by Jen | Sep 29, 2026 | 22-27, DISO studies, Exodus 15, Jen
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Last Week’s Work
Hi there! Did you have a chance to dig a little deeper into Exodus 15:22-27 this week? I had a limited amount of time to devote to study, but the LORD used it in amazing ways, as He always does!
REPETITION
I noticed just one repeated concept in these six verses: water. It appears in four verses: once in the first two verses, and twice each in two other verses. Two-thirds of the six verses mention this subject, which I believe makes it important, and I can’t help but think it may allude to something more than ordinary water. It reminds me of Jesus’s first recorded miracle (turning water to wine at a wedding) and how often He performed miracles of healing. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself… right now I’m just observing what the passage says, looking for gems that might help me when I seek to understand more about verse 26 (one of the two that do not mention water).
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
I found four types of special statements in this short passage. The first is the prayer Moses cried to the LORD about Israel being unable to drink the bitter water at Marah. The other three I found in my focus verse, in the conditional blessing and/or promise that the LORD would put none of the diseases of the Egyptians on Israel if they followed the four commands (see the List section, below) He laid out for them.
LISTS
As mentioned above, the one list I located in my focus verse details the four commands the LORD instructed Israel to obey to remain healthy:
- Listen to the voice of the LORD your God,
- Do that which is right in his eyes,
- Give ear to his commandments, and
- Keep all his statutes.
Tall order! I am so glad that Jesus came to make a way for us to stay in relationship with the LORD our Healer that doesn’t involve being “perfectly perfect in every way.” Praise God for that!
Dig-In Challenges
- PRAYING the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
- MINING comparisons by reading through the passage again looking for statements of difference or similarity in or related to your focus verses. These may be statements featuring key words such as like, as, is, are, or of; qualitative comparisons indicating how one item is more or less than another; and/or contrasts which highlight or discuss how one concept differs from another.
- MINING: Next, look for causes or motives by focusing on key words or phrases I call cause connectors. In the ESV translation of this study text, look for the connectors because, for (where it means because), and therefore in your focus verses, then check the text surrounding the connector for an action and the reason or explanation for that action. For example: in the sentence,
I went to the store, for I was out of milk:
The action = went to the store for [because] the reason = out of milk.
NOTE: the word for doesn’t always connect actions and reasons. To determine if it does in your verses, read the sentences containing it while substituting the word because in place of for. If the sentence(s) created from this exercise make(s) sense and mean(s) the same as the original, look for the action statement before the for and the stated reason after the for.
With therefore, you’ll find the reason first, and the action after:
I was out of milk, therefore I went to the store.
The reason = I was out of milk, and the action = I went to the store.
- MINING: Finally, see if you can find any conditions for action in this study text, and/or descriptions of how action happens or should happen.
– For example, does the text say if or when a certain condition exists, some action takes place?
And/or
– Does the author describe a method or process (for example, specific steps) taken to achieve something?
Or
– Does he indicate how action is accomplished more generally by or through attributes or actions (e.g., saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8)?
– Finally, does the text include any adverbs (typically words ending in ly) that describe how action happens?
These exercises are a bit more involved, but I’m confident you can do this with the Holy Spirit! Don’t forget to check your How to Dig Into Scripture Ourselves guide, and you can always reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions.
by Jen | Sep 22, 2026 | 22-27, DISO studies, Exodus 15, Jen
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again! This is my favorite time of year, when temperatures begin to drop in the northern hemisphere, American football starts, and there’s still enough daylight to get in an after-dinner walk in my neighborhood before dark! I hope you’re able to enjoy some of the beauty of the new season wherever you are!
Last Week’s Work
I believe the Spirit made it clear to me that I should concentrate my study on the Wow! about the LORD testing Israel and giving them three specific rules. The verse also identifies the LORD as Healer, which fits nicely into our study series for this year, but those commands are what made me sit up and take notice. Last week I noticed two of them are directives to listen. But this week, the Spirit used the other command, do that which is right in [God’s] eyes, to remind me again of my previous study of Ruth and its setting at the time the judges ruled. In that same week, our pastor preached from Judges, citing its repeated refrain,everyone did what was right in his own eyes. I remember that statement well: it seems to be the very opposite of the LORD’s command in Exodus 15:26. I was WOW!ed all over again and ready to start mining this passage for characters, locations, and timeframes!
WHO (CHARACTERS)
I noticed four characters mentioned in this passage:
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
- Red Sea: where Moses and Israel left.
- Wilderness of Shur: the region Moses and Israel entered.
- Marah, also referred to as there: the place where Moses and Israel couldn’t drink the bitter water, and where the LORD “healed” the bitter water, made a statute and a rule for Israel.
- Elim: where Moses and Israel journeyed next, a place with plenty of water and lots of shade.
WHEN (TIME FRAMES)
The single time phrase I noticed was three days. This was the amount of time Israel walked from the Red Sea into the wilderness of Shur. I don’t know about you, but I can barely go three hours without a drink of water (and a restroom!), let alone three days!
Dig-In Challenges
Here’s my plan for this week:
- PRAY the prayer I wrote last week before I study. Then I’ll…
- MINE: Look for repeated words or phrases in this passage and check for synonyms or pronouns that refer to the same concepts.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) in the passage.
- MINE: Note any lists (3 or more similar items) mentioned in Exodus 15:22-27.
- Record what the Spirit prompts so I can use it in Steps 4 and 5.
Remember, you can download this printable summary of the DISO process for more specific instructions. I’ll share what I discover with you next week, so I hope you’ll join me then.
Next week I’ll be unable to post my results from home at my usual day and time, so I’ll post them early (hopefully) or as soon as I can. Either way, they should be available no later than Monday, October 5.
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!
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!
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!
