Exo 15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
Exo 15:25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and when he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them.
Not a long while had passed after the ” singing of the celebration song of Moses ” when the children of Israel encountered a challenge. This time round, when they came to Mara there was water but it was bitter. Having walked for three days without water, they came across water that could likely increase their thirst instead of quenching it.
The people murmured against Moses. Moses brought the peoples complaints before the one who had the solutions to all their problems. God directed Moses to a tree which he cast into the waters and the waters became sweet. The Jews tradition is that the wood of this tree was itself bitter, yet it sweetened the waters of Mara . ( Mathew Henry’s Commentary)
This tree is typical of the cross of Christ which sweetens the bitter waters of affliction and enables believers to rejoice in tribulations. The bitterness of Christ suffering and death made our lives not bitter but better. Jesus is able to turn our bitterness into joy, obstacles into opportunities and problems into promises.
Further readings:
2Ki 2:21
Psa 34:8
Mar 16:17-18
🙏 Blessed Easter 🙏