"Three Days In the Wilderness" (Exodus 15:22-27)

"Three Days In the Wilderness" from Exodus 15:22-27 was preached by Dr. Mark McElreath at the City Baptist Church of Atlanta on March 1, 2026. 

Find out more about the City Baptist Church of Atlanta at www.mycitybaptist.com.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome to the City Pulpit. Bible messages from the pulpit ministry of the City Baptist Church in Atlanta.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Well, please take your Bibles with me. Let's go to the book of Exodus. Exodus chapter 15. Exodus chapter 15. We come to this time. We're coming to a point where the children of Israel have come out of Egypt. And now they're entering into the wilderness on their way to the promised land. We'll begin reading in Exodus chapter 15 in verse number 22. Exodus 15, verse number 22. The Bible says, So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea. And they went out into the wilderness of Shur, and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And when they came to Mara, they could not drink of the waters of Mara, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord, and the Lord showed 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. And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee. And they came to Elam, where were twelve wells of water, and three score and ten palm trees, and they encamped there by the waters. Will you mark one phrase with me in verse number twenty two, and we'll take this for the theme of the Bible message this morning, this phrase. Three days in the wilderness. Three days in the wilderness. Now remember, the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt for over four centuries. God has miraculously led them out, and now they've crossed the Red Sea, they come out into the wilderness, and they've been out there three days, and they start murmuring and they start complaining about everything that's not going just the way they think it should go. Now, the days of wilderness, metaphorically speaking, I think can look different for each and every one of us. You may be in a three days of wilderness time right now. It could be because of a chronic illness, and you say, Oh, I spent a lot longer in three days in the wilderness, Pastor. It may be because of a relocation, and you feel like, you know, I left everything I knew, and now here I am, I'm out in the wilderness. Some people think the city of Atlanta is a wilderness. It may be family trauma you're going through, and you say, Yes, this is the path of wilderness that I'm heading through right now. It may be relational issues, it could be dealing with doubt about things. Whatever it may be, there may be a time of wandering in the wilderness that the God has allowed you to walk into right now. And can I encourage you with some things? This happens in every life. We find the children of Israel. Remember what they saw when they came out of Egypt? Ten plagues brought against the Egyptians. Miraculous. They come to the Red Sea, and the most powerful army on the face of the earth is right behind them. And God divides the Red Sea. They walk across on dry ground. They come across, he closes the Red Sea back on them, destroys the Egyptians. In fact, when you read the beginning of chapter 15, all the beginning of chapter 15 is the song of Miriam and all the jubilation over coming out of Egypt, God bringing them across the Red Sea and on their way to the promised land. But on the way to the promised land, there will be some time in the wilderness. And here they find it. In fact, would you look at me in verse 22? It says, Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea. They went out into the wilderness of Shur, and they went three days in the wilderness, and they found no what?

