The Waters of Marah
“So Moses brought Israel 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.
“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 the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet; then he made for them a statute £^nd an ordinance, and there he proved them.
“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the name of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of those diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee.”
We left the children of Israel on the shores of the Red Sea, rejoicing at the overthrow of their enemies and their own miraculous escape. When beholding the exuberance of their joy, we are ready to say, ‘Ah, ye little know what still awaits you! You have still a very long and wearisome way before you, and yet you seem to think you are only a few paces from Canaan, or even that you are already there. A rabble has come on shore with you, that will excite many a tumult, and draw down upon you many a severe chastisement, because you suffer yourselves to be seduced by them — an Egyptian mob, which in reality do not belong to you, but which you suffer to accompany you; and thus act very wrong. Your journey will be directed to Sinai, and whoever has been there, knows what an awful place it is. Your labours are only commencing, though you regard them as terminated.’
However, it is necessary to proceed further, and their next journey is one of three days through the wilderness of EUmm. (Numb, xxxiii. 3.) This word, as we have* already seen, admits of a variety of interpretations, and it may also be rendered “gravelly soil.” How difficult is it to walk upon such a surface! Every step is tedious, and the longer we walk on it, the more fatiguing it becomes. In the place of the Egyptians, another enemy appears — not indeed so terrific in appearance, but not less dangerous in reality, and that is, thirst. The desert is devoid of water within a three days’ circuit. Have they only escaped from the Egyptian sword to fall a prey to a still more dreadful foe? For what can be more terrible than to die of thirst? At length they arrive at Marah, which’ signifies bitter; and there they find water. How must they have rushed towards it, in order to quench their thirst, and drink to the full! But behold, it is bitter, and Just as unfit for drinking as the waters of the sea they had left. Why is this? we are ready to ask; is it only to tantalize the poor people? They murmur against Moses, and ask him, in a menacing manner, “What shall we drink?” But why do ye murmur against him? Did he place himself at your head, at his own impulse, and had not God difficulty enough to induce him to do so “^ Have ye learned so little understanding from the mighty wonder of your passage through the sea, as now to act as if there were no God? It is, indeed, said of you, (Exod. xiv. 31,) that you believed the Lord and his servant Moses, on your safe arrival on this side the Red Sea; but how long did this faith last? Not even for three days! Is this persevering and being faithful? Is this going from faith to faith?
They prosecuted their journey therefore through the wilderness of Etham. From this we learn, first, that sincerity of heart always abides with the Christian, and passes like a straight line through his whole life and its manifold vicissitudes. In his inmost soul there is always a serious disgust and repugnance towards all that is sinful, as well as an inclination towards God and all that is good, a mourning and thirsting after God and his fellowship, and a striving against that which obstructs it. This is the case with all true Christians, and is, so to speak, their soul. For where this does not exist, there is no real godliness. This feeling may indeed be suppressed for a season; but still it shows itself again; it may be concealed from the individual, but it always manifests itself anew.
The gravelly soil of Etham is no inappropriate figure of human life and its difficulties in general. Moses is right in affirming it to be but labour and sorrow. He that accumulates earthly riches, knows not who shall gather them. The most tender alliances and conections are torn asunder by death, and if we build houses and lay out plantations, we know not who shall inherit them. Life’s sweetest enjoyments soon pall upon the palate, so that Solomon at length exclaims, “It is all vanity.”
The Christian also frequently walks on a gravelly soil. He has his own peculiar sufferings, and has others in common with all Christians. Self-denial, the crucifixion of the flesh with its affections and lusts, the daily taking up his cross, the strife of the flesh against the Spirit, the chastisements he has to bear, and all that he has else to suffer, both personally and relatively, form the gravelly soil on which he must also make his three days’ journey.
But to the difficulties of the way was also added a painful thirst, and it is indeed wonderful how soon the Lord suffers his people to fall into some new distress, equally as great as the previous one. It seems as if he would accustom them to trust exclusively to him, take no step without him, and never despond nor despair with him. They must never imagine that their distresses are for ever at an end, but be convinced, that there is not one of them out of which the Lord is not able and willing to deliver. And from all this a life of entire dependance on God must develop itself, as well as a wonderful confidence in him — both which are essential parts of true godliness. They must leave him to act, humble themselves, and quietly hope, and patiently wait. It is, indeed, quite requisite that we should experience similar wants to those of the Israelites, in order that our confidence in ourselves may expire, that we may become thoroughly conscious how greatly we need the Lord’s continual aid, and that we may learn to hope in his power and faithfulness. Nor ought it at all to appear strange to us, when, like the children of Israel, we are frequently in want of many things, even of such as are necessary, and see ourselves compelled to cleave to Christ as our only support, that we may hourly receive from him what we require, both for life and for godliness. But all the children of Israel did not participate in the whole of their trials, since many of them died on the way; nor are all believers tried in the same manner or to the same extent, although the cup goes constantly round, and each must take a drink of it.
The children of Israel probably suffered much from thirst during these three days in a hot climate. Doubtless they frequently attempted to find water by digging, but in vain. They were obliged to confess that even water is a precious gift of God, and that our efforts of themselves are ineffectual. Thus the disciples laboured a whole night in fishing, and caught nothing, until, at the Lord’s command, they cast their net on the right side of the vessel, and caught an abundance of fish. How often do our own endeavours only serve to convince us chiefly of their own insufficiency I
The Israelites applied to Moses with the question, “What shall we drink?” This was acting correctly; for Moses was the mediator of the old covenant, and Israel had to expect the Lord’s help through his hand. They needed to apply to him, even as we to the mediator of the new covenant, Jesus Christ, through whom all divine blessings must flow down upon us. And how much more able is he than Moses was or could be, to relieve all our necessities, however great and urgent they may be, even when we are able to help ourselves as little as the children of Israel in the wilderness of Etham!
