The Egyptians were chasing the Israelites down, the Israelites had stood at the Red Sea, caught between nature and men, the Red Sea parted in a most astounding manner! All the Israelites crossed on dry ground. God closed the sea on the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea, and not one of them survived. 

God had miraculously saved the Israelites from Pharaoh’s pursuing army, the Israelites escaped from the hands that had held them captives and enslaved, and they broke into a song! It was a song that they sang in response to what God has just done (verse 1: Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord,”). It was a song of victory to Yahweh, and it is about Yahweh. And God is not just worshipped and praised for the general deed of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, but more specifically for destroying the Egyptian army in the sea. The practical results of this act of God were that, (1) the surrounding nations will fear God (verses 14-16), and (2) God will bring His people safely to His dwelling. 

What a wonderful victory sight! No wonder the Israelites broke out into singing!

But, what follows then was that Israel went three days into the wilderness and found no water. When they eventually came to Marah, they still could not drink the water, because it was bitter. And what did Israel do? Instead of trusting Yahweh who had just brought them out of Egypt in a most miraculous way, Israel grumbled. 

Are you thinking to yourself right now that the Israelites are an ungrateful bunch, forgetting God’s goodness to them so quickly?

Dear brothers and sisters, lest we be quick to judge, aren’t we often like Israel, a grumbling bunch? As we reflect on our own selves, do we often forget God’s goodness and grace to us, and do we often engage in grumbles when we encounter trials?

In what follows, not only did God provide water, a relief from the three days of thirst, God gave them a new rule by which to live their lives, and by which they can continue to trust in Him. God told the Israelites in verse 26, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”

Not only was God Yahweh, the God of the patriarchs, the God of the present, and the God of the future, He was also the God who saved them and brought them out of Egypt. Additionally, God provides for their needs, and He promised to be their healer. God is all of these to Israel, despite their grumbles.

Dear brothers and sisters, and so it is with us. God is all these to us as well. Even when we are disobedient, or full of grumbles, God is all of these to us as well. He has also given us many directions to turn our eyes towards Him, and not live in our lives of disobedience. May the reminder of who God is help our lips to sing and not sin, our lives to be grateful and not full of grumbles.

Dear Lord, thank you for being the God of our past, present and future, thank you for being our Redeemer, and thank you for being our Healer. Help me to live a life of obedience to you, to sing praises, and not to live in continual sin. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.