Exodus 15:22-27

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Cross-references

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Summary

  • The people run out of water; God provides.
  • God uses this event to tell them what to expect in the future: blessings when they obey; curses when they disobey.


Details and/or Comments

Water Issues

  • The people run out of water; they find a spring or oasis that is undrinkable, and begin complaining to Moses.
  • God gives Moses the means by which he makes the water drinkable (a tree or piece of wood).
  • Soon thereafter, the people arrive at a place that has plenty of fresh water.


Trusting in God

  • This is going to be a theme, as Israel journeys through the wilderness. There will be many instances in which the people will have to choose whether to trust God or to distrust him. God tells them in advance what to expect with each of these choices (blessing or judgment).
  • Humans are changeable, fickle and superficial. Humans need tested. This was their first testing, once they had left Egypt... and they did not do very well. God had already prepared relief, 12 springs of water waiting for them at Elim, but they weren't patient enough to wait for God's provisions!
The Need for Patience
  • Unlike people, God remains faithful, trustworthy and unchanging. He does not need tested - for testing evaluates the potential for weakness and failure, which do not exist in God! It is humans, not God, who needs tested. Yet in the near future, the Israelites would again face lack of water; and they would put God to the test by questioning his very presence among them! (See: Exodus 17:1-7.)
Putting God to the Test


Scripture

Exodus 15:22-27 – God provides water.

Illustrates: The Need to Trust God


Scripture Passage Comments and Links
Exo 15:22 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. The problem: no water. If they started their journey with supplies of water, they might not have been thirsty for 3 full days.
Exo 15:23 When they came to Marah, they couldn't drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.

Exo 15:24 The people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"

Water found, but undrinkable. Complaining starts.

Interestingly, "Marah" means "bitter." It is the basis for the New Testament name "Mary."

Exo 15:25 Then he cried to Yahweh. Yahweh showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them;

Exo 15:26 and he said, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you."

God shows Moses a tree (or piece of wood) to throw into the water, to make it drinkable.

We know nothing about the tree (or wood); whether or not there was anything special about it, or if the whole "sweetening" of the water was simply an act of God, brought about by Moses' obedience. All we have recorded here is what the people observed, not what may have happened "behind the scene." Ultimately, the same God who performed "unexplainable" works of power in Egypt did this work of power as well.

This was a test which showed the nature of the people. It also showed them what to expect in the future. There would be many instances in which they would have to choose which way they would go: the way of obedience (with blessing) or the way of disobedience (with judgment).

Exo 15:27 They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. This was only 6 miles from Marah. There was plenty of water. If only they had patiently trusted God!



1:15-21  •  1:22 - 2:10  •  3:1-8  •  3:16-22  •  4:1-9  •  7:1-25  •  8:1-32  •  9:1-35  •  10:1-23  •  11:1-10  •  13:11-15; 21-22  •  14:13-31  •  15:1-21  •  15:22-27  •  16:1-36  •  17:1-7  •  19:3-25  •  20:1-21  •  20:22-26  •  21:12-36  •  22:1-15  •  22:21-27  •  23:1-9  •  23:10-12  •  23:20-33  •  Ch. 24 (selected verses)  •  Ch. 25, 35 and 36 (selected verses)  •  30:11-16  •  32:1-35  •  Ch. 33 and 34 (selected verses)

Scripture Passages
(Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.)

Genesis  •  Exodus  •  Leviticus  •  Numbers  •  Deuteronomy  •  Joshua  •  Judges  •  Ruth  •  1 Samuel  •  2 Samuel  •  1 Kings  •  2 Kings  •  1 Chronicles  •  2 Chronicles  •  Ezra  •  Nehemiah  •  Esther  •  Job  •  Psalms  •  Proverbs  •  Ecclesiastes  •  Song of Solomon  •  Isaiah  •  Jeremiah  •  Lamentations  •  Ezekiel  •  Daniel  •  Hosea  •  Joel  •  Amos  •  Obadiah  •  Jonah  •  Micah  •  Nahum  •  Habakkuk  •  Zephaniah  •  Haggai  •  Zechariah  •  Malachi


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—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——
The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.
Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.