Exodus 15:20-27 “Bitter Waters Made Sweet”

“Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.”
Exodus 15:25 (NIV)

At the Red Sea the children of Israel had experienced a great victory over Pharaoh and the Egyptian army. Moses’ sister Miriam even sang and danced.

“Sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”
Exodus 15:21 (NKJV)

But it didn’t take long before the people were singing a different tune. When they searched for three days for water, and finally came to the waters of Marah, they found them to be bitter. They complained against Moses. Their sweet rejoicing became bitter grumbling.

Bitterness is the human reaction against another person’s offense or against circumstances we don’t like. Left unchecked, bitterness will destroy you and others around you (Hebrews 12:15). Harboring bitterness has been described as drinking poison to hurt someone else. While you suffer spiritual death, the other person is unaffected.

When Moses cried out to the LORD, the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the water, it was made sweet. That tree pictures the cross. If we come to Calvary and confess our bitterness as sin, then God will help us get rid of it. He will help us to see the bitterness that Christ endured from sinners to save us. He will help us to know that we are destined to suffer with Christ in such things. The bitter water of Marah is a place we pass through, but it is not our final destination! Don’t let bitterness take root in your heart and rob you of joy, peace and fellowship with God and others. Instead, give your bitterness to the Lord and receive His grace and peace.