******exodus 15:22-27 bitter

Exodus, Part I (Chapters 1–18) (King James Version) (D. The Second Crisis of Israel in the Wilderness, Bitter Water at Marah: Bitter Experiences Made Sweet and Pure, 15:22–27)

D. The Second Crisis of Israel in the Wilderness, Bitter Water at Marah: Bitter Experiences Made Sweet and Pure, 15:22–27

(15:22–27) Introduction: complaining, grumbling, and murmuring are terrible sins. Think of the hurt and pain we feel when people grumble against us, especially when the complaint threatens our …

• lives

• friendships

• reputations

• characters

• work

• relationships

• attachments

• positions

• employment

• promotions

• investments

Complaining, grumbling, and murmuring hurt and cause pain. But more than this, complaining and grumbling show a great distrust in God:

⇒ It shows that we do not believe God is in control and that He is going to work things out.

⇒ It shows that we are distrusting God’s power, questioning His goodness to take care of the situation.

This is the subject of this important passage of Scripture. It covers the first terrible sin of the Israelites, that of complaining. They grumbled and murmured against their leader, God’s dear servant Moses. This is: The Second Crisis of Israel in the Wilderness, Bitter Water at Marah: Bitter Experiences Made Sweet and Pure, 15:22–27.

1. The first crisis: thirst (vv. 22–23).

2. The first terrible sin of Israel: complaining, grumbling, murmuring (v. 24).

3. The cry of God’s servant to the Lord and the Lord’s provision for His people: He showed Moses a piece of wood that purified, sweetened, the water (v. 25).

4. The purpose of God: to test His people (25).

5. The result of the crisis: the Lord made a great law and promise (vv. 25–26).

6. The abundant provision of God: led them to Elim which had twelve springs and seventy palm trees (v. 27).

1 (15:22–23) Israel—Wilderness Wanderings—Thirst—Trials: the first crisis faced by Israel in the wilderness wanderings was that of thirst.

a. Moses led the Israelites from the Red Sea, beginning their march to Mt. Sinai. To reach Sinai they had to cross the desert of Shur (see DEEPER STUDY # 1—Ex. 15:22 for more discussion). It was the desert that created the problem: they traveled and found no water. Imagine two to three million people marching across a desert for three days and finding no water. The water supply of some families had run low, and apparently the supply of others had run out. Being out in the desert with no water was as severe a crisis as could be faced. It was a matter of life and death—survival was at stake, the survival of several million people including children. What could be done?

b. Moses led them to a place where there was supposed to be water, to Marah. But shockingly, the water had become polluted: the water was bitter, unfit to drink (see DEEPER STUDY # 2, Marah—Ex. 15:23). From the reaction of the people, it was apparently so bitter that they were afraid to drink it, feeling it was unsafe.

Thought 1. Remember these facts.

⇒ The Israelites had just been delivered by God from Egyptian slavery. Their deliverance is a picture of the believer’s redemption, of his deliverance from the enslavement of the world to sin and death.

⇒ The Israelites had just begun their wilderness journey, their journey to the promised land of Canaan. This is a picture of the believer beginning his Christian life and walk, his journey throughout life to the promised land of heaven.

⇒ Thus, the crisis of the bitter waters of Marah is a picture of the bitter trials that confront the believer as he walks throughout life, marching to the promised land of heaven.

Now, just think of the bitter trials that confront us throughout life, such bitter trials as …

• no water

• no food

• no home

• accidents

• divorce

• suffering

• deformity

• death

• loss of job

• financial loss

• severe temptation

• failed plans

• frustrations

• disappointments

• sorrows

• despondency

Bitter trials are the normal experience of human life. They confront us all, and they perplex and puzzle us. Believers often ask, “Why has God let this happen to me?” Trials and temptations are common to all people. When they strike us, the question is: How are we going to react? Are we going to trust God to help and strengthen us, or grumble and complain and perhaps curse God?

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” (Ps. 42:5).

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Co. 10:13).

