And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them. Exodus 15:25
Horticulturalists are unable to identify any tree or shrub capable of turning a bitter water source into potable water. At least not instantly. And yet, that is exactly what happened in our text. As the children of Israel reached Marah, they found plenty of water there, but it was far too bitter to safely drink. The thirsty Israelites began to murmur against Moses. We know nothing about the tree that God showed to Moses, except that casting it into the water solved the problem. But we do know of another tree that God has showed us that solves all of our problems.
We are saved today because God showed to us the great work His Son accomplished for us on Golgotha’s bitter tree. Our problem was worse than the thirst of the Israelites. But the sweet and living waters flowing from the cross of Calvary have met our need, saving our souls from judgment and assuring us of eternal residence with our Saviour. As Peter reminds us, ‘Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree 1 Peter 2:24.
But the work of that tree did not stop its amazing provision on the day we were saved. Every day since then, we needed refreshment for our souls, protection from the enemy’s darts, and comfort from the world’s griefs and sorrows. And the power of the work of the cross has never come up short. And never will.
The chorus of Jessie Pounds’ lovely old hymn come to mind: ‘The way of the cross leads home, The way of the cross leads home; It is sweet to know as I onward go, The way of cross leads home.’ -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the viodeo of this message: https://youtu.be/zFVW8Gb1Rk4