Then Moses led Israel from the Red SeaMoses, as the divinely appointed leader, guides the Israelites after their miraculous escape from Egypt. The Red Sea crossing is a pivotal event, symbolizing salvation and deliverance. This act of leadership is a type of Christ, who leads believers from the bondage of sin to freedom. The Red Sea itself is a geographical marker, possibly the Gulf of Suez or Aqaba, and its crossing is a testament to God's power over nature.
and they went out into the Desert of Shur
The Desert of Shur is located in the northwestern part of the Sinai Peninsula. This region is characterized by its arid conditions and sparse vegetation. The journey into the desert signifies a transition from the miraculous to the mundane challenges of life. It reflects the testing of faith, as the Israelites must rely on God for sustenance. The desert experience is a common biblical motif, representing trials and spiritual growth.
For three days they walked in the desert without finding water
The number three often signifies completeness or divine intervention in the Bible. The lack of water for three days is a test of faith and endurance, echoing the three days Christ spent in the tomb before His resurrection. This period of thirst foreshadows the Israelites' recurring struggles with trust and obedience. It also highlights the necessity of relying on God for provision, as seen in other biblical narratives where God provides for His people in times of need.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
MosesThe leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt. Moses is a central figure in the Exodus account, acting as a mediator between God and the Israelites.
2.
IsraelitesThe descendants of Jacob, also known as the children of Israel. They were enslaved in Egypt and are now on their journey to the Promised Land.
3.
Red SeaThe body of water that God miraculously parted to allow the Israelites to escape from the pursuing Egyptian army. This event is a significant demonstration of God's power and deliverance.
4.
Wilderness of ShurA desert region east of the Red Sea. The Israelites entered this wilderness after crossing the Red Sea, marking the beginning of their journey through the desert.
5.
Three Days Without WaterThis event highlights the immediate challenges faced by the Israelites after their miraculous escape, testing their faith and reliance on God.
Teaching Points
Trust in God's ProvisionJust as God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness, we are called to trust in His provision in our own times of need and uncertainty.
Faith in Times of TestingThe Israelites' journey through the desert serves as a reminder that our faith is often tested in difficult circumstances, and we must rely on God's faithfulness.
The Importance of LeadershipMoses' role as a leader highlights the importance of godly leadership in guiding and encouraging others through challenging times.
Spiritual Thirst and SatisfactionThe physical thirst experienced by the Israelites can be seen as a metaphor for our spiritual thirst, which can only be satisfied by a relationship with God.
Remembering Past DeliveranceReflecting on past instances of God's deliverance, like the crossing of the Red Sea, can strengthen our faith and trust in His future provision.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Exodus 15:22?
2.How does Exodus 15:22 demonstrate God's guidance in difficult circumstances?
3.What can we learn from the Israelites' journey in Exodus 15:22?
4.How does Exodus 15:22 connect to God's provision in Exodus 16?
5.How can we trust God when facing "three days in the wilderness"?
6.How does Exodus 15:22 encourage perseverance in our spiritual journey today?
7.Why did God lead the Israelites into the desert without water in Exodus 15:22?
8.How does Exodus 15:22 challenge our understanding of God's provision?
9.What is the significance of the three-day journey in Exodus 15:22?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 15?
11.What similarities exist between Moses and Jesus?
12.What happened at Marah in the Bible?
13.What does the Bible say about Christian debt?
14.Ezekiel 47:8–9: Can the Dead Sea really be made fresh by this river, considering its high salinity and the lack of any historical or scientific precedent?What Does Exodus 15:22 Mean
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea• The rescue through the Red Sea was not the end of God’s work but the beginning of a journey of faith (Exodus 14:29–31).
• Leadership matters: Moses, under God’s direct guidance (Exodus 13:21), now shepherds a nation that has just witnessed the Lord’s power.
•Psalm 77:20 reminds us, “You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron,” emphasizing that God Himself is the true Leader behind human leaders.
• Application: Every fresh deliverance calls for fresh dependence; past victories do not eliminate the need for present obedience.
…and they went out into the Desert of Shur• The Desert of Shur lies just east of Egypt’s border, a stark contrast to the lush Nile region they left behind (Genesis 16:7).
• God intentionally leads His people into a place of need so they will look to Him rather than to former slave-masters for provision (Deuteronomy 8:2–3).
•1 Samuel 15:7 shows Shur as a region marked by barrenness—perfect for testing Israel’s trust in their new identity as the Lord’s covenant people.
• Application: The Lord may guide us into uncomfortable places to detach us from old securities and teach us His sufficiency.
For three days they walked in the desert• The “three days” echoes God’s earlier instruction to Pharaoh: “We must go a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God” (Exodus 3:18; 8:27).
• Three days without relief feels long; yet compared to four centuries of bondage it is brief. God is teaching patience that matches His timetable.
• Later, three-day motifs appear in redemptive history (Joshua 1:11;Hosea 6:2;Matthew 12:40), often signaling a pivot from trial to deliverance.
• Application: God’s timing often stretches faith just far enough to reveal what is really in our hearts.
…without finding water• Lack of water is a life-threatening crisis, highlighting total dependence on God (Exodus 17:1;Numbers 20:2).
•Psalm 63:1 captures the heart-cry this moment would evoke: “My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You, in a dry and weary land without water.”
• The Lord had just turned the sea into a path; He can just as easily turn a wasteland into a well (Isaiah 41:17–18).