Thought 2. After traveling for three days in the hot, dry desert, the Israelites must have burst forth with joy at finding water. But what a terrible disappointment! Bitter, undrinkable water!

The bitter, undrinkable water is a picture of the bitter waters of the world, the bitter trials and experiences of this world. The person who drinks from the waters of this earth is doomed to disappointment. The waters of this earth will prove to be bitter:

⇒ alcohol

⇒ drugs

⇒ sex

⇒ wealth

⇒ pleasure

⇒ fame

⇒ recognition

⇒ power

⇒ position

⇒ beauty

⇒ possessions

The waters of the earth never satisfy the thirst of the human heart. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy the thirst of the heart. He is the living water.

“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jn. 4:13–14).

DEEPER STUDY # 1

(15:22) Shur, Desert of: this desert stretched from the northeast section of Egypt over to the northwestern part of the Sinai Desert. It reached down southward to the mountains of Sinai. Shur is also called “the desert of Etham” (Nu. 33:8). Apparently “Shur” was the Hebrew word for the desert and “Etham” the Egyptian word.1

⇒ The word “Shur” means wall, referring to a fortress wall.

⇒ The Desert of Shur is a significant part of the Old Testament lands where the patriarchs traveled and lived.

• There were Sarah and Abraham.

“And the angel of the LORD found her [Hagar] by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur” (Ge. 16:7).

“And Abraham [and his family] journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar” (Ge. 20:1).

• There were the descendents of Ishmael.

“And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren” (Ge. 25:18).

• There were Moses and the Israelites.

“So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water” (Ex. 15:22).

• There was King Saul who fought the Amalekites.

“And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt” (1 S. 15:7).

• There were David and his men who fought the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites whose roots were in Shur.

“And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt” (1 S. 27:8).

DEEPER STUDY # 2

(15:23) Marah: the word means bitter. The water was obviously polluted by some mineral that made it impure and unfit for drinking.

⇒ Marah was probably the area known today as Ain Hawarah. This lies several miles inland from the sea, about forty-seven miles southeast of Suez and only about seven miles from the Red Sea.2

⇒ Marah was about a three day journey into the wilderness of Etham. The Israelites camped at Marah and demonstrated a spirit of terrible unbelief, a spirit of complaining and grumbling against the Lord and His appointed leader, Moses (Ex. 15:23; Nu. 33:8).

2 (15:24) Complaining—Grumbling—Murmuring—Sin—Israel: this is the first terrible sin of Israel, that of complaining, grumbling, and murmuring. This was to be a sin constantly committed when the Israelites faced a crisis. Keep in mind what the Israelites had just experienced three days earlier: the great deliverance of God through the Red Sea. Moreover, throughout the previous year or two, they had witnessed the awesome power of God through the ten plagues of judgment cast upon the Egyptians. But here they were, three days later—just three days after their great Red Sea deliverance—complaining and grumbling against God’s servant. They should have remembered God …

• remembered His great power and love

• remembered His great care and provision

They should have trusted God to provide water. They should have bowed in prayer, calling upon God to show their leader, Moses, where water was. Imagine what a glorious picture of trust and victory that would have been: two to three million people—men, women, and children—all bowing together in military file on the desert sands, all praying and calling out to God for help through the crisis.

But this was not to be. They were immature believers: unspiritual, unstable, and carnal (fleshly). Their carnal hearts of unbelief took over, and the Israelites complained, grumbled, and murmured against God’s leader. This was the first terrible sin of Israel, and it was to be a sin committed time and again by them. In fact, every time they faced a crisis, they were to complain and murmur. Note these examples:

⇒ They complained and grumbled because they had no food.

“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness” (Ex. 16:2).

⇒ They complained and grumbled because they had no water.

“And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” (Ex. 17:3).

⇒ They complained and grumbled because of the trials they were facing throughout their wilderness wanderings: they wished to return to Egypt.

“And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt” (Nu. 14:2–4).

