Are You Bitter or Sweet?

Introduction

The Perpetual Grumbler

There once was a man named George who lived in a small town known for its friendly residents and picturesque scenery. George, however, was the town's perpetual grumbler. No matter how perfect the day was, George always found something to complain about.

One sunny morning, the town’s mayor decided to hold a grand picnic in the park. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the company was delightful. As everyone gathered, the mayor couldn't help but notice George approaching, wearing his usual frown.

"Good morning, George!" the mayor called out cheerfully. "Isn't this a wonderful day?"

George grumbled, "Wonderful? It's too sunny. I'll get sunburned. And this grass is too green. It makes my allergies act up."

The mayor chuckled and decided to challenge George’s pessimism. "George, look over there. We have a magician performing tricks for the kids!"

George squinted and replied, "That magician? He's probably using cheap tricks. I’ve seen better magic on TV."

Undeterred, the mayor pointed to the refreshment table. "Well, George, have you tried the homemade lemonade? It's made from freshly picked lemons."

George took a sip and grimaced. "Too sour. I prefer my lemonade with more sugar. And these cups – they’re too flimsy. I bet they'll fall apart any minute."

The mayor, determined to find something George couldn't complain about, had one last idea. "George, why don’t you join the sack race? It’s all in good fun!"

George sighed dramatically. "A sack race? I’ll probably trip and sprain my ankle. And those sacks are too scratchy. Couldn't they find better ones?"

Just then, a little girl named Emily, holding a big balloon, approached George. "Here, Mr. George! I got this balloon for you. It's my favorite color!"

George took the balloon reluctantly and stared at it. For a moment, everyone held their breath, waiting for his complaint.

He finally said, "Well, Emily, this balloon is nice, but it probably won't last long. Balloons always pop too soon."

Emily giggled and replied, "That’s okay, Mr. George. Sometimes things don’t last, but we can still enjoy them while they’re here!"

George blinked, surprised by Emily’s wisdom. He looked around at the smiling faces, the sunny sky, and the festive atmosphere. For once, he couldn’t find anything to grumble about.

He smiled—a rare sight—and said, "You know, Emily, you might be right. This balloon is pretty nice after all."

The mayor clapped George on the back. "See, George? Sometimes it’s all about perspective."

From that day on, George still grumbled occasionally, but the townspeople noticed he started smiling a bit more. And every now and then, when he felt a complaint bubbling up, he’d look at Emily’s balloon, still tied to his porch, and think of the little things that make life sweet.

In today’s text we will discover that Israel had left Egypt physically, but they had not left psychologically. They had developed some bitterness. But praise the Lord, He can take our bitter days and make them sweet again. Amen. Turn in your Bibles this morning to Exodus 15:22-27.

Let’s stand for the reading of the Word.

Exodus 15:22-27

Exodus 15:22–27 NKJV

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

Prayer

Message

This morning we are back in the study of Exodus. At this point in time the plagues are over. God appointed Moses as His representative to lead the people as He brought about the plagues to the final plague, the death of the first born of all Egypt. The death of the first born was literally the death blow that caused Pharaoh to allow Egypt to depart. Moses began leading God’s people to freedom, toward Canaan, the Promised Land.

The shortest direct route to travel would have been about 120 miles to get to Canaan, but Scripture teaches us in Ex. 13:17 that God chose not to send the people the shortest route because they would face the Philistines and they might become discouraged by war and run back to Egypt.

The Lord directed Moses to lead them by way of the Wilderness of Shur and by traveling that direction, the Egyptians thought the Israelites were confused and thought it would be easy to correct the mistake of letting them go in the first place. Pharoah had basically asked himself, “what came over me?” Why did I allow our work force to leave? The Egyptians perceived that the Israelites had entrapped themselves with their backs against the Red Sea and one of two things would happen:

They would surrender and come back to Egypt to serve them or,

The Egyptian army would kill the Israelites in battle.

One way or another, Egypt was not going to stand for their decision in leaving.

I remind you that the Lord was working His purpose in the people, both Egypt and Israel:

Exodus 14:3–4 “3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.”

Exodus 14:30–31 “30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.”

The Lord’s aim was to show Egypt that Yahweh God was greater than all Egypt’s gods. His desire was to win over the Egyptians and many he did. Many traveled with the Israelites. His ultimate aim was to save His chosen people, the Israelites. He wanted to provide their freedom, give them a new life, a life of promise in the Promised land and to bring them to a place of total trust in Him.

As we think about the fact that Jehovah the Lord had saved the Israelites, let’s consider for a moment what that means.

We know that when we initially come into a saving knowledge of Christ, asking Him to forgive us of our sins, and asking Him to be Lord of our lives, we deem that justification. Just as if I never sinned. He saves us from sins, past, present, and future.

And God’s affirming Word that we can have confidence in is that if we ever accept Him, we ask Him into our lives and ask Him to change us, the Scripture states:

John 10:27–28 “27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

Aren’t you thankful for that great assurance?

In the NT, saved is mentioned 107 times.

