Exodus 15:22-27
In the last chapter, we read that the Egyptian army pursued the Israelites to the edge of the sea. When Moses raised his staff, God parted the waters so that they could cross to the other side on dry ground. Once safely across, Moses raised his staff again, and the waters returned and drowned the army. Verse 31 tells us that, “Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.”
Then Moses and the people sing a song of praise to the LORD. Miriam then leads the women in dancing and singing. What is interesting about this Song of Moses is that Revelation 15:3 tells us that the people who conquered the beast will sing this song.
The elation and celebration do not last very long. On the other side of the sea is a desert and they do not find water for three days. When they do finally find water, it is bitter and they cannot drink it. They complain to Moses, Moses cries out to the LORD, and the LORD makes Moses throw a piece of wood into the water and the water becomes drinkable.
The LORD tells the people that if they will listen to Him and His commandments, He will not bring disaster on them like He did to the Egyptians.
The LORD leads them to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and they camped there.
We see that the people saw the great power of the LORD bring disaster upon Egypt with the ten plagues. Then they just witnessed another huge show of power by God when the sea was parted and they all crossed over safely, while the Egyptian army drowned. Still, it only takes a few days before they start to complain.
This is rather understandable, when we consider the fact that from the time Moses returned to Egypt, what they heard was that Moses had met Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And this God is sending Moses to them so that he can lead them out of slavery in Egypt to the land that was promised to their ancestors – the land that flows with milk and honey.
So, that was probably their expectation – That they would leave Egypt and be taken to a rich land where they can live in freedom. Instead, they are now wandering around in a desert where there are no trees or water. They start to think that living as slaves, but in a land with water, food and trees, would be better than living free in the middle of nowhere with no food and water.
If they knew how things were going to turn out – That they would end up wandering around in the wilderness for forty years and that none of them would get to enter the promised land, they would have probably all tried to turn around and go back to Egypt. It was a necessary plan by God that He had them cross the sea, since they could not turn back. There really was no choice but to keep going forward and trust the LORD if they want to live.
As the journey towards maturity as a nation continues for Israel, we will see two different patterns of when the people complain to the LORD. Complaint based on genuine need – and complaining without a genuine need. This situation in the desert is the former, since one cannot stay alive in the wilderness without water. So, God provides them with a solution – Making bitter water drinkable, as well as leading them to Elim where there are springs of water.
Even though their attitude may lack faith, there is no judgement from God. Later, in the life of the Israelites, we will see the latter type of complaining that does come with God’s judgement.
We can see in this incident the reverse of what happened to Egypt. The first plague on Egypt – The water in the Nile turning to blood – made the waters undrinkable. Here, the undrinkable water is made drinkable.
There are a few things to note that are of interest to us as people of God.
God knows what Israel needs – drinkable water – but He does not prepare it ahead of time. People complain and Moses calls out to God in prayer. And the solution is not simple miracle – God points out the branch or piece of wood to Moses. And when Moses puts it in the water, the bitter water turns sweet. From this, we can see that it begins with a perceived need which turns to prayer, and then a solution.
It is important to notice that God’s action starts with a prayer. We may not be convinced that prayer does any good – “the only thing we can do is pray” – But what we see in the Bible is that God starts to act because of people praying.
Also, often, the answer God gives us is not a direct and dramatic miracle from heaven but directs us to a solution that is already present in our surroundings. Many healing methods are of this kind. Often the world gives science all the credit, but it is God who is showing the scientists how to apply what is already present.
We also see from this whole chapter, which starts with the people singing praises to God. But for the people of God, singing praises is not enough – There also must be prayer, listening to God, and obeying God.
So let us continue to praise God through our songs, but also commit ourselves to prayer, listening to God’s words, and live our lives in obedience to Him.
Jesus Christ was sent to earth so that He could die on the cross and be raised again. He had no sin so did not deserve to die on the cross, but He did so willingly, to take the punishment that we deserved. Through His death and resurrection, He gave us the opportunity to have our sins forgiven so that we can have eternal life when this life is done, and a godly vocation while we live – To be witnesses for Him – To let the world know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World.
(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on July 14, 2024.)
Japanese Congregational Church 