⇒ They complained and grumbled because they became tired of their leaders, tired of Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership.

“For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?” (Nu. 16:11).

⇒ They complained and grumbled because of God’s judgment, because God executed justice upon the Israelites who sinned.

“But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD” (Nu. 16:41).

As stated in the Introduction, complaining and grumbling are signs of distrust, of terrible unbelief in God. When we complain and grumble, we reveal a heart of unbelief and distrust. We reveal that we do not believe God’s power and goodness. We do not believe that God is in control, that He will work the situation out. A heart that trusts God will always pray, asking God to help. The trusting heart never complains nor grumbles against people and situations, especially not against fellow believers and certainly not against the dear servants of God. Note these facts about complaining and grumbling.

a. Complaining and grumbling are not against the servant of God but against the Lord Himself.

“And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD” (Ex. 16:8).

b. Complaining and grumbling are often due to a person not believing God’s Word nor listening to His voice.

“Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD” (Ps. 106:24–25).

c. Complaining and grumbling are often due to the foolishness and sin of man himself.

“The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD” (Pr. 19:3).

“Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?” (Lam. 3:39).

d. Complaining and grumbling are to have no part in the believer’s life.

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings” (Ph. 2:14).

e. Complaining and grumbling shall be severely judged by God.

“Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer” (1 Co. 10:10).

“Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage” (Jude 14–16).

Thought 1. People thirst for contentment, for an elusive peace of mind. To find contentment and peace, they thirst and thirst after all kinds of things. And the world offers all kinds of things to people, claiming that they will satisfy the thirst of the human heart. But the waters, the things offered by the world, are bitter; they leave a bitter taste in our mouths and do not quench our thirst. Despite this, every day, all over the world, men drink from the bitter wells of the earth, the bitter waters of …

• pleasure

• fame

• illicit sex

• a shallow form of religion

• material possessions

• position

• power

• money

• property

• bright lights and stardom

• self-gratification

• idolatry

Blinded by a craving that never satisfies, men drink their fill of these waters. They drink and drink, but in the end a bitter taste in the mouth is the only thing that lingers.

What is the answer to the bitter waters of experience as the believer journeys in the wilderness of the world? The answer comes from Jesus Christ Himself. Only He has the power to sweeten the bitter waters of life. How does Christ create this great antidote for a world sickened by drinking polluted waters? Jesus Christ has poured His life into this world and flooded the world with Living waters, waters that satisfy the thirst of the human heart, that give life to man. The Scriptures declare that He is the only alternative to drinking the bitter waters of this earth!

“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (Jn. 4:10).

Thought 2. Man is thirsty, thirsty for satisfaction and fulfillment, completion and purpose, meaning and significance, acceptance and recognition, joy and happiness, love and friendship.

The world offers water to man, water that claims to quench man’s thirst. And when man looks at the world, he sees the appealing water, water that looks like it will quench his thirst. But when he drinks the water, it is bitter. The waters of the world fill men with …

• bitter fulfillment and satisfaction

• bitter completion and purpose

• bitter meaning and significance

• bitter acceptance and recognition

• bitter joy and happiness

• bitter love and friendship

The waters of the world—all of them without exception—leave man with bitter achievement and success, bitter gratification and pleasure. Only one person can sweeten the waters of life for man: the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the living water. The water that Jesus Christ gives can actually sweeten the experiences of life. This is exactly what Scripture says.

“Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Mt. 5:6).

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jn. 4:14).

3 (15:25) Prayer—Crying, To God—Intercession: What did God’s servant do? Moses did exactly what he should have done: he got alone with God and cried out in prayer. And note what the Lord did: He met the need of His dear servant and of His people. Despite the people’s carnality and sin, despite their unbelief and grumbling, God met their need. God showed Moses a tree that would purify and make the water clean and sweet for drinking. Moses took some wood from the tree and threw it into the water, making the water become clear and pure.

Thought 1. The Lord met the need of the Israelites. He provided clear, pure water for them. Note two lessons.

