"The Bitter Waters of Marah"

As we are reminded, the context of chapter fifteen of the book Exodus records the immediate aftermath of the miraculous yet harrowing experience Israel endured in their deliverance from Pharaoh' Egypt. Moses is the songwriter as he and the people of Israel sang his song unto the Lord -

" "I will sing unto the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is the strength of my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. Pharoah's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone" (Exodus 15.1-5). He continues: "The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders” (15.9-11)?

This flock of God and their leader, Moses, who were so mercifully empowered by the Lord, their Savior, to break the crude shackles of human slavery and who were stripped of the heavy burden of Egypt's physical superiority and the consequent rod of Egypt's oppression sang with jubilant and unconstrained joy as their feet touched dirt outside of the outstretched arm of Egypt's evil rule. When just moments before it must have felt like Israel's future sunk into the depths of the Red Sea. But instead, for the first time in over two hundred years Israel can now say they are free. Free from the reign of evil and

free to go home to a land they greatly anticipated because God was their Real Estate agent and architect of that new place they would call home - Canaan! As John Dummelow the Commentator once said, "they surely had reason to sing!" The wicked Pharaoh and the nightmare Israel lived in Egypt are now in their rear-view mirror and their future is ahead of them.

Israel surely must have thought, 'if our God will deliver us from a fate like this, then with this same unchangeable all-mighty God, Yahweh, on our side, we can overcome any challenge now or in the future. As the New Testament writer of Hebrews wrote, "If God is for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8.31)?

Moses, Israel's leader and prophet wrote this song found here in Exodus fifteen, and his sister, Miriam, led the Israelite women in glorious singing and passionate and joyous dancing while they played their hand drums, or timbrel, as some versions of the Bible call them, celebrating God's amazing work of deliverance from a dark past. 'God is a wonder' - the late Pastor J. J. Gibson.

The Text – Telling the Story.

Just three days into their journey home to Canaan the Israelites had yet to find drinking water –

v. 22; "They went three days in the wilderness and found no water."

Since the Scripture says they “found” no water we know they were ‘searching’ for water.

v. 23; "When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore, it was named Marah."

Marah means 'bitter' and we find another usage of this term in the Old Testament story of Ruth (1.20) who said, speaking of her personal grief and willful displacement from her home said to her mother-in-law, Naomi, "Call me Mara because Shaddai has dealt bitterly with me" (Ruth 1.20) referencing her bitterness of the soul.

Preaching Point.

The Israelites journey took them to the Springs of Marah where they found water, which must have made them ecstatic, but when they tasted the water, it was so bitter to their taste, they could not drink Marah’s water; this water would not quench their thirst. How disappointing to travel so far in the heat, dust and wind with whatever possessions they accumulated while in Egypt and which of those things they could carry with them for the long trip to Canaan. To find water on this hard journey is a necessity, and to find it undrinkable is not only frustrating but potentially tragic because in these weather conditions of heat and humidity, and some of the travelers being aged, the situation is certainly life-threatening. The weary Israeli travelers had pretty much gone as far as they could go without drinkable water. You can imagine the stress on everyone, and I would imagine that stress was magnified in those who were in leadership because Moses was saying ‘God is leading us.’

In every era of human history, feelings of frustration, stress and a sense of defeat is common to the human experience. Our lives are indeed a journey, and just like these Israelites, they sometimes include feelings of fear and even desperation.

The things in life we hope will bring us joy and feelings of contentment so often only leave us feeling helpless and empty, and wondering 'is it worth it' which was the question the downcast people asked Moses at one point in Numbers 20, and I paraphrase - 'we should have stayed in Egypt.'

Question - What is it about life and some of its episodes that resemble one attempting to grasp Jello? Peace and contentment can seem so fleeting, rather it be one’s career or family; faith or finance; health or relationships, and journey of life can especially be trying to those who are attempting to navigate the rugged terrain of life while depending only upon their own human effort and who has given little to no thought of seeking God to fill that void. This is a big reason for Israel’s disastrous road trip; the Israelites looked to Moses, a mere human being, and not to their God as their ultimate guide and God as their source of adequate provision. Moses has his role to play, but that role is not God or Yahweh! “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

It’s no wonder Israel was so often disappointed and so much so our text says, -

v. 24; "the people grumbled against Moses, saying, what shall we drink" ? Another way of saying, ‘what are we going to do?’

Preaching Point.

Life without God in it is beyond frustrating and can often produce feelings of hopeless and empty when God is not in the frame of one's picture.

This bitter, disgusting and unpalatable water at the Springs of Marah is a picture of just that – a picture of men and women’s attempting to live without God in their lives! It is to drink from a pool of water that does not satisfy one’s thirst.

The Bible speaks to the natural spiritual condition of the world when it says, "So then, just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam) and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned" (Romans 5.12). This is a bottom-line appraisal of the condition of all people born into this world since the time of Adam and Eve.

Sin became the dreaded plague that had no vaccine and a paralyzing plague which no one born into this world could avoid contracting, and a consequence not one of us could possibly escape, and the consequence for humanity’s guilt is spiritual death and separation from spiritual life and freedom.

The springs of life, so promising to our sight and so filled with the promise of ultimate fulfillment and hope fail to live up to the promise. The springs of life which we believed would refresh us and fill us with joy and hope, too often turn out to be poisoned by the human condition. Paul calls death ‘stinging’ and the sting of death is sin (1 Corinthians 15.56), a Marah or 'bitter' experience indeed.

V. 24; "What shall we drink?"

This is a common question so often asked by everyone - 'What does life mean and where can I find satisfaction?’