unknown 4:08

Water.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

No water. You know, they've been cut off from every supply that they have known. Everything they knew before it came from the Egyptians. Even if it was very meager, they knew where it was going to come from. And now here they are, and there's no one to depend on, no one to lean on, no stores of supply, and here they are out in the wilderness. No water out in the wilderness. In fact, look at verse number 23, because in a way it gets worse. We find here it says that when they came to Mara, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter, therefore the name of it was called Mara. They come to this place, Marah meaning bitter. They couldn't drink of it. You know, many people say hunger is the best seasoning. Maybe it's good for thirst, too, but this water was so bad, they've been three days without water, and they say, we don't even want to drink this stuff, it's so bad. You may find yourself out in the wilderness. You may find yourself at the bitter place of Mara. Well, can I encourage you? You may be there, but you do not have to stay there. Would you look at this passage with me and let's make note of some things? Three days in the wilderness. Let's remember some things. Would you write down number one, three days in the wilderness? Don't forget past triumphs. Three days in the wilderness, don't forget past triumphs. You know, often we as God's people have a short memory, don't we? We forget about what God's done for us in the past. We get three days out in the wilderness and we forget about Exodus chapter 12. Would you turn back with me? Exodus chapter 12 and verse number 12. Here's what it says. The Lord speaking here, he says, I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. All the plagues, and this is a whole study on its own, all the plagues were not just random miracles. They were all directed at a specific deity that the Egyptians worshipped. And it showed that God alone was superior, and he was the one true God over those pagan deities. God says, I have executed judgment against them. Look at Exodus chapter 12 and verse number 35, where it says, The children of Israel did accurate the word of Moses, and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment, and the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so they lent unto them such things as they required, and they spoiled the Egyptians. Not only did God bring them out of Egypt, but God filled their coffers on the way out. The Egyptians are giving them gold and silver. It says they spoiled them. In fact, it says in verse 36, they lent unto them such things as they required. They're going to go out in the wilderness. There's no supply out there. And God says, just before you leave Egypt, let me give you exactly what you need. Look, if you found yourself three days in the wilderness, God has already given you what you needed for supply, because he knew you were going to be there. And before the Israelites go out three days in the wilderness, God says, I'm going to give you everything you need in Egypt. You'll spoil the Egyptians, so you have what you need when you get out there. Look ahead with me at chapter 14 and verse number 8. Exodus chapter 14. In verse 8, the Bible says, And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel. And the children of Israel went out with a high hand. What does that mean? They went out victorious. You ever had a high hand moment? Everything going well, riding high, everything's good. And now you're out in the wilderness. Hands are hanging pretty low, aren't they? Shoulders are sagged over. But you went out with a high hand. Look with me at chapter 14, verse number 13. It says, And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. That would be some good direction for us. And many times we find our place in life, right? Stand still. Fear ye not. See the salvation of the Lord. Look at verse 14. The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace. If you find yourself three days in the wilderness, let me encourage you. The Lord knows right where you are. You're not there by accident. You realize they're not here in the wilderness because they took a wrong turn. This is on the way to Canaan, on the way to the promised land. That path leads through a wilderness time. Look at me at chapter 15, in verse 1, it says, Then sang Moses and the children of Israel, this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. Verse 2, the Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will prepare him in habitation, my father's God, and I will exalt him. They're singing a song at the beginning of chapter 15, but they forgot that song, didn't they? They were humming it maybe that first day out in the wilderness, but by the time they got three days into the wilderness, they stopped singing that song. And they forgot what God had done all along the way. And if you get three days out in the wilderness, do not forget past triumphs. Go with me. Let me give you a New Testament example, please, to the book of Mark. Mark chapter 6. In Mark chapter 6, the Lord Jesus Christ is with his disciples here. It's in his earthly life and ministry. In Mark chapter 6, please look with me at verse number 38. Mark 6 and verse number 38, the Bible says, He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? Go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five and two fishes. Now, five loaves, two fishes. If you look down at verse 44, we find there are 5,000 men. That doesn't include the women and the children. Thousands of people out there. And the disciples realized we don't have enough to feed them. We just got five loaves, two fishes. Jesus asked them all to sit down. And it says here in verse number 42 of Mark 6, they did all eat and were filled. Now that's a miracle there, if I've ever heard of one. It says in verse 43, and they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fishes. Not just enough to feed everybody, but that little boy is taking twelve baskets full of fragments home with him. Can you imagine? His mama sent him with five loaves and two fishes, and he comes home with twelve baskets full. That's what Jesus does. And it says here in verse 44, they did eat of the loaves. There were about 5,000 men. Now look with me at verse 45. And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship. And to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent them away, and he sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray, verse 47. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them, verse 48, toiling and rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. Now what happens? They see the feeding of the five thousand. That's a high hand moment, right? And then what do they do? They get in a boat and they start across the Sea of Galilee, and a storm hits. And you would think they would remember, remember how Jesus just fed 5,000? He could bring us through this storm. But they're like you and I, aren't they? Look with me, please. At verse 49. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit and cried out. They're scared to death. They don't even recognize Jesus. They're so afraid they don't even recognize Jesus in the storm. How often do we get like that? We have a victorious moment, then we move into the wilderness, and we don't even recognize Jesus. We don't even recognize his voice. Look at verse 50. For they all saw him and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them and saith unto them, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. Verse 51. He went up unto them into the ship, and the wind ceased. And they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves, for their heart was hardened. You know what happened? They got in the boat and they got in the middle of a storm, and they forgot all that God had done on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It says here verse 52, they considered not the miracle of the loaves. How often do we get out in the middle of the storm? We get out three days in the wilderness and we forget everything God did to get us out of Egypt. And we get out in the middle of the storm and we forget the 5,000 that Jesus just fed on the shore. Do not forget past triumphs, what God has done in your heart and life in the past, when you find yourself three days in the wilderness. Because what happens? Look at verse 52 here in Mark 6. It says at the end, for their heart was hardened. When we neglect and we forget all that God has done in our life leading up to this moment, our heart begins to harden toward his work that he wants to do now and he wants to do in our life in the future. Don't forget past triumphs. Remember how the Lord saved you. Remember how he cleaned your life up and how he's directed you and how he's worked. Remember what he's done in our church. Remember what he's done in the work of the City Baptist Church. I talked earlier about how we're going to be renovating a lot of this. Walk through these rooms if you remember what they looked like when we came into this building. Some rooms, three different shades of green. Some rooms, windows falling in, holes in the wall where animals had eaten in from the outside. And I think the Lord has brought us a long way, hasn't he? And when we get into those wilderness moments and we get into the storms on the Sea of Galilee, just look back and say, oh, you know what? This is a storm. But I tell you what, I remember how he brought me through some storms in the past. And I'm three days in the wilderness, but I can remember, oh, when he took care of me a whole lot better than what I'm going through right now. Don't forget the past triumphs. Make note of a second thing. Go back with me. Exodus chapter 15. Because we find here not only if we're three days in the wilderness, should we not forget past triumphs? But secondly, would you write this down? If you're three days out in the wilderness, don't fail the present test. Don't fail the present test. Do you realize the Israelites didn't get here by chance, they didn't get here by wrong turn. They didn't misread the map. This wilderness time is on the way to the promised land. Look with me, please, in chapter 15, here in verse number 24. The Bible says. And the people murmured against who? Moses. They murmured against Moses. Now, let's get in, let's get out of the people's standpoint. Let's get in Moses' standpoint. What is Moses doing? He's doing exactly what God told him to do. Moses is just leading the people out of Egypt, and they're on the way to Canaan. And yet, who do they go after? They go after Moses. And what is Moses' response? Now the people's response is let's go after Moses. Something's wrong here. If we're out in the wilderness and we run out of water, it must be Moses' fault. They cry against Moses. Look at verse 25. And he cried unto who? Unto the Lord. If you get three days out in the wilderness, you've got to remember who you're supposed to look to, who you're supposed to cry to. Look, if you want to murmur, then murmur to the Lord. Take your burn to the Lord and leave it there. We find here they want to fight and they want to murmur against, they want to complain against Moses. And they immediately attack the God-ordained leader of his people. Moses isn't the one that brought the ten plagues against Egypt. Moses isn't the one that divided the Red