It is vital that we spend time in God’s Word.

But it’s not always easy.

We read a chapter and we don’t know what to get out of it or even how to start to understand it.

I thought I could try to help you get a little something out of what you are reading by providing you with some questions to ask as you look at the text.  Good questions are a good start to understanding. Sometimes there will be more questions, sometimes less.

You can do this!

So, get a notebook, a pen, your Bible, and if you would like some help, take some time to answer the questions, and you may be surprised by all God teaches you.

Exodus 15

1. What does Israel do after they have been delivered?

2. What might that tell you about the Christian life?

3. Songs and poems are important in the Pentateuch. They are rare, and when they come up, we should definitely pay attention. Let’s first read through and see if anything is repeated. Is there anything specifically that’s said about God more than once?

4. One thing that he says repeatedly is that God threw Pharaoh and his chariots into the sea. If you think about Israel’s future going into the Promised Land, why might that have especially been a comfort to them? And what lesson should they be learning from that?

5. What surprising thing does Moses say about God in verse 3? What do you think about that? How does that fit into your idea of God?

6. In verse 11, we come to a key part of the song. You might describe this as the central point. What does Moses say about God here? How does fit in with the theme of what God is teaching them through the Exodus?

7. What does Moses anticipate the people’s reaction to God’s work is going to be in verse 14 and 15? If you think about this first generation of Israelites, do you remember why they didn’t want to go into the Promised Land. How does this show that reaction was foolish? And the fact that they saw this, sang this, and then were so afraid of the Canaanites later, what does that tell you about people?

8. What is God’s plan for Israel according to verse 17? What image is brought to your mind by the word planted? He describes the promised land here as a mountain. Why a mountain? What is going to happen at a mountain later in Exodus? Look at Ezekiel 28:14, how is the Garden of Eden described here? How does that help you understand God’s agenda for Israel? What other words in verse 17 help you understand what God’s intending to do with Israel?

9. What does verse 18 say about God? How does that give you hope?

10. After seeing God’s great salvation and singing this beautiful song, what happens in verse 23 and how do the people respond in verse 24?

11. How does God respond?

12. What rule does God give the people in verse 26? What does that indicate about what God wants to do with Israel?

13. Think back to the images you have seen God in this chapter and make a list of the different pictures Moses gives you for who God is. Write them down here. Worship.