Those experiencing the heartbreak of the dissolving of an important relationship like a parent or a sibling are asking, 'what shall I drink?' Or a person who has entered into a relationship with the hope that it would sustain them through all of life's trying circumstances but are left scrambling, sometimes desperate when they find themselves walking through the valley of the shadow of death involving a spouse, a trusted friend or even a business partner. Certainly, they may be asking, 'what shall I drink?' For those who have worked tirelessly waiting for that day when they can say and I quote, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink be merry" (Luke 12.19), only to see those plans go up in flames as health issues rob them of what they thought was their future security. Or like some, who have watched their life savings dwindle with the downward turn of the stock market. That pool is Marah, or bitter also.

It is true that God does allow suffering to exist because of inherent sin, but God also provides a cure for the ills and evil of this world! In the case of the Israelites -

V. 25; "And the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet."

This is God’s In response to Moses' plea for help because he had no answer to the question the people asked, ‘what shall we drink.” Moses was stumped and fresh out of ideas, but God wasn’t. The Lord responded by pointing Moses to a fallen branch of a tree! O, my! ‘We need water and you’re showing us a tree!’ What’s up with that?’

Holy Scripture teaches us why they didn’t understand – “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2.14, NIV).

‘Let me explain something to you, Moses may have said to his delegation.’ Well, ‘you may not understand it completely right now, but I want to propose to you this morning that this tree is the answer to any and all of our needs in life! Not just when there is a lack of drinking water, but it is the answer to anything we need!

Now the Lord did not show Moses just ‘any old tree log’ but showed Moses a specific log. The God of Israel showed Moses a tree, probably a eucalyptuses tree branch, which represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ would work! Not a Syrian Ash, not a Tamarix tree or a Holly Oak, but showed him a tree that though cut down still bore incredible power to heal! Not just any tree because after all, there were two other people hanging next to Jesus on Calvay when our Lord was crucified, but neither of the other two trees bore a Savior on them! Only one tree, made into the cross of Christ produced forgiveness and eternal salvation by way of His payment for sin! Jesus Himself said, “Unless you believe that I am He, that is God the Savior), you will die in your sins” (John 8.24, ESV).

“… and he threw it in the water…” Here is the life jacket for the thirsty and the dying! Help in the form of a log, has been thrown into the water.

Who would think something dead, like the log of a tree, something severed from its life source could bring life? As Jesus hung on the cross, did not His Father turn His face away from His Son and Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, (Jesus’ source of life and power), why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27.46. That piece of wood, a lifeless log, represented hope thrown to the people who would otherwise die of thirst! Here is the water of life, the Holy Spirit given to us to who alone can quench the spiritual thirst of anyone who was trusting enough to drink.

Preaching Point.

O, what a simple solution but a solution no one else had. Only God provided this solution, and he gave it to His preacher, Moses. “How can they hear without a preacher, and how can he preach unless they are sent”(Romans 10.14-15)?

This branch, log, shoot or what is also called the root of Jesse is fully identified in Isaiah 11. This chapter speaks of the character as well and the great military exploits of David as the warrior/king. It also has prophetic implications of another one of Jesse's sons, the Lord Jesus, Jesse’s ultimate Son who will come; one greater than David, and this ancestor is none other than the person of the Messiah of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"The Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet."

Without question, the Lord God Almighty had provided a remedy for the curse of bitter water. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7. 37). The log was apparently there all the time, but Moses discovered it only as it was revealed to him by God. This branch, no doubt a representative of a fallen tree, cut down on time! We are told, this tree, most likely a Eucalyptus tree, which was known for its healing power over disease, had roots that go down into the earth and draws out the disease.' So, this branch or log was not only cut down, but its roots remained and had gone down into the earth and was efficacious for healing!

Moses could not have known the powers of this log, but in obedience he laid hold of the log and threw it into the spring of water. The log or branch was separated from its tree trunk, so it was dead! But Moses threw it in the water anyway!

Isn’t this a representation of the Lord Jesus Christ who was thrown into the world, (in prophesy water often represents people or nations), who was cut down at a young age of 33 1/2 years of age and died. But in being cut down, robbed of His life at an early age, Jesus had the power to cure the tainted waters of sin when He went into the grave and took back the grave’s power and secured our justification through His resurrection. Therefore, Jesus provided a means to life rather than leaving humanity destined to die from spiritual thirst! He came into the world not by the will of man, but by the will of God, and was revealed to this world as a healer of the disease of sin. John the Baptist said of him - "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." The fellowship between Jesus, the Son of Man, and God the Father was severed or separated as Jesus hanging on a Roman cross as our sin-bearer, dying for sins he did not commit. And this Son of Man, Jesus the branch of Jesse, was obedient to the Father, obedient even to death on a cross, and was cut off from among the living when he died an inglorious death that He might in turn give life to those already dead in their sins.

There was something special and significant about this log or branch, because this one was chosen by God! Speaking of the Roman tradition of crucifixion, many people suffered the same fate as Jesus as they too were hung on a cross, but only at the crucifixion of Jesus did His death bring us salvation! Speaking of Jesus, one of the thieves said, "Truly, this man was the Son of God" (Matthew 27. 54).

v. 25b; "... and the water became sweet."

The life-threatening wilderness became a 'wonder!' The disappointment of diseased and poisoned water became a refreshing pool. The overpowering thirst of these weary travelers was immediately quenched by this life-giving sweet water. Not only drinkable but sweet!

Oh, we can say that despite many of our sour experiences in life, that tree, the cross of Christ, has made not only this life, but particularly the life to come, sweet!

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him' (1 Corinthians 2.9).

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man (woman) who takes refuge in him" (Psalm 34.8)!

“We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves, Jesus saves!”

Isn't that the way salvation works?

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