Sea. Moses isn't the one that's going to bring them water. It's going to be God Himself that's going to do it. And he is the one. God is the one they need to be crying out unto. But Moses has it right. He cries unto the Lord. And you know what the Lord does in this time here? He says, I'm going to show you a tree. And when you cast it into the water, the waters are made sweet. And it says, There he made for them a statute and an ordinance. Make note of this last phrase in verse 25. And there he proved them. What is that? That's a test. You know God knows? I'm going to bring you to the promised land. I'm going to bring you into the promised land. But I'm trying to test you a little bit along the way. You know what he wants to see? Are you really resolved to follow me? Are you really determined to truly be my people? That's what the Lord's trying to do here because they're going to face a whole lot more difficult times than three days in the wilderness and no water. And you know what he's trying to do? He's trying to show them, look to me. Go to me. Find your help in me. Now we were just in Mark 6 a moment ago. In fact, I want to go to Mark 8, because this also goes along with the forgetfulness of God's people. We were in Mark 6, we saw the feeding of the 5,000. When we come to Mark 8, we actually find the feeding of the 4,000. In Mark chapter 8 and verse number 5, it says he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. These men just did not carry enough supplies, right? They have seven loaves, and they've got to feed 4,000 people. Would you look at verse number 6? He commanded the people to sit down on the ground. This is Mark chapter 8, verse number 6. He commanded the people to sit down on the ground, and he took seven loaves and gave thanks and break and gave to his disciples and set before them, and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes, and he blessed them and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat and were filled, and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets, and they left, or they had eaten, were about four thousand, and he sent them away. So they've got seven loaves, they find a few fishes along the way somewhere, and four thousand of them eat, and they have seven baskets left over. Now look at verse number ten. And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth and began to question him, seeking from a sign from heaven, tempting him, and he sighed deeply in his spirit, saying, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, there shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, entered into the ship again, departed to the other side. Now look at verse 14. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. Now they just had seven loaves. I mean, they just had seven baskets left over. And they don't take any with them, and now they're saying, Well, now what are we going to eat, right? Just saw Jesus feed five thousand, just saw Jesus feed four thousand. Look down with me and look at verse number fifteen. It says he charged them, saying, Take heed beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. Jesus says. When he knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not, neither understand. Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having ears, I'm sorry, having eyes, see ye not, having ears, hear ye not, and do ye not remember. When I break the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven? And he said unto them, How is it that you do not understand? And he cometh to Bethsaida and bringeth a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he says here, he works with this blind man, and he says in verse 25, After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, he made him look, and he was restored, and the man saw uh every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town and tell it to any of them. And Jesus went out with his disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi, and by the way, he asked his disciples saying unto them, Who do men say that I the Son of Man am? And he's going to ask them, Who do they say I am? And they're going to say, You're the Christ, you're the Messiah, you're the sent one. But what is Jesus trying to do here? He's trying to go back and remind them of all the things that have already happened in their life and ministry. I fed the 5,000, I fed the 4,000, you don't have bread now? Do you think I can take care of it? Maybe he's just testing them and proving them. And then what does he do? All along the way, he goes a blind man. Alright, now do you believe I'm the Christ? What is Jesus doing to prove us? Could it be he's taken us three days out in the wilderness just to get us used to depending on him? Could it be we got so used to living in Egypt and having the Egyptians bring us what we needed, and the Egyptians bring all the supply. We started leaning on the Egyptians so much, now he says, Come out here a little ways. I'm gonna cut off supply. I'm gonna cut off everything you need so that you find I'm really all you need. You get out three days in the wilderness, don't forget past triumphs. You get out three days in the wilderness, but don't fail the present test. Look down at verse number 25, back in our passage. Exodus 15. We find here he cried. The Lord said, I'm going to show you a tree, which when he had cast into the water, the waters are made sweet. Now, I don't, I think we have some physics majors here today. This may be physics, but if you just cut a tree down, cast it into bitter water, I don't think it automatically becomes sweet, okay? What has the Lord done? He's done a miracle here, we understand that, but there's a picture for us. He wants