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CHAPTER HEALTH |
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By DOUG South |
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12βͺAPRIL 2024βͺwww . cmausa . org
BITTER WATERS MADE SWEET we struggle with bitter
DO water in our lives , chapters , or even our hearts ? We all know the story of how God got Pharaoh to let His people go free after 400 years of captivity in Egypt , the ten plagues , including the death of the firstborn , and how God provided salvation for the Hebrew children by having them take the blood of a lamb and put it on the lintel and the two door posts . Then , the death angel would pass over that household and not take their firstborn child . I want to make observation # 1 here . God provides salvation .
So , they witnessed the ten plagues and the salvation of their children and were freed from captivity by God . We also remember the story of the Red Sea crossing , where they had the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army coming up behind them , trapping them with nowhere to run . We β ll pick up the story in Exodus 14 .
β As Pharaoh approached , the sons of Israel looked , and behold , the Egyptians were coming after them , and they became very frightened ; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord . Then they said to Moses , β Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness ? Why have you dealt with us in this way , bringing us out of Egypt ? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt , saying ,
β Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians β? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness β ( Exodus 14:10-12 , NASB )!
Remember , they had just experienced God freeing them from 400 years of captivity and saving their children . I β ll make observation # 2-We quickly forget the times God has saved us ! We β ve read the story of God parting the Red Sea like a wall on the left and a wall on the right and that the Israelites were able to walk across on dry ground to get to the other side and that God wiped out the army of the Egyptians as they tried to follow . God allowed the waters to crash down on the chariots , the horses , and the army . Once again , providing salvation to His people .
This brings us to our actual text . Exodus 15:22-24 ( NASB ), β Then Moses led 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 . When they came to Marah , they could not drink the waters of Marah , because they were bitter ; for that reason , it was named Marah . So the people grumbled at Moses , saying , β What are we to drink ?ββ
Notice it didn β t take but three days before the people forgot how God had saved them . They grumbled , and you could say they were bitter towards Moses and God .
A couple of questions for us . Do we ever grumble , complain , or get bitter towards other leaders , other members , God Himself , or all the above simultaneously ? What were the steps taken after finding bitter water , after people found themselves grumbling and complaining ? Verse 25 , β Then he cried out to the Lord , and the Lord showed him a tree ; and he threw it into the waters , and the waters became sweet .β
Step 1 : Cry out to the Lord : Moses cried out to the LORD ! Do we , as leaders , try to fix it ourselves ? Do we get frustrated , maybe get , or stay , bitter ourselves ? Do we drink the bitter water and get poisoned ? Are we experts at observation # 2 : We quickly forget how God has saved us ; I suggest Step 1 : Cry out to the Lord . Pray for our chapters , leaders , friends , and even enemies . Seek God and His wisdom and power to work in the situation .
Step 2 : Apply the cross . The Lord showed him a tree , and he threw it into the waters . This is such a great picture of the cross . Jesus hung on the cross , carried all our sins on Himself , and offered grace and forgiveness to all who believe and accept His free gift of salvation . When we apply the cross , the bitterness becomes sweet . The water doesn β t hang on to the bitterness but changes to clean , refreshing water , the water of life . This brings us back to observation # 1 : God provides sal-