Exodus 15:22-27
Intro
: God Revealed continued.
Week 1 Explanation of Names Adoni and Elohim.
Explanation of why Yahweh and Jehovah.
Let’s begin with context (Exodus 15)
In a nutshell is a question that the people need answered:
‘Is the Lord Among Us or Not?’
Exodus 15:22-18:27 is a series of narratives where the
needs
(of the people) and the
gift
(s) of God come together.
The geographical location, circumstance and setting speaks to and serves also as a metaphor for the journey of life both then and now.
The people of Israel have come through a mighty
deliverance
and are on their way to
promise
when the ‘desert’ gets in the way
!
God has delivered them from slavery and bondage and has made a promise of better things to come!
The wilderness through which Israel traverses comes to be a metaphor for a zone of life not properly ordered and without the usual, reliable life-support systems.
In the heat of the moment/circumstance, the people begin to wither, and their reflections take a turn / a reverting, to what they were before.
Another way to see this passage is that it moves from ‘no water’ (v.22) ‘to water’ (v.27), by way of God’s speech.
Transition
: So, let’s look at 3 Realities:
Application
: See documentaries about people traveling from South trying to get into the US through the deserts in Arizona.
Without ‘God’ blessing and providing our needs Himself, our lives are at risk!
Without water, the people will soon die!
Cross-Reference Thought
: Woman at Well – John 4
‘If you drink of these waters you will thirst again, but if you asked of me I will give you waters that will spring into eternal life and you’ll never thirst again.’
Please Note: Not the first or last time this has or will happen (this complaining and confusion).
In Exodus 14:11-12, when the people are pinned up against the Red Sea, they say to Moses,
Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? “Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying,`Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
(NKJ)
Transition
: the 3
rd
reality (of this text and of life as a whole) is that God always has a way though and out of bleakness.
From Bleakness to Blessing
Verse 25: ‘So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree (piece of wood).
‘He (Moses) through it into the water, and the water became sweet.
’
The Work of Jesus on Piece of Wood / Tree
:
Isa. 53:1-6 – Prophecy of a soon coming Messiah
Jesus on the tree/cross stated: ‘It is finished.’
Jesus commands, Mark 16 – Mark’s great commission.
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17
“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18
“they
1
will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mar 16:14 NKJ)
Back to Text
: What does God do….
Test
? If….
Makes a promise
…
I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians…
For I am The Lord who heals you!
Application
: While physical miraculous healings (cancers, blindness, etc. is usually what we think of when it comes to healing, what God is doing and wanting to do is heal a people of much more:
Conclusion
: God leads them to lush pools with shade (provision)!
Wealth & Justice
James 5:1-6 Introduction: James 5:1–6 is a strong prophetic warning about wealth, injustice, and God’s coming judgment. James speaks particularly to wealthy people who gained riches by oppressing others and living selfishly. Below is a clear breakdown of the passage. “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.”…
Here Comes the Judge
James 4:11–17 Introduction: I am old enough to remember a funk song popularized in1968 by comedian Dewey “Pigmeat” Markham through his comedy sketches and a funk song of the same name, often cited as an early influence on hip hop. Key details: ———————————————————-Predominant Theme of Section: Pride Puts Us in God’s Place James 4:11–17 — Humility Before…
Setting The Example
1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (NKJV) Introduction: Leadership Usually comes Without someone knowing that they are leading. Paul writes this letter to Timothy, a young pastor leading the church at Ephesus. Timothy…
Get a Little Closer
Getting Closer to God (James 4:1–10) 1. Recognize What Pulls You Away (vv. 1–3) James says the real problem isn’t external — it’s internal. “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” Key idea: Unchecked desires create distance from God. When our hearts are ruled by…
Godly Wisdom
James 3:13-18 James 3:13–18 is all about what real wisdom looks like—and how you can tell if it’s from God or not. Here’s the big picture 👇 James starts by saying wisdom isn’t proved by sounding smart or winning arguments. It’s proved by a good life, specifically by humility and gentle behavior. If someone claims…
Godly Wisdom
James 3:13-18 James 3:13–18 is all about what real wisdom looks like—and how you can tell if it’s from God or not. Here’s the big picture 👇 James starts by saying wisdom isn’t proved by sounding smart or winning arguments. It’s proved by a good life—specifically by humility and gentle behavior. If someone claims to…
The Tongue
James 3 Introduction: Oh, the tongue! The tongue is a bodily organ humans use to form words. Thus, James applies the tongue as a metaphor for speech. He informs Bible readers that “no one can tame the tongue” (James 3:8, NLT). This statement is part of James’ teaching on the challenging problem of controlling our…
All God’s Favorites
James 2:1-14 Introduction: Today, James takes us to a touchy subject. Let’s visit the topic of favouritism and prejudice. Question: So, is there any difference between favouritism and prejudice? Favouritism is partiality or bias. To show favouritism is to give unfair . preference to one person over others with equal claims. It is similar to…
The Double-Minded
James 1:5-8 Introduction: I’d like to speak to you today aboutFaith, Expectations & Stability. Read text: James 5:1-8 Wisdom in the Proverbs: Proverbs 1:7 ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (NKJ) NKJ Proverbs 2:6 ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and…