AFTER the acing of victory and the rejoicing were over, Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea, out into the wilderness. That great company of men, women, and children, with all their flocks and their herds, journeyed on for three days without coming to water. In the desert, over which they were traveling, were long stretches of sandy ground without lake, or river, or spring of water; and scarce a tree or shrub was to be seen in many miles, and, too, the sun is hot and scorching in that country.
It must have been a great trial to them to go on day after day with no water for themselves or their cattle. At last they came to a place called Marah, which means bitterness. There they found water, but they could not drink it because it was bitter. This brought sore disappointment. and the poor, tried people began to murmur against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” Ah! how different now their thoughts and their ways from what they had been a few days before. Then they were rejoicing in the mighty power of God, and, were singing the glad song of praise, with their hearts full of confidence; now they were being tested on their journey toward the promised land; the bitter waters of Marah proved too much for them; their confidence was gone, and murmuring filled their heart instead. Are you surprised at this? Do you say, I wonder how they could ever question God’s power and goodness again, after having had such mighty proof of it! Is it not what many of God’s dear people are doing today? Our hearts have been filled with praise to Him who has redeemed us with His precious blood. But then comes the wilderness path with its difficulties; the scorching heat of the desert is felt, and our hearts sink within us. We forget, it may be, the wonderful deliverance that has been wrought for us, and we are ready to cry, Oh, how can I ever get through!
But God did not forget His people of old in their sad plight. When Moses cried to Him for them, He showed him a tree; and when this tree was cast into the bitter waters, they became sweet.
What a beautiful picture this is of the power of Jesus toward us! We meet with bitterness, and, in a sense, have death to go through in our pilgrim pathway; but when we remember that Jesus not only went into the bitter waters of death for us, in order to give us a life which is beyond the power of death, but also that He lives on high for us, and is thinking of us in all our pathway, and He will certainly bring us in triumph into the glorious land—when we remember this, the bitter cup is sweetened; we know that the difficulties and the trials are for our good. Thus He gives healing, and makes for us sweetness where, at first, only bitterness had been.
“Death’s bitter waters met our thirst,
“Thy cross has made them sweet;
“Then on our gladdened vision bursts
“God’s shady, cool retreat.”
ML 02/08/1903