by Jen | Sep 15, 2026 | 22-27, DISO studies, Exodus 15, Jen
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again! Thank you for checking in with me this week. Today’s post is about the prayer the Spirit inspired me to use each time I study, and the Huh!s and Wow!s I experienced reading through the passage with Him. I’m amazed that so much has come out of just six verses!
Last Week’s Work
MY PRAYER
Oh LORD, thank You that You are my Healer! In the desert of my life, You help me find water in Your Word—it is the life-giving spring I can’t live without now. As I continue learning about You this year, open my eyes to see, my ears to hear Your Spirit’s counsel, and my heart and mind so Your Word can be planted and grow in both places. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
This time, the Wow!s outnumber the Huh?s:
- HUH? No water for 3 days! How could they survive (v22)?!
- WOW! I remember marah means bitter (v23) from my Ruth studies in 2024!
- WOW! “Moses cried to the LORD”—He knew exactly where to go when the people grumbled against Him (v25)!
- WOW! A log flung at God’s command makes bitter water turn sweet (v25)!
- WOW! The LORD tested them and gave them three rules: Listen diligently to Him, Do what is right in His eyes, Listen and keep His commandments … I think it’s interesting they were told to listen twice and do only once, though somehow I don’t think they’re going to be able to follow those rules! (v26).
- HUH? Not sure which commandments/statutes the LORD is talking about—the official Ten Commandments or the three mentioned in this same verse (v26)?
- WOW! God led them from bitter water to a place with an abundance of shade and water (v27)!
Dig-In Challenges
As always, you’re welcome to follow this study by reading and praying about what I’m discovering. If you want to do your own work with Spirit in this passage:
- PRAY for the Spirit to direct your focus for the remainder of this study. You can choose anything from your survey from last week that raises a question or resonates with you, or you can use one of my responses above. In your journal, record your personal treasure, along with any verse(s) relating to it from the study text.
- MINE: Read Exodus 15:22-27, focusing on three factors setting the stage in this text: note anything the Spirit emphasizes about the characters involved, any locations mentioned, and any timeframes discussed.
I hope you’ll join me next week to see what I discovered in this passage!
GO TO WEEK 3 >
by Jen | Sep 8, 2026 | 22-27, DISO studies, Exodus 15, Introduction, Jen
Welcome to another eight-week DISO study on the biblical names of God! This time, we’re opening the book of Exodus and learning about YHWH Rapha, The LORD Who Heals You. I’m glad you’re here, and I hope you’ll be able to study (or at least check in with me) over the next eight weeks as I dig deep into the treasure the Holy Spirit reveals to me from God’s Word.
Let’s Study Exodus 15:22-27!
This week, I’ll begin by praying and surveying Exodus 15:22-27. If you want to study on your own with me, here’s what I recommend you have ready:
- A copy of Exodus 15:22-27.
I like to refer to and make notes on the text I’m studying, so I copy the passage from blueletterbible.org, paste it into a word processing program like Google docs or MS Word, change the formatting to suit my preferences, and print it out. If you want to use the ESV translation, here’s a pdf of my Scripture study sheet.
- A study journal.
We’ll spend the next seven weeks immersed in and learning about Exodus 15:22-27. Since the work we’ll do each week builds on what came before, plan to record at least some highlights from your work over the coming weeks. I’m old-school and like the pen-and-paper method for journaling my studies, but it’s okay if that doesn’t work for you. If you don’t have time to write out or type your notes, consider dictating them into a notes app, or recording audio files, instead.
If you’re new to this type of study, I encourage you to try at least a few of the exercises in this series on your own when you’re able or just read my notes in upcoming posts in this series. You’ll get familiar with the process and see how the Spirit speaks to my situation. He may even use what I’ve done to help you explore and learn God’s Word yourself!
Dig-In Challenges
So, here’s how I’ll be studying this week:
- PRAY: Before I study, I pray to help settle my attention on the passage and the Holy Spirit’s still, small voice. I’ve been doing this for a while, so I have the bones of the prayer memorized, but I still write it out in my study journal because I sometimes get hurried and forget to ask for the help I need to really understand and connect to God’s Word. I discover so much more when I ask the Spirit to help me!
- SURVEY: After prayer, I’ll read Exodus 15:22-27, paying attention to anything that makes me say, “huh?” (as in, “I wonder what that means?”) or “wow” (as in, “that is so awesome!”). I’ll record these and later ask the Spirit to direct me to the one I should dig into right now.
If you’d like more information about the whole process I’ll be using for this study, check out this printable Digging Into Scripture Ourselves summary. Or, you can always reach out to me with your questions through my contact page or at [email protected].
I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover in this process with you. I hope you’ll make a habit of checking in with me each week!
