MOSES: THREE DAYS

Picture the scene: God meets with Moses, a lowly shepherd, telling him that he would be the one to lead Israel out of Egypt, and the oppressive control of Pharoah, into the Promised Land. To help with this, God equips Moses with some special miraculous signs and the support of Aaron, his brother. God tells Moses to meet with Pharoah and demand that Israel be permitted to make a three-day journey to worship the Lord in the desert (Exodus 3:18)

We read that Moses repeats God’s demand to Pharoah of a three-day journey in Exodus 5:3 and 8:27, and after many plagues, agreements and retractions by Pharoah, Israel is finally permitted to leave. But Pharoah changes his mind and pursues Israel, but then God delivers Israel by making a miraculous way through the Red Sea with Moses lifting up his staff to divide the water. Great celebration by Israel ensues:

Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?(Exodus 15:11)

So, Israel’s journey starts on a high note of praise. Three days later after travelling in the desert, Israel reaches Marah. This was the place God outlined to Moses and Aaron that would be a place of worship for Israel by offering sacrifices to the Lord. But instead, because the water there is undrinkable, there is a bitter spirit in the collective mood of Israel, with grumbling and complaining. (Exodus 15:22 – 26). God then reveals a piece of wood that Moses threw into the water, and the water became palatable to drink.

There are similarities in this story for us. Maybe we join with other believers on a Sunday and have a heart full of worship for all that the Lord has done for us. But perhaps by Wednesday, three days later, we have a bitter mood and are complaining and grumbling before the Lord because of the lack we are experiencing.

In the midst of this “stuff”, God revealed to Moses just a piece of wood that “happened” to be there and caused the water to become sweet. God used this piece of wood as a foreshadowing of His promised Branch (Jesus). Look at Isaiah 4:2-6 and its references to the coming of the Branch in the context of pillars of cloud and fire, like those that accompanied Israel in their journey:  

In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious….. Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. (Isaiah 4:2,5, 6)

So, similarly when the bitterness of lack comes rolling around on Wednesdays, we can be confident that our Branch will “happen” to be there amidst the “stuff” of life, and will transform our bitter situations with the sweetness of His presence. And it WILL be a place of worship!