Exodus 15
It can be well understood after so trying a scene as that in which Israel had been, the sea before them shutting them in, and Pharaoh and his host pursuing them behind, that " they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord, and they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?" But although they had "cried unto the Lord," they had not in their hearts, as we see, calculated on His delivering them. Therefore it must have been s most wondrous thing to them when God was so publicly manifested to be on their side. So is it with us, when we are thus tested: with trial on every side, shut in, as it were, with trouble of one sort or another, our hearts are often found buried under the circumstances instead of calculating upon the God, who is above them, to deliver us from them.
Israel, it will be seen, was dealt with in unqualified grace, whatever might be their murmurings, till they reached Sinai, that they might know how entirely God was for them. But afterward, through their folly in getting themselves under law, which they ought to have known they could not keep, they brought upon themselves a different line of treatment. In Ex. 16 we see that when they murmured for flesh, God gave them quails, without any reproach, that Israel might know that God was feeding them on the ground of perfect grace. But after-'yards, when under law, (as in Numbers 33,) when they again murmur for flesh, we read, "while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people." But here we read, (that is, before they get under law,) the Lord gave them "in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full." (Ex. 16:88And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. (Exodus 16:8).) And when they came to Rephidim, where there was no water, the rock was smitten for them, and they get water. All this was continued grace, that Israel might know how entirely God was bent on doing them good, bad as they might be.
It may be well to distinguish, for our soul's profit, the difference between the passover in chapter 12 and the redemption through the Red Sea in chapter xiv. For a person may hear the gospel and receive it with joy, and be rejoicing in the forgiveness of sins; may see the loveliness of Christ, and have his affections going out after him; still, if all this is not founded on redemption-on his having come through the Red Sea, DRYSHOD—when temptation comes, down he tumbles, and away goes all his joy. Now the joy of this 15th chapter is, that God has absolutely redeemed Israel from Egypt and the Red Sea, and has brought them in His strength to His holy habitation. This is, as we shall find, a very different thing from getting joy merely from our being screened from judgment at the pass-over in Egypt.
The distinction between the passover and the Red Sea is this, that in the passover God had made Himself known to them as a God of judgment; therefore the blood on the door-post was necessary to screen them from judgment. It kept God out, and He passed over; for had He come in to their house, as a God of judgment, He must have destroyed them as well as the Egyptians; for they deserved it quite as much; nay more, for they knew better. But at the Red Sea it is quite another thing. There it was God coming in strength, as a man of war-as their salvation. The passover delivered Israel from God's judgment; the Red Sea delivered Israel from their enemies. The moment they become in danger from Pharaoh and his host, God comes in, and in the "greatness of His excellency" overthrows them in the sea. The very sea which they dreaded, and which appeared to throw them into Pharaoh's hands, becomes, under the power of God, the means of their salvation. It was "through death that He delivered from death." Like as Christ went down into the stronghold of Satan; went down under the power of death, and by rising again from the dead delivered us who through fear of death, were all our life-time subject to bondage. Thus there was an end of their ever seeing an Egyptian again. The Red Sea is redemption out of Egypt, and God Himself is become their salvation. He, whom they had feared (and justly) as a Judge, is now their salvation. They are redeemed; no longer now hoping for mercy. So it is with a soul: on having entered into the blessed effect by faith of Christ's death, it is not only that the blood screens from judgment, but the God that was feared is his Savior. Now Israel can rejoice that judgment is passed, and sing His praises for having brought them to His holy habitation, to God Himself, in the light, as He is in the light. He had brought them up from among the dead into the light of His presence. And here observe, that they are brought into God's presence, into the light, as God is in the light, before they have taken one step in the wilderness. For there can be no conflict, till redemption is known. Israel did not attempt to fight with Pharaoh. The only question with them was how to get away from him. They had groaned under his yoke; but they did not combat against him. How could they? They must be brought to God first. They must be made God's host, before they can fight God's enemies or their own. So is it with an individual soul. I have no power to combat Satan, while I am his slave, for there can be no conflict in slavery. I may groan under his yoke, and desire to be delivered from him; but before my arm can be raised in fight against Satan, I must have a complete and known redemption. Israel were not only happy in escaping their pursuers; but it was a complete redemption known, and therefore they could count on God's power for everything else. They can now say, "the people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling, shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away." (ver. 14, 15.) This was Rahab's experience, as she says to the spies: "As soon as we bad heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." (Josh. 2:1111And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. (Joshua 2:11).) Israel's joy does not arise from having no enemies, but from God having taken them up and put them in His own presence. But farther, (ver. 17,) it is said, " Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established." This was yet to be done. Israel was already with God in His holy habitation; so we are in God's presence, but not yet in the place is hands have made; " in the mountain of thine inheritance." It is not Israel's but God's inheritance. So in Ephesians the apostle prays, that they "may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." It was God's land that Israel was to dwell in; and the Father's house is our dwelling-place, and He will bring us in, so that there is no fear of the enemies by the way; to faith they are all powerless. Full and entire confidence belongs to redemption. "Well, then," as men would say, "it is all plain Sailing now!" No, not at all. If I hare redeemed you, I am going to bring you to Canaan, and therefore you must pass through trial. And in chapter avn. we see that it was "according to the commandment of the Lord," they "pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink." It was a dreadful thing to be three days in the wilderness without water. It was almost insupportable. Does not this make redemption uncertain? No, not at all. Yet it was a dreadful thing to have no water. It was certain death in that country. And when at length they came to water it was bitter. Now this is trying work. But it was for this very thing that God brought them into the wilderness, to prove them, and bring out what was in their hearts. The "bitter herbs" did not show what was in God's heart; redemption had shown that; but in their hearts lay much that had to be manifested and corrected. What can this all mean? Israel had been redeemed forever, and then to bring them into a place where they had not a drop of water to drink! To be sure; this is the very effect of redemption; and so it is with us. Being redeemed forever, there are a quantity of things in us that have to be brought out and corrected. When they get the water, as we have seen, it was so bitter that they could not drink it. But all this is because they must drink into the power of death, and then God makes the waters sweet. So we must all practically learn death; for being redeemed we have got life. This cannot be learned in Egypt. Israel had no Marah in Egypt. It is wilderness experience. Redemption must be known first, and the effect will be death to sin, to selfishness, and one's own will. Now all this is deeply trying; and that is just what God would have it to be. A person might say, all this trial is come upon me, because I am not brought into redemption. But no. It is because you are redeemed.
