The Waters of Marah (Exodus 15:22-27)
“And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah” (Exodus 15:23).
The nation of Israel had just been through the most amazing experience of their lifetimes. They had witnessed the awesome power of their God, a God with whom they had been acquainted only through the divine promises given to their forefathers. Their emotions were at a peak of exuberance and joy. Reading the song that Moses and the children of Israel sang (verses 1-21), one cannot help but feel their happiness.
But they were inexperienced as a free nation and their God knew they needed much training. Despite the deep impressions their recent deliverance from Pharaoh must have made, it became immediately obvious that there was still much more they needed to learn.
There were several routes from Egypt to Canaan and the Lord chose for His people the most circuitous of the options. He had in view from the first, their need of training. Their long bondage had made them servile and weak, lacking self-reliance in the new way and fearful that their leader, in whom they trusted remarkably, might yet prove incompetent for their deliverance. What a resemblance to all this we find in spiritual Israelites! When first leaving the world and its rudiments, although trusting in Christ, our fully accepted leader, how apt we are to feel fearful of our ability, even under his guidance, to gain the promised glorious deliverance from sin and it’s slavery!
In Exodus 15:22 we read: “And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.”
There is no doubt that the Lord realized that there was no water to be found during the first three days of this journey. After all, was not the Lord leading the people by means of a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire in the night? What might have been the Lord’s purpose in allowing three days’ journey without a new source of water being found? Undoubtedly he was waiting for them to appreciate their need. They were certainly cognizant of their decreasing supply of water.
Verse 23: “And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto Jehovah; And Jehovah showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them; and he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Jehovah that healeth thee.”
On arriving at Marah, Israel was presented with waters unfit for use. In fact the very name Marah means “bitter.”1 The anticipation of their need coupled with their great disappointment with the bitter water was enough reason for them to voice their dissatisfaction with the situation. “What are we to drink?” they murmured. Their cry to Moses was in unbelief, distrust, and reproach. But the cry of Moses to God was in faith. He responded, showing Moses a tree to throw into the bitter waters. According to providence this tree acted as medicine, sweetening the waters, making them palatable for consumption. This lesson was valuable, leading those who learned to trust God more fully and realize His continued care for them.
There are valuable lessons here for us also. Paul spoke about many of Israel’s experiences in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. He pointed out that the experiences of the typical nation were examples for the benefit of spiritual Israelites, the church. In 1 Corinthians 10:11,12 he wrote: “Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 2,3
Whoever has read the story of Israel and failed to discern that the failings of Israel are a picture of the failings of many in the church, has failed to get the gist of the lesson that the Lord would teach. The Israelite experiences were foreshadowings to warn us of similar temptations.
Moses, mediator of the Law covenant, was a beautiful type of The Christ, head and body, which would mediate the new covenant during the Millennium. The bitter water of Marah was an apt type of the law covenant. Why so?
Water is a vital component to human existence. Our bodies are, in fact, over 75% water. As necessary as water is to our physical lives, so also is truth to our spiritual lives. Thus, water is frequently used in scripture as a figure or symbol of truth, of divine messages, of the divine promises of everlasting life. The Law covenant held forth to the Israelites just such a promise. It invited the nation to drink of it with the hope of being refreshed and helped to obtain life. This promise is found in Leviticus 18:4,5: “Mine ordinances shall ye do, and my statutes shall ye keep, to walk therein: I am Jehovah your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and mine ordinances; which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am Jehovah.”
But while the Law in itself was good (Romans 3:1,2), it required something from them they were unable to give, namely perfect obedience. So while the Law made promises to life, it was actually “found to be unto death” (Romans 7:10). It was as poisoned waters to them, just as the waters of Marah were unusable, giving no refreshment.
THE TREE
In the type God shows Moses a certain tree and told him to throw that tree into the “bitter waters” and the waters were promptly sweetened.
The fulfillment of this in the antitype is in the death of our Lord. The tree that Moses threw in the water reminds us of another tree, or more accurately, a cross made from a tree — the Cross of Christ. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
So the curse or poison of the old covenant was removed by our Lord’s sacrifice. The poison is the sinful inheritance of mankind which, under the new law covenant with its better mediator, the Christ, will completely heal. The Christ will make good on all the gracious promises of God to those who will walk in the ways of the Lord.
Bitter waters of Law are sweetened with the wood of the Cross.
ANOTHER APPLICATION
There are other valuable lessons that we can draw from the same picture. We might say that it would not be unreasonable to consider that there is a further application of this at the present time.
