Exodus 15:22-27
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. (Exodus 15:22–27)
Often the learning of certain lessons is a bitter experience. But it is equally true that experience is the best teacher. You can tell a child that fire burns, that the stove is hot, but the child will never really understand until he burns himself. When that happens, the child begins to grasp what the word “hot” means. And it is a lesson he will not forget for the rest of his life. Yet for him it was a bitter experience. Sadly, it seems that all of us, in many ways, are just like that child. We have to get burned before we learn.
In the passage we have read, Israel arrives fresh from an enormous spiritual victory. They had been set free from slavery, given a new life, and they had witnessed the way God drowned their enemies in the depths of the Red Sea. But now, three days later, they run into a trial. After three days without water they come to a place called “Marah.” While they are here, they learn three precious lessons.
Perhaps you too are going through a similar trial today. If so, then from these verses you can learn some good lessons. And if everything in your life is sailing along smoothly, then take care and stay alert. Because sooner or later you too will come to the waters of your own Marah. And it is quite possible that when it happens, you will need the very spiritual lessons we are learning today.
So let us take a journey together back through time, back to the days of the exodus, and reflect together on the truths that come from the bitter waters of life.
SOME TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE
THE TASTE OF LIFE
The first truth about life that we can draw from our text is that bitter waters are a part of life. Life is a blend of sweet and bitter moments. Life is not only sweet or only bitter; it is bittersweet.
In our text we see that Israel had just experienced an enormous spiritual victory, yet now they had to meet hardship as well. And after this bitter season passed, they again had a time of blessing at the oasis of Elim.
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) (Exodus 15:22–23)
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. (Exodus 15:27)
Today many people take it for granted that once they have followed the Lord, everything in their life from now on will be perfect and there will be no bumps along their road. Unfortunately, this is simply mistaken thinking. According to God’s Word, life is a mixture of good and bad. Such a view may strike you as depressing, but we must remember that life also has its lovely moments — for example, when a person falls in love, or a child is born, and so on. So when we know that our life may turn in one direction as well as the other, we will be prepared for both.
The water at Marah was bitter, and so the place was named “Marah,” which means bitterness. This reminds us of Naomi, who asked to be called “Mara” (Ruth 1:20–21):
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” (Ruth 1:19–21)
At that moment Naomi was embittered because of the loss of her sons and because of the poverty into which she had fallen. But at the end of the book we read of the restoration, the joy, and the provision that God had for Naomi (Ruth 4:13–15):
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” (Ruth 4:13–15)
So let us not lose heart! If we are at Marah, let us know that after Marah comes Elim! After the desert comes the oasis; after the wandering comes the entrance into the Promised Land!
THE CONSTANT OF LIFE
The second truth about life that we learn from this passage is that, even though life is a mixture of good and bad, life has one Master who does not change. So although life changes, the Master of life does not change.
In Malachi 3:6 the Lord says of himself:
6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. (Malachi 3:6)
And in Hebrews 13:8 the author of that wonderful letter reminds us:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
When the Israelites reached Marah, they seem to have forgotten all the wonders the Lord had done for them. They forgot the plagues the Lord brought upon the Egyptians and their gods, they forgot the deliverance, they forgot the crossing of the Red Sea. They forgot that up to that moment God had been in full and absolute control of their lives. They forgot that God is the Master of life. Are we not the very same? For a while we sail along enjoying God’s blessings, and then we often begin to take them for granted. But let hardship only come, and we begin to wring our hands in despair, to bow our heads in defeat, and to moan and wonder what to do. We forget that the same God who was in control on the good day continues to sit on his throne on the bad one. He is in control of the whole of our life! Romans 8:28 says:
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
THE MINISTRY OF LIFE
The third truth about life that we can draw from our text is that life has a ministry. Its task is to teach us what God is like and what he can do for us. When the Israelites passed through various hardships and trials, God used those times — both the good and the bad — to minister to the Israelites. And what they learned about God in both the good times and the bad shaped their understanding of who God is and what he can do for them. The same is true for us. Every situation in our life ministers to God’s purpose. He uses everything we go through in order to carve his image within us.
Just as it is often said of children that they are a product of their environment, so it can be said of the Christian that he is a product of the trials he has faced in his life. In all of this, slowly but surely, God is simply transforming us little by little, so that we may be more like himself.
That is why James says in his letter (James 1:2–4):
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2–4)
SOME TRUTHS ABOUT OURSELVES
The bitter waters also reveal and shape our character. Life is one gigantic laboratory. And every experience we have, every situation we fall into, whether good or bad, exposes our heart and reveals what is hidden within us. The hard time at Marah revealed certain qualities in the Israelites that they probably did not know they possessed. But I am afraid that we get caught in the same trap. Let us admit it. We can learn a great deal about ourselves when we fall into some kind of crisis.