We may seek to avoid these bitter waters of Marah, but God will bring us to them, because He must break down all that is of the old man in us. It is true that in His own good time He will put in that which sweetens. But because God has redeemed me, and brought me to Himself, He is now putting His finger on everything, be it love of the world, setting up of self, my own will, or whatever else it may be, that hinders my soul's enjoyment of Himself.. As I said, He will put in it that which sweetens; but, "beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you." For as surely as you are redeemed, so surely will God break down your own mind and will. Yes, God will make you drink the very thing that has redeemed you. Now, Israel is going on with God, and He is dealing with them; He gave them statutes, &c., but He did not do this before He had redeemed them.
Israel had been troubled before by Pharaoh, but now it was from God. This was the effect of having to do with God. Israel now learns God in a new character, as "the Lord that healeth," which is a different thing from His promise that if obedient, He would put none of the diseases of Egypt upon them. They had been exercised by God that they might know God as the "Healer." And it is for this that the whole heart has to be brought out before a God of grace, that it may know God as a "Healer." We cannot escape it, for God will so arrange circumstances as to bring it about. Sometimes, indeed, we are humbled before men, and this is very trying; this is, indeed, a very bitter water! But, then, what a wretched thing it was to be seeking to magnify oneself.
As soon as "the tree" (i.e. the cross) is in the waters, then they refresh the soul. First, it is joy in redemption, then joy in tribulation, and now joy in healing. First, God makes us sing in the knowledge of redemption; then, secondly, if we are to have the practical effect of redemption, which is the enjoyment of God in our souls; (the flesh that is in us can never do that;) our own will, worldliness; and a host of things in us, will be hindering it until God has dealt with them, and broken them down, and then we learn God as a "Healer." "But," say you, "what do you mean by my knowing God as a 'Healer,' if I am redeemed forever?" Well, it is this, when you have a complete and known redemption, then God suffers these trials to come upon you, and, indeed, brings them about to teach you what is in your heart, as he says, "that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end." God Himself knew what was in thy heart, but He will also prove it to thee, and then thou wilt know Him as a "Healer."
After this, "they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees; and they encamped there by the waters." Now, Israel experiences the natural consequences of being with God, the full stream of refreshment, as soon as they were really broken down. Had Elim come first, there would have been no sense of this dependence on God for everything; for Israel would not have had the conflict which produces dependence, and dependence communion. Flesh, with all its train, would have been unbroken. It is only for this that He delays, for God delights in blessing His people. The numbers twelve and seventy are different figures of perfection; perfect shelter and shade: " The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night;" and perfect streams of refreshment from God Himself; and all this in the wilderness, and they rest there. But Israel must be exercised at Marsh, that they may fully enjoy God at Elm. Redemption had brought them to God, but now it is joy in God. So it is with us; although we are redeemed, we cannot have these springs from God Himself, flowing through our souls, with unbroken flesh. Whatever trial we may be in, however great the trouble, even if drinking the very death that has redeemed us, if we can only see God's hand in it, only discern the cross of Christ in it, then we get that which sweetens it, in the understanding of God's mind and purpose in it. Not that "chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous, nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Flesh is not faith; and what is more, we cannot walk in the path of faith without faith. Therefore we must be put to the test. If I lose my trust in God for one moment, that very moment flesh comes in under some form or other. The very moment I feel perplexed, or at a loss what to do, my eye is not single. It shows that I am out of communion, or I should know what to do. If my eye were single, my whole body would be full of light. Then there must be something yet to be detected in me, something I have not yet found out in my heart. It may not be willful sin, but still it is something which God will exercise my heart about, and about which He will manifest Himself as Jehovah-Rophi. Thus as it is in Romans, we first have joy in tribulation, and then joy in God. It is not merely that we are redeemed, but refreshed in the wilderness by the. God that has redeemed us. Let us therefore not think some strange thing has happened to us, because of the trial we may have to pass through.