1. Who, what, where, why questions
a. Why did God choose to test the people by feeding them after they had journeyed from Egypt without food?
b. What is manna and how much is an omer?
2. Literary context
a. In Exodus 15, Moses and the Israelites sing songs to the Lord. The first one is praising God for saving them from Pharaoh’s army by helping them escape through the Red Sea. The second song was also about how the Lord cast the Egyptians into the Red Sea, except this time it was sag by Miriam and the women. Finally, Moses brings the Israelites to Mar’ah where the water is bitter. The Israelites complain that they will die of thirst, so the Lord tells Moses to throw a board into the water which will make the water sweet. The Lord describes himself as “I the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15) and those who keep his commandments shall be free from disease.
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Literary Context
a. Reading Exodus 15 and 17 helped me better understand the Israelites plea for food from God. Looking at Exodus 15:16, the Lord promises good health to all who obey his commands. In both Exodus 15 and 17, the Lord hears the mumbling of the Israelites who thirst is the desert and he answers them by providing fresh water. Reading these two chapters of Exodus helps us understand the works of the Lord for his people and how he tests them in order to earn his trust.
4. Literary Structure
a. Exodus 15 begins with two hymns that are sung by the Israelites about how Pharaoh’s army was cast into the Red Sea. The footnotes also tell us that the hymn is separated into “three refrains or stanzas, with a conclusion” (NISB 108).
5. Historical Context
a. In the footnotes of the bible, we find that this bible verse takes place one month after the Passover. We also find that the word manna is a Hebrew pun, but it is also the name for the bread God rained down upon the Israelites. Finally, the footnotes in the bible tell of the reason for which there is no work done on the Sabbath day (NISB