Have you ever had something that looked good but turned out to be bitter?
Maybe a hot coffee on a cold day, only to find out it was lukewarm? That’s exactly what happened to Israel in the wilderness, and God used it to teach them a lesson they would never forget.
After the Red Sea miracle, you’d think Israel would trust God for everything, but just three days later, they were already struggling. They found water, but it was poisonous!
Instead of praying, they started complaining. Yet God, in His mercy, turned the bitter water sweet. This was the first of three big lessons God gave them on trust and provision.
Each one points to Jesus in an amazing way.
1. Marah: The Bitterness of Sin (Exodus 15:23-25)
Israel had gone three days with no water when they finally found some—only to realize they couldn’t drink it. The place was called Marah, which means “bitter” because if they drank it, they would die!
The people murmured against Moses, asking, “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:24).
Instead of answering them directly, Moses cried unto the LORD. And what did God do? He showed him a tree. When Moses cast the tree into the waters, the waters were made sweet (Exodus 15:25).
That tree is a picture of Jesus and the cross. Just like the waters were death until the tree was applied, life without Christ is full of bitterness and sin.
But when you apply the cross, everything changes. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”
The lesson? God can turn bitterness into blessing, but we must trust & know Him.
2. Manna & Quail: The Bread of Life (Exodus 16:1-36)
Right after Marah, Israel failed another test. They ran out of food and started complaining again. Instead of remembering what God just did with the water, they said, “Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt… when we did eat bread to the full” (Exodus 16:3).
God could have judged them, but instead, He gave them manna from heaven every morning and quail every evening. The manna was small, white, and sweet like honey (Exodus 16:31). It was their daily bread, and they had to gather it fresh every morning.
Jesus later said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). Just like Israel had to depend on God for daily bread, we need to depend on Jesus every day.
The people had to follow God’s rules:
- Gather just enough for the day (Exodus 16:16).
- Don’t try to hoard it—it would rot (Exodus 16:20).
- Gather twice as much before the Sabbath (Exodus 16:22-23).
Some didn’t listen, and the manna bred worms and stank. Why? Because God wanted them to trust Him daily.
The lesson? You can’t live off yesterday’s faith. You need fresh time in God’s word every day.
3. The Rock: Living Water (Exodus 17:1-7)
Right after giving them food, God tested Israel one more time. This time, they had no water at all. Instead of praying, they complained again: “Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” (Exodus 17:3).
God told Moses to take his rod and strike a rock, and water gushed out for everyone to drink (Exodus 17:6). That rock was a picture of Jesus.
Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 10:4: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
Jesus was smitten for us on the cross. Just like that rock had to be struck for water to flow, Jesus had to be struck for us to receive living water. He later told the woman at the well, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” (John 4:14).
Later, in Numbers 20:8-12, God told Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses struck it again instead—and God judged him for it. Why? Because Jesus only had to be smitten once. Now, we don’t have to strike Him—we just need to speak to Him in faith.
The lesson? Jesus is the only source of true, satisfying life. He already took the punishment for our sin and if we know Him, we must speak to him to get access to the fresh water everyday.
Final Thoughts
God tested Israel three times:
- Marah – Would they trust Him to turn bitterness into blessing?
- Manna – Would they trust Him for daily provision?
- The Rock – Would they trust Him to give them living water?
And they failed each time. But despite their failures, God was merciful.
These tests weren’t just for Israel. They’re for us. We all have “Marah moments” in life—times when things seem bitter and hard. But if we trust God, He can turn the bitterness into sweetness. We all need manna, feeding on God’s Word every day. And we all need living water, which only comes from Jesus.
The question is—will we trust Him?
