Exodus 15:22-27: 2021-04-10 Little, Extraordinary Things: Exodus 3:1-12: 2020-11-08 Royal Battle: Exodus 15:1-21: 2020-11-07 The King of Egypt: Exodus 5:1-5: 2020-05-22 Community Is . The water is bitter, brackish, diseased! He asks two things from them: to listen and do. The guests are holding out their cups toward the bride. All scripture quotes, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version.) They must diligently hearken to his voice, and give ear to his commandments, and must take care, in every thing, to do that which was right in God's sight, and to keep all his statutes. Now we have the first two stops of the Israelites’ travels in the wilderness. Our text (and in Ex. (See Textual Point 1 below.) When water is sighted, the kids run to it, laughing, whooping, but just a taste leaves them gagging, spluttering, wiping their tongues on their sleeves. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. INTRODUCTION. Jesus asked again and again that the cup be passed. Habits like operating his million-dollar business by helping his business rivals. Man Needs A Healer. Contours of curse and healing. Verse 27. Some translations do in fact make this a plausible opinion. He spoke of habits he developed over his lifetime that made him truly happy. Obedience is like Warhead Candy. Moses leads the Israelites into the desert and they go for three days without finding water. Now they set out toward home. Disguised bitterness. In fact, we may be tempted not to consider it a miracle at all, but truly it is. At the Red Sea Israel thought they would die beside a large body of water. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), p.91. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Which is to say that it would indeed be ironic to survive the Red Sea only to die beside an oasis. Both cases have been argued. God is immutable, unchanging, and does not vary how He deals with His people. Verses 13-15 use the past tense; verse 16 uses the present, while verses 17 & 18 are in the future tense. Exodus 15:22-27. DAY FIVE: Read Exodus 17: 8-16 ! They saw this “piece of wood” in Israel’s story had all the contours of another “piece of wood” in Jesus’ story. Verse 19 recaps the great deliverance d… Bitter! 22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. Cannee!” Part of me thinks I should stop him but another part, the sinful part, wants to laugh. Why face the ugly scene at Marah at all? We must look to the One who drank undiluted bitterness and took its punishment, so that we would be healed. Kindle Edition. Here we begin to understand that what God did for Israel at the waters of Marah God does for the hearts of all who will come to Christ: He changes the bitter into sweet, the unpalatable into the delightful, death into life. Exodus 15:22-27 The Sweetened Waters. Exodus 15:22-27. At this point now, Israel has been set free from their slavery, their oppression of Egypt. Would that you were either cold or hot! That this signifies the state of temptation into which they were next brought, is evident from the signification of "to go out," as being to be brought; and from the signification of "the wilderness of Shur," as being a state of temptation. Paul deals a definitive deathblow to such an absurd idea in Romans 6. To be sure, the prospect of slowly dying from lack of water in the wilderness is no mere trifle, but, again, this episode happened after the most staggering act of miraculous deliverance in human history to date. 2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Pastor Lee Eclov tells this nice communion tie-in: Konstantin Makovskii, a prominent Russian painter of the 19th century, painted a wedding feast. The song was “Zippiddy Doo Dah.” Israel’s first great affirmation of faith was expressed in a song as well, but a very different kind of song. Steve Rodeheaver. If this is correct, the plagues in Egypt begin with nobody being “able to drink the water” (Exod. Ancient and modern Jewish commentators say the way God heals us is as we listen and keep and obey His law, the Torah. I swear I thought, “Oh yeah, oh yeah, if this nudnik can la-de-da his way through life by following God’s ways, then you bet your boots, I can too! The Song of Moses. And so this isn’t just a straightforward miracle of provision. (Read Exodus 15:1-21) This song is the most ancient we know of. When we last left Israel they were singing and dancing at the Red Sea, singing God's praises by the sea, declaring Him to be great. Comments, Observations, and Questions to Consider. This principle still applies. Do we not do the exact same thing? At Marah they had water, but it was bitter; so that they could not drink it. God is on their side. Perhaps that is how the Israelites felt when they came to the bitter waters of Marah after having just survived the Red Sea. 15:22-27 In the wilderness of Shur the Israelites had no water. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. A "wilderness" denotes a state of undergoing temptation, (n. 5. It’s a deadly place to be in when one has to literally live off the land, till help arrives. It is a holy song, to the honour of God, to exalt his name, and celebrate his praise, and his only, not in the least to magnify any man. I’m not going to let him get all the good stuff!” ☺. I will never forget the song that was given as an expression of the young boy’s affirmation of faith. Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: This morning, I'd like us to look together from a passage in Exodus. But Israel is full of rebel Egypt (cf. Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Kindle Locations 8013-8014). Isaiah 5:20. 16. 5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. MARCH TO MARAH AND ELIM, Exodus 15:22-27.. 22. Why do you think that God now says “choose some men and go out to fight the Amalekites”?!!!! 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. And they came to Elim, and there were twelve springs of waters there, and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters. 7– 12, although the word “sickness” is never used to describe any of them. God delivers His children through an early giving of Law. Such was the case before us. 2 By no means! A. For every sermon, one must think up an introduction… a little piece of information to make a smooth transition from the previous events of the day into the sermon itself. They simply had to “stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord”. Hear and obey. It was midnight and I was doing what every woman does when she can’t fall asleep… dishes. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. But God wants life for his people. What is that they are saying? I suddenly found myself stepping away from the sink, shaking off the bubbles, jealous of the fellow! 22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. God’s people are told, and they just experience, that the Marah waters of their hearts need healing. This is very well said. At the Red Sea Israel did not want to go into the water but they had to. Out of the abundance of His own mercies, God established His law with His people. Hamilton is right. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Furthermore, in Jude 12, Jude writes of the taunting disappointment of expecting water and finding none when he metaphorically describes the false teachers as “waterless clouds.”, Whether it be grossly lukewarm or bitter or merely a mirage that does not deliver what it promises, undrinkable water is a plague. Also note the word “nasah” in vs 26- “to test.” Remember this is the first of three rapid-fire training episodes (also Exodus 16 and 17) where the Lord will show Israel both herself and Himself (cf. And when the Lord decides to do something, no one can stop him. A number of years ago, a child was tragically killed in an accident. She is a teacher for Classis Red Mesa’s Leadership Development Network, teaches Doctrine at Rehoboth Christian School, and preaches by invitation. The Lord himself explains what the healing pictures in verse 26: “If you listen to the Lord, if you do what is right, if you attend to his law and keep his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”. Furthermore, he reinforced in their minds that obedience will lead to life. 15:22-27 In the wilderness of Shur the Israelites had no water. But if you keep sucking it, keep working at it, you find only sweet sugar at its core. This is likely a reference to the plagues put on Egypt. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. Not only so, our law is now to find sweet life by taking up our cross daily, as we die to self. But here I kept thinking the opposite: “This isn’t new! When the Great Bridegroom and his bride kiss, the Isaiah 25 (and John 3) promise of the finest of wines will come to pass. Exodus 15:22–27. (Delivered Sunday, April 21, 2002 at Bethany Bible Church. Sin often looks so sweet but ends up like baking chocolate. He repeats the condition using different words, but he’s saying the same thing. He has brought us out here to strike us with the same plagues with which He struck Egypt.”, To which God says, “No! She needs to be healed of her distrust, and her Egypt-loving ways. At Marah Israel wanted to get into the water but could not at first. It is only the cross, ultimately, that heals both our rebel hearts and the bitter experiences we face. Your email address will not be published. The child was the son of the minister of a very liberal church. God’s law is right. We hear this every Sunday—forgiving your enemies, being thankful, better to give than receive.” The difference is this secular guy was living it! The wearers must have sunk at once like a stone, or as we read (in Exodus 5:10), like lumps of lead. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Elim, as a late traveller F18 says, was upon the northern skirts of the desert of Sin, two leagues from Tor, and near thirty from Corondel; according to … I personally see this as a miraculous transformation of otherwise normal wood into an agent of change for the water. Possibly characteristic Egyptian sicknesses like dysentery or elephantiasis. The “water of Marah” may refer either to “the Bitter Lakes” or an oasis called Bir Marah “where the water is saline with heavy mineral content.”