GO TO WEEK 2 >
by Jen | Sep 1, 2026 | 14-26, DISO studies, Jeremiah 33
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Last Week’s Work
LESSON(S) LEARNED
Four impressions I have from this study and what I’ve learned:
- I know this prophecy was written by Jeremiah directly to his fellow countrymen, but the promise of the Righteous Branch is for all of us, too.
- The repeated reassurances that destruction, pain, and loss are not forever show us God does not forget His covenants. Unfair treatment we endure in this lifetime will end for us.
- Though written by many men over hundreds of years, the Bible’s message is unbelievably consistent. When God makes a promise, it will be fulfilled. Sometimes we can see that fulfillment clearly in Scripture; other times we must wait for His perfect timing.
- When all His promises are fulfilled, everyone who embraces Jesus as Lord will be made whole, and evil will be dealt with accordingly. We will all dwell safely, securely, and have no worries; everything will be provided for us by our loving God (YHWH Yir·’eh). What an awesome future we have as believers!
CONVICTION
Again, I feel the loving reprimand of the Spirit: why worry? The momentary, light affliction I experience now may never be fully removed from my mortal life, but I know my spirit will continue after my body ceases to function. Even if I don’t survive whatever physical ordeal I’m facing, it just means my spirit will transition to life with Jesus where there is no pain. Why should I ever complain about anything?
CORRECTION
“And because of [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).” The Spirit helped me see complaining is really admitting how my spiritual enemies have gotten the better of me. It’s almost like admitting defeat! No matter how bad my situation looks, I know Who will win in the end. Especially when I’m struggling, I must remember the end of this conflict is coming and, with God, I’m on the winning side.
ACTION PLAN
I believe the LORD is calling me to discipline my mind to stop complaining, grieving, and whining. I know this will not be easy. In my not-so-humble opinion, I am a truly gifted lamenter. But I know that behavior and mindset strengthen the power of the enemy, and I’m done enabling his control in my life! This isn’t the first time I’ve resolved to address this issue. But now, I’m determined to train myself to look at my left wrist when I want to whine about something. I have two scars in that area that I’ll use to remind me of Jesus’s sacrifice. He was the promised Righteous Branch Jeremiah mentions in this passage and an outstanding example of God keeping His promises. Even if life is difficult now, I know the Righteous Branch is coming back and the best is yet to come!
Our Next Study
My friend, I hope you’ve been as blessed as I have digging into Scripture in this series. So far, we’ve learned about the LORD, our Shepherd, the LORD of Hosts, the LORD, our Provider, and the LORD, our Righteousness. There are two more names of God I want to explore with you this year.
I hope you’ll plan to join me next week as I go back to the Old Testament again to learn about the LORD, our Healer in Exodus 15:22-27. See you then!
by Jen | Aug 25, 2026 | 14-26, DISO studies, Jeremiah 33
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello! Once again, we’re nearing the end of another study. We’ve spent six weeks with the Holy Spirit in Jeremiah 33, and I’m glad we could work through this prophecy about YHWH Tsidqenu. I hope you’ve been able to dig a little with me and that the Spirit has revealed amazing treasure for your efforts.
Last Week’s Work
My work this past week included reading through the cross-references for verse 16, a review of a few other versions of that verse, and a check of several available commentaries on it.
CROSS-REFERENCES
The first cross-reference I considered was Jeremiah 23:5-6, which reads almost the same as Jeremiah 33:15-16. This week, I felt the Spirit’s urge to better understand the geographical and other significance of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. I discovered Judah was the region where the “southern” kingdom of Israelites lived, who were mostly descendants of Joseph [aka Israel]’s fourth son, Judah. The “northern” region was referred to as Israel, control of which fell to Assyria in about 720 BC (more than a century before Jeremiah’s prophecies were recorded). Judah (and the city of Jerusalem within it) were all that remained of the original areas conquered by Joshua and the Israelites after Moses’ death in the wilderness.
From other cross-refs, I saw that the LORD saves Israel, and this salvation is also available for the whole world. Also, centuries later, Paul wrote that all Israel will be saved by a Deliverer who will come from Zion, which can refer to either Mount Zion in Jerusalem, or Israel’s “homeland.”
As to the phrase YHWH Tsidqenu (LORD our righteousness), the cross-references showed me:
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
As I compared the ESV with four other translations, the Spirit called my attention to the last phrase, The LORD is our righteousness. Only the NLT version uses the same wording. The Amplified Bible renders the phrase the LORD Our Righteousness (Justice); the NIV calls Him The LORD Our Righteous Savior; and the Good News Translation uses The LORD Our Salvation.
I’m impressed at the relationship between salvation, safety (security), and righteousness that these names suggest. I’m also reminded that righteousness, salvation, and safety do not arise from our actions or decisions. All those gifts originate in and through the LORD. Even at our very best, we can never be righteous enough to connect on God’s level. We needed some way to remove the stain of disobedience: and Jesus Christ made that way. When we come to the Father with Jesus, we are cleansed by His blood and our unrighteousness is removed.