At length they found water. What could have been more desirable? Never was water so precious to them as now, after being so long deprived of it. But alas! it was very bitter. This excited their anger against Moses, and they said, “What shall we drink?” But was Moses any better off than they? Yet thus acts sinful man. He will have every thing according to his own wish and will; otherwise he murmurs. He ought to submit to the will of God; he ought to humble himself; he ought to acknowledge, that on account of his sins, he has no claim upon the smallest of God’s mercies. But in opposition to this, he becomes morose and angry both with God and man; and requires that God should order every thing to his mind, without returning him any particular thanks. But where is the renunciation of self-will? Where is the Lord’s will, which is alone good, obeyed without reluctance? — nay, where is such a sentiment cherished?
But does it not often fare with mankind, both in natural and spiritual things, as with the children of Israel at Marah? Many suppose, that if they were once released from some particular burden, or had attained some particular object; if they had but a sufficient maintenance or had provided for their children, &c., nothing more remained to be’ wished for, and they would be quite satisfied. If things do not happen so, they feel themselves justified in complaining; and if their wishes are realized, they find soibething else to embitter the waters. And why? Because the individual must learn to seek his happiness in God and his will, but not elsewhere. Become different thyself; and then, thouiih the difficulties of thy situation and thy particular affliction may continue, yet thou wilt greatly jyain by it.
. So it is also in spiritual thing’s. Persons often wish to experience the feeling of sin, repentance, contrition, and assurance all at once, together with sanctification, and take the kingdom of heaveti as if by storm. But they are obliged to retire and wait. Tney promise themselves unwonted edilication and go empty away, whilst others are refreshed and satisfied. And are there not even states in which that becomes bitter to the soul which otherwise afforded it comfort and refreshment? — such as hearing, reading, meditation, conversation, the sacrament, prayer, and the remembrance of the light and comfort previously enjoyed.
The children of Israel travelled three days without stopping; and even in this respect we trace a similarity with the experience of the Christian. But for what purpose is it? Doubtless to exercise the individual in the denial of those things he most desires, that he may learn to submit every thing to the will of God, whether lie gives or takes away, whether he visits us with affliction or consolation, or leaves us in barrenness or refreshes us; to exercise us also in not too ardently desiring any thing however good it may be, but submit ourselves to God in that meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in his sight. In the joy of the children of Israel at the Red Sea, doubtless much that was sensible had intermingled itself, and it was probably carried to excess. Something therefore now occurred to cool it; and thus every thing must be mortified, until we attain to a state of complete resignation.
/-t THE WATERS OF MARAH.
Maralj, generally speaking, represents every thing of a bitter nature; for which, however, the Lord knows d means of sweetening, and of rendering it useful and agreeable. He showed Moses a tree, which he cut down and cast into the water, by which it was rendered fit for use. Travellers assure us, that there is much bitter water in the vicinity of the Red Sea, but no wood is known which is able to render it palatable. We cannot therefore say, whether the tree had a natural power to sweeten, and might still manifest it, if it were known, or whether God did not perform a secret miracle on this occasion. Be that as it may; the gospel points us to a tree which renders every bitter thing sweet. This tree is the cross of Christ, that wondrous tree, which gives life to the world, and on which the greatest’ wonder took place, so that it retains its sweetening power, in the same undiminished degree, in every age. On this cross our reconciliation was etiected, and thereby the bitterness of the wrath of God appeased. Even death is slain by it. Its sting is taken away, and it now only serves to deliver the believer from all bitterness, and to conduct him into all sweetness. By this great wonder, the bitter ocean of our sins and the punishment incurred by them is sweetened; so that they cannot injure us, if we believe in the Son of God.
But we have here also the means of sweetening all bitterness. The bitterness of repentatice is sweetened by this consideration, that being a godly sorrow, it worketh a repentance unto life, which no one repenteth of. The bitterness of denying the w6rld and self is sweetened by this, that he who renounces every thing for his sake receives it again a hundred-fold. The bitterness of the spiritual combat is alleviated by this.
that it is the good fight of faith, to which the victory and the crown of glory is held out. The bitterness of the various sufferings we have to endure, is sweetened by the consideration, that they are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed; and also of the various temptations by which we are assailed, of which it is said, “Blessed is the nnan that endureth temptation; for after he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which God has promised to them that love him.” In short, this wondrous tree can sweeten all the suffering that would be otherwise intolerable.
But still it is necessary that the remedy be shown and pointed out to us by the Holy Spirit; otherwise we should be in a similar situation to that of the disciples on the sea. For when in danger from the wind and the waves, and when Jesus appeared to them on the sea, they cried out for fear, thinking it was a spirit, and that all was over with them, until the Lord reproved them and said, “fear not! it is 1.”
Such is the road to Canaan. Who is inclined to enter upon it? Let us not be deterred, even by arriving at Marah, after three days journeying in the desert. God will order all things for the best. Therefore let us take courage, and cast in our lot with the people of God, and then good shall come unto us. “Draw us, and we will run after thee!”
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