[1], Clearly this was an untenable situation. (In case I need to defend this point from the charge of smelling like allegory, please note even as faithful a New Testament exegete as Frederick Dale Bruner recognized: “Allegorical (spiritual or mystical) exegesis, when practiced with Christo-centricity and with historical-critical restraint, is not only allowable but is even demanded of the Christian expositor, particularly when interpreting OT texts.” (Bruner, Matthew, pg 567.). Baker Publishing Group. And they came to Elim On the twenty fifth of Nisan; for, according to Aben Ezra, they stayed but one day at Marah. Now He has done it to us. March 24, 2018 ~ cccandrews. Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 15:27 previous - text - summary - Exodus - BM Home - Full Page. 25b There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. !! These are thrilling times indeed. The book of Exodus teaches that the Lord is the one true God and the ruler of all creation. Obeying God is often like that– disguised sweetness. Or "sieve", as (in Amos 9:9), it was a plate of brass with holes in it, to let through either the blood that drained from the parts of the sacrifice. 7: 18, 21, 24). These are the best kind of tests, as much learning experience as evaluation, as much formative as summative. . The contours of tree of Calvary, the cross. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. The Waters of Marah and Elim - Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. So why didn’t God lead them straight to Elim? Take His hand and take His way and He will lead you home. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. Perhaps God’s assurance that He would not do to Israel what He did to Egypt is evidence that the Israelites were grumbling precisely this accusation beside the bitter waters of Marah. The Lord inspires Moses to heal the waters of Marah. In the oft-repeated words of Kurt Vonnegut from Slaughterhouse Five, “So it goes.”. I have not thought anyone could live this way! At Marah they had water, but it was bitter; so that they could not drink it. Whedon's Commentary on the Bible. And the cross becomes the motive, the only true motive, for our obedience to the Law. Shortly after the end of the war, however, a hoisted cotton bail fell on his grandfather and killed him. The constant, however, was the love and grace and provision of Almighty God, Who delivered His people. It is marah! God does more than just provide a one spring, however. Of course, this presents us with a dilemma, as none of us are able to walk the path of obedience with perfection or complete purity. And this is why it is difficult to judge the children of Israel too harshly. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. Naomi/”Mara” story) and in the Hereafter. God is still in the business of delivering His grumbling children. Today’s was easy. 17. And threescore and ten palm trees - One for each of the seventy elders - Ibid. Certainly we do. Three days is a long time to go without finding water, especially if you have little ones under four. God can make bitter to us that from which we promise ourselves most, and often does so in the wilderness of this world, that our wants, and disappointments in the creature, may drive us to the Creator, in whose favour alone true comfort is to be had. His funeral was one of the saddest occasions because there was no evidence of a truly Christian faith on the part of those most intimately involved. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. Or will we respond with Marah mouths and bitter hearts? Warhead Candies. Summarize Exodus 15:3–21 by explaining that these verses contain the words of the song Moses and the people sang to tell the story of their deliverance from Egypt and to give thanks to God. When my son was 2 yrs old, he found a bar of baking chocolate and hollered “Yum! So the most ancient understanding of this healing “etz” is that it points to the Law and our ability to trust and obey. The Calvary tree was soaked in all the Marah of our sin. Moses, Miriam, and the Israelites have finished singing, and now it is time to journey on. Verse 26 definitely supports this understanding. We must remember God’s purpose for bringing his people out to the desert in the first place. When Pharaoh demonstrated both toward the Lord, disease and death for his people resulted. 2 Peter 2:24 pulls this all together -“For He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.”, As we journey with the Lord, if He leads us to Marah waters, will we trust Him? Today we're looking at Exodus 15:22-27. Her deadly taste confusion is now in all our DNA. Then, in the first part of Exodus 15, they rejoice with singing and dancing! Sometimes Exodus 21:22-25 is used by pro-choice advocates to show that the Bible does not regard the unborn as persons just as worthy of protection as an adult. Nursing mothers are beginning to get desperate. When the Music Fades (Exodus 15:22-27) Posted on 14 Jun 2009 10 Feb 2014 Author Doug Van Meter In the worship song When the Music Fades , Matt Redman concludes that, “when the music fades” it must be “all about” God. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Lora A. Copley is ordained by the CRCNA. 16, 17) call these “tests” but the word “nasah” conveys also the sense of “tried,” “exercised.” They've gone out into the desert; the plagues have all come to an end. Bitter!” (cf. You will perhaps recognize this word marah. I speak here of God’s giving of an initial law to Israel as well as His charging them to obey and live. 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