Exodus 15.24,25
THE FIRST three days of the wilderness journey the people could find no water. When they came to Marah they could not drink its waters because they were bitter.
“And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” Alas, the song of praise was changed into the murmurings of Israel! And yet how often this is so with ourselves as believers—now filled with praise, then soon after the flesh complains and murmurs because of the trials of the wilderness.
Surely murmuring has never made bitter water sweet, and never will. But Moses did not murmur. He asked the Lord what to do, and He gave him a wonderful answer. We will never get the blessing by murmuring or by turning away from the Lord. We must turn to Him.
The Lord showed Moses a tree, and then He showed him how to use that tree to make the waters sweet. That tree for us is the cross of Christ. We learn a new use for it now. It had once cleansed us from our sins, and there too our sinful selves had disappeared in redeeming love. God saw us by it “dead with Christ.” But now we place that cross by faith in the bitter waters, and what happens? We ourselves are gone! The old man in us, the flesh, that which would shrink from the trial or resent the bitter circumstance, was crucified there. We learn to hold ourselves as dead; our evil nature is suppressed, leaving the new man free to act. We bow to the lesson as part of God’s training. We look up; we rejoice; we glory in the sorrow. The tribulation works patience; impatience vanishes; the waters are made sweet. We learn the meaning of the Lord’s words — “My peace I give unto you” — we find that rest of spirit under the yoke of Christ.
“Death’s bitter waters met our thirst,
Thy cross has made them sweet."
The Apostle could say: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:1414But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14), The cross ever reminds us also of the bitterness of death that was borne by Another, that all who believe in Him may know the joys of drinking that “living water” and find it sweet and life-giving. God’s invitation is: “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17).
It was only when Moses had cast the tree into the waters that they became sweet. The act of faith is required. It would not suffice merely to know that the tree could sweeten the water. Faith had to act upon it. And, dear reader, it is not sufficient for you only to know that there is a Saviour who died on the cross. You must lay hold of God’s truth concerning Him and find Him the Giver of life.
ML-08/17/1969