them to do something that on its face does not actually make sense. Cut the tree down, throw it in the water, and that's going to magically make bitter water sweet. But you know what's a picture of? It's a picture of another tree. In fact, it's a picture of a tree that the Lord Jesus Christ would hang on and die for our sins. I believe it's a picture of the cross of Christ here. All the way back in the Old Testament. A tree that would be sent into the bitter waters of humanity, tainted by sin. In fact, the Bible tells us all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible tells us that the wages or the price of our sin is death. That's a bitter pill to swallow. That's the bitter waters of life. Why do we deal with the things we deal with? Why do we have pain and suffering? It's the bitter pill of sin that has entered the stream of all human beings, all mankind. What makes the difference? What takes away the bitterness of sin? It is the tree, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, which he hung upon. It is the tree which he died upon to save us from our sin. And I ask you today, do you know that you've been born again? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? Because He is the one that steps in and makes the difference in our lives. He is the one that steps in and takes away the shame and the burden and the guilt of sin. And here we find this tree is cast into the waters. And now the bitter waters are made sweet. Now you may say, Pastor, you don't know my situation. You don't know the bitter waters I'm drinking from. But here's what I do know they can be made sweet again. And the only way they can is when the Lord Jesus Christ steps in and makes the difference. Look with me at verse 25. The waters are made sweet. He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them. Who brought them to Mara in the first place? God brought them there. God brought them to the bitter waters, and God made the waters sweet. So you're three days out in the wilderness, don't forget past triumphs. Don't fail the present test. And would you make note of a third thing we find in our passage? If you're three days out in the wilderness, find the person to trust. Find the person to trust. Here we find in verse number 26 it says, He said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes. Now he gives us these directives here. Okay? Diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God. Do that which is right in his sight. Give ear to his commandments. Keep all his statutes. Here's what he says. Here's what I'm going to do. I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I brought upon the Egyptians. He said, Do you remember those curses, those plagues that you remember were brought on the Egyptians? You follow me. I'm going to keep you from those. And then here's what he says. End of verse 26. For I am the Lord that healeth thee. He takes them all the way out to Marah, and what does he do? He gives them one of his names. This is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals. And he brings them all the way out three days into the wilderness. No water. Bitter water is at Mara. They can't drink. And he says, Now you know me. Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, the one who makes bitter water sweet again. But really, they haven't found water. They've found the well. They haven't just found supply. They have found the all-sufficient one. It's not about just finding water in the wilderness. It's the person they meet there. And it's God Himself. And if you're three days out in the wilderness, you're thinking, I just need a way out. I just need some supply. I just need water. I need bitter waters made sweet. That's really not what God's trying to do. He's really just trying to get you and I to see Him there in Mara. Don't miss the person that is there waiting for us. And it's God Himself. Three days out in the wilderness, and here's the Lord. He says, I'm there. Do you want water? I can give you water, but I want you to find me. And when he brings us three days out in the wilderness, he's just trying to get him to find himself. He's the one. And you know what he does? Look at verse 27, because here's where it ends. He doesn't keep them out there. It says, and they came to Elam. You know what they find in Elam? Twelve wells of water. Three score and ten palm trees. And they encamped there by the waters. Now, could God have brought them to Elam first? Absolutely. I don't think they have to travel very far. But what did God choose to do? He chose to take them to Marah first. Why? To find him. And then he said, now look, I've got all these palm trees and wells and everything else you need, but I wanted you to learn to trust me in Marah first of all. Is it possible God's taking us through a Mara because He wants to bring us to an Elam? And you know what? The waters in Elam tasted so much sweeter. You know why? Because they tasted the bitter waters in Mara first. I think the palm trees, that shade felt so much better because it was so hot and dusty and dry back in Mara. And the Lord brings us through a Mara sometimes, I think, to just get us to enjoy the Elam so much more. We wouldn't have such thankfulness for the Elam if we hadn't first gone through the Mara. Look, are you three days out in the wilderness? Then don't forget past triumph. Are you three days out in the wilderness? Well, don't fail the present test. And if you're three days out in the wilderness, find the person to trust.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

Thank you for listening to the City Pulpit. For more information about the City Baptist Church of Atlanta, please visit www.mycitybaptist.com.