(1) God delivered the Israelites from the severe crisis that had threatened their lives. But note why: because the servant of God got alone and cried out to God. The servant of God prayed and interceded: in desperation he pleaded for God to help deliver the people out of their life-threatening crisis. What a lesson for government leaders and for ministers.

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (De. 4:29).

(2) God will take the bitter experiences of our lives and sweeten them. He will purify and clean up the bitter experiences of life. Just imagine all the trouble, problems, difficulties, trials, and temptations of life—God will take the bitterness out of them all. He will enable us to bear them all. God will strengthen us to conquer and walk through them all—victoriously and triumphantly.

psalms 34:19

Psalm 34:19 (NRSV)

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.

Thought 2. J. Vernon McGee has an interesting comment on this point (we have set the Scripture off in outline form for simplicity):

What was it that made the bitter water of Marah sweet? We are told that a tree cast into the water made it sweet.

⇒ Deuteronomy 21:23 says, “he that is hanged is accursed of God.…”

⇒ Galatians 3:13 … says, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”

Jesus Christ died on a tree, and it is that cross that makes the experiences of life sweet. He tasted death for every man, and took the sting out of death. “O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” says 1 Corinthians 15:55. It is the cross of Christ that makes sweet the Marah experiences of life.3

4 (15:25) Test - Testing: this is a very significant point. This point shows us why the Israelites were unable to find water out in the desert. God was behind the entire experience, behind the crisis. God had purposed that the Israelites would be unable to find water. Why? To test them. What does this mean, that God tested Israel? That God tests people?

⇒ God tests people in order to humble them and to reveal what is in their hearts.

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no” (De. 8:2).

⇒ God tests people in order to strengthen them and to keep them from sinning.

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not” (Ex. 20:20).

⇒ God tests people in order to see if they will obey Him.

“Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not” (Ex. 16:4).

⇒ God tests people in order to refine them and to stir them to live righteous lives.

“And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God” (Zec. 13:9).

“And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness” (Mal. 3:3).

⇒ God tests people in order to judge and reward them.

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Co. 3:13).

⇒ God tests people to see if they genuinely trust Him.

“When Jesus then lifted up [his] eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do” (Jn. 6:5–6).

⇒ God tests people so that they will learn more and more patience and endurance.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (Js. 1:2–3).

5 (15:25–26) Covenant—Promise—Chastisement—Obedience: the LORD now made a covenant, a great promise to His people. Simply stated, God told His people in one word what He expected: obedience. If they obeyed Him, He would not chastise them. But if they disobeyed Him, He would have to chastise them. In fact, He would have to chastise them by afflicting them with the very diseases of the Egyptians. Why the diseases of the Egyptians? No doubt because of the Scriptural principle of judgment. God had delivered the Israelites by inflicting judgment upon the Egyptians because of their unbelief and distrust of God. Therefore, if the Israelites sinned by disbelieving and distrusting God, they would suffer the same penalty as did the Egyptians. The great expositor Matthew Henry says this:

Let not the Israelites think, because God had … highly honoured them … that … he would connive at their sins and let them do as they would. No, God is no respecter of persons; a rebellious Israelite [would] fare no better than a rebellious Egyptian.4

The Scriptural principle of judgment is just this:

⇒ Whatever we sow, we shall reap, and whatever we measure out to others shall be measured out to us.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Ga. 6:7–8).

The Scripture clearly spells out the covenant and the great promise God was making to the Israelites. Note, what we are calling a covenant was a statute, a decree, a law being laid down by God. Remember, a law or decree is set: it is permanent. If the law is obeyed, then the promise is certain. The promise will be fulfilled.

a. There was the covenant: the people were to obey the Lord …

• to diligently listen to Him

• to do what is right

• to hear and keep His commandments (see Je. 7:22–23)

b. There was the LORD’s promise. If His people obeyed Him …

• He would not have to chastise them with the diseases brought upon the Egyptians (see De. 28:60)

• He would always be able to provide for them; that is, He would be able to heal them (See DEEPER STUDY # 3—Ex. 15:26.)

