Manna gathered not hoarded (Exod 16:16-21)
Exod 16:16-21 A woman in a former church I attended did not take out home insurance because she felt it would be against trusting the Lord for her needs. When a fire broke out in the apartment next to hers,…
Quails and manna (Exod 16:13-15)
Exod 16:13-15 As we continue the story of the manna, we learn more about the nature of God’s provision. God graciously gives to all who cry to Him for help, but He especially looks after those who find themselves in…
If only we had died in Egypt! (Exod 16:1-12)
Exod 16:1-12 When the Communist regime fell apart in Hungary, there was widespread celebration and high hopes for a different future where people could talk freely, travel where they wished, become affluent and have more control over their lives in…
Interpretation and the art of telling a story
This post was originally written as part of an explanation on Exod 15:22-27 (Healing bitter waters), which can be found here. I apply some general principles of storytelling to this incident, so it is helpful for readers to refer back…
Healing bitter waters (Exod 15:22-27)
Exod 15:22-27 When I was a child, my Dad and I were swimming in the Indian Ocean and with a twinkle in his eyes Dad said, ‘Shall we swim across?’. Looking at the vast stretch of water as far as…
The Song of the Sea II (Exod 15:13-21)
Exod 15:13-21 When my husband and I go on holiday, we usually let our neighbours know that we’ll be away and sometimes ask them to put our bins out on the appropriate day. Their response is always, ‘Consider it done!’…
The Song of the Sea I (Exod 15:1-12)
Exod 15:1-12 Do you have a favourite Christian song or hymn? I remember in my gap year spent overseas, a friend introduced me to Michael Card songs and ‘That’s what faith must be’ became one of my favourites. Whenever it…
The waters divided (Exod 14:15-31)
Exod 14:15-31 God’s address to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to Me?’, sounds surprisingly accusatory. Surely it is not wrong for Moses to seek God’s help! Perhaps, his reassurance to the people is short-lived and he, too, needs encouragement.…
Take a stand and stay still (Exod 14:13-14)
Exod 14:13-14 Israel’s complaints at the end of our last reading (Exod 14:11-12) are the wild accusations of a slave people who were not in control of their lives and so had learnt a mentality of not taking responsibility for…
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds?
If we look at a map tracing Israel’s exodus journey (such as we might find in the back of our Bibles), we may be surprised that the Red Sea does not feature as a stopping point on most of these…