What a blessing it has been to discover the song of deliverance in Exodus 15. My heart was so full as I listened to Becky and Sandy share their own songs based on this chapter last Sunday. Thank you for your willingness to open up to the rest of us.

Thank you, Jeannie Alexander, for teaching in my absence on the 20th on chapter 16.

Now, as we prepare to study chapter 17, let's read verses 1-7.

Look at verse 1. How did they get to Rephidim? Do you think while traveling they anticipated what they would find in Rephidim? It was an oasis in the desert, but what was it like?

Do you ever have unmet expectations? How do you respond when that happens?

Look in verse 2 to find the people's response to their disappointment. What did Moses say they were doing?

Verse 3 shows us how the situation escalated. What was about to happen to Moses? Have you ever witnessed a group of people who get so bent out of shape over a disappointment that they take it out on their leader? Did the Israelites have any legitimate reason to stone Moses?

What started as a real but manageable problem ended in mob threats because the people blamed both God and Moses instead of trusting God to help them solve it.

What can you learn from these three verses?

Write a crisis management plan for the Israelites that would lead them through the proper steps of handling unmet expectations.