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REFORMED THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, MKAR-GBOKO

(An Affiliate of the University of Calabar)

COURSE TITLE:
PREACHING PRACTICUM II

COURSE CODE:
THE 291

SERMON TEXT:
EXODUS 15:22-27

PRESENTED BY:
MANASSEH TERUMBUR TERSEER
RTS/BTH/22/0362540140

SUBMITTED TO:
REV. DR. J.T. IORKIGHIR/REV. D.D. ATILE

VENUE:
RTS CHAPEL

DATE:
22ND AUGUST, 2023
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SERMON OUTLINE

CALL TO WORSHIP: Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with
gladness; come before him with joyful songs (Psalm 100:1-2,
NIV).

BIBLE TEXT: Exodus 15:22-27

TEXTUAL THEME: God changed bitter water to sweet of Marah for the Israelites to
drink.

TEXTUAL GOAL: To teach the Israelites that God changes bitter situations to
good ones for His people.

SERMON THEME: God changes bitter situations to good for His people.

SERMON GOAL: To teach Christians that God has the capacity to change their
bitter situations to good.
To teach Christians to learn to depend on God when faced with
bitter situations.
SERMON DIVISIONS

i. Division I:Israelites’Challenges in the desert (vv. 22-23)

a. Three days journey without water in the desert – v. 22
b. Bitter water at Marah – v.23

ii. Division II: Reaction of the Israelites (v. 24-25a)

a. They grumbled against Moses – v. 24
b. Moses cried to the Lord – v. 25a

iii. Division III: How God change Israel’s bitter situation to good (vv25b-27)
a. He made bitter water sweet – v. 25b
b. He made for them a decree and laws – v. 25b, 26.
c. God brought them to Elim – v. 27
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INTRODUCTION

Change is inevitable. There lived in a village, a farmer named Aji. Aji toiled day in and day

out, struggling to make ends meet due to the unyielding dry spells that left his fields barren.

Despite his hard work, his crops failed, and his family faced hardships. He will always gather

his family and together they prayed, putting their trust in God’s ability to turn their situation

around. Days came, rain clouds gathered in the sky, and the heavens opened up. The parched

earth soaked up the much-needed moisture, and Aji’s fields began to flourish. His once-

barren land now bore fruits and vegetables in abundance, sustaining his family and even

allowing him to help his neighbors. Friends in Christ, if God could change the situation of

other people who seek Him from bad to good, then He can also change our situation from that

which is bad to good. It is on this background that I want us to consider this morning the

sermon theme: God Changes Bitter Situations to Good for His People.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The book of Exodus chronicles the deliverance of Israelites from Egypt and their journey to

the Promised Land. God himself chose and sent Moses to deliver His people from the land of

Egypt, the land of sufferings (Ex. 3:1-10). When Moses appeared before Pharaoh, God

performed exceptional miracles through Moses to show His mightiness (Ex. 7-10).

When God dealt with Pharaoh concerning the death of first born of humans and animals in

Egypt, Pharaoh allowed Israelites to leave, but as God hardened the heart of Pharaoh he

pursued Israel down to the Red Sea. Red Sea is used to designate the Gulf of Aqaba (Ex.

23:31) and the Gulf of Suez (Ex. 10:19; Num. 33:10). On their way out of the land of Egypt,

the Israelites were faced with another challenge of crossing the Red Sea. They grumbled

against Moses, and Moses assured them that “the Egyptians you see today, you will never see

again” (Exo. 14:13,14). In the preceding chapter, the Israelites had just experienced the
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miraculous parting of the Red Sea, which was a powerful display of God’s deliverance.

Moses and the Israelites sang a song which reflects on the awe-inspiring display of God’s

might, faithfulness, power and victory He achieved on behalf of His people (Ex. 15:1-21).

However in our text today, their elation soon gave way to the harsh reality of the desert,

where they encountered a new challenge. This challenge will be the basis of what we shall be

discussing in the first division of our sermon.

DIVISION I: ISRAELITES’ CHALLENGES IN THE DESERT (VV. 22-23)

a. Three days without water in the desert – v. 22

Israelite’s first challenge was that they travelled for three days in the desert without finding

water. This lack of water was a profound challenge highlighting their vulnerability and

dependence on provisions in the harsh desert situation. Desert is a barren area of land or

desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation, as such food and water is a big

challenge. The desert, the Israelites found themselves was a thirsty and waterless land, which

has venomous snakes and scorpions (Deut. 8:15). The emphasis on three days without water

underscores the bitterness of their situation. It demonstrates the hardships they encountered in

their journey. Water is essential for life. I cannot imagine even spending one day without

water. Here they are three days, walking in a dry, sunny and sandy desert. It must have been

frustrating.

b. Bitter water at Marah – v. 23

Another challenge faced by the Israelites is that, they found themselves at Marah where the

only available water was undrinkable because of the bitter taste (v. 23a). What a

disappointment. It is bad when there is no water, it is worse when the only water you find is

bitter. Little wonder, the name of the placed is called Marah which means ‘bitterness’ (v.
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23b). In Egypt the Israelites drank from River Nile. Even today people say that the water of

River Nile has a good taste that cannot be discovered in any other streams of the world. What

a change from the sweetness of the Nile to the bitterness of Marah!

Brethren, in this life we can find ourselves in bitter situations such as increase in prices in

food stuffs in the market, challenges in our marriages, crises everywhere, where to run to is a

challenge, politicians have pushed us to the wall through their bad leadership policies, may

be, your beloved one has passed away and you are left with a bitter experience. As

Seminarian, you may be facing bitter situations which involve financial challenge to pay for

tuition and attend to other financial obligations as well as several other challenges we are

faced with. These bitter situations have made life to be unpleasant and unbearable for us to

carry out our daily activities properly. In any bitter situations you find yourself in, always

depend on God to see you through the situation. The Israelite, when faced with a bitter

situation, they reacted. Their reaction is what we shall be discussing in the next division of

our sermon. Peg this point. This guys had the challenge of water in the course of walking

with God to the promise land. Even though God has called us out of the world to receive

training and walk with Him in the gospel ministry, this does not guarantee us freedom from

challenges, even as seminarians we can suffer hunger, diseases and hardship. But that’s part

of the training, God is always there for us to help.

DIVISION II: REACTION OF THE ISRAELITES (V. 24-25a)

a. They grumbled against Moses – v. 24

Israelites’ reaction amidst the bitter situation they encountered in the desert was

disheartening. They grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (v. 24). The

Israelites’ reaction to lack of water at Marah is a manner similar to their grumbling against

Moses at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:10-12). Murmuring was the common mode in which they show
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their displeasure, when anything went ill with them; and as Moses had persuaded them to quit

Egypt, the murmuring was chiefly against him. After three days of serious thirst, when they

got water, they taught they have gotten something to quench their intolerable longing. Just to

find out that the water was bitter for them to drink. Instead of trusting and depending on God

to provide and deliver them from their challenging situation, they rather grumbled against

Moses (v. 24a). As humans, we have a nature to complain when faced with bitter situations.

We often forget about God’s faithfulness and divine providence. Instead of trusting and

relying on God to see us through our bitter situations, we rather complain and lament bitterly

about our situations. We easily forget the goodness and mercies of God which He has being

doing to us, and complain more about the short bitter situations we find ourselves in.

Complaining does not change anything, it rather brings dissensions. God knows the

challenges we are passing through. Oftentimes, these challenges are ways God uses to test

our faithfulness to Him. Hence, let us be faithful to God and learn to depend on Him wholly.

God does not want us to murmur or complain in any circumstances but this is how people

react. They will be frustrated but they take their frustrations on somebody else. Dear friends,

walking three days in the desert without water was humanly a very difficult situation for the

Israelites, not very many of us can survive that even today. However, they needed not to

complain but rather state their problem logically for God to solve. That’s the problem with

very many of us even today. We are experts in complaining, even where we have better

options to present our challenges, we resort to complain rather than making appeals. Most

times, the concerned authorities may be working out solutions to our challenges, by virtue of

presenting them genuinely shows our obedience and respect to the authority we are subject

to. This was God's expectations from the Israelites.

b. Moses cried to the Lord – v. 25a

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But for Moses, he did not join the complaining group. When the Israelites grumbled against

him, he cried to God because he knows that, it is God who has delivered the Israelites with

His mighty hand from slavery. Only He has the power to resolve all bitter situations in the

desert. When faced with ugly situations, let us pray to God, who is powerful to change bitter

situations to good ones. God asked in Jer. 32:27 that, is anything too hard for me? In Mark

10:27 Jesus says, “For all things are possible with God.” Moses’ cry to God for help shows

the importance of turning to God in prayer during times of hardship in order to seek divine

intervention.

