August 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Exodus 15:22–25

Devotional

At the bitter waters of Marah, Moses did not say, “I decline to lead such a people any further.” No! He cried out to God and became an intercessor for his people. There were murmuring people at Marah and because of grace there was an interceding Moses. We find in Moses an illustration of Christ, who ever lives to pray for His people. He carries a murmuring people by His intercession.

Oh, church of God, if Christ, the interceding High Priest, had not been present at Marah you would have perished at the beginning of the journey. That would be just and right of God although you were led out of the house of your bondage of sin.

“And he cried unto the LORD.” This prayer is heard. Which prayer? Was it the prayer of the people? No. The people had not prayed; they had only murmured. What would have become of Israel without Moses, the interceding mediator? Or what would become of the Lord’s people without the interceding Christ?

The Lord changes bitterness into sweetness because of the prayer of Moses. There is no merit of the people involved here. They cannot even say that they prayed for sweetness. We see the immeasurable depth of God’s love shown through Christ. For the Lord pointed out to Moses a piece of wood to make the bad waters good.

In Moses we see Christ. And in the piece of wood we see Christ. Also here the New Testament explains the Old Testament. We do not make use of strange exegesis when we see in this piece of wood the cross that bore the bitterness of sin. It is only this wood that changes bitterness into sweetness. Fresh drinking water is given to a guilty people. It has become drinkable water for a guilty people. But also, the One greater than Moses had to drink water of bitterness, the hellish suffering of a cross. He had to enter into the bitterest Marah when He was nailed to the cursed wood of shame. When He saw this bitter water coming to Him at Gethsemane, He asked to let this cup pass from Him. In His human nature He could not drink this water. It was too bitter. An angel had to come to strengthen Him. Later, when He hung on the cursed tree, there came no angel from heaven because He was forsaken of God. According to the justice of God, He had to empty the cup of wormwood, the cup of bitterness. He did it alone, all alone! We will have to do the same thing, if we are outside of Christ. We will be in an everlasting Marah and we will have to be there alone, all alone.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.