Exodus 15:23-27:
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, 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. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
No one enjoys something bitter to the taste. I have a pill I take for high blood pressure and it is a bitter pill to swallow. I try to have something to put in my mouth right away or a Coke to drink or something to remove that bitter taste from my mouth.
We might expect medicine to be bitter; some cough medicines taste awful! You have your mind all set for something pretty awful and are ready for it, but when you put a piece of candy or a soft drink in your mouth, you expect a pleasant taste.
That’s what the children of Israel felt like on that hot, dry day in the desert. They had been in the wilderness for three days now following the crossing of the Red Sea and had found no water. They were thirsty and complaining.
Imagine that day with me as they came over a hill and saw that water at a distance. It looked so blue and pretty and it was just what they wanted. How pleasant it was to see and look forward to in their condition. No doubt they began to run toward what they thought would bring satisfaction in the desert, but when they drank it, it tasted bitter.
Isn’t that just the way things seem so often to be? Things are not what you thought they would be; they are BITTER! (In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for bitter is marah, meaning a great and heavy discontentment.) The children of Israel were unhappy because that water was not all they thought it would and should be. They thought that all their problems would have been solved if only that water would have been sweet and met with their expectations.
Moses immediately went to prayer and asked God what to do... there’s nothing like prayer! Listen, when bitter trials come our way and we may feel like there is no way out, prayer IS the answer, because God always has a way!
God showed Moses a tree that when he threw it into the water, the water became sweet and the people were then made satisfied and content because of the water. Right there—at that bitter place—God proclaimed that if they would do things His way and right in His sight, He would heal them.
Sometimes in life bitter trials come our way. It is in those times that God wants to prove Himself to us and show us who He really is!
There is a spirit of discontentment over the land today and it is great and heavy.
People are running everywhere trying to find something to satisfy themselves.
Instead, they find much bitterness.
The world looks good; it has shiny clubs and sandboxes to play in, tasty things to drink and fancy clothes to try on. People are running to get to what they think will satisfy them, but when they try it, it’s bitter! Others feel like if they could just be wealthy and have everything they want, they would be content. They run for that water, but even when they drink all they want, there is an emptiness inside that becomes bitter. Inside each man and woman is a place that nothing but the Living Water will fill.
Only when the tree was put in the water did the water become sweet! This world is full of bitterness and everyone is searching for the cure. There is only one tree that can fill up that emptiness and wash away the discontentment; IT IS THE TREE OF MOUNT CALVARY!
There is no rest when discontentment is strong. The soul is constantly searching for the living water. The first thoughts of the day are, “What can I do today to find what I am looking for?
Who can I hang out with that will help me find that satisfaction?
What can I do to get that water? What can I buy that will quench this thrist?”
Exodus 15.27 says the children of Israel moved on and were able to camp in Elim and find happiness because the bitter water was gone. At Elim, they could drink from 12 wells and enjoy the shade of 70 palm trees.
The soul that is resisting the Lord has no contentment or rest. The goal of those in the world is to find someone or something that will make them happy, but ONLY JESUS CAN SATISFY THEIR SOULS!
It’s a supernatural act of God to take a tree and make bitter water sweet.
How can something I can’t stand to be around become sweet to me? How can the laws of God that seem to tie me down become so sweet to me that I love them? How can the preaching of the Word that aggravates me and makes me feel bad become sweet life to me? How can a life not worth living because everything has gone wrong become a life so sweet that I actually enjoy it?
IT’S THE TREE! When you throw the tree into the bitter discontentment of this life, everything changes supernaturally and life becomes sweet. Nothing in this world can make a soul content but the cross of Christ. Only Jesus can make it right again!
When you surrender your life to him, the bitter, dissatisfied feeling will leave and His quiet contentment will move in. Today I offer you Jesus Christ, the sweetest name I know.
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