Poison in the Water Exodus 15:22-27

The evening news is on, but I am not paying much attention. Then, I hear something that catches my attention. The reporter is telling a story about dogs that drank water from a source of water that is not running water and dying within hours or days. The water is drunk by dogs because they are hot and thirsty. Unfortunately the dogs and their owners do not know that there is poison in the water. Dog owners are cautioned to not allow their dogs to drink from pools and other sources of non running water because the poison in the water, cyanobacteria, is not readily detected. This report reminds me of the story of the Israelites that arrive at a place called Marah where they find bitter waters. In this article I want to use the story in Exodus 15:22-27 and this story about dogs dying because they drank water with poison in it to say that our country, and especially the Christian church in America, is declining and decaying because they are unknowingly drinking water that has poison in it.

In our Bible story Moses leads the Hebrew people out of Egypt where they have been in bondage for over four hundred years. God opens the Red Sea and the Israelites cross on dry ground and the Egyptian army is drowned when the Lord causes the waters to return to their normal flow (Ex. 14:21-31). After the people have celebrated their freedom Moses begins to lead them to their destination. What do you think will be the most important needs of the people? The author takes time to tell the audience that the Lord provides the people with water and food. I believe that the writer deliberately tells the story the way that the writer does because oxygen (air), water, and food are the three essentials for life. Since the people have no access to water and food the writer wants the audience to know that the Lord provides for our lives in every place and at all times. So, what does all this talk about water and food have to do with the decline and decay in our country and in the Christian church?

We have said that water is one of the three essentials for life. The dog story tells us that dogs do what is natural. They drink water because they are thirsty. The dogs have the right intention. The dogs are motivated by a natural need. The problem is that the water that they drink to sustain their lives has poison in it that takes their lives. In the same manner people in America and the Christian church are ingesting philosophies, theories, and ways of life that they are drinking so to speak to make life better, but unknowingly the water that they are drinking is costing them their life. I want to lift up three things that I believe are making major contributions to our decline and decay. They are the welfare system, the absence of the right respect for authority, and the desire to have without working for what we need and want. This is not an exhaustive list, but I believe that these are major contributors.

After the Civil Rights Bill is passed in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson introduces his war on poverty. The welfare system is created and it’s like drinking water. Initially, it seems that the ill effect of poverty is being relieved. Discrimination is being eliminated and those that need redemption have discovered their kinsman redeemer, their Boaz that will marry them and save them from their poverty. (See Ruth 3-4). Three hundred years of slavery followed by Jim Crow laws has caused many people to be poor, unhealthy, and dying because they are unable to have their basic needs met. The welfare system will begin the process of eliminating these problems. This sounds good but there is poison in the water.

First, the welfare system has led to the decline of the family and the community. Now, on the surface it seems like that it is a good thing for the government to provide funds for those in need. For example, this means that a woman can have a baby and get financial support. At the same time it becomes increasingly possible that the father of the child does not have to take responsibility for the welfare of the child because the government is doing this for him. However, the woman is limited to the resources of the government. She is limited to the money that she receives from the government. If she gets a job and if it is discovered that she is getting assistance from a friend; and especially a boy friend her funds will be cut off. The woman does not receive enough money from the government to get a good education so that she can get a good job. The limited amount of money that she receives means that she must continue to live in poverty. As a result, her children are raised in poverty.

The father is relieved of his responsibility to his child. He does not have a healthy relationship with his child. He is not held accountable for his responsibilities as a father. He is no longer seen as the protector and provider for his family. The welfare system will do these things for him. The children are raised in a single parent family which increases the likelihood of poverty, inadequate education, lack of access to good health care, and crime. Although the woman receives money from the government she loses more money than she receives because of the limitations placed on her and her children by the welfare system. The welfare system is like water. It meets essential needs, but there is poison in the water.

The second source of poison in the water is the lack of respect for authority. So, let us consider this question. How does a child learn respect for authority? Do we really believe that a child can learn respect for authority when the baby sitter, the school teacher, and the Sunday school teacher are elevated to the highest positions of authority in the child’s life? The Bible teaches us that it is the responsibility of the head of the household to establish the lines of authority. The head of the household sets the tone by his and her own response to the authority in their life. The parents recognize the authority of God and the civil authorities. The head exercises authority over those that he and she are responsible for. Deuteronomy 6:4-25 and Ephesians 6:1-4 tells us that it is important that the head of the household exercise authority so that the children will learn to respect authority. Without proper response to authority the moral and ethical values will deteriorate.

In the Deuteronomy passage the people are to teach their children to obey the authority of the Lord their God. It is the Lord that delivered them from slavery to the Egyptians (Deut 6:20-23). It is the Lord that is giving the Promised Land to them. “‘You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, by driving out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken’” (Deut 6:18, NASB). The Christian church must do a better job of making its members aware that it is the Lord, not the government that is able to do what He says. God alone has the ability, the knowledge, the foresight, and the authority to bring to pass all that He has promised to those that put their faith in Him.

The third source of poison in the water is the promoting of the idea that people should get what they need and want without working for. This seems to be the mindset of the political left in our country, and the liberal and progressive church is adopting this mindset also. People are being told that they can have more while they pay less. Someone else should pay for what they want. This is not what the Bible tells us. When God creates humanity He gives them a job and provides for their needs (Gen. 1:26-31). Humanity sins and the Lord tell them that their work will be harder to do (3:17-19). The text suggests to us that sin which is disobedience to God’s law increases the difficulty of our work and decreases the productivity of our work. At no time does the Lord tell people that they will not have to work. Furthermore, the writer of James informs us that the desire to have without working and depending on the Lord is the cause of many of our problems. He writes, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (Jas. 4:1-3, NASB). If we want to know the harm of not working the Book of Proverbs gives us several examples. Personally, I like Proverbs 6:6-11 which tells us the productivity of the ant and the poverty of the sluggard.

Paul the apostle tells us the value of hard work and patience. He writes, “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:3-5, NASB).

In this article we have lifted three sources of poison in the water. I am sure that the reader can think of others. Our task is to be able to recognize bitter waters as the Israelites did at Marah. We must depend on the Lord to lead us and provide for us fresh water and food as the Lord did for the Israelites at Elim. We must be aware of the danger of poison in the water.