During the dark ages, the waters of life, as given to us by the Lord and his apostles, became very much polluted and, as a consequence, undesirable to many. The erroneous doctrines of the dark ages made the precious waters of God’s Word brackish and impure, sometimes even nauseating and, as a whole, unwholesome. But the Lord in his providence showed us more clearly, in the shining of these last days, the great doctrine of the ransom, the magnificent reason for the cutting off of our Lord Jesus in death. Here was the great manifestation of divine love and mercy. And since we have realized and come in contact with this truth, we see how it has purified and cleaned up the message of the dark ages. We can once again partake of the words with refreshment and joy.
We may not know if this was intended by the Lord to be a correspondence, but we can at least draw some lessons from it, the lessons being true whether the matter was intended to be supplied or not.
ELIM
As the Lord brings upon us trying experiences to prove and develop us, he also brings us to wonderfully refreshing experiences, to oases of rest. This was true also of natural Israel. After their first test of faith at Marah they are brought to Elim. Verse 27: “And they came to Elim, where were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees: and they encamped there by the waters.”
The name “Elim,” perhaps means “strong trees.” 4 This meaning, if we are accurate, certainly suggests a comfortable, shady, and restful condition. And indeed it was. Though its exact location is not certain, its traditional location is identified with the modern Wadi Gharandel.5 It fits the biblical description in having 12 springs and 70 palm trees, along with much vegetation and plentiful water.6
Upon reading this account we are immediately impressed with the numbers 12 and 70, which are by no means unfamiliar to the Bible student. The 12 springs remind us of the 12 apostles, who are God’s special gift for blessing to the church and from whom have come the refreshments of the waters of life. We remember also that these twelve, according to the Lord’s promise, are to be prominent also in the kingdom, in the work of blessing Israel and all the nations.
The seventy palm trees remind us of the seventy whom our Lord commissioned subsequently to the 12 apostles and whose ministries typified the public services of this Gospel Age down to its Harvest or close (Luke 10:1,17). The 70 were directed to go into every city whither our Lord would ultimately go, and were instructed “you should not have gone over the cities of Israel until the Son of Man be come.” By extension, this signifies that our mission is to all nations, people, kindreds, and tongues, where ever we may find a hearing ear, with the assurance that we shall not have more then accomplished the work of declaring the good tidings to every nation until the full manifestation of the returned Lord in the power and great glory of his Kingdom.
So the experience of Israel at Marah was followed by a joyful one when their journey brought them to Elim, to its many water springs and its palm groves, where they rested. Similarly, the spiritual Israelite is not long out of Egypt before he is permitted to have trying experiences; and in seeking refreshment he perhaps finds bitter disappointments corresponding to the waters of Marah. The first impulse of the beginner in the way might be in the nature of a murmuring which, whether intended or not, is a reflection upon the wisdom and guidance of our Leader.
The lesson is to be learned in perfect trust, to look to the Lord to turn our bitter disappointments and experiences sweet if we but trust him. Then to us also comes a season of rest and refreshment, and healing condition. The Lord does not permit us to have bitterness and trials continually, lest we should become thoroughly discouraged. He leads us sometimes by still waters, restoring our soul, refreshing and resting us in his grace. These experiences, rightly received, produce in us thankfulness and appreciation. And, importantly, they will tend to make us stronger for the further journey and lessons in the wilderness school of the present life.
By reading these literal experiences of natural Israel and what their reactions were to the Lord’s loving care, we are so much aided to understand our own weaknesses. This is a truly marvelous way in which our wise and loving father teaches us.
— Br. David Stein
(1) In the book of Ruth, Naomi, having had such bitter experiences, tells those in Bethlehem to no longer call her Naomi, but call her Mara for her bitter experiences (Ruth 1:20,21).
(2) Paul made no mistake in writing “upon whom the ends of the ages are come.” The plural use of “ages” lets us know there is special application to consecrated followers of Jesus at the beginning and end of the Gospel age. There is, consequently, special emphasis and warning on this subject to our time.
(3) The Berean Bible has “fulfillment of the ages” and the NIV has “culmination of the ages.” Thus suggests another perspective. Perhaps Paul’s point was that the Christian Age was a culmination of the preparation of past ages, from which Paul was drawing lessons for spiritual Israel.
(4) Smith’s Bible Dictionary, https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/smiths-bible-dictionary/elim.html
(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elim_(Bible)
(6) One reference source, no longer remembered, put the water discharge at 1,260 gallons per minute.