106: The Bitter Waters of Marah Turned Sweet

Bitter Waters of Marah Turned Sweet.

After the Israelites were set free from the Egyptians and they crossed through the Red Sea safely into the desert, they traveled for days without water. They were miserable and complained. Have you ever been there?

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. 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. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD [Yahweh] showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. (Exodus 15:22-25, brackets mine)¹

Here we see an unveiling of Jesus in the Old Testament. He is the Tree of Life! Jesus is the tree that turns our bitterness into sweet rivers of joy. When Moses threw the tree in the water, it was a declaration that our reliance is to be completely in the LORD, Yawheh, the Tree of Life who would come down out of heaven and be our answer to every need. Even in the midst of their complaining, God showered them with grace.

When we see the sweetness of Jesus, how can we stay in bitterness?

(from page 177 of Unveiling Jesus)

Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!

Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.

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¹Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.  Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.  Used by permission.