Healing the Bitter Waters

(Copyright) by Catherine C. Kroeger (Brewster, Massachusetts)
Joanna has given us a wonderful spiritual pilgrimage through the story of the Exodus. St. Paul wrote that this saga supplies us with spiritual examples. (1 Cor. 10:6), and we are invited to apply the episodes to our personal lives. In the Exodus narrative, there are several stories about water, but one that always seizes my attention is that of the waters at Marah, which means, bitter. (Exodus 15:22.25). The children of Israel have been traveling for three days without coming to a source of water. In those days, water was carried in animal skins, and after three days any water left must surely have been unappetizing. At last, they reach a pool, only to discover that it tastes so nasty that they cannot drink it. There are many such brackish pools and wells in the desert. The newly delivered people now face a sobering disappointment. The hope of quenching their thirst is dashed by the cruel reality. Why had Moses led them to such a wretched place? How were they to survive? How many victims have come in their journey to just such a spot of disillusionment and despair! Love and trust have been betrayed, that which seemed most precious has become most hurtful. As one survivor told me, so many places evoked dreadful memories of how her abuser had mistreated her or her children at that particular site. Another pointed out that so many of the major events of her life were marred by the cruelty that she had endured at the death of a relative, the birth of a child, or the request to be taken to the hospital during a miscarriage. So many things can trigger memories, such as an old photo or a song or even a scent. How can the waters ever turn sweet? In our story, God showed Moses a piece of wood (or branch with leaves) that he cast into the water, turning it sweet. To this day, Bedouins throw certain shrubs into the brackish water so that the salts sink to the bottom and remain there. Above them lies excellent drinking water. Some have allegorized the tree of Moses as being the cross of Christ, who can bring sweetness into our lives. Surely His redeeming grace is the great transformer. But just as God showed Moses a particular piece of vegetation, there can be other means of sweetening as well. To these we too may be led by God in many different ways. Despite surgical intervention, a survivor’s internal wounds continued to bleed periodically for many years. At last, the woman said, “God, I’m trying so hard to forgive, and then the bleeding brings the abuse all back again. Won’t you please stop it so that I can do better at forgiving?” From that time on, there was no more bleeding. Another survivor resorted to a bit of whimsy when she felt overwhelmed with the garbage that still littered her soul. She explained that she simply telephoned the Heavenly Rubbish Removal Service for a pickup. The service provided was prompt, reliable and efficacious. Then she would enjoy a chuckle as she envisioned Jesus rumbling away with the dump truck . Recently, a therapist remarked to me that a victim can begin to let go of her resentment and anger when she sees that there has been repentance on the part of the abuser. She told of a husband who, while he was seeking to change his ways, missed his flight connection. He was forced to sit for several hours in an airport far from home, and suddenly the enormity of what he had done to his family began to surface in his mind. As the hours passed, the realization grew; and he was able to return to his family and to express his shame and remorse. Both his confession and his altered conduct delivered the wife from her bitterness. Another woman told me of how her ex-husband sought her out after many years. “I never would have deserted you if I had known that I would wake up every morning of my life, realizing that I had abandoned you with a two-year-old child and no real way to support yourself.” Genuine repentance is a great sweetener that facilitates forgiveness (Luke 17:3), but there are other healing shrubs that God may lead you to find: prayer, spiritual fellowship, the solace and affirmation of the scriptures, the confidence that a better part of the journey lies ahead. It was there at Marah that the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them. (Exodus 15:25). Here, God first gave His people a promise of guidance and protection if they would walk with Him in obedience; at the place of bitter waters the concept was first introduced. The next stopping place of the Israelites had twelve refreshing springs and an abundance of date palms. Beyond that was Mount Sinai with a formalizing of the covenant process begun at Marah. The oppression and degradation of Egypt was left behind, and a renewed people moved on. —————————————————————————————————————– See Catherine C. Kroeger’s other articles at: Kroeger, Catherine C. – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: God’s Word to Women http://www.godswordtowomen.org/ —————————————————————————————————————–

(Copyright) by Catherine C. Kroeger (Brewster, Massachusetts)

Joanna has given us a wonderful spiritual pilgrimage through the story of the Exodus. St. Paul wrote that this saga supplies us with spiritual examples. (1 Cor. 10:6), and we are invited to apply the episodes to our personal lives.

