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!
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 >
by Jen | Aug 11, 2026 | 14-26, DISO studies, Jeremiah 33
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hi there! I hope the Spirit showed you amazing biblical treasure this week. Here are some highlights of what He’s revealed to me about my focus verse (and a few other gems, too):
Last Week’s Work
COMPARISONS
These two comparisons stood out to me:
CAUSES/MOTIVATION
I almost missed the LORD identifying Himself as the cause of a righteous Branch springing up for David! It doesn’t quite follow the pattern we usually look for in that the connector, cause, functions as a verb here. I love how God’s Word continually teaches me new ways to study!
I noticed several other causes, but I think the main one for my study focus is this:
Action: In those days Judah will be saved, … Jerusalem will dwell securely, and … it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness,
Connector: For [because]
Reason: … the LORD declares David will always have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests will always have a man … to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”
These two verses explain that Judah and Jerusalem will be secured,and it will be called “The LORD is our righteousness” because the LORD will keep His promises to David and to the Levitical priests.
If you’re scratching your head on that, you’re not alone. I do believe this is prophecy, and sometimes prophecy isn’t what it appears to be. I’m trusting that the Spirit will guide me to understand this as God intends over the next two weeks when I start using the Refining tools (Step 4) in the DISO process.
CONDITIONS/METHODS
In the meantime, I’m excited about the conditions the Spirit helped me discover in this text.
The first condition is His fulfillment of the promise He made to Israel and Judah. When this happens, the following will also happen:
Next, I noticed the If… then… construction in verses 20-21 and 25-26:
Condition: If you can break the LORD’s covenant with the day and … night, and they don’t come at their appointed time,
Result: then the LORD’s covenants with David … and … the Levitical priests can also be broken.
I think this states (in a wordy way!) that the LORD’s covenants with David and the Levitical priests will NOT be broken. Only the LORD has the power to break His covenants, and He won’t do it.
Condition: If the LORD hasn’t established his covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth,
Result: then He will reject David’s offspring and will not choose one of them to rule over Jacob’s offspring.
Because both of these statements are NOT true (even in this age, we know from personal observation that the day and the night come at their appointed times, as they have from the beginning), the truth must be that the covenant with day and night is unbreakable, and so the LORD will NOT reject David’s offspring.
Dig-In Challenges
This coming week, I’m planning to:
- PRAY. Of course!
- REFINE my understanding of this text by making a note of all the types of writing (instruction, law, letter, narrative, poetry, and/or prophecy) I discover in Jeremiah 33:14-26, then skimming the text before and after these verses to ensure I haven’t taken this passage out of its literal context, and to see if the author provides other details related to my personal treasure. I’ll probably also do an AI search of Jeremiah to see if the themes in my focus verse appear elsewhere in it.
- REFINE: Next, I’ll research the book’s historical context by referencing an Introduction to the book of Jeremiah, starting here. If you’re working along with me, note any relevant or interesting facts you uncover in your review of these materials. Based on the writing type (from step 2, above) and what you discover in the introduction, should Jeremiah 33:14-26 be interpreted literally?
- REFINE: Last, I’ll be looking up the meaning of a few words and phrases from my focus verses using an interlinear Bible tool. I like Biblehub.com’s Hebrew tool for this research. To use it, follow the link above. You can quickly access a verse by selecting it from the dropdown box showing 33:14 at the top of your screen; or you can scroll to it by clicking the right-pointing arrow (to the right of the verse citation, Jeremiah 33:14) for higher numbered verses. Once you locate the verse, click the number in the Strong’s column that corresponds to the English word or phrase you’re researching. Note anything the Spirit highlights for you in the information provided.
I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!
GO TO WEEK 6 >
by Jen | Aug 4, 2026 | 14-26, DISO studies, Jeremiah 33
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello! I hope you were able to dig a little deeper into Jeremiah 33:14-26 this past week. As I studied, the Spirit overwhelmed me with two themes: God’s covenants with the Jewish people and Isaiah’s mention of the “righteous Branch” from David’s bloodline. Read on to see what I mean.
Last Week’s Work
REPETITION
The two repeated concepts I noticed were promise/covenant and righteous/righteousness. It seems this passage speaks mostly to the LORD’s intentions to keep His promises to Israel, Judah, David, and the Levitical priests. I can’t wait to learn more about Jeremiah and his audience so I can piece together why the LORD felt compelled to reassert these promises to them at this time.
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
The only special statements I could see this past week were promises! I counted thirteen in the twelve verses we’re studying! But I feel the Spirit most drawing me to the five in vv15-16:
- The name by which it will be called [is] the LORD is our righteousness.
I’m still hoping to identify what it is in this context!
- [The LORD] will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David;
- [That branch] will execute justice and righteousness in the land;
- Judah will be saved;
- Jerusalem will dwell securely;
LISTS
Related to the list of promises above, I observed and numbered a list of six covenants the LORD described as follows:
- With the houses of Israel and Judah for a righteous Branch from David to spring up in the coming days;
- With David, that he would not lack a son to sit on Israel’s throne;
- With the Levitical priests, that they would never lack a man for offerings and sacrifices;
- With the day to come at the appointed time;
- With the night to come at the appointed time;
- With the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to restore their fortunes and have mercy on them.
Dig-In Challenges
This week, let’s wrap up Step 3 by:
- 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, for (where it means because), and so that 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 = I went to the store for [because] the reason = I was 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 so that, you’ll also find the action first, but the sentence may be worded differently:
I went to the store so that I could buy milk.
The action = went to the store and the reason = to buy milk.
- 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.
GO TO WEEK 5 >
