Read the story in Exodus 15:22-27. After walking for three days in the wilderness with their families and little ones, they still found no water. This was a very difficult test for them. Anyone, no matter how strong they were, if they were to walk in the wilderness without water for three days would become very parched and thirsty.
Finally, they found water at a place called Marah, but they couldn’t drink of it because the waters were bitter. It would be more than disappointing to discover water only to find it was undrinkable!
Verse 23 says: “And the people murmured against Moses.” They had not repented of their wrong attitude towards Moses when Pharaoh was about to crush and destroy them. In fact, their false accusations were not only towards Moses but ultimately towards God.
God opened up the Red Sea so His people could escape Pharaoh’s army. Even though they all rejoiced to see Pharaoh’s army drown in the sea, they still had not repented of their bad attitudes toward Moses and ultimately toward God. And therefore, this attitude now rises again at the waters of Marah.
Moses cries out to the Lord. Instead of crying out against Moses, the people should have done exactly what Moises did—cry out to the Lord themselves.
The flesh nature of man always seeks to blame somebody else when things go wrong. Their problem of murmuring and blaming others was what God wanted to deal with them about. He wanted them to repent of this sin. But God, who is rich in mercy, was patient with them.
Verse 25 says: “The LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.”
Their problem of thirst was resolved but they did not repent of their attitude. It would rise again.
The end of verse 25 says: “There he proved them.” The word means “tested.” Did they pass the real test? No, they did not and yet God gave them water, plus a great covenant of healing from all the diseases He had put upon the Egyptians.
Verse 26: “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I AM THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE.”
What should we do when we get into bitter experiences in life? Cry out to God. If we will only cry out to the Lord, He will always show some way to sweeten the bitter waters and He will make your bitter experience sweet. And He will bless you,
The Israelites once again rejoiced in the miracle of sweet waters, but they still did not repent of their wrong attitudes towards God and Moses.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell