Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Exodus 15 Devotional

The Same God at Marah

“The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”Exodus 15:2 (BSB)

Fresh from the sea, Moses and Israel sing, and their song is all about God. He has drowned Pharaoh's army, he is their strength and their salvation, no god compares with his holiness, and he will lead the people he has redeemed in his loving devotion (15:1-13). Miriam takes up a tambourine and the women join her (15:20-21).

Three days later the same people find only bitter water at Marah and grumble against Moses (15:22-24). The God of the song has not changed. Moses cries out, the LORD shows him a log, and the water turns sweet. Then God makes himself known as the LORD who heals them (15:25-26). Praise and complaint can sit very close together in us, but God's faithfulness does not swing with our moods. Revelation pictures the redeemed singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb (Revelation 15:3), celebrating a greater deliverance than the sea. The God you praised on your best day is the same God you can cry out to beside your bitter water.

To think about: What bitter place are you facing today, and what has God already shown you about himself that you can bring there?

About Exodus 15: The Song of Moses and the Bitter Water

Moses and Israel sing a song of praise to the Lord, the warrior who triumphed over Pharaoh's army, and Miriam leads the women in dancing. Three days later the people grumble at the bitter water of Marah, the Lord makes it sweet, and he reveals himself as the Lord who heals.

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