Names Of God: Jehovah-Rophe, God Our Healer In The Bitter Waters Of The Wilderness Series

"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. 23 When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).

24 Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. 25 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. 26 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.”

27 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." -Exodus 15:22-27

A people had been shackled for so long, broken under the whip, they must’ve lost so much hope, figured nothing could change, that happens in life, when we get stuck, for years even, more, we start to lose hope and start to think I’m never getting out of here. I’m never getting better. I’m never getting over this. We lose hope and it seems impossible. Time has a way of doing that doesn’t it? Waking up.. having coffee, going through the day, trying to survive life, sitting alone at home, watching tv, not liking ourselves in our own skin. Things we wish were different but they won’t change. How much more so for Israel, in abject slavery for so long.

How could they believe that things would ever change? But then something happened so fast. Something that seemed so completely impossible, and then it just suddenly happens.

How much can we all relate to that? When God saved us, and changed us, how long had we waited, how long had we given up hope? For me it was years.

It feels like nothing will change. Then it suddenly does. And you can hardly believe it.

What did the Israelites think, as they walked on the bottom of red sea, on the dirt at the bottom of the sea, with walls of water on both sides. Did they look with awe and think, this isn’t happening, this can’t be happening, we’ve been slaves so long. How can this be? And yet its happening.

Israel had seen all the miracles of God, they saw the plagues fall on Egypt, and Passover them, they were kept safe, and yet, as they headed into the wilderness, into the desert, millions of people together in the desert, they traveled three days and three nights, not finding any water.

Think about that though, the human body can only survive three days without. I’m sure they probably had some water along with them, but not enough for so many millions to survive on.

But that would be scary, imagine not having water for 3 days, we can’t imagine not having water for one day. And our scripture today says God did that specifically to test them.

Then they find an oasis in the desert. And I’m sure they’re all so relieved at that moment, they see the palm trees, the grass, the waters, and think oh praise the Lord we found water.

Often times, this is the moment God will test us. I want you to see this in your own life. This is the moment we all face from time to time.

It looks like something good is about to happen. We can see it. We approach it. And suddenly it’s pulled away from us. It’s gone again.

Even the FBI and law enforcement understand this concept. With one journalist, who had gained access to classified information, and refused to give up the source, they arrested her, and put her in jail. Very scary experience. Shes in tears in her bed in jail afraid, of the inmates, counting the days, and she’s in there for several months. And finally she gets word, shes going to be released.

She is so relieved, so happy, shes won, they’ve relented, she gets her stuff together, gets out the doors, goes home to celebrate with family, as soon as she gets home, the police arrive, and re-arrest her. And she’s back in. They would do that strategically to weigh on the emotional faculties of the individual, with the goal of recovering the confidential information.