Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
When was the last time you were thirsty… I mean really, really thirsty? The kind of thirsty that your mouth is dry, your tongue is actually a little swollen and no matter how hard you try, you can’t work up any saliva in your mouth. Maybe you are even a bit weak or faint? Did you find yourself desperate for water, even just a little bit? Let’s join 1 million really thirsty people and see what God did to quench their thirst!
In our journey, we are traveling with these 1 million Hebrew slaves who have run through the ‘water tunnel’ of the Red Sea, and they watched the walls of water collapse on Pharaoh’s pursuing chariot army. Finally they are fully rescued from Egyptian slavery with no going back! Yesterday we were part of their great celebration as recorded for us in Exodus 15, and now the Exodus record says: “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.” (Ex. 15:22) It says they were following Moses, but in truth do you remember what this huge mass of people was following? A gigantic cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, so they could travel either day or night. And what or WHO was guiding the cloud or fire? God Himself! The cloud and fire represented both the PRESENCE of God with them, and the LEADERSHIP of God as He had told them He would lead them from Egyptian slave bondages to a new life of freedom in Canaan, the land God had promised to Abraham more than 500 years before.
So now wait a minute… if that’s true, then that means these 1 million people were led by God on a route in the desert to a place WITHOUT water!! Doesn’t God know He made us humans needing water every few hours? Doesn’t God know we can actually die of thirst in a few days without water? YES, of course is the answer to both those questions… but God is always purposeful in ALL He does! So what could possibly be God’s purpose in leading these people into the desert without enough water?
Look my friends at the next statement of the Exodus record: “When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water because it was bitter… So the people grumbled against Moses saying, ‘What are we to drink’? Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw the wood into the water, and the water became pure and fit to drink!” (Exodus 15:23-25) Can you see the people as they approach this oasis in the desert? What they first thought was a mirage in the distance, they soon realize is actually water, and they run to the water’s edge, fall to their knees and start lapping up the water of Marah into their desperately thirsty mouths. But then… oh no, it’s bitter, salty water! And they spit it out, swiping their hand across their mouth. What a cruel trick… a bitter oasis in the desert. Can you hear them? “Oh no! It’s bitter, salty water, stay away everyone, don’t drink it! Why, God, why are you letting us die of thirst out here in the desert, why?”
There was a huge lesson here for these thirsty people, and for us today, my friends. Our thirst for water is a picture of the natural thirsts we all have in life, no matter our age or where we live in the world. We all have a thirst to belong, that’s what a family is all about. We all have a thirst to accomplish something in life and feel some degree of fulfillment in life. We all have a thirst for affirmation from other people, and we all have thirst to have some reason for living, right? We all have many life thirsts, and we naturally pursue those things and those relationships which we believe will satisfy our thirsts, don’t we? Have you noticed that all our human thirsts in life find their best satisfaction FIRST in our relationship with the God who made us and loves us? Do you also recognize that our world is filled with artificial thirst quenchers? It’s everything from buying more things, to involvement in more activities, to engagement in more relationships, to consumption of more food or beverages or supplements?
Do you see that God was teaching these 1 million fleeing slaves how dangerous it is to try and quench your God given thirsts with artificial or destructive quenchers? It requires wisdom and discernment as you and I try to find the best and appropriate quenchers for our thirsts, do you agree? Moses turned to God, asking for HIS help in finding sweet, pure water to quench the desperate thirst of these people. Did you notice God showed Moses a piece of wood which God evidently told Moses to throw into the bitter water, and the water turned suddenly pure and sweet, and then the people drank, and gave water to their animals, and filled their water skins. God had miraculously provided just the right quench for their desperate thirst. It was a defining moment for these people… have we learned that lesson? With what wisdom and discernment do you try and quench all the ‘thirsts’ in your life? Do you have the courage to say “NO” to those things which appear to be satisfying but in fact will be addicting or destructive in your life?
Then God made a proclamation that proved to be so important for these people tasting freedom for the first time in their lives: “If you will listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in HIS eyes, if you pay attention to HIS commands and keep all HIS decrees, then ‘I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD who heals you.” (Ex. 15:26) What diseases was God talking about? Well, remember the boils epidemic plague? This phrase, “I am the LORD who heals you.” is actually a name for God the people were learning here. This name is “Jehovah Rapha” and it means the God who heals! And do you see God was calling the people to understand there was a direct link between their physical or medical health and their obedience to God and His leadership of His people. God’s promise was that in their obedience, God would keep them healthy. Disobedience to God would bring illness and death. I wonder my friends, look around our world, do you see evidence of this truth in our world today, where you live?
May I ask you to consider one other thing my friends? That piece of wood Moses threw into the bitter water, I wonder what shape it was in? Could it be, perhaps it was in the shape of a cross? Do you see some symbolism here? Have you experienced how much difference Jesus Christ can make in your life? Was your life bitter and hopeless before you trusted Jesus? Do you understand and have you experienced the power of what Jesus accomplished in His death on the cross and His resurrection? Was this Marah oasis actually a picture pointing forward in time to the hillside called Golgotha and the Passover weekend when Jesus would give His life like the Passover lamb as He died, and then as He rose from the dead to change any bitter life into a sweet and pure life?
Finally, the record tells us the cloud moved and those 1 million people followed the cloud, moving on from the miracle Marah oasis, and “They came to Elim, where there were 12 springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.” (Ex. 15:27) What a magnificent sight this must have been to those weary travelers. A beautiful oasis with twelve fresh water springs and seventy palm trees which I presume were heavily ladened with dates. As the cloud stopped over this oasis and the people settled down for a few days, what do you suppose they talked about as they recounted the amazing journey out of Egypt; through the Red Sea; to the Marah bitter oasis miracle; and now here to Elim? I hope parents and grandparents were gathering their kids and grandkids around to have really important conversations about what they were experiencing, and maybe more important, what they were learning about God as they followed His lead.
Let’s spend time today with them at Elim. Four weeks from today will be the day after Thanksgiving. Think back over this past year. Have you been on a journey something like these 1 million people we’re traveling with? Has God come to your rescue this year? Has He been leading you through bitter experiences? Has He brought HOPE into your despair? Has He protected you in disaster? Let’s just thank Jehovah Rapha right now, for His healing work in your life and mine… all types of healing! And maybe you’re in a place today that you need His healing touch… go ahead, ask Jesus for His healing touch in your life, right now. And here’s a song to help us worship…
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 15:22-27.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Email
WhatsApp