Beloved, let us be reminded that in our moments of bitterness, we must turn to God in

humble appeal, acknowledging our need for His intervention. God responds to our cries with

His grace, revealing His willingness to bring about change. How God responded to the bitter

situation faced by the Israelites when Moses cried to Him is what we shall be discussing in

the last division of our sermon.

DIVISION III: HOW GOD CHANGED ISRAEL’S BITTER SITUATION TO GOOD

(VV. 25b-27)

a. He made bitter water sweet – v. 25b

God directed Moses to a tree that transforms the bitter waters into sweet one. Moses took the

right approach, the way of faith: he cried out to the Lord and then followed God’s orders.

God showed him the source for the miracle. God has a solution for every challenge we go

through. For Moses, God showed him the tree which was solution. Beloved, this act of divine

intervention illustrates God’s ability to turn the most challenging situations around for our

good, be it financial, marital, physical, material, or spiritual challenges.

b. He made for them a decree and a law – v. 25b-26

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As a way to curtail their bitter situation, God made for them a decree and a law (v. 25b). This

law and decree shows God’s covenantal faithfulness. It is demanded that all these decrees and

laws be perfectly kept which will guide them through test and bitter situations they were

passing through (Lev. 26:3-13). God’s promise of protection from diseases if the Israelites

obey His commands underscores the covenant blessings and curses. This hinges on the

testing God brings to them in the desert. The significance of God testing the Israelites lies in

its role in their spiritual growth, trust in God, and the demonstration of God’s character as a

faithful provider and healer. Exodus 15:25b shows that God’s healing provision was

conditional on their obedience.

Dearly beloved, our covenantal relationship with God is rooted in our obedience to His

decrees and laws. Our obedience to God is for our own good. God’s promise of protection

and health hinges on obedience to His commands. Obedience reflects our trust in God’s

wisdom and goodness, aligning our lives with His purpose. When we follow God’s ways, He

transforms even the unpleasant circumstances into blessings.

c. God brought them to Elim – v. 27

Another way God changed Israel’s bitter situation was to lead them to Elim, where there

were twelve springs of water (one spring for each tribe) and seventy palm trees (v. 27). The

Lord did not just change the waters of Marah, but he also led His people to Elim - a place of

rest and refreshment. They can drink and eat as much as they want. Had the people trusted

God fully, there would have been no need to grumble at Marah. Elim was only a short

distance away where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees.

Beloved, God changes our bitter situations by changing things (like making the bitter waters

sweet) or by giving us something else (like the wells of water at Elim), or by giving us the

grace we need to bear with our difficulties and not complain. Once you prove yourself
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faithful, God has a great blessing in store for us. Your bitterness will be changed greatly by

God.

CHRISTOCENTRICITY

Beloved, when our first parents disobeyed against God, sin came into this world. Sin brought

a lot of calamities and bitter situations, rebellion, grumbling and eternal damnation.

Nevertheless, God’s love and divine providence He demonstrated through Christ’s has made

a way of deliverance by turning our bitter and hopeless sinful situation into an opportunity for

our redemption (Rom. 5:8). Just as God directed Moses to use a piece of wood to make the

bitter water sweet, that’s how God sends His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ to redeem us

from the bitterness of sin. Christ went through bitter situations to redeem us. He was tempted

in every way just as we are, but he did not sin. He was faithful to God till the end. Christ

death on the Cross has brought about spiritual restoration and transformation to all who have

faith in Him (1 Pet. 2:24). Rev. 21:3-5 envisions a future where God wipes away tears,

turning all suffering into eternal goodness through Christ. We live a fallen world, marred by

bitterness, brokenness, and pain. Our hearts are burdened by sin and we often face challenges

that seem insurmountable, yet God’s promise to change bitter situations into good shines as a

beacon of hope in our darkest moments.

CONCLUSION

Dear brethren, as we reflect on this, we see the consistent thread of God’s transformative

power running through the narrative. The same God who turned bitter waters sweet, who led

the Israelites through trials, and who offered covenantal blessings is at work in our lives

today. In our moments of bitterness, let us cry out to Him in prayer, remembering that

through Christ’s sacrifice, God changes even the most challenging situations into blessings
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beyond measure. May we embrace the truth that God’s hand is capable of turning what is

bitter into something remarkably good for His people in Jesus Christ Name. Amen.

Great. Sorry am just seen this stuff, my phone was down. So sorry. Good luck.