February 1, 2025 • 8 mins
A short reading of 5 verses from Exodus 15, and short commentary on the tree that had to be cast into the bitter waters that the children of Israel found as they entered the desert.
Full written text can be found: https://www.stempublishing.com/magazines/OSW/51-60/osw52g.html
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Episode Transcript
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RODE AI-1 (00:00):
Hello, dear beloved brother or sister in Christ This
morning.
I was in my morning meditationlooking for the term sweetness
of Christ in my study, and Icame across a piece that was
written, with regards to Exodus15, the last four or five verses
of this chapter where Moses tooka tree and threw it into some
(00:25):
bitter waters.
And I would like to read thosefive verses there at the end of
the chapter and then share withyou the short piece that I found
that speaks of both bitternessand sweetness.
And maybe this be anencouragement for you.
So reading at the end of Exodus15, verse 22, So Moses brought
(00:45):
Israel from the Red Sea, andthey went out into the
wilderness of Shur.
And they went three days in thewilderness, and found no water.
And when they came to Marah,they could not drink of the
waters of Marah, for they werebitter.
Therefore the name of it wascalled Marah.
And the people murmured againstMoses, saying, What shall we
(01:07):
drink?
And he cried unto the Lord, Andthe Lord showed him a tree,
which when he had cast into thewaters, the waters were made
sweet.
There he made for them a statuteand an ordinance, and there he
proved them, and said, If thouwilt diligently hearken to the
voice of the Lord thy God, andwilt do that which is right in
(01:28):
his sight, and wilt give ear tohis commandments, and keep all
his statutes, I will put none ofthese diseases upon thee which I
have brought upon the Egyptians.
For I am the Lord that healeththee.
And they came to Elim, wheretwelve wells of water, and three
scorned ten palm trees, and theyencamped there by the waters.
(01:49):
So let's proceed to themeditation from a periodical
published well over a hundredyears ago called The Outline of
Sound Words, found in volumes 15through 60 called The Bitter
Waters of Marah.
The song of Moses was not onlydelightful to the ear of God, it
gave real pleasure, to Israel tosing of the great deliverance
(02:12):
that Jehovah had brought to themand delivering them from the
hand and power of Pharaoh.
But after three days in thewilderness without water, the
people soon forgot what God hadbeen to them as their unfailing
resource.
And when they came to Marah andfound its waters were bitter,
they murmured against Mosessaying,"what shall we drink?"
(02:32):
God was proving His people.
Could they rely on Him, nomatter what the circumstance and
conditions of life through whichthey passed?
Alas, instead of simply restingon the grace and faithfulness of
God.
They murmur.
But they were not yet under law.
They were under God's grace.
So He does not chide them withtheir murmuring, but warns them,
(02:55):
lest they should not listen toHis voice or do what is right
before Him.
In Egypt, God had poured out hisjudgment upon a Pharaoh and His
people, providing the Passoverland to shelter Israel's
firstborn.
At the Red Sea, the waters whichhad been piled up to prepare a
way for His people were used todestroy Pharaoh and his host.
(03:16):
Here at Marah, God's provisionwas at hand to make the bitter
waters sweet.
Jehovah showed Moses a tree,which when he had cast in the
waters, the waters were madesweet.
As Christians, God has not onlysheltered us by the blood of a
lamb without blemish and withoutspot.
(03:37):
He has also given us deliverancefrom Satan and the power of
death through the death andresurrection of Christ for us.
But like Israel, we had to meetthe bitter waters as we pass
through the wilderness.
Do we find only bitterness inthe trials of the way?
Or have we proved the sweetnessthat the cross of Christ brings
into the darkest hour of sorrow?
(03:58):
The tree, or the wood, thatMoses cast into the waters
brings Christ before us, andespecially in relation to His
death.
When we realize that the love ofGod and the love of Christ have
come to light in the death ofChrist.
The light of that love illuminesthe darkest circumstance through
which we may be called upon topass.
(04:19):
The circumstances will benaturally bitter, but the
realization of the divine lovemade known in the cross will
alter their characterpractically for us.
If we suffer the loss of a lovedone in Christ through the home
call of the Lord, there isnaturally the bitterness of
parting with the one that isloved.
(04:39):
But the sweetness of Christ'slove in opening the way into his
presence for the loved one byHis death completely alters the
character of the sorrow.
For we sorrow not, even asothers which have no hope.