Thought 1. God does chastise us, all of us who truly believe in Him. He chastises us because He loves us. True chastisement is always for a child’s good, and a loving father always chastises and disciplines his child when his child goes astray. Thus it is with God. God chastises us to correct, to keep us …

• from going deeper and deeper into sin

• from being enslaved more and more by sin

• from damaging our bodies

• from bringing guilt and pain into our lives

• from destroying ourselves

• from stumbling or crashing headlong into some accident

• from killing ourselves

• from dooming ourselves to an eternity of separation from God

“Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee” (De. 8:5).

DEEPER STUDY # 3

(15:26) God, Names-Titles: the Hebrew Yahweh Rophe means “the LORD who heals.” The LORD had just made the bitter water of Marah pure, clear, and sweet—fit to drink. The LORD had healed the water. God is declaring that He is the Healer, the LORD who heals people, who heals both their bodies and spirits. He will take care of His people, look after them as they journey through the wilderness wanderings of life, through all the trials and problems of life.

“So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children” (Ge. 20:17).

6 (15:27) Elim—God, Provision: the LORD’s great goodness is vividly seen in what then happened. God abundantly provided for His people. He led them to Elim, an oasis in the barren desert. Elim was a flourishing area: there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees there.

(See DEEPER STUDY #4, Elim—Ex. 15:27.) The point to see is God’s abundant provision for His dear people. Although it is not mentioned, the people had obviously repented of their terrible sin of complaining, grumbling, and murmuring; and God had forgiven them, pouring out the abundance of His blessing upon them. His provision was just overflowing upon His dear people.

Thought 1. God meets our needs, abundantly meets them.

(1) God fills us with joy and satisfaction: He leads us to draw water out of the wells of salvation.

“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Is. 12:3).

“Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).

(2) God always makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters, even when facing the terrible trials of this life. God’s provision is always sufficient to take care of us, no matter what confronts us.

“And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee” (Ex. 23:25).

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Co. 9:8).

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ep. 3:20).

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Ph. 4:19).

DEEPER STUDY # 4

(15:27) Elim: the location of Elim was in the fruitful, well-watered valley that is known today as Wadi Gharandel.

⇒ Elim lies between the desert of Shur and the desert of Sin.

⇒ The region is said to have a rainy season that sends torrents of water flowing down the valley.5

⇒ The area was always lush and green: it had twelve different springs of water that would have flowed out and formed pools and creeks.

⇒ There were seventy palm trees, and no doubt because of its fruitful soil, many other different kinds of fruit trees.

⇒ Israel arrived at Elim on the fifteenth day of the second month after leaving Egypt.

“And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 16:1).

Exodus 15:22-27 LESSONS LEARNED AT LIFE'S BITTER POOLS Intro: Very often learning lessons is a bitter experience. Yet, while this is true, it is also true that experience is the best teacher.

In this passage, Israel is fresh from a great spiritual victory. They have been delivered from slavery, they have been given a new life and they have witnessed God destroying their enemies in the depths of the Red Sea. Now, 3 days later, they are faced with a trial. After 3 days with no water, they come to a place called Marah. While they were there, they learned 3 valuable lessons. It is these three lessons that I want to focus in on tonight. It may be that someone here tonight is going through a time of trial. If so, in these verses, you will learn some good lessons if you will allow the Lord the teach them to you. If everything in your life is sailing along smoothly, then look out! One day soo, you will come to your own Marah. When this happens, you may need the lessons we can learn right here.

