Exodus 15:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,

NIV: Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.

NASB: Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them.

CSB: So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became drinkable. The Lord made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah, and he tested them there.

NLT: So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him.

KJV: And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed 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,

NKJV: So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,

Moses heard the people's complaints (Exodus 15:22–24) about water. Despite them being overly pessimistic, he passed those along to God, knowing a solution could be found in Him. God indicated a log, branch, or tree which Moses threw into the water to make it drinkable. No tree known today has properties to chemically remove pollution. Use of the log was probably symbolic, as with Moses gesturing over the Red Sea (Exodus 14:26) despite the power being entirely with God (Exodus 15:12).

The Lord uses this event as a teachable moment. He establishes an important principle which He expects Israel to follow (Exodus 15:25). Giving them this ultimatum is a form of testing: will they follow this, or not? God's instruction is for the people to listen to and obey all of God's commandments. This parallels the concept of the "greatest commandment," which is to follow God with everything in one's being (Matthew 22:37–38). Other commands from Him are effectively extensions of that principle (Matthew 22:39–40). This is a means for Israel to avoid suffering the harms which the Lord brought on Egypt (Exodus 15:26).

Exodus 15:22–27 records the first of God's sustaining miracles during Israel's time in the wilderness. The people left slavery (Exodus 12:40–41) and their pursuers were drowned (Exodus 14:21–29). Yet now, they have trouble finding drinkable water. Moses follows the Lord's advice to change undrinkable water into something clean. God indicates that He will keep Israel free from the kinds of plagues He sent on Egypt (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10, 24; 10:14, 23; 12:29–32) so long as they obey His commands. The people then find a lush oasis with plenty of water and shelter.

Israel celebrates the supernatural event which eliminated the Egyptian army. God's power parted the waters of the Red Sea for the Hebrews to cross, then collapsed the same waters over the pursuing soldiers (Exodus 14:21–29). Moses, his sister Miriam, and the other Israelites praise the Lord for His works. They anticipate that this event will strike fear into the hearts of the wicked Canaanite nations (Deuteronomy 9:4). Yet, when the only water they find is undrinkable, the Israelites complain and criticize Moses. God provides a means to purify the water. He then provides a clear message about obedience and leads the people to a well-watered oasis.

When the nation of Israel was freed (Exodus 12:40–41), God led them to a specific place (Exodus 13:17–18). The Egyptians sent an army in pursuit (Exodus 14:5–9). God completed Israel's salvation by leading them across the Red Sea and wiping out the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:21–28). Here, the people celebrate their freedom with singing and dancing. However, they will soon complain when water runs short. In the following chapter, they will complain about food and be given the gift of "manna" (Exodus 16).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.