And there's also the sense ofthe Lord's love for us and
passing through the sorrow asfor the one he Has taken to be
(05:01):
with Himself.
Sooner or later, we have tolearn that the dark shadow of
death is cast over the fairestand brightest of earth's
prospects, and that the sweetestof natural affections and For
(05:27):
the Apostle Paul, death was adaily experience for he said, I
die daily.
Again, he wrote to theCorinthians always a bearing
about in the body, the dying ofthe Lord Jesus, that the life
also of Jesus might be manifestin our body.
2 Corinthians 4, 10.
We are not called upon to passthrough the intense persecutions
(05:50):
that were Paul's, but like him,we can bring the death of Christ
to bear upon all thecircumstances of life so that we
too may manifest the life ofJesus.
And prove the sweetness of thejoys of that holy life while
waiting for Him.
Another aspect of this is foundin Galatians 2.
20 where the apostle views theworld in relation to Christ's
(06:11):
death.
Before we knew Christ.
The world was most attractive tous, providing all that the flesh
desired for its gratification.
But when we see the worldexposed in its true character in
Christ's death, it may be abitter experience for us to
realize that in fidelity toChrist, we must say farewell to
(06:32):
the world and to its things.
But the same cross that exposesthe world brings us to the
sweetness of Christ's love.
For like Paul, we learn that"There of the son of God who
loved me and gave Himself forme." So that the waters of Merah
bring before us all that belongsto man after the flesh.
(06:53):
All connected with the naturalrelationships of life.
All that is earthly, all thatbelongs to the world.
What promises the sweetest ofrefreshment brings bitterness to
the soul.
Until we learn the truth of thecross.
That Christ's death has severedties that bound us there.
And that He is our treasure in abrighter sphere.
(07:16):
Then it is blessed to see thatimmediately on
leaving Marah with its
bitterness and having learned the truth of God's
provision for everycircumstance, there is Elam,
quote, we see where we're 12wells of water and three score
and 10 palm trees in quote,there are waters, which are not
bitter, the wells of God's ownproviding, which bring
(07:37):
refreshment and joy to the souland where we can rest under the
shade of the palm trees.
As we take our way to the restof God.
And so that concludes thereading from a portion written
well over a hundred years ago,found in the periodical, An
Outline of Sound Words, TheBitter
Waters of Marah.
May that
be a truly an encouragement and a blessing for
(07:59):
you today
Hello, dear beloved brother or sister in Christ This
morning.
I was in my morning meditationlooking for the term sweetness
of Christ in my study, and Icame across a piece that was
written, with regards to Exodus15, the last four or five verses
of this chapter where Moses tooka tree and threw it into some
(00:25):
bitter waters.
And I would like to read thosefive verses there at the end of
the chapter and then share withyou the short piece that I found
that speaks of both bitternessand sweetness.
And maybe this be anencouragement for you.
So reading at the end of Exodus15, verse 22, So Moses brought
(00:45):
Israel from the Red Sea, andthey went out into the
wilderness of Shur.
And they went three days in thewilderness, and found no water.
And when they came to Marah,they could not drink of the
waters of Marah, for they werebitter.
Therefore the name of it wascalled Marah.
And the people murmured againstMoses, saying, What shall we
(01:07):
drink?
And he cried unto the Lord, Andthe Lord showed him a tree,
which when he had cast into thewaters, the waters were made
sweet.
There he made for them a statuteand an ordinance, and there he
proved them, and said, If thouwilt diligently hearken to the
voice of the Lord thy God, andwilt do that which is right in
(01:28):
his sight, and wilt give ear tohis commandments, and keep all
his statutes, I will put none ofthese diseases upon thee which I
have brought upon the Egyptians.
For I am the Lord that healeththee.
And they came to Elim, wheretwelve wells of water, and three
scorned ten palm trees, and theyencamped there by the waters.
(01:49):
So let's proceed to themeditation from a periodical
published well over a hundredyears ago called The Outline of
Sound Words, found in volumes 15through 60 called The Bitter
Waters of Marah.
The song of Moses was not onlydelightful to the ear of God, it
gave real pleasure, to Israel tosing of the great deliverance
(02:12):
that Jehovah had brought to themand delivering them from the
hand and power of Pharaoh.
But after three days in thewilderness without water, the
people soon forgot what God hadbeen to them as their unfailing
resource.
And when they came to Marah andfound its waters were bitter,
they murmured against Mosessaying,"what shall we drink?"
