Marah

Exodus 15:23 NLT When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink.

They had just experienced one of the most dramatic miracles of the Old Testament, the parting of the Red Sea, escaping revenge from Pharaoh and his army. They sang beautiful praises to God for their deliverance. Yet, on the heels of these, they moved from a place of victory to one of despair.

Exodus 15:22-27 tells the story. Three days after experiencing salvation and divine intervention, the Israelites found themselves in a situation that tested their faith. They came to Marah, a place with all the appearances of an oasis, but soon discovered the waters were undrinkable. The name Marah means "bitter" in Hebrew, and it serves as a powerful reminder of the struggles and trials we often encounter in our spiritual journey, even after times of great victory. When we come to our own Marah, when life presents us with bitter waters—whether it comes in the form of grief, disappointment, or trials—we may feel disheartened, with nagging questions of God’s goodness.

Even after all they had seen God do, the Israelites’ first response to their disappointment was not to trust but to revolt. “Then the people complained and turned against Moses” (v24). God hates grumbling, and He takes all of it personally. They may have thought they were simply grumbling at Moses, but they were really grumbling at God. In Numbers 14:27, they again grumbled against Moses, and God said, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me."

But God did not abandon His people in their bitter moment; He transformed the bitter moment through a tree. “God showed Moses a tree, and Moses threw it into the water and made the water sweet to drink” (v25).  God used another tree to transform our bitter experiences. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, removed from sins, might live for righteousness. By His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24). At the cross, all our sins were paid for, and access to the Father was freely granted to all who would believe. The cross makes bitter moments an opportunity to see the sweetness, fullness, faithfulness, and the healing of God.

Marah (bitterness) does not have to be the end of our story; it can become a place to encounter God and to see His promises fulfilled. The Israelites could have stayed at Marah after the water became drinkable. But God never wants us to remain in a place of bitterness, even when things improve. He has more. God did not just meet their immediate need but led them to a place of abundance, a place of refreshment and rest: “the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees.”

Elim was a place of God’s abundant faithfulness, a moment to see and remember God’s promise to lead us beside still waters, to restore and refresh our soul, to never leave us or forsake us, to meet our needs no matter the circumstances. Elim is a place of restoration and preparation. Scripture does not specify the exact length of time they camped at Elim, but long enough to be refreshed and prepare for Mount Sinai, where they would encounter God once again.

No matter what Marah you may be facing today, God can use it for your good and His glory as you trust in the cross. The cross can enable you to forgive the unforgivable, love the unlovable, and overcome the insurmountable. God has the power to turn our trials into testimonies, our suffering into strength, and our despair into hope. All he asks is that we come to Him, ask, and trust.

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Gary and Sandy Anthony

Exodus 15:22-27 NLT Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.

Hebrews 10:23 NIV Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Philippians 2:14-15 NIV Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.

Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Hebrews 12:15 NIV See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

2 Timothy 2:13 NASB If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Deuteronomy 7:9 NASB Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Psalms 36:5 NASB Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Ephesians 3:20 NLT Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Philippians 4:19 NLT And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 25:1 NLT O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.

Lamentations 3:22-25 NASB The Lord’s lovingkindness indeed never ceases, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore, I have hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.