Scripture of The Day
July 28, 2021
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (Hebrews 12:14-15)
By Ed Henderson (2017)
There is a great story in the Book of Exodus (Chapter 15:22-27) about God’s people being led through the wilderness. Moses brought Israel from the miraculous Red Sea experience and led them through the wilderness of Shur for three days and they found no water. After three days they arrived at Marah (which means bitter) and found that the waters there were too bitter to drink. The people then began to murmur and complain to Moses about not having water to drink. What we need to notice here is that the water was not the only thing that was bitter. This place was named (Marah) which meant bitterness. The people of Israel were bitter from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. The people of Israel were also becoming bitter at Moses and by doing so were becoming bitter at God’s leadership and direction. There was bitterness everywhere (kind of like today). Moses petitioned the Lord for an answer and the Lord showed him a tree (or a piece, plank, or stock of wood) to throw into the bitter waters. Moses threw that wood into the bitter waters and the waters were miraculously made sweet.
The scripture then says that Moses made for the people a statute and an ordinance (a rule or law to live by) and then said this: 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. (Exodus 15:26) This beautiful story contains all kinds of symbolisms and life lessons for us today. The first lesson is about the wood. The wood that made the waters sweet represents the Cross. It wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t the exact same kind of tree or wood that was used to build the cross. What Jesus did on the Cross is the only thing that can take away all the bitterness and hatred that makes our own waters bitter. Just consider Jesus, what He went through, and what He said to His Father about His accusers and executioners in Luke 23:34. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” If Jesus can do that, how can we hold bitterness in our hearts? Regardless of what we have gone through, or what we are going through, it pales in insignificance to what Jesus went through!
The second lesson is that our healing, or lack thereof, is linked to our bitterness or lack thereof. Have you ever even considered that your bitterness and unforgiveness may play a major role in our present physical condition? The third lesson is that God’s desire is to lead us to an Oasis and for us to be an Oasis. The next stop on their journey after Marah was Elim where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. That was an OASIS!!! The scripture tells us that as Christians we should have rivers of living water flowing out of us. We are to be springs of sweet water that is not defiled or polluted by bitterness, hate, anger and unforgiveness. We are to be an OASIS in the midst of a desert!!!
