Along the long, hard slog from slavery in Egypt to freedom through the parted waters of the Red Sea, God provides for the Israelites despite their rebellious nature. That’s precisely what God promises to do. That’s the biblical style of covenant-making: Agreements made by two parties. In the Old Testament book of Exodus, the Lord lays out his part:
“If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)
But there’s no answer from the Israelites – no their part of the deal.
Perhaps we can read their silence as part of their wondering about this really powerful God whom they are just starting to really get to know. Thinking in terms of God as the Great Physician, the Israelites are still early enough in their relationship with the Lord that they can switch to another health care provider – or even return to the ones they just left behind in Egypt, which we know they ask, even try, to do more than once.
Stories about the Lord putting people to the test, as he does here, make a lot of us squirm. Maybe the bitter pill of testing is easier swallowed if we think of purposeful tempting as opportunities to prove where one really stands: Better yet, as the physical therapist who gives you a test of strength to see how you’re recovering.
When he tests his people, the Lord always provides what’s needed, so that the awful thing the people think they may have to do doesn’t actually come to fruition. In other words, the testing is done in a safe environment with our healer right on hand to rescue us if things fly the rails.
In Exodus God’s test is the people’s obedience of God’s promise to heal them. The Israelites fail the test, just as we continue to fail similar exams. Yet, God’s healing is never taken from us. God continues to be the one who heals, even healing us from our failures to keep his commands, to see the world as he does, and to listen closely for and to his voice. In the end, thanks be to God, grace trumps our sinfulness.
Keep in mind the order of events: God saves us, then paints a picture of how God wants us to live. Law-keeping isn’t about redemption but about grateful living, about experiencing the full blessings and presence of God. Through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit, this sequence becomes abundantly more clear: God heals; we respond with gratitude, offering our whole lives in worship and service to him by following his prescription for holy living. Jesus and the Holy Spirit continue the work of God in providing healing and restoration.
“I am the Lord who heals you. I am your healer. I am your doctor!” God makes a sweeping promise to heal and restore body, soul, and mind – part and parcel of a cycle of learning to trust in God’s provision in the wilderness times and places of our lives. God declares heaven’s always-good purposes of healing, working unto good amid the consequences of the people’s sinfulness, both now and forever.
Now, turn to God in prayer, standing beside the generous waters of Elim, where the Lord proves himself faithful and trustworthy, and provides his people with yet another lived experience of healing they can remember, upon which to build their faith. Lift up, now, aloud or in silence, those people and places in need of prayer. Then let our hearts gather in prayer beside sweet waters –
Dear Lord God of Marah and Elim,
You are the Great Physician and share your prescription for healthy living through the example of your Son, Jesus. As our family doctors tell us to eat healthy and exercise regularly, so, too, does your Spirit help keep us close so we can hear your voice, see the world as you see it, and live as you expect us to live.
Help us hear your candid response to our fervent prayer: If you live contrary to Christ, if you continue to shun our Spirit, there will be suffering – pain and heartache that easily could have been prevented had we just obeyed your Word. Forgive us for being so stiff-necked to Creation’s sour reality: Bitterness and rebellion against you never end well.
So we trust in your promise to heal – to meet the immediate needs of a thirsty people. Thank you for the foