In our last lesson we saw Israel on the western shore of the Red Sea, in great desperation, recognizing fully their extremity, for before them lay the Red Sea, to the side of them the mountains, and behind them the pursuing Egyptians. Let it be remembered that it was God who brought them there, for it was at Etham, in the edge of the wilderness, that he turned them southward to Pi- hahiroth (Exod. 14:2) as if to increase the barriers to be overcome before them. Surely the little fords to the north of the Red Sea, would not have presented so impenetrable a barrier as they met at Pi-hahiroth. But had God permitted them to follow the easterly course from Ethan, they might never have realized that the fullness of their deliverance from Egypt was not the result of their labors, but wholly of God. How often does God have to lead us into experiences, wherein it becomes necessary for us to “stand still and see the salvation of God!” All such experiences are permitted of God for the express purpose of strengthening our faith. So was it with Israel. God separated, as it were, the waters of the sea, probably by means of natural phenomena – an ebb tide and a strong northerly wind – exposing for a time, a sandbar, over which Israel crossed to the farther shore. Israel beholding the path through the sea, probably also recognized that the waters momentarily separated, would again return. But remembering how God had dealt with them while in Egypt, and how he had delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh, they were now rightly exercised, they could, and would demonstrate their faith, (appreciation of past favors) by believing that that selfsame God would bring them to the farther shore, ere permitting the waters to return. They stepped into the breach and by the hand of God were brought to the Eastern shore of the Red Sea. Here then, they were permitted to look back, to stand still and see the salvation of God! Having thus exercised faith, and being rewarded with the victory thereof, they did not look back longingly to Egypt, but in the joy of deliverance, back only to see the utter destruction of those who essayed to walk in the path of faith unworthily. The Egyptians were destroyed. This victory of faith, gave to Israel the assurance that never again would they be troubled by these Egyptians, and so in the full glory of it all, they sang the song of Moses. With what abandon must they have sung it, with what exceeding joy. What an impetus was now theirs to journey on, led by the hand of God to the Canaan of Promise!

At least this once, did they praise God. They seem for the moment to have forgotten self, thus note the beauty of their song:

Exod. 15:1, 2 – “I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously…the Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God and I will exalt him…”

However, as we shall shortly see, they soon forgot this glorious God, and thought too deeply on self, with the result that murmurings most often took the place of the hymn of praise. There was a “grieved God” and a “lost Canaan.” (Heb. 3:10,17-19; 1 Cor. 10:5)

Now, dear friends, there are times when in the providences of God, we too, like Israel of old, are brought into tight places, when humanly speaking there is no possible way for escape for us. And while we may wish to be doing a great deal about it there is absolutely nothing that we can do. Salvation, if it comes at all, must come from God. We must look to him as our strong tower as the God of our Salvation. It is a Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the Sea. But if in obedience to his will we stand still, awaiting his order to move forward, we shall soon observe, as it were, a seeming suspension of nature’s laws (as the waters of the Red Sea parted for Israel) faith opening up a way before us, a way which will require faith for us to walk in. Again, it must be “let go, and let God!” Placing ourselves thus completely in his hands, the victory of faith is soon ours, and we too sing the song of deliverance. But more often than not, we fail to think of God and his mighty works on our behalf, but we think of self, we feel sorry for ourselves, instinctively we long for past pleasure, mixed though these were with a servitude to sin – the result – we like Israel, murmur and repine. Now it is well for us to note that God, despite this tendency on the part of Israel to forget him, continued in long-suffering kindness to exercise himself on their behalf. So too, does he do for us. But, as the time came, when at Kadesh Barnea, he ceased to strive to bring them into Canaan, we must be on guard, lest we also be persistent in unbelief and unfaithfulness, are shut from this “rest.” Let us prayerfully consider the Apostle Paul’s words in:

Heb. 3:12 – “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” (See also Heb. 4:8)

There are but two ways open to us: One, forgetting self and remembering God; the other, forgetting God and remembering self. The former is faith, and will be rewarded of God, the latter is unbelief and disobedience and merits his sore displeasure. The song which the Israelites sang on the Eastern shore of the Red Sea, was a hymn of praise, but it was theirs to sing only because they had forgotten self and remembered God. Let us keep in mind, dear friends, that if we are in time to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb on the farther shore, we must every day and in every way remember God and forget self.

The account tells us that Moses next led them from the Red Sea into the wilderness of SHUR, and into this wilderness they went “three days” journey. (Exod. 15:22) You will recall that the purpose of their departure from Egypt as rehearsed in the ears of Pharaoh was “to go three days journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.” (Exod. 3:18) Perhaps it is this wilderness of SHUR, (also called the wilderness of ETHAM – Num. 33:8) that more particularly is referred to in the entreaties of Moses to Pharaoh. At least, this is the first time that reference is made to the “three days journey,” and when we consider that it was only after they had reached the farther shore of the Red Sea that they were really out of the hands of the Egyptians, we can be reasonably sure that this is the wilderness referred to. But did they sacrifice unto the Lord? Let us see.

Evidently their water supply had given out, and they were thirsty. We read:

Exod. 15:22-24 – “…and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water, and when they came to Marah they could not drink of the waters of Marah for they were bitter… and the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?”

What a picture of the human heart we have here! How soon it can forget God and his mighty works on its behalf. Instead of dwelling on the mountain top of faith in the glorious light of God’s countenance, it allows itself to be cast down by the world, the flesh or the devil into the dark and dismal valley and shadow of death. Instead of offering to God the sacrifices of thanksgiving, it murmurs and repines, for where God should be enthroned in the heart, self is.

How well the Psalmist has put it when he declares:

Psa. 107:21, 22 – “Oh that men would praise the Lord, for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing.” (Hebrew-singing)

Israel forgot God, and remembered self, thus do the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving give way to the murmurings of the flesh, but God in his graciousness still strove with them. Was it not he who in his providences had led them to Marah! But why? Could he not have saved them the bitterness of the waters and the hardness of the way? Ah yes, but these all, to the heart centered upon God, would be but stepping stones bringing them closer to him.

God had not forgotten his people, but they had forgotten him, so now, this second time, with the journey only commenced, they murmured. True, they were very thirsty and there was not water. Suddenly they spy a stream and they anticipate refreshment. But instead of already praising God for his guidance to the stream, they still seem to be thinking merely of self. Such thoughts, surely, were not conducive to progress in this pilgrim way. If in thought, in faith and by faith, they had ever lived in Canaan – the Canaan of God’s promise, the hardships to the flesh would have seemed but slight afflictions, which they might then, more easily have borne. So the waters they found at Marah were bitter, and they murmured, seemingly against Moses, however it was really against God. God heard, and in his loving kindness and tender mercy, blessed them with refreshment. He showed Moses a tree, “which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.” (Exod. 15:25)

Ofttimes, dear friends, God has to bring us to some bitter waters, but in remembering God, we shall find, that even these have been sweetened for us by the cross of Jesus. Yea, that cross is the tree cast into the midst of our stream of life which often flows with bitter waters, but whose bitterness is thus robbed in the contemplation, that we are daily and hourly brought closer to our eternal inheritance, God’s Canaan Rest. Now let it be noted, not a word is said about Israel on this occasion, offering to this most gracious God, the sacrifices of thanksgiving. It seems they just took all of his grace as a matter of fact.

I am afraid, we too, like Israel of old, fail to appreciate God’s kindnesses to us. We take them as if it were his duty to bestow them upon us. We are often very forgetful of God, at least we are not as thankful as we ought to be. Nor are we to presume that because God has graciously responded to all our murmurings, that he will continue evermore to do so. There comes a time when he must cease to strive to bring us into Canaan, even as he did with Israel of old. All our trials and all our experiences, coming to us as the true Israel of God, are permitted by him, and have but one purpose, that of making us worthy of the inheritance of the saints in light. (Col. 1:12) Therefore, let us ever praise him, for of such is the acceptable sacrifice to be offered in our wilderness wanderings.

The next station to which God led the nation of Israel was Elim “where were twelve wells of water, and three score and ten palm trees” (Exod. 15:27) and the account says, “They encamped there by the water.” Here we find no registration of murmuring. Nor do we find ought of praise, despite the fact that their wants all, were now supplied. Let us never get the idea that if everything went well with us, and all our needs were supplied, we would lead more acceptable lives before Jehovah. Experience teaches us quite to the contrary. Professor Wieman of Chicago tells the story of a roommate of his college days who wished to improve his intellectual life by concentrated study at night. He procured a large comfortable chair, study slippers, and a lounging jacket. An adjustable book rack was fastened to the side of the chair to hold the book at the proper angle for the eyes. A special lamp was installed, with eyeshade, pencils, papers, and a revolving bookcase. Professor Wieman tells how this chap would come home in the evening, take off his coat, don his jacket, take off his shoes, put on his slippers, sit comfortably in his chair, adjust his eyeshade, and then – “fall asleep”! So is it with us, we must have uncomfortable experiences to rouse us out of our lethargy. God had to give Israel the hardness of the way so that there would be created in them a greater desire for the “Land of Promise, the land flowing with milk and honey.” This undoubtedly is the thought of Moses’ words in:

Deut. 32:10-12 – “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings; so the Lord alone did lead him.”

Ah yes, those little eaglets in that little nest away up in that distant crag of yonder mountain, far above the point where any human being could reach them, feel so safely sheltered within the comfort of their nest. The comfort is so satisfying, and since the mother eagle brings them their food, why should they ever leave the comfort of that nest? But the mother instinctively knows that those eaglets will never learn to fly that way; so she stirs up the nest, to drive them out as it were. Perhaps she finds little sharp twigs, or thorns of some kind and sticks

them into the side of the nest to make it uncomfortable for the little eaglets. At any rate she stirs up the nest. We can imagine how those little eaglets would get up on the edge of the nest still seeking comfort, when suddenly the mother would flutter her wings and over the edge of the nest they would go, as if falling into a bottomless pit. They make a little effort to fly and this is just what the mother wants, then she spreads her wings, probably gets underneath them to bear them safely back to rest. Only so do they learn to fly. Just so did God deal with Jacob, (i.e. the children of Israel) in their wilderness wanderings, and just so does he deal with us.

It is true, God does grant many moments of peace and rest and tranquility even ere we reach our Canaan – we do have our Elims. But let us not forget the purpose of these is not that we shall at such times complacently idle away our time, but rather we are to refresh ourselves and build up that spiritual reserve which is to enable us the better to withstand the rigors of the desert way still to be travelled. Let us then show our God how we do appreciate his loving kindnesses and tender mercies, by praising him with the song of our lives, faith and obedience to his will. And when the time comes for us to leave these blessed oases and to strike out into the howling wilder- ness, let us not be loathe to leave Elim behind, but in its refreshment enter into the hardships of the way, in full assurance of the fact, that it is God who leads us on. Blessed be his holy Name!

Forget self, remember God, and you shall have the peace of God that surpasseth all human understanding, even in the midst of trials and difficulties, for “great peace have they who love thy law and nothing shall offend them!” (Phil. 4:7; Psa. 119:165)