Justification

Mark 16:16 “16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

Sanctification

Acts 2:47 “47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

Glorification

Matthew 10:22 “22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

I bring up the forms of salvation because what we discover today is that Israel had been physically saved, but they had not been psychologically saved. They had left the physical confines of Egypt and slavery, but they had not departed from the psychological, emotional and spiritual bondage of Egypt. They were in a process of sanctification. There were some things of their past they had to heal from to make them whole in the Lord.

Last Sunday, we discovered that the disciples were in a period of cultivation. They had to begin rendering every aspect of their lives, including their careers- an overconfidence in their abilities on the seas to be reminded they need Jesus in every aspect of their lives.

This morning we see in our story that Israel had bitterness embedded in their being. Firstly, this morning from reading this story we see that:

A Bitter Spirit Can Find Subject Matter to Complain About VV. 22-24

Exodus 15:22–24 “22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?””

-tell the story to this point.

Marah-bitter

Ruth 1:20 “20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

Elimilech, Mahlon, Chilion, daughters in law Ruth, and Naomi.

Ruth 1:16–17 “16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.””

Ruth looked at what she gained, not what she lost.

You will remember that Naomi when she had come back with Ruth and lost her husband and two boys told people her name was not Naomi, but Marah.

I do not want to take anything away from the people of Israel. They had 400 years of slavery, oppression, persecution. They saw their baby boys murdered to stop population growth.

Exodus 1:11–14 “11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.”

“They made their lives bitter with harsh bondage”

“serve with rigor”

Exodus 1:22 “22 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.””

The Leiden Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian document, describes harsh labor conditions for workers, including the rationing of food and punishment for not meeting quotas, which echoes the biblical descriptions of Israelite enslavement (similar to the account in Exodus 5).

Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, provides an account of the Israelite bondage in his work "Antiquities of the Jews." Although he bases his narrative largely on the biblical text, Josephus offers additional details and context from Jewish oral traditions. For example, he mentions specific acts of cruelty by the Egyptians, including the drowning of Hebrew children in the Nile.

Philo of Alexandria, another Jewish historian and philosopher from the first century, also discusses the oppression of the Israelites in his writings. Philo emphasizes the moral and spiritual degradation caused by the harsh labor and the Egyptians' attempts to suppress the Israelite population.

I share this background to say that Israel had a tough road over the 400 years they were enslaved. They saw things, they had direct harsh treatment, they suffered pains for their children, long days, back breaking, soul wrenching work that caused them great anguish. They had left Egypt physically, but they had not left psychologically. What do I mean? They had to heal mentally, emotionally and spiritually from all they had been exposed to for over 400 years.

May I ask you an important question this morning? You may have left a past situation physically, it may be a divorce, it may be a bad job experience, it may be a conflict in your family dynamics, maybe with children or grandchildren. Maybe you have left a period of addiction in the physical sense. There may be a past life you are just not proud of that you have left physically, but you have never healed psychologically, emotionally, mentally or ultimately spiritually. You are still carrying the scars of emotion, hurt, and bitterness. Maybe you need to drink more of the sweet waters of Jesus Christ that brings healing. Amen?

So I ask you this morning. What habits have you developed?

Do You Complain or Call Out to the Lord? VV. 24-25

Exodus 15:24–25 NKJV

24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,

Interestingly, do you know what the word “complaining” means in the Hebrew?

lun

to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide

(Qal)

to lodge, pass the night

to abide, remain (fig.)

(Hiphil) to cause to rest or lodge

(Hithpalpel) to dwell, abide

to grumble, complain, murmur

(Niphal) to grumble

(Hiphil) to complain, cause to grumble

Interestingly, the root form of the word grumble or complain is the fact that it means to lodge, to abide, remain. Why I find that word meaning interesting is that the bitter attitude can take up residence in your life.

Bitter-Marah which means bitter, but the deeper root meaning means chafed, discontented, great, heavy.

Has anyone ever been chafed? Hot, sweaty, you become very irritable. It ways heavy on you.

Understand this. The beginnings, grumbling, complaining, murmuring, but it leads to the heaviness and discontent of life-bitterness.

It can become the norm and feel normal and the whole time you are miserable and you push people away from you. Dearly beloved, when we become embittered, it is a cancer and as it resides with you, it resides and its becomes home to you. Grumbling leading toward bitterness becomes your dwelling, you affect everyone around you with your bitterness and it pulls everyone down around you.

Psalm We read in the Exodus that four times the word “complaining” is recorded in the NKJV. The word “murmuring” is recorded ten times in the KJV. The knee jerk reaction for the people of Israel was to gripe, complain and murmur. Complaining had become a way of life for the people of Israel.

Psalm 106:11–13 “11 The waters covered their enemies; There was not one of them left. 12 Then they believed His words; They sang His praise. 13 They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel,”

The question must be asked: how can a people that has just been saved from the Egyptians and walked across on dry land to escape into freedom in just a 72 hour period move from a spirit of celebration and jubilation to an attitude of bitterness?