THINKING ONLY OF OURSELVES
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (Exodus 15:22–24)
The only thing the Israelites cared about was their own physical satisfaction. The great things God had just done in their lives were forgotten. Instead of being awed by God’s wonders and glory and beginning to worship him, the Israelites were entirely consumed by their own personal needs. When we find ourselves in a tight spot, we suddenly forget God’s greatness, and our horizon narrows with astonishing speed. We shrink its borders until we ourselves become the center and focus of our every thought and motive. But we must remember that God does not want us to live for ourselves and our selfish needs. He wants us to live for him. And when we do, he has promised that he will take care of life’s difficulties. Matthew 6:33 says:
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)
WALKING BY SIGHT
The Israelites walked not by faith but by sight. Their gaze was fixed on the world around them instead of on God. And when their expectations were not met, they became disappointed with God. How many times have we been guilty of the same thing? We expect something — a job, or a person — to make us happy, and all the while we never look for joy in the one place from which it has always come — from the Holy Spirit. It is our duty as believers to learn to rely on the Lord fully and always, in every situation of our life. We are to be people of faith. Romans 1:17 says:
17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)
When we fall back from faith and begin to walk by sight, we abandon God’s best and step into sin.
NEVER SATISFIED
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (Exodus 15:22–24)
The Israelites were forever discontent! Only three days earlier these people had seen the Lord destroy the greatest army in the world! They had seen God part the Red Sea and set them free. Then they saw how God took that same sea and used it to strike down their enemies. When that happened, they opened their mouths and sang a song of praise to the Lord. And now they stood by the little pool of bitter water, complaining because the Lord was not doing things their way and on their timetable. How alike we are! When we are on the mountaintop, we can be so quick to glorify God, even rising in church to praise him. But let one small trial only stand in our path, and we grow downcast, we whimper, we mutter, and we begin to complain about the terrible time we have to go through. Is it not foolish, all of this? Absolutely! God’s plan for our life is that we learn to give him glory in every situation in which life places us. If you are on the mountain, praise him for his blessings! If you are in the valley, praise him for his faithfulness! Whatever we go through in this life, his name is worthy of praise.
In this respect Job is an example to us. In Job 1:21 we read:
21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:21–22)
And so also the apostle Paul, who reveals to us the secret of his contentment in Philippians 4:11–13:
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11–13)
Bitterness will not sweeten the bitter waters. What will sweeten the bitter waters of our life is not grumbling, but God’s Word!
SOME TRUTHS ABOUT GOD
In their encounter with the bitter waters of Marah, the Israelites learned certain truths not only about life, and not only about themselves, but also about God.
GOD KNOWS OUR NEEDS
God knows about the bitter waters we come up against in our life. God knew what the Israelites would find at Marah. He himself had planned that journey of theirs. He knew about their need even before they became aware of it. Nothing in your life can take the Lord by surprise! He is already in our tomorrow and knows what we will meet when we arrive there. God knows about the illness you have not yet fallen sick with. God knows about your grief over a loved one even before that loved one has died. God knows about the bills you will have to pay even before you have received notice of them. And I am glad that I serve a God who knows what I will need even before I begin to need it! In Matthew 6:31–32 the Lord Jesus says:
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matthew 6:31–32)
GOD CAN MEET OUR NEEDS
25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. (Exodus 15:25)
You see, in his great wisdom God had already prepared that piece of wood to meet their need. When they arrived, it was there. He displayed his wisdom and power, and they received what they needed.
God can meet our needs as well. When God created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, man had no needs. God set a perfect man in a perfect world. There, in the garden, Adam had everything he could ever need. But sadly, when man sinned, he became a needy creature. He needed not only salvation, he also needed the most basic, everyday things for his life. Yet when Jesus came and died at Calvary, he restored everything Adam had destroyed. Through his death on the cross Jesus turned the bitter waters sweet. Through his death on the cross we can find everything we need for all our needs to be met. When we are in a right relationship with God, we are in a position where every one of our needs can be met through his power. Through the cross of Christ the bitter waters in our life can become sweet again. Through the cross God can meet our need — not only our need of salvation, but our needs in every area of our life.
In Psalm 50:15 God says:
15 and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. (Psalm 50:15)
GOD HAS ALREADY PROVIDED FOR OUR NEEDS
Years before Israel reached Marah, God had caused a seed to sprout on the very spot where, years later, he would need it. God looks ahead and prepares a way before there is even a need for a way. He does the same for us. Have you not realized that however frightening our need may be, it is only proof that God’s provision works without fail? Philippians 4:19 says:
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
You will never come up against a need in your life for which God has not already provided. If we grasp this and it sinks deep into our heart, it will change our life forever. This understanding will completely destroy every anxiety, doubt, and fear. God is a God who provides and supplies. If we receive it into our heart, this truth will free us from all selfish concern and give us peace in every area of our life.
ADONAI ROPHEKA
At Marah God revealed himself to Israel as “Adonai Ropheka,” or “I am the Lord, who heals you.” The water of Marah was not merely bitter to the taste; it was harmful to the health. But the Lord healed it.
25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” (Exodus 15:25–26)
If Israel had never passed through Marah, they would never have come to know this aspect of God’s character. God uses the bitter episodes of our life in order to reveal himself to us more fully. When we meet the bitter waters of our own Marah, may God help us to know that he is still on his throne and that he is in control of everything. May God help us to plead for his intervention and to look for his provision. The key is not to kick and thrash about from side to side, but to rest in his power and to let him work in his own ways in our life. It is normal to expect problems in life. But instead of grumbling against God because of them, we ought to seek him, because he surely knows the solution to the problem, and because of the covenant we have between us, he is ready to give it to us! If you have run into bitter waters, bring them to the cross! He is the “wood that turns bitter water sweet”!