on day seven.” Most people listen, but a few try to stash extra, and it goes bad—worms and all. Gross.

• Day six comes, and they collect double like Moses said. Sure enough, day seven—Sabbath—no manna falls, but the extra from yesterday’s still good. God’s setting something up here-work six days, rest one. Some folks still go out looking for manna on the seventh day, and God’s like, “Seriously? I said rest.” Moses tells everyone to keep it together and trust the system.

Exodus 16:22-26

On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.  Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.

• To top it off, God has Moses save a jar of manna as something to utilize for a long time, so future generations can see what kept them going. They ate this for 40 years—. It’s all about God providing, even when people are complaining and learning to roll with His plan.

Takeaways

Trust the Process: After everything they have been through with God, the Israelites are stressed about food, but God delivers manna and quail right on time. It’s a reminder that even when life feels uncertain—like you’re stuck in a “wilderness” with no clear solution—provision can show up when and where you least expect it.

Enough for Today: The rule about collecting just enough manna for one day (no stockpiling) hits home in a world obsessed with over-preparing or chasing more. It’s like a nudge to focus on what you need now—don’t stress about hoarding for a future you can’t control. Tomorrow’s got its own supply. Matt 6:24 says Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Rest Isn’t Optional: The Sabbath setup—work six days, chill on the seventh—feels super relevant when burnout’s a badge of honor today. It’s a call to hit pause, recharge, and not let hustle define you. Even ancient desert wanderers knew you can’t grind nonstop. I know I can be  guilty of not stopping to rest because I feel like every ask is urgent, but that just shows I am relying on myself and working to please others instead of God.

Complaining’s Human, But It’s Not the Answer: These folks went from slavery to freedom, yet they’re whining about missing what Egypt had to offer. Sound familiar? We’ve all got that tendency to romanticize the past when the present’s tough. 

Onto Chapter 17… 

• The Israelites are still trucking through the desert, and now they’re camped at Rephidim. Problem is, there’s no water, and they’re not happy, again.  They start laying into Moses, like, “What’s the deal? Did you drag us out here to die of thirst with our kids and animals?” Moses is stressed and lifts his requests up to God, saying, “These guys are about to riot—what do I do?” God’s being God knows what is going on and tells Moses, “Grab your staff, take some backup, and hit this rock at Horeb. I’ll make water pour out.” Moses does it, smacks the rock, and bam—water flows. They call the spot Massah and Meribah, or translated “Test” and “Fight,” because the people tested God and picked a fight with Moses.

Now watch what happens....

• Then, out of nowhere, this group called the Amalekites rolls up and starts attacking. Moses tells Joshua, “Grab some guys and go handle this.” While Joshua’s fighting, Moses climbs a hill with Aaron and Hur, holding up his staff. Wild thing: when Moses keeps his hands up, Israel’s winning; when they drop, Amalek takes over. His arms get tired, so Aaron and Hur prop him up on a rock and hold his hands steady till sunset. Joshua’s fighters win, and God tells Moses, “Write this down—Amalek’s is done for. I’m wiping them out of history.” Moses builds an altar, calling it “The Lord Is My Banner,” because God came through.

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So, Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So, Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So, his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Takeaways- 

Leadership Gets Tested: Moses faces a mob ready to ditch him over water, then has to hold it together during a battle. It’s a solid nod to anyone leading anything—work, family, whatever—that pressure’s part of the gig. Staying calm and resourceful, even when it seems the wheels are getting wobbly, is a sign of those HE has called up to lead. (I call these growth opportunities)

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Moses’ arms dropping in the Amalek fight, and Aaron and Hur stepping up to prop him up?  We don't win solo, support one another. And don’t miss an opportunity to give props to the team. 

Don’t be Surprised when Enemies Pop Up: The Amalekites ambush out of nowhere, right after the water drama. Life’s like that now—bills, Facebook trolls, or random curveballs hit when you’re already stretched. The takeaway? Stay ready; trouble doesn’t RSVP. So often we are prone to a defeat after a great victory because we let the defense down.

Remember the Wins: Moses builds an altar and writes down the W to remember God’s got them. In our scroll-and-forget world, it’s a cue to pause and log your victories and the victories of others—big or small—so you don’t lose sight of what Jesus is doing in your life and the lives of those you care for. When the Lord turned the bitter water to sweet, notice that they didn’t start singing praises like they did before. We often miss the miraculous because we are looking for the spectacular.

Conclusion:

To recap, Chapter 15, It’s a rollercoaster—big celebration, quick complaining, and God sorting it out while setting the tone for what’s ahead. Chapter 16’s gives us points for navigating today’s chaos: lean into trust, keep it simple, rest up, quit whining, stick together, and play the long game. Desert or desk job, the lessons hold up.  Chapter 17’s got that energy for today: lean on your people, your church and handle the chaos, and keep pushing, because even in the desert—or the daily grind—there’s a way through.

The people test God with their “Is He even here?” whining, but He still delivers. It’s a modern gut check: when you’re doubting—your job, your purpose, whatever—keep showing up. Answers might hit when you least expect.

Personal Challenge:

Read the Song in Exodus 15:1-18 and spend some time praising God for the character He displayed. Then write down all the ways he displays this same character in your life.