Month: September 2025

At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin, and moved from place to place. Eventually, they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.

“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? Why are you testing the Lord?”

But tormented by thirst, they continue to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?:

Then Moses cried out to the Lord. “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. I will stand before you on the rocks at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and the water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink. So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not.”(vv. 1-7, NLT)

Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They traveled there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. There , too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they said. “There was sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve to death.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.” (vv 1-5, NLT)

Then Moses added, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for He has heard all your complaints against Him. What have we done? Yes, your complaints are against the Lord, not against us.” (v 8, NLT)

That evening vast numbers of qual flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the the area around the camp was wet with dew. when the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as fros blanketed the ground. The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was.

And Moses told them, “It is the food the Lord has given you to eat. These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.” (vv 13-26, NLT)

The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers. (v 31, NLT)

Moses said to Aaron “Get a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Then put it in a sacred place before the Lord to preserve it for all future generations. Aaron did just as the Lord commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant-in front of the stone tablets in scribed with the terms of the covenant. So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they would settle. The ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (vv. 33-35, NLT)

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. so they called they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).

Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the Lord for help and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water and this made the water good to drink.

It was there at Marah that the Lord set before him the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to Him. He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, obeying His commands and keeping all His decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”

After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. Then camped there besides the water. (vv. 22-27, NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your h and over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge after the Israelites. My great glory is displayed through Pharaoh and and his troops, and his chariots, and his charioteers. When the glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see My glory and know that I am the Lord!” (vv. 15-18, NLT)

Then Moses raised his hand over the sea and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel waled through the middle of the seabed on dry ground with walls of water on each side!. (vv. 21-22, NLT)

When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and their charioteers.” So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. Then the waters returned and covered al their chariots and charioteers-the entire army of Pharaoh. Of of the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. (vv. 26-28, NLT)

When the people of Israel saw. the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before Him. Then they put their faith in the Lord and his servant Moses. (v 31, NLT)

When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. The Lord had hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with raised fists in defiance. (vv. 5-9, NLT)

As Pharaoh approached the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us our here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? wjy did you make us leave Egypt?” (vv. 10-11, NLT)

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (vv. 13-14) NLT

Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses: “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Midgol and the sea. Then Pharaoh will think ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness.” And once again, I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display My glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told. (vv. 1-4, NLT)

When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through the Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a round about way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When He does, you must take my bones with you from this place.”

The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provide light as night as a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not removed the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place i front of the people. (vv. 17-22, NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Dedicate to Me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans an animals, belongs to Me.”

So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever-the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. today the Lord has brought you out by the power of His mighty hand. (Remember, eat not food containing yeast.) On this day, in early spring, in the day of Abib, you have been set free. You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hitites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that He would give you this land-a land flowing with milk and honey.) For seven days, the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the Lord. Eat bread without any yeast during those seven days or any yeast at all found within the borders of your land during this time. (vv 1-7, NLT).