Journeys

Today’s journey sees Moses return from isolation as God’s mediator who leads the Israelites out of Egypt to Joshua’s leadership at Jericho, God leads his people gradually back from from Egypt to Canaan. Abraham’s line has come full circle, and God’s promises are never once forgotten.

Exodus 15:22-25 Then Moses led the people of Israel on from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the wilderness of Shur and were there three days without water. Arriving at Marah, they couldn’t drink the water because it was bitter (that is why the place was called Marah, meaning “bitter”). Then the people turned against Moses. “Must we die of thirst?” they demanded.

I’m Mariah

Moses pleaded with the Lord to help his people, and the Lord showed him a tree to throw into the water, and the water became sweet.

It was there at Marah that the Lord laid before them the following conditions, to test their commitment to him:

I guess that we are all familiar with the Children of Israels Escape from Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and onto their 40 year journey through the Wilderness. This particular incident brings to mind the cry of children in the back of the car as the cry, “Are we nearly there yet?”

The had lived through the miraculous, survived to Red Sea Crossing and were on the road to freedom and yet just in three days they began to grumble; this reminds me of the poem:-

I knew a man whose name was Horner
Who used to live in grumble corner;
Grumble corner in crosspatch town
And he never was seen without a frown.

He grumbled at  this, and he grumbled at that,
He growled at the dog. He growled at the cat.
He grumbled at morning. He grumbled at night,
And to grumble and growl was his chief delight.

He grumbled so much at his wife that she
Began to grumble as well as he.
And all the children, wherever they went,
Reflected their parents’ discontent.

If the sky was dark and betokened rain,
Then Mr. Horner was sure to complain.
And if there was not a cloud about,
He grumbled because of a threatened drought.

His meals were never to suit his taste—
He grumbled at having to eat in haste.
The bread was poor, or the meat was tough--
Or else he hadn’t had half enough.

No matter how hard his wife would try
To please her husband, with scornful eye
He*d look around and then with a scowl
At something or other he’d begin to growl.

One day as I walked down the street,
My old acquaintance I chanced to meet;
Whose face was without the look of care
And the ugly frown that had drifted there.

"I may be mistaken" perhaps I said
As after saluting I turned my head!
"But it is, and it isn’t the Mr. Horner
Who used to live on grumble corner."

I met him next day and I met him again;
In melting weather and in pelting rain.
When stocks were up, and when stocks were down,
But a smile, somehow, had replaced the frown.

It puzzled me much, and so one day,
I seized his hand in a friendly way and said,
"Mr. Horner, I’d like to know
What can have happened to change you so?"

He laughed a laugh that was good to hear;
For it told of a conscience, calm and clear.
And he said with none of his old-time drawl,
"Why I’ve changed my residence, that is all.

"Yes," said Horner, "It wasn’t healthy on grumble corner"
And so I’ve moved: twas a change complete,
"And you will find me now
On Thanksgiving Street."

Well might we pray

God calls us into the desert,

but we follow reluctantly.

Saving God,

like Israel before us

we are filled with joy when you deliver us from bondage

and we praise you when you vanquish our foes.

Yet we are less trusting when you lead us into the desert:

the long way,

the unknown path,

the journey of trial, trust, and refining.

Forgive us for questioning the path you have chosen for us.

Forgive our complaining along the way.

Forgive the times we’ve stumbled 

when the journey was long and hard.

Deliver us from our Egypts.

Lead us on our unexpected journeys.

Sustain us in our deserts.

Bring us to our promised lands.

Let us follow with joy!

Amen.