Exodus 14:21-17:16

Once the Israelites witness the destruction of Pharaoh's army, and their salvation from the Egyptians, they "feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses." It doesn't last long, as we'll see, as they grumble and question Moses seemingly whenever the going gets tough. But in the glow of the defeat of Pharaoh, they sing a beautiful song to the Lord, the first such song we find in the Bible. It is filled with words expressing God's awesomeness and power, His anger and wrath. But also this beautiful passage: "My strength and courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior." I find that very powerful, as it summarizes very well in just a few words what the Lord has been in my life. As the Israelites are led by the Lord and Moses further into the desert, they grumble and quarrel, forgetting quickly God's deliverance of them, and lacking trust in Him and in Moses. Nonetheless, the Lord feeds their hunger with manna from heaven for forty years, and slakes their thirst with water from the rock. He even protects them from an attacking enemy, Amalek, as Joshua leads them in triumphant battle. During the battle, as long as Moses keeps his hands raised (like Christ on the Cross?), the Israelites have the advantage and ultimately win the battle and are saved, delivered from their enemy.