S4: Week 12 Day 1: Annotating Exodus 17:1-7

Summary

A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace Episode Summary: Season 4, Week 12 Day 1 – Annotating Exodus 17:1-7 Release Date: March 17, 2025

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Introduction

In the Season 4 installment of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace, hosts Alexa and Beth guide listeners through an in-depth study of Exodus 17:1-7. This episode, titled "Annotating Exodus 17:1-7," marks Week 12, Day 1 of their ongoing series, Christ in All of Scripture. The focus remains on unraveling the profound connections between Old Testament passages and their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, encouraging listeners to recognize Christ's presence throughout the entirety of the Bible.

Passage Overview

The episode begins with Alexa reading Exodus 17:1-7, which narrates the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, their complaints about the lack of water, Moses' plea to God, and God's miraculous provision of water from a rock at Horeb. This passage sets the stage for exploring themes of faith, provision, and God's character.

Key Themes and Discussions

1. Connecting the Old Testament to Christ

   Alexa introduces the session by emphasizing the study's aim: "walking through our study, Christ in All of Scripture." The dual-passages approach, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament, is designed to reveal how Jesus is central to the biblical narrative.

2. Annotation Day Insights

   Beth shares her experience annotating Exodus 17:1-7, highlighting the process of identifying elements within the passage that point to Christ. She states, "I highlighted the word wilderness because I was reminded of when Jesus was in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry" ([02:51]). This connection underscores the parallels between the Israelites' journey and Jesus' own trials.

   Beth further explores the phrase "testing the Lord," linking it to Jesus' encounter with the devil in the wilderness: "You should not put God to the test" ([02:51]). This reflection draws a direct line between Old Testament experiences and New Testament teachings of Jesus.

   Additionally, she notes the significance of "water will come out of it," drawing a poignant comparison to when "Jesus's side is pierced after he dies on the cross and water comes out from his side" ([02:51]). This metaphor reinforces the symbolic continuity between the Old and New Testaments.

3. Attributes of God Revealed

   Alexa prompts Beth to discuss the attributes of God highlighted in the passage. Beth identifies several key attributes:

   • Faithful, Omnipotent, and Sovereign: Reflecting on verse 1, Beth mentions, "It's by God's faithfulness, power, and control that he's leading the Israelites through the wilderness" ([03:01]). These attributes illustrate God's unwavering commitment and supreme authority over the Israelites' journey.

   • Gracious: Focusing on verse 5, Beth observes, "God is being gracious toward them and he provides for them even though they don't deserve it" ([03:01]). This grace is evident in God's provision of water despite the Israelites' grumbling and lack of faith.

Notable Quotes

• Alexa: "How did this annotation day go for you?" ([01:56])
• Beth: "I highlighted the word wilderness because I was reminded of when Jesus was in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry." ([02:51])
• Beth: "It's by God's faithfulness, power, and control that he's leading the Israelites through the wilderness." ([03:01])

Conclusion and Encouragement

As the discussion wraps up, Alexa commends Beth for her insightful connections, stating, "I love those connections and I don't think I would have come up with those. So I'm really, really thankful for that" ([03:01]). She reinforces the idea that God's character is intricately woven throughout Scripture, even when not immediately apparent.

The hosts invite listeners to continue the journey with them, expressing excitement for the upcoming deep dive into Exodus 17:1-7. They encourage the audience to engage with the study materials available at thedailygraceco.com and to follow their social media channels for additional resources and support.

Final Thoughts

This episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace offers a rich exploration of Exodus 17:1-7, demonstrating how careful annotation and reflection can unveil the profound presence of Christ in the Old Testament. Alexa and Beth provide listeners with valuable tools to deepen their understanding of Scripture, highlighting God's attributes and the seamless connection between the Old and New Testaments.

Listeners are left with a reinforced sense of God's faithfulness and grace, as well as an anticipation for the continued uncovering of Christ's role throughout the biblical narrative. Whether you're following along with the study or simply tuning in, this episode promises to enhance your appreciation and love for God's Word.

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Resources and Further Study

For those interested in delving deeper into the topics discussed, visit thedailygraceco.com for studies, journals, and other resources designed to help you love God and His Word. Stay connected by following A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace on social media for ongoing encouragement and study aids.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to A Year in the Bible with daily Grace. This year, we want to spend a few minutes with you every day walking through our study, Christ in All of Scripture. Each week, we will dive deeply into two passages of Scripture, one from the Old Testament and one from the New, seeing how they connect and point to Jesus.

[B]

Whether you are doing the study yourself or just following along with us here, we are hopeful that through studying these passages each week, you will see how Christ is not only present throughout the entire biblical story, but with the center of it. Hey, friends. Welcome to another episode of A Year in the Bible. My name is Alexa and I'm here with my co host, Beth.

[A]

Hi, everyone. Today we're going to be discussing the annotation day for Exodus 17:1:7. So I'm going to start by reading that passage for us. And so this is Exodus 17:1:7. The entire Israelite community left the wilderness of sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord's command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So the people complained to Moses, give us water to drink. Why are you complaining to me? Moses replied to them, why are you testing the Lord? But the people thirsted there for water and grumbled against Moses. They said, why did you ever bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? Then Moses cried out to the Lord, what should I do with these people? In a little while, they will stone me. The Lord answered, moses, go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go. I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. When you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink. Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. He named the place Massa in Meribah because the Israelites complained and because they tested the Lord, saying, is the Lord among us or not? So, Alexa, how did this annotation day go for you?

[B]

Yeah, I thought it went well. And I thought it could be helpful to focus on the first two prompts that we answer for every annotation day, just because I know that those can be challenging sometimes. So the first prompt asks us to highlight any words or phrases that point to Christ. This was a little tough at first, but after reading it over and reflecting on the life of Jesus, I highlighted the word wilderness because I was reminded of when Jesus was in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. Where he too was in a place where resources were few. Along with that, I highlighted the phrase testing the Lord because of Jesus's words to the devil in the wilderness of you should not put God to the test. And then the phrase water will come out of it also made me think of when Jesus's side is pierced after he dies on the cross and water comes out out from his side.

[A]

I love those connections and I don't think I would have come up with those. So I'm really, really thankful for that. That's really, really cool. So what attributes of God did you find in this passage?

[B]

Yeah, I noticed two attributes of God in this passage. The first comes from the first verse that says how the Israelites move from one place to the next according to the Lord's command. I wasn't sure exactly what attribute of God captured that idea, so I put multiple. I put faithful, omnipotent and sovere. We see that it's by God's faithfulness, power and control that he's leading the Israelites through the wilderness. And then I also underlined verse 5 and noted that God is being gracious. You know, the Israelites are complaining and essentially accusing God of not taking care of them, but God is gracious toward them and he provides for them even though they don't deserve it.

[A]

I love that. I think that it's really helpful to remember that God's attributes are not always going to be super clear cut in the passages we study like this one. But then we know that Scripture is all about God and there's always going to be something that we can glean about his character. And so that was really cool to watch you unpack that and go through that verse that way. So we hope that you guys are going to join us tomorrow as we unpack this passage a little bit more. And we're excited to do that with you. So we'll see you then. Bye.

[B]

Thank you for listening to today's episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace. Be sure to check out our show notes for some helpful links and resources related to today's episode and make sure you're following a daily daily gracepodcast and hedailygraceco on Instagram for more Bible study resources and encouragement. We're looking forward to studying God's Word with you again tomorrow. Bye friends.