22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters. (Exodus 15)
Bitterness. It's amazing how quickly it settles into our hearts and disturbs our thoughts and voices. Mose and Miriam had barely finished their songs celebrating God's deliverence through the sea, when voices of bitterness raised their ugly song of complaint. Their complaint became Moses' cry, which was answered by God. God then made a noise ordinance: Obey God, keep his commandments, and you will have nothing to be bitter about. In other words, the problem was not the water, but ungrateful hearts. To impress upon them that He would keep His side of the ordinance, he brought them to a great oasis, a refreshing resort. God keeps His promises, and enforces His ordinances. May we keep our side, and stop complaining.
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