Lesson #4 - Doing the Unexpected

The following passage, listed below, from Exodus 15:22-25 is a surprising passage. The Israelite people have been walking in the desert/wilderness for three days. It is an arid land, with limited water resources. A million or more people and very little water over three days is a potential crisis in the making. But praise God they find a oasis or spring of some kind. 

You could probably hear the rejoicing among the thirsty people: 'Water!  We found water!' 

But then it is tasted. It is horrible. Bitter. Disgusting. Makes one sick to their stomach.  Now what?  No water for days, and then the only water that is found you cannot drink it!  So, the people do what most people do, including you and I ... complain. 

The people complained to Moses.  Moses complained to God. And God showed him what?  A piece of wood.  

A what? 

Yes. A piece of wood. 

What good is that?  How is a piece of wood, that is dirty, dry rotted or petrified, going to help the water situation?  This makes no sense at all: "We need water. Not an old dead piece of wood!" 

But Moses in his faith, trusted the Lord and took that piece of wood and threw it into the water. And then tasted he the water. 

It was sweet.  

This is shocking. God showed Moses what to do. It made no sense to him or anyone else, but it is what God wanted done. And the result was great. 

God does ask us me to do some things that make no sense to us from a human perspective: forgiving my neighbor for the 15th time, befriending one who treats me like dirt, being patient with a coworker who is so undeserving, giving someone a second chance for the fifth time, or giving God 10% of my income. And I could go on and on.  

Humanly, it may not make sense, but God knows exactly what He is doing. Let Him work. Trust Him. Leave the results to Him, which will turn good or even great.   


"When Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet."

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