(02:32):
God was proving His people.
Could they rely on Him, nomatter what the circumstance and
conditions of life through whichthey passed?
Alas, instead of simply restingon the grace and faithfulness of
God.
They murmur.
But they were not yet under law.
They were under God's grace.
So He does not chide them withtheir murmuring, but warns them,
(02:55):
lest they should not listen toHis voice or do what is right
before Him.
In Egypt, God had poured out hisjudgment upon a Pharaoh and His
people, providing the Passoverland to shelter Israel's
firstborn.
At the Red Sea, the waters whichhad been piled up to prepare a
way for His people were used todestroy Pharaoh and his host.
(03:16):
Here at Marah, God's provisionwas at hand to make the bitter
waters sweet.
Jehovah showed Moses a tree,which when he had cast in the
waters, the waters were madesweet.
As Christians, God has not onlysheltered us by the blood of a
lamb without blemish and withoutspot.
(03:37):
He has also given us deliverancefrom Satan and the power of
death through the death andresurrection of Christ for us.
But like Israel, we had to meetthe bitter waters as we pass
through the wilderness.
Do we find only bitterness inthe trials of the way?
Or have we proved the sweetnessthat the cross of Christ brings
into the darkest hour of sorrow?
(03:58):
The tree, or the wood, thatMoses cast into the waters
brings Christ before us, andespecially in relation to His
death.
When we realize that the love ofGod and the love of Christ have
come to light in the death ofChrist.
The light of that love illuminesthe darkest circumstance through
which we may be called upon topass.
(04:19):
The circumstances will benaturally bitter, but the
realization of the divine lovemade known in the cross will
alter their characterpractically for us.
If we suffer the loss of a lovedone in Christ through the home
call of the Lord, there isnaturally the bitterness of
parting with the one that isloved.
(04:39):
But the sweetness of Christ'slove in opening the way into his
presence for the loved one byHis death completely alters the
character of the sorrow.
For we sorrow not, even asothers which have no hope.
And there's also the sense ofthe Lord's love for us and
passing through the sorrow asfor the one he Has taken to be
(05:01):
with Himself.
Sooner or later, we have tolearn that the dark shadow of
death is cast over the fairestand brightest of earth's
prospects, and that the sweetestof natural affections and For
(05:27):
the Apostle Paul, death was adaily experience for he said, I
die daily.
Again, he wrote to theCorinthians always a bearing
about in the body, the dying ofthe Lord Jesus, that the life
also of Jesus might be manifestin our body.
2 Corinthians 4, 10.
We are not called upon to passthrough the intense persecutions
(05:50):
that were Paul's, but like him,we can bring the death of Christ
to bear upon all thecircumstances of life so that we
too may manifest the life ofJesus.
And prove the sweetness of thejoys of that holy life while
waiting for Him.
Another aspect of this is foundin Galatians 2.
20 where the apostle views theworld in relation to Christ's
(06:11):
death.
Before we knew Christ.
The world was most attractive tous, providing all that the flesh
desired for its gratification.
But when we see the worldexposed in its true character in
Christ's death, it may be abitter experience for us to
realize that in fidelity toChrist, we must say farewell to
(06:32):
the world and to its things.
But the same cross that exposesthe world brings us to the
sweetness of Christ's love.
For like Paul, we learn that"There of the son of God who
loved me and gave Himself forme." So that the waters of Merah
bring before us all that belongsto man after the flesh.
(06:53):
All connected with the naturalrelationships of life.
All that is earthly, all thatbelongs to the world.
What promises the sweetest ofrefreshment brings bitterness to
the soul.
Until we learn the truth of thecross.
That Christ's death has severedties that bound us there.
And that He is our treasure in abrighter sphere.
(07:16):
Then it is blessed to see thatimmediately on
leaving Marah with its
bitterness and having learned the truth of God's
provision for everycircumstance, there is Elam,
quote, we see where we're 12wells of water and three score
and 10 palm trees in quote,there are waters, which are not
bitter, the wells of God's ownproviding, which bring
(07:37):
refreshment and joy to the souland where we can rest under the
shade of the palm trees.
As we take our way to the restof God.
And so that concludes thereading from a portion written
well over a hundred years ago,found in the periodical, An
Outline of Sound Words, TheBitter
Waters of Marah.
May that
be a truly an encouragement and a blessing for
(07:59):
you today
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