• Application: Physical need exposes spiritual need; when the canteen is empty, the heart decides whether to grumble or to trust.
summaryExodus 15:22 shows the immediate sequel to a spectacular salvation: God leads His redeemed people into a desert classroom. Led by Moses, they trade Egypt’s coastline for Shur’s barrenness, walk three long days, and face parched throats—all under the purposeful hand of the Lord who saved them. The verse invites us to see every wilderness as God-appointed, every delay as faith-building, and every unmet need as a platform for His next display of provision.
THE JOURNEY FROM THE RED SEA TO ELIM.
(22)So Moses brought Israel.--Rather,And Moses brought Israel.The regular narrative is here resumed fromExodus 14:31, and the Israelites are brought two stages upon their journey towards Sinai (Exodus 3:12)--first to Marah (Exodus 15:23), and next to Elim (Exodus 15:27). It is uncertain at what exact point of the coast they emerged from the sea-bed, but it can scarcely have been at any great distance from the modern Suez. The "springs of Moses," Ayun Musa, which are about seven miles from Suez, may well have been the halting-place where the "Song" was composed and sung. At this spot there is considerable vegetation, and a number of wells, variously reckoned at seven, seventeen, and nineteen.
The wilderness of Shuris the arid tract extending from Lake Serbonis on the north to Ain Howarah towards the south. It seems to have been called also "the wilderness of Etham" (Numbers 33:8). The Israelites traversed only the southern portion, which is an actual desert, treeless, waterless, and, except in the early spring, destitute of herbage. . . .
Verses 22-27. - THE JOURNEY FROM THE RED SEA TO ELIM. After a stay, which cannot be exactly measured, but which was probably one of some days, near the point of the Eastern coast of the Gulf of Suez, at which they had emerged from the sea-bed, the Israelites, under the guidance of the pillar of the cloud, resumed their journey, and were conducted southwards, or south-eastwards, through the arid tract, called indifferently "the wilderness of Shut" (verse 22), and "the wilderness of Etham" (
Numbers 33:8), to a place called Marah. It is generally supposed that the first halt must have been at Ayun Musa, or "the springs of Moses." This is "the only green spot near the passage over the Red Sea" (Cook). It possesses at present seventeen wells, and is an oasis of grass and tamarisk in the midst of a sandy desert. When Wellsted visited it in 1836, there were abundant palm-trees. It does not lie on the shore, but at the distance of about a mile and a half from the beach, with which it was at one time connected by an aqueduct, built for the convenience of the ships, which here took in their water. The water is regarded as good and wholesome, though dark-coloured and somewhat brackish. From Ayun Musa the Israelites pursued their way in a direction a little east of south through a barren plain where sand-storms are frequent - part of the wilderness of Shur - for three days without finding water. Here their flocks and herds must have suffered greatly, and many of the animals probably died on the journey. On the last of the three days water was found at a spot called thenceforth "Marah," "bitterness," because the liquid was undrinkable. After the miracle related in ver. 25, and an encampment by the side of the sweetened spring (
Numbers 33:8), they proceeded onward without much change of direction to Elim, where was abundance of good water and a grove of seventy palm-trees. Here "they encamped by the waters," and were allowed a rest, which probably exceeded a fortnight (See the comment on Exodus 16:1.)
Verse 22. -
So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea. There is no such connection between this verse and the preceding narrative as the word "so" expresses. Translate "And Moses brought."
The wilderness of Shur, called also that of Etham (
Numbers 33.8) appears to have extended from Lake Serbonis on the north, across the isthmus, to the Red Sea, and along its eastern shores as far as the Wady Ghurundel. It is almost wholly waterless; and towards the south, such wells as exist yield a water that is bitter in the extreme.
Three days. The distance from Ayun Musa to Ain Howarah, the supposed representative of Marah, is not more than about 36 miles; but the day's march of so large a multitude through the desert may not have averaged more than twelve miles.
And found no water. No doubt the Israelites carried with them upon the backs of their asses water in skins, sufficient for their earn wants during such an interval; but they can scarcely have carried enough for their cattle. These must have suffered greatly.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Then Mosesמֹשֶׁ֤ה(mō·šeh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872:Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiverledוַיַּסַּ֨ע(way·yas·sa‘)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5265:To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journeyIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙(yiś·rā·’êl)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478:Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his descfrom the Redס֔וּף(sūp̄)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5488:A reed, the papyrusSea,מִיַּם־(mî·yam-)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3220:A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basinand they went outוַיֵּצְא֖וּ(way·yê·ṣə·’ū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3318:To go, bring, out, direct and proximintoאֶל־(’el-)Preposition
Strong's 413:Near, with, among, tothe Desertמִדְבַּר־(miḏ·bar-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4057:A pasture, a desert, speechof Shur.שׁ֑וּר(šūr)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7793:Shur -- a desert region Southwest of Palestine on eastern border of EgyptFor threeשְׁלֹֽשֶׁת־(šə·lō·šeṯ-)Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7969:Three, third, thricedaysיָמִ֛ים(yā·mîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117:A daythey walkedוַיֵּלְכ֧וּ(way·yê·lə·ḵū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980:To go, come, walkin the desertבַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר(bam·miḏ·bār)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057:A pasture, a desert, speechwithoutוְלֹא־(wə·lō-)Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, nofindingמָ֥צְאוּ(mā·ṣə·’ū)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4672:To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be presentwater.מָֽיִם׃(mā·yim)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325:Water, juice, urine, semen
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OT Law: Exodus 15:22 Moses led Israel onward from the Red (Exo. Ex) 
