22So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
They came to a place of water. They were thirsty and had to have some water. They came to a place of water, but it was bitter. Bitter waters. Notice it says they could not drink of it. This speaks of how to deal with the bitter pill of life that we are faced with on a daily basis. Do you know that the walk in the wilderness to the Promised Land is not a bed of roses? There are bitter things, and things in life that you just can't go around. You have to do something with them.These people are being led by a cloud. They were led here to a place of bitter waters. Why? They had to learn, once and for all, how to deal with bitter waters. Some people will teach you that you just have to drink the bitter things in life. You just have to take them in, because that's God. Listen. They were brought to the water by God, but they were not told to drink those bitter waters by God. It said they couldn't drink it. You can't drink them.
Verse 24 And the people complained against Moses,Listen, the song has turned to murmuring instantly. It turned so overnight because of the bitter waters after three days of travel. There is a three days from Goshen to the Red Sea that speaks of the Cross. Then there's three days from Red Sea from the place of Shur, that also speaks of the Cross. This is the very first thing you need to learn in your Salvation experience -- how to deal with bitter waters -- because you are going to be faced with them all of your life.Do you drink them? No! You know what happens when you drink bitter waters? You become bitter!
The Church and the world is filled with bitterness. There arfe people in the world that wouldn't set foot in the Church because they have been told by people that God did those bitter things to them. So they wouldn't come for anything. Who would serve a God that would do things like that to you? The truth is that Father brings you to bitter experiences and teaches you how to deal with them. This is the first thing they learned. How to deal with bitterness -- bitter waters.
Here's what they did,
24-25 And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. 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,Listen to this. First, the answer to the bitter waters was already there long before they ever got to the bitter waters. Father didn't create that tree, the answer was already there. It was there before they ever knew there was a problem.So we come before the Lord and we say, "Oh Lord, I have a problem and your going to have to do something." And Father doesn't have to do a single thing except show you the answer He has already provided. Father doesn't have to provide an answer, He shows us the answer He has already provided. See? We don't need answers. We need revelation of the answer.
What is the answer?
No. 1, He showed them a tree. 1 Peter 2:24 says, He himself bore our sins on the Tree. What tree? The cross of Calvary.
Gal. 3:13 the Bible says that Jesus became a curse on a tree.
Over and over again, the Cross is called a tree. We get to bitter waters and we say, "Oh Lord, what are you going to do about this?" And Fathers answer will always be at tree.
No. 2, He had to show them the answer.
No. 3, They had to put the Tree in the water. Father didn't do it. And when they did, they could drink of that water, because the water was changed.
What's the principle there? On the way to the Promised Land, when you face trouble in your walk, in life, the very Tree that got you out of Egypt will keep a wall around you. Its not that you will never have any problems. But there will be a power to deal with problems. It's the Tree. The same Tree that got you saved. There is an ever-working salvation in that cross.
There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them,
There wasn't any statutes and ordinance before this. He took them three days out there and gave them statutes and ordinances. "Just obey me, be obedient."
6 "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."Psalms 105:37 said, He brought them forth with silver and gold and there was not one of them feeble.The first thing that Father did was reveal himself as healer. And there was not one feeble one among them in the whole journey. What was the power that brought that? It was the tree. Is there healing power in the Cross of Calvary? What Father is teaching us to do is put the Tree in the bitterness of sickness and disease. Do you understand that?
The children of Israel learned to put the Tree in the water. That's the principle they learned. Then He took them to Marah to Elam.
Notice Elim,
27Then they came to Elim,How many of you know the Bible pictures people as trees? They came to a place called a "strong tree," where there were twelve wells of water. What does that mean? If you learn that the Tree is your answer, Father takes you to a place where there is twelve wells of water.What are those 12 places? They are the truths that He was Crucified for us, died for us, buried for us, quickened for us, raised for us, seated for us, crucified with, died with, buried with, quickened with, raised with and seated with! They are the six things that Jesus did on the Cross, added to the six results of that which was produced in your life because of it.
Those are twelve wells of water. That principle of 12 goes all the way through Scripture. If you find out that the Tree is the answer, then that opens up twelve wells of water and you won't run out of water.
How many loaves of showbread were in the tabernalce? Twelve! And it goes all the way through the Word of God.
The Bible says of the sun clothed women in Rev. 12, she had a crown and how many stars on her crown? She had 12 stars. That means her mind was renewed to those 12 redemptive facts that Jesus wrought for us an in us in those three days and three nights.
Twelve wells of water and seventy Palm trees.
Remember Jesus had twelve disciples and then He appointed seventy. It's the number of increase.
A Palm tree is straight and full, it grow straight up. It speaks of the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ. If you will learn the principle of Marah then you will be found at Elim. That's where we are headed and some are already there. If you will learn that the answer to the bitter problems is a Tree, then you will have those twelve wells to drink of. Praise God! Isaiah says with Joy shall you draw from the wells of Salvation. With Joy! We are in a feast of Joy. The feast of Tabernacles.
Nehemiah chapter 8 says that when Ezra and all of the Priests began to make them understand the Word, they began to praise Him. There is a song in us, in the Church. We are supposed to be more than what we are today. That song is being sung. Can you hear it? Jesus will have a bride without spot or wrinkle, filled with His glory. And that Bride will be presented unto Himself. It will come unto Him, a face-to-face relationship with her. Scripture says that we are bone of His bone.