Look with me:

Song of Moses

Day 1

Exodus 15:1–2 NKJV

1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 2 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Day 2

Song of Miriam in the round

Exodus 15:21 NKJV

21 And Miriam answered them: “Sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”

How, in just a short three days did the people go from singing to whining and complaining against Moses and God? When they complained to Moses they were complaining against God. They left Egypt physically, but they had not left Egypt psychologically.

So, for someone who has an embittered nature, there is no struggle in finding something to complain about. Our text states that they traveled three days and found no water. They came to a place named Marah which means bitter water.

The water was bitter to drink. The water could have been brackish with salt mixed in it; it could have been stagnant without moving and had taken on the taste of the desert sands, all the same the water was not drinkable.

Dearly beloved, what we learn from these verses is that the Israelites had a knee jerk reaction of complaining and they showed no patience in trusting the Lord. It was easier to complain than to call out to the Lord in their frustration.

We see here in the text that there are two ways of response in vv. 24-25:

Complaining-Destructive-it pulls down those about us and brings the whole emotional and spiritual mood down.

Calling Out-Constructive-We engage the one named Jesus who has the ability to overcome every hurt, pain, and frustration that we may be encountering.

When Moses cried out to the Lord over the need, the Lord met the people’s frustration right at that very moment. He took a tree and tossed into the water to transform the water into sweet refreshment and soul healing cleansing. Was there any chemical reaction or anything intrinsic about the tree/water combination? The tree was represented in the staff God used in the hand of Moses to bring salvation to the Israelites. That same tree is represented in the cross that our Lord and Savior died upon to bring healing to our souls. Amen.

Galatians 3:13 “13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),”

Look to the Sweetness of the Lord Who Heals VV. 25b-27

Exodus 15:25–27 “25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.”

“There He made a statue and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,”

The Lord Himself directed Moses to memorialized the moment, time and place the people of Israel found themselves in. Notice it says that “He tested them.” God uses times, situations, circumstances and different scenarios in life to test us for our sakes.

When we read in the Bible that God tests, do you think God doesn’t know how you are going to pass or fail the test? God puts us in situations for us to self measure our actions and to know where we are from some prior situation that has had lasting affects on our demeanor, our outlook on life, and to know whether we are bitter or sweet? So, what is it this morning? Are you bitter or sweet? Are there some prior circumstances that you left physically, but have never fully left psychologically?

I have a great promise for you this morning, but it is predicated by a condition before full healing can begin.

Exodus 15:26 “26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.””

Firstly, he states we must “heed His voice.” You know what that means? We must listen to His healing words. Oh dear church, I am Jehovah Rafah, the God who heals.

I do not know who this message is for this morning but I am certain there are people here this morning that are dealing with some psychological scars of past. You have physically left the scene, but you have never fully psychologically left the scene. Jehovah Rafah, the God who heals wants to bring healing to your past.

Do as I instruct you with a careful study of the Word, be under the Word, walk circumspectly in the Lord by heeding His commands and ordinances and over time, If you will allow me, I will bring healing to your soul.

“I will put none of the diseases on you which I brought on the Egyptians.”

We must assume that certain ordinances had already been shared with the people before the recordings of Exodus 20, the ten commandments and the deuteronomic and levitical laws that would follow later.

Why did the Lord make this statement in the Bible? They had left Egypt. Egypt was past tense. How would they experience diseases if they had already departed? You will remember that God provided kosher laws of diet and certain exercises of food that was clean and unclean to keep the Jews well.

Deuteronomy 23:12–14 “12 “Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; 13 and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. 14 For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.”

Dearly beloved, many here today have a past that you have physically been removed from, but you have never emotionally covered over a dirty past.

God’s Word has the Psalms and the Proverbs and the wisdom writings that bring healing to our psychic, our emotional and deep seated hurt needs.

1 John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Here is what the Lord was saying. Israel, you have left Egypt. I need you to leave Egypt mentally. I need you to find closure to your past. Here is how you do it. Trust Me. Listen to Me. Follow Me. Seek counsel from Me and I will heal you, I will heal your family, I will heal your marriage, I will heal family dynamics and the list goes on.

Real healing comes when we ask Jesus to forgive us our sins.

“He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.”

As we think about partaking of the Ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, let’s make an observation about the idea of complaining. Did Jesus ever complain?

Did He complain or call out?

Matthew 26:39 (NIV):

"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'"

Mark 14:36 (NIV):

"'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'"

In both passages, Jesus expressed His anguish and human desire to avoid the suffering of the cross, yet He ultimately submitted to the Father's will. These verses highlight the profound struggle and obedience of Jesus as He faced His impending crucifixion.

Have you not ever healed from your past because you never asked Jesus to forgive you of your past? You can know Jesus as Savior today.

Let’s pray:

1 Corinthians 11:27–28 NKJV

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Partaking of the Bread

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 NKJV

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Partaking of the Cup

1 Corinthians 11:25 NKJV

25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

1 Corinthians 11:26 NKJV

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.