Monthly Archives: June 2024

EXODUS 16 ON GRUMBLING ISRAELITES & GOD’S RESPONSE

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June 12

EXODUS 16

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. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 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.” 4 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. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”  – Exodus 16:1-5

EXODUS 16 ON GRUMBLING ISRAELITES & GOD’S RESPONSE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As the people moved deeper into the wilderness between Elim and Sinai

Hunger began to consume the Israelites and they began to grumble

They regretted leaving Egypt where they didn’t go hungry

Even though they were enslaved in oppressive labor, they were nourished

So, God’s response to this was the promise of bread from heaven

But it was also a test for the Israelites to depend on his provision.

It is interesting what hunger can to us humans. There is now a condition called “hangry” which is irritability and anger due to having an empty stomach. According to researchers there is a link between hunger and irritability due to low levels of blood sugar and the hormones released as a result. Could it be that this was true as well among the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness?

Food is one of our basic needs, but when it becomes the reason for living, it becomes an addiction. In the case of the Israelites, they have forgotten that they were oppressed and forced to do hard labor. Because of the scarcity of food during their journey, they began to imagine how it was when they had food despite the harsh treatment they got from the Egyptians. The lust of the flesh overtook them and they forgot what God did for them.

REFLECTION

  • Share how hunger could make us grumble and affect our walk with God.

EXODUS 15 BITTER WATER MADE SWEET

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June 11

EXODUS 15

22 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. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 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, 26 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.”27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. – Exodus 15:22-27

EXODUS 15 BITTER WATER MADE SWEET

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

It did not take long for the Israelites to grumble after God’s miracles

It was when they went into the wilderness of Shur and found no water

They came and saw Marah but couldn’t drink of its bitter water

So, the Lord asked Moses to change it to something they can drink

The Lord offered them a promise that if they keep his laws

They will never have any of the diseases that the Egyptians had.

It is human nature to whine and grumble when circumstances become hard. In this case, it was the case of the bitter water for the Israelites. At the beginning, they were very resistant to come and follow Moses. They didn’t want to leave their comfort zones despite their slavery from the Egyptians. So, at the first instance of hardship, they easily complained to Moses.

Despite their groanings, the Lord provided them with sweet water from that bitter water at Marah. The Lord also required them to follow his laws and in turn, they wouldn’t ever have the diseases that the Egyptians were plagued with.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think men automatically complain when things are hard?

EXODUS 15 SING TO THE LORD

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June 10

EXODUS 15

19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”   – Exodus 15:19-21

EXODUS 15 SING TO THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Let us sing to the Lord to praise his wondrous deeds

The Lord rescued his own people from wickedness

He drew the waters out of the sea so they could pass

The waters were split in two and there was dry ground

When the enemy followed suit, they were covered in water

All of Pharaoh’s chariots, horses and horsemen were eradicated

Miriam led the women to worship God with tambourines and dancing

They declared God’s wondrous deeds at the sea when they were rescued.

The following verses in Colossians 3:16, Psalm 100:1-2, Ephesians 5:19, and Psalm 95:1-2 tell us the importance of singing to the Lord. It is not a performance kind of singing that the world does, but it is singing to praise the Lord and thank him for all that he has done for us. The focus is to give God glory and not the singer. Ephesians 5:19 specifically uses psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as a way of addressing one another and making melody to the Lord with our hearts. Sadly, many other Christian denominations have taken singing to the Lord to another level. They make songs that talk about their feelings to the Lord and focus much on how God makes them comfortable and how they feel good about what God did for them. It appears they are singing to the Lord, but are more focused on their own feelings and not what God’s character and power is. It does not edify God but it draws attention to themselves under the guise of using God’s name or word.

REFLECTION

·       What are the ways we can truly sing to the Lord and give him praise?

EXODUS 15 FEAR OF THE WORLD VERSUS FEAR OF THE LORD

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June 9

EXODUS 15


13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
    you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab;
    all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. 16 Terror and dread fall upon them;
    because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone,

   till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain,
    the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,
    the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.  – Exodus 15:13-18

EXODUS 15 FEAR OF THE WORLD VERSUS FEAR OF THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the news of the extermination of the Egyptians spread around

The people of Canaan, Philistia, Moab and Edom trembled

Because of the Lord’s punishment on Egypt, they were all afraid

They heard how the Israelites were rescued from the Egyptians

They were terrorized by the power of this God whom they do not know

And the people of God continued to praise the Lord for what he had done.

When terror grips a person, it makes him freeze, panic, run or immobilize. It is interesting how these ungodly people feared that they may be the next nation to be exterminated after the Egyptians. They didn’t know the power of the God of the Israelites. The gods they serve cannot do these things.  Only the One true God can do these wondrous deeds.  They are now trembling in fear of what might happen to them. There is so much confusion, chaos and unrest among the unbelieving nations.