In the Exodus narrative, there are several stories about water, but one that always seizes my attention is that of the waters at Marah, which means, bitter. (Exodus 15:22.25).

The children of Israel have been traveling for three days without coming to a source of water. In those days, water was carried in animal skins, and after three days any water left must surely have been unappetizing. At last, they reach a pool, only to discover that it tastes so nasty that they cannot drink it. There are many such brackish pools and wells in the desert.

The newly delivered people now face a sobering disappointment. The hope of quenching their thirst is dashed by the cruel reality. Why had Moses led them to such a wretched place? How were they to survive? How many victims have come in their journey to just such a spot of disillusionment and despair! Love and trust have been betrayed, that which seemed most precious has become most hurtful.

As one survivor told me, so many places evoked dreadful memories of how her abuser had mistreated her or her children at that particular site. Another pointed out that so many of the major events of her life were marred by the cruelty that she had endured at the death of a relative, the birth of a child, or the request to be taken to the hospital during a miscarriage. So many things can trigger memories, such as an old photo or a song or even a scent. How can the waters ever turn sweet?

In our story, God showed Moses a piece of wood (or branch with leaves) that he cast into the water, turning it sweet. To this day, Bedouins throw certain shrubs into the brackish water so that the salts sink to the bottom and remain there. Above them lies excellent drinking water. Some have allegorized the tree of Moses as being the cross of Christ, who can bring sweetness into our lives. Surely His redeeming grace is the great transformer. But
just as God showed Moses a particular piece of vegetation, there can be other means of sweetening as well. To these we too may be led by God in many different ways.

Despite surgical intervention, a survivor’s internal wounds continued to bleed periodically for many years. At last, the woman said, “God, I’m trying so hard to forgive, and then the bleeding brings the abuse all back again. Won’t you please stop it so that I can do better at forgiving?” From that time on, there was no more bleeding. Another
survivor resorted to a bit of whimsy when she felt overwhelmed with the garbage that still littered her soul. She explained that she simply telephoned the Heavenly Rubbish Removal Service for a pickup. The service provided was prompt, reliable and efficacious. Then she would enjoy a chuckle as she envisioned Jesus rumbling away with the dump truck
.
Recently, a therapist remarked to me that a victim can begin to let go of her resentment and anger when she sees that there has been repentance on the part of the abuser. She told of a husband who, while he was seeking to change his ways, missed his flight connection. He was forced to sit for several hours in an airport far from home, and suddenly the enormity of what he had done to his family began to surface in his mind. As the hours passed, the realization grew; and he was able to return to his family and to express his shame and remorse. Both his confession and his altered conduct delivered the wife from her bitterness.

Another woman told me of how her ex-husband sought her out after many years. “I never would have deserted you if I had known that I would wake up every morning of my life, realizing that I had abandoned you with a two-year-old child and no real way to support yourself.”

Genuine repentance is a great sweetener that facilitates forgiveness (Luke 17:3), but there are other healing shrubs that God may lead you to find: prayer, spiritual fellowship, the solace and affirmation of the scriptures, the confidence that a better part of the journey lies ahead.

It was there at Marah that the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them. (Exodus 15:25). Here, God first gave His people a promise of guidance and protection if they would walk with Him in obedience; at the place of bitter waters the concept was first introduced.

The next stopping place of the Israelites had twelve refreshing springs and an abundance of date palms. Beyond that was Mount Sinai with a formalizing of the covenant process begun at Marah. The oppression and degradation of Egypt was left behind, and a renewed people moved on.

—————————————————————————————————————–
See Catherine C. Kroeger’s other articles at:
Kroeger, Catherine C. – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org)

Reprinted with permission from: God’s Word to Women
http://www.godswordtowomen.org/
—————————————————————————————————————–