COMMENTARY
The commentaries I reviewed seemed to agree that the righteous Branch in v15 refers to Jesus Christ who was born into David’s family. I personally think that, in one way, His death on the cross fulfilled the prediction of justice and righteousness being executed in the land. I know it doesn’t seem “just” that Jesus died for sins He did not commit, but Old Testament law required blood for righteousness to be restored. And not just any blood. It had to be the blood of a perfect lamb. There’s only ever been one perfectly sinless human on this earth, and that was Jesus Christ.
I also believe a day is coming when Jesus will return and execute justice and righteousness over all the earth, fulfilling again the prophecy in v15. Could it be that verse 16 will also be fulfilled at that time? The phrase In those days certainly seems to make that a possibility. And I, for one, cannot wait to see those days, because I know the kingdom I’m going to: it’s the Jerusalem v16 identifies as The LORD is our righteousness! Wow! I didn’t see that coming, did you?! I love how the Holy Spirit just takes ahold of my studies and leads me where He will!
Dig-In Challenges
This coming week, let’s wrap up our study of Jeremiah 33:14-26 and align with what we’ve discovered here:
- PRAY: Use mine from week 2, or your own.
- ALIGN: Review your study notes (or what I’ve posted since week 2) and consider what you’ve learned in this study.
- ALIGN: Then, think about how the Spirit has convicted you through this study. In other words, where has He shown you misalignment between what we’ve discovered and how you practice your faith?
- ALIGN: Next, look to God’s Word for guidance to correct that misalignment. For me, this is often a verse from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally, reflect on how you can practice thoughts or actions that align more closely with what you’ve discovered here.
To make this stick, I commit for at least three weeks to change my thoughts by focusing daily on my correction verse(s), and/or actions by stopping or starting an activity as the Spirit leads.
I know the Lord will bless our efforts to understand and apply His Word!
by Jen | Aug 18, 2026 | 14-26, DISO studies, Jeremiah 33
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! This week I started looking into how Jeremiah and his audience understood the statement “The LORD is our righteousness (v16).” Here’s what I discovered:
Last Week’s Work
LITERAL CONTEXT
From the text immediately before our study passage, I found an indication that this prediction might have come while Jeremiah was shut up in the court of the guard. Interestingly, I also discovered a very similar forecast much earlier in the book.
WRITING TYPES
Because Jeremiah used phrases like the days are coming, and in those days, along with future tense verbs, I believe the overall writing type for this study text is prophecy: information about events that would happen after the author received the information.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The ESV Global Study Bible Introduction dates the book of Jeremiah at about 597 BC, during the time the Babylonians were invading and conquering the region. According to historical resources, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, installed a puppet king, Zedekiah, over Judah and deported the previous ruler. This might provide background to Jeremiah’s statements about [King] David not lacking a son on the throne of Israel. I also noted Zedekiah was the last king of Judah before Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC. How in the world would these prophecies come true, then?! But I believe they did in the person of Jesus Christ. Here’s one reason why…
INTERLINEAR RESEARCH
I examined the phrase LORD is our righteousness, YHWH (H3068) Tsidqenu (H6664). From the Brown-Driver-Riggs analysis I discovered tsidqenu refers to righteousness as vindicated, justification in controversy with enemies and troubles, deliverance, victory, prosperity specifically in the context of the Messianic king (vindicating people’s cause and giving victory). That sounds like Jesus Christ to me!
Jeremiah is the only biblical author to use this phrase, and he only uses it here and in the previously mentioned text. What a message of hope for people who were enduring some awful circumstances as their city was being attacked and would eventually fall to the Babylonians.
Dig-In Challenges
Here’s my study plan for the coming week if you want to work along with me:
- PRAY, of course.
- REFINE: Consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool [I’ll be going here] to find and read through the available cross-references for your focus verse(s) and log what the Spirit shows you.
NOTE: for your study, follow the above link, then use the Prev or Next buttons below the verse text to go to your focus verse(s).
- REFINE: Next, compare at least a few other translations of your focus verse(s) and write about what you find in your study journal. I’m planning to compare the ESV, AMP, NIV, NLT, and GNT versions starting with this biblehub.com page. After following this link, you can navigate to your verse(s) by entering the reference in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass icon there.
- REFINE: Last, I plan to check a few commentaries on my focus verses, Genesis 22:8 and 14. If you already have a favorite study Bible or commentary, feel free to review it, too. If you don’t, try checking the commentary section of StudyLight.org. There, you can access multiple verse-by-verse commentaries on Jeremiah 33:14-26 by clicking the box for your focus verse, then clicking the name of the commentary listed immediately under the text of the verse you chose. I recommend you review more than one commentary and listen to the Spirit’s guidance on them.
I encourage you to do what you can this week to dig deeper into God’s Word. I know you’ll find immense treasure there. And I hope you’ll check in with me again next week!
GO TO WEEK 7 >