On the other hand, the Israelites had a different fear. They saw how God faithfully delivered them from the Egyptians. The wondrous deeds of God must have added to the reverence and honor they ought to give their God.

REFLECTION

  • How was the fear of the unbelievers different from God’s people?

EXODUS 15 WHO IS LIKE THE LORD

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June 8

EXODUS 15

8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
    the floods stood up in a heap;

    the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake,
    I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
    I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them;

    they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?

      Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand;
    the earth swallowed them.  – Exodus 15:8-12

EXODUS 15 WHO IS LIKE THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Is there anyone else who is like the Lord?

Who can bring a strong wind and lift up the sea?

Who can put up the waters and make it into walls?

Can anyone blow the wind and annihilate an army of men?

No other gods can be majestic in holiness and power like the Lord

No one else’s right hand can have such an ability to destroy.

This account is a part of the song of Moses which he wrote so that the Israelites will always remember how they were delivered from the Egyptians at the Red Sea. It magnifies the Lord’s majestic powers and glory.

Moses lifts up and exalts the Lord so that the Israelites can continue to rejoice and be glad that they were rescued from slavery and death. What is great about this part of his song is how he points out that no one else can be like God. No one else can do such miracles and no one else can save them from the enemy like God can. Moses wants them to never forget what God has done for them.

REFLECTION

·       How has God manifested his glory and power in your life?

EXODUS 15 THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH & MY SONG

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June 7

EXODUS 15

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
    the horse and his riderhe has thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.

4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
    and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,

your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
    you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.

                                                                   – Exodus 15:1-7

EXODUS 15 THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH & MY SONG

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When I am faced with adversities and attacks from the foe

I will not fear for the Lord is my strength and my song

The Lord will fight for me and shatter those who hurt me

He will bring his fury and wrath to all those bring injustice

I will praise the Lord; he will save his people and bring down the foe

His right hand will consume all the tactics and plots of the evil one

I will sing and praise the Lord who is full of majesty and glory

He is the only source of strength and triumph over the enemy.

In this song of Moses, we hear how he praised, worshiped and sang to edify and glorify the Lord. Right after the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians and everything that God did for them was still very fresh in their hearts and minds, Moses composed this song so they could express their joy and thankfulness to God for all that he did for them to be freed from the enemy. They wanted to please the Lord for his wondrous deeds for them.

REFLECTION

  • Why was it important that Moses wrote this song after their deliverance?

EXODUS 14 EXTERMINATION OF THE EGYPTIANS

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June 6

EXODUS 14

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

                                                                   – Exodus 14:26-31

EXODUS 14 EXTERMINATION OF THE EGYPTIANS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As the people of God headed towards the Promised Land

The Egyptians pursued them to get retrieve them as slaves

But God asked Moses to stretch his hands once again

It was to let the walls of water return back to the dry land

As the Egyptians fled into the waters, they were all drowned

The water covered the chariots and not one Egyptian remained.

This scene is another dramatic display of God’s power. We learn of how much God hates sin and abusers and those who hurt his people. The Egyptians were given so much warning before the plagues were brought about but it did not bring them on their knees to worship the Lord. They now witness what the God of the Israelites was truly like. By the time they realized it, it was too late. God had brought about his judgment on them already and they were all exterminated at the same place that the Lord had led his people to cross towards the Promised Land. This is how God loves his people so much and what lengths he would go to protect and preserve them.

REFLECTION

  • Share a time when God displayed his protection and power over your life.

EXODUS 14 PARTING OF THE RED SEA

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June 5

EXODUS 14

19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the nightwithout one coming near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 cloggingtheir chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”– Exodus 14:19-25

EXODUS 14 PARTING OF THE RED SEA

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As the Israelites headed towards the Red Sea

God’s angel moved behind them and stood there

He made sure that he was between the separation

It was to put a divide between the Israelites and Egyptians

Moses stretched out his hands and then strong winds came

The Lord parted the Red Sea so that they can cross

The water moved sideways to form two walls

So, the sea was parted and they walked on dry ground.

What a dramatic event it was for the Red Sea to be parted, giving them a dry ground to walk on between the two walls of waters on each side! It was an astounding miracle that the ground was dry enough instead of them walking on mud. It must have been such a sight for the Egyptians to watch this and at that moment, they realized that the God of the Israelites were not like any of their gods. He was powerful and mighty. As they followed them, they were thrown into panic by the pillar of clouds and wanted to retreat.

REFLECTION

  • What would you have thought as you were walking there as one of the Israelites?