Lesson 6: No Longer But Not Yet
Exodus 15-17
With their enemies drowned and their freedom secured, the people of Israel burst into song and praised the Lord. We don’t read, in the accounts of them during slavery, that they praised the Lord with song, prayers and adoration. Even when they were leaving they were not praising him, they were crying out to him and complaining to Moses and asking him to take them back. It takes a measure of maturity for the believer to have a song in their hearts and to develop the lasting love that causes us to burst forth with seemingly no reason other than we just love the Lord.
The Jews, at that time, were very immature in their faith and in their practices of worship. But Moses knew who had delivered them and he knew the nature of God and he knew of his own close relationship so he sang an anthem to God. Moses’ song contains four stanzas, or verses: (1) God’s victory is announced; (2) God’s weapons are described; (3) God’s character is told; (4) God’s promises are fulfilled.
Read 15:1-5
1. What actions of God against the Egyptians were mentioned in the first stanza of Moses’ song? ______________________________________________________________________
2. How did Moses describe God in 15:3? __________________________________________
3. Some people object to God being described as “a man of war.” Why is this term controversial to some? _________________________________________________________
4. Who are God, and all Christians, at war with? ______________________________________
5. Why is it important for us to remember that Satan’s intentions are to destroy us and all that we stand for? _________________________________________________________________
Read 15:6-10
6. What were some of the weapons of God that Moses described? ______________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. The Egyptians were over-confident as they pursed the Hebrew children. Why should we guard ourselves against such an attitude? ___________________________________________
Read 15:11-16a
8. What are the three attributes of the character of God listed in 15:11?
A. _______________________________________
B. _______________________________________
C. _______________________________________
9. What are the three additional attributes listed in 15:13, 14?
A. _______________________________________
B. _______________________________________
C. _______________________________________
Read 15:16b-18
10. What was the theme of the fourth stanza of Moses’ song? __________________________
11. What was the attribute of God contained in 15:18? It was important then, is it important now? ________________________________________________________________________
Read 15:19
12. What misconception does this statement correct? _________________________________
Read 15:20-21
13. How would you characterize the style and method of Miriam’s praise chorus?
______________________________________________________________________________
It wasn’t easy for the people to carry the burden of freedom and it wasn’t long until they were complaining again. God had to teach them how to live one day at a time. A noted early American preacher, Phillip Brooks, once wrote, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men and women. Do not pray for your tasks to be equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.” As we trace the journey of the Israelites, we can learn some important truths to help us in our own walks of faith.
Read 15:22-16:3
14. How do you describe the “tests” of your life?
_______ Bothersome
_______ Uncalled for
_______ Opportunities for Growth
_______ Reminders of God’s grace and mercy
15. What did Jesus say about worrying about what we are to eat and drink? (Matthew 6:21)
___________________________________________________________________________
16. What was the purpose of God leading the people to “bitter” water? ________________
____________________________________________________________________________
17. When we face trials, our _____________ is evidence of ________________, but our
________________ is evidence of our _____________.
18. How do you explain that the people began to complain that they missed the food in Egypt and where they had eaten “to the full”? ____________________________________________
Read 16:4-18
19. What special provisions did God make for them to have food? (16:4,8) _______________
20. Why was it important for the people to learn to live by faith and not explanations?
____________________________________________________________________________
21. While the provision of “manna” was real, it also had a symbolic meaning. What are some examples of bread being used in real and symbolic ways in the Bible? _____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Read 16:19-31
22. Why was it important for God to specify the manner of gathering and keeping the manna?
______________________________________________________________________________
Read 16:32-36
23. Why did God instruct Moses to make a display of manna and place it where all of the people could see it? ______________________________________________________________________________
Most people are prone to forget lessons of the past. We have to relearn the lessons of life and we have to relearn the basics of our faith. It is important for us to remember and to refresh ourselves from time to time. Sometimes we keep a journal, a photograph album and little reminders to help to jog our memories. When we walk by faith with the Lord, then life becomes a school of growth and maturity and lessons from the past are more readily brought to mind. In Psalm 90:12, we read, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to your wisdom.”