This evening, let's step back in time and join Israel at Marah, and let's think together on the subject, Lessons Learned At Life's Bitter Pools. I. THEY LEARNED SOME LESSONS ABOUT LIFE A. Life Is A Mixture - (Ill. Israel had just experienced the blessing, but they must face the bitter as well. Then, as son as this bitter time was past, they enjoyed a time of blessing, v. 22-23, 27.) I suppose they, like a lot of people in our day assume that once you sign up to follow the Lord, everything is going to be perfect and that there will be no bumps in the road. Unfortunately, this is just faulty thinking! According to God's Word, life is a mixture of good and bad - Job 14:1; Job 5:7; Eccl. 2:17; 23. While this outlook may seem depressing, we are also aware that life has it's wonderful moments as well. (Ill. The birth of a child, falling in love, etc.) This is a lesson worth remembering! When you are aware that life can go either way, then you are prepared for either.

B. Life Has A Master - (Ill. When Israel arrived at Marah, they seemed to forget all the wonderful things God had done for them. They forgot about the plagues, their deliverance, the miracle at the Red Sea. They forgot that up until that time, the Lord had been in absolute control. They forgot that God is Master of life. Both of the good times and the bad.) Sounds a lot like us doesn't it? We will cruise through life enjoying the Lord's blessings and many time we will take them for granted! But, just let a difficulty come and we wring our hands, hang our heads in defeat and worry about what to do! We forget that the same God who was in control in the good day is still on the throne in the bad day! He is in charge of all of life - Rom. 8:28! (Ill. The Disciples on the boat, John 6:1-21. They rejoiced in His miracles, but when the storm came, they forgot what they had just seen Him do.) Sounds just like us, doesn't it?

C. Life Has A Ministry - (Ill. God used these times, both good and bad, to minister to the Israelites. What they learned about God in both of these times of life, shaped their perception of who God was and what He could do for them.) The same is true for us. Every situation in life serves as ministry of the Lord to us. He uses all the times of life to shape us in His image. (Ill. Just as a child is the product of his/her environment, so the Christian is a product of the situations he faces in his life.) In all of life, God is simply trying to make us more like Him - Eph. 4:13.

II. THEY LEARNED SOME LESSONS ABOUT THEMSELVES (Ill. Life is like a giant laboratory. Every experience, whether good or bad, x-rays our heart and reveals us exactly as we are. This bitter time at Marah revealed certain characteristics about the Israelites that they probably would rather have not known. However, I am afraid that we are just as guilty of some of these same things. Let's face it, you can learn a lot about yourself when the bottom falls out of your life!) They learned: A. They Were Living For Self - (Ill. They were only concerned with their bodily satisfaction. Forgotten were the great things God had just recently done in their lives. Instead of being caught up in His wonder, glory and worship, they were totally consumed with their personal needs!) Does this sound familiar you? When we get into a tight spot, we seem to forget the greatness of God and our world suddenly gets very small. We tighten the boundaries of our lives until we are the centerpiece and the focus of every thought and motive. We must remember that God doesn't want us living for self and selfish needs. He wants us to live for Him! When we do, He has promised to take care of life's trials - Matt. 6:33! B. They Were Walking By Sight - (Ill. Israel was guilty of looking for satisfaction in the world around them, instead of the God who bought them. Then, when their expectations failed them, they became disappointed with God.) How many times have we been guilty of the same thing? We expect some thing, some job, someone to make us happy and all the time, we never look for joy in the one place where it will always be found - even in the bitter times of life! (Ill. Neh. 8:10; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:4) Our duty as believers is to learn to depend on the Lord, completely and totally, for every situation in life. We are to be a people of faith, Rom. 1:17. When we step outside of faith and walk by sight, we have left God's best and have entered sin - Rom. 14:23.

C. They Were Never Satisfied - (Ill. These people, just 3 days before, had seen the Lord destroy the greatest army in the world! They had seen God part a great sea and deliver them. Then they had seen Him take that same sea and use it to defeat their enemies. When these things happened, they opened their mouths and praised the Lord in song. Now they are standing by a pool of bitter water, complaining because the Lord didn't do it their way, in their time!) How like us! When we are up on the mountain, we can be so quick to glorify God and even stand publically and give Him thanks. However, just let a little trial come our way and we whine, gripe and complain about the terrible time we are having to go through. Isn't that silly? Sure it is! God's plan for our lives is that we learn to give Him glory in every situation life throws at us. If we are on the mountain, then praise Him for His blessings! If we are in the valley, then praise Him for His faithfulness. Whatever we face in life, we are to praise His Name - (Ill. Eph. 5:20; 1 Thes. 5:18; Phil. 4:6) (Ill. Job and his attitude - Job 1:21) (Ill. David - Psa. 34:1) (Ill. Lady I used to work with. Had a serious bout with cancer. God healed her and all she said about it was, "Thank God, for several months, I didn't have to shave my legs at all!" Now there is an attitude of gratitude! III. THEY LEARNED SOME LESSONS ABOUT THE LORD A. He Is Aware Of Our Needs - (Ill. God knew what they would face at Marah. He, Himself had planned their journey. He knew about their need before they did!) Ill. Nothing in your life takes God by surprise! He is already in tomorrow and He knows what you will face when you get there, Matt. 6:32. He knows of that sickness you have yet to develop. He knows of your grief while the one you are grieving still lives. He knows about that bill that has yet to be mailed. I am glad I serve a God who knows what I need before I ever need it. He is aware!

B. He Is Able To Meet Our Need - (Ill. Moses was commanded to cast a tree into the waters and, when he did, they were made sweet. God, in His wisdom, had already prepared that tree for the meeting of their need. When they arrived, He was ready. He manifested His power an they got what they needed from the Lord.) Ill. He is able to meet our need as well! When man was placed on this earth, he had no needs. God placed a perfect man into a perfect world. There, in the garden, Adam had everything he could possibly need. Yet, when man sinned, he became a needy creature. Not only did he need salvation, he also needed the very basic essentials of life itself. When Jesus came and died on Calvary, He repaired everything Adam had destroyed. Through His death on that tree, He was able to make the bitter waters of life sweet again! Through His death on the cross, we find everything we need to have our needs met. When we are in a right relationship with God, through the shed blood of Jesus, we are in a position to have every need of life met by His power. Through the cross of Christ, the bitter waters of life are made sweet again! Through the cross, God is able to meet our need. Not only of salvation, but in every area of life. The cross unlocks His power in our lives. (Ill. God is abundantly able to meet any need you face as you go through the bitter times of your life - Phil. 4:19; Eph. 3:20; Psa. 50:10-15.

C. He Has Already Provided For Our Need - (Ill. Years before Israel arrived at Marah, God caused a seed to germinate in the very place where they would need it. He looked ahead and prepared a way before a way was ever needed.) Ill. He does the same for us! Did you ever realize that your need, as frightening as it may be, is only the evidence of God's supply in waiting? (Phil. 4:19) You will never face a need in life that God hasn't already met! If that ever sinks in, it will change our lives forever. It will totally destroy worry, doubt and fear. It will liberate us from selfish interests and give us peace about all of life! Conc: At Marah, God revealed Himself to Israel as "Jehovah-Rapha", or "The Lord Your Healer." If Israel had never faced this bitter time, they would have never known this aspect of God's character. Just as Job would have never known that God could restore him unless he first lost everything. Just as Lazarus would not have know the joy of life, if he hadn't did. Mary and Martha would not have known that Jesus was the "Resurrection and the Life" unless they had first known grief. What I am saying is that the Lord uses the bitter episodes of life to reveal himself more fully to His children. When we stand at the bitter waters of our Marah's, and we will, God help us to know that He is on His throne and that He is in control. God help us to look for His hand and His waiting provision. If you are like me, these are lessons which need to be taken to heart tonight. If you are struggling tonight, I beg you to bring it to Jesus. When you take the witches brew of your life, with all of it's goods and bad's, and through in the cross, it all straightens out! He can make sense of any mess. The key is learning not to kick, but to rest in His power and to allow Him to have His way in your life. Is there a need that needs to be brought to the cross tonight? If so, then now is the time!