The Wilderness

• Found: Exodus chapter 15v22 - 18

The People Thirst (Exodus 15v22-27)

After crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel continued to follow the pillars of cloud and fire. It wasn't long before they began to run short of water. They came to a place called Marah (meaning bitter) where there was water but the water was too bitter to drink. The people moaned at Moses again.

God told Moses to do a strange thing. He asked him to cut down a tree and throw it into the water. As soon as Moses did this, the water became sweet and good to drink.

Soon after, they came to a place called Elim, with its twelve wells and seventy palm trees. There they rested for a while.

The People Hunger (Exodus 16)

The people continued, and came to a place called the wilderness of Sin. There they moaned at Moses again, because they didn't have anything left to eat. God told Moses that that night they would eat meat, and the next morning bread, so they would know He was God.

That night, a flock of quails came by and the Jews caught them to eat. The next morning there was a strange substance on the ground, like bread. They didn't know what it was but called it manna. The manna appeared every morning, enough for everyone in the camp. Except on the Sabbath, when the people were to rest. To compensate this, there was twice as much manna on the day before the Sabbath.If the manna was kept beyond its intended time, it rotted and produced worms.

Aaron took a pot, and put some manna in it, and kept it as a sign of God's provision to them. The manna kept the Hebrews in food for the whole time they dwelt in the wilderness.

The People Thirst Again (Exodus 17v1-7)

The people continued, and again grew thirsty. Again they moaned at Moses, and again Moses prayed to God. God gave him instruction to strike a rock with his rod. When he did this, water flowed from the rock and the people had water to drink.

Attack of the Amalekites (Exodus 17v8-16)

The Amalekites lived in the desert and saw the children of Israel as easy pickings. They came and attacked the Israelites. Moses sent Joshua out to fight the Amalekites, while he went to the top of a hill. While Moses held his rod up to God, the Israelites were winning the battle; when his strength failed the Amalekites started to win. His brother and friend helped him to hold up his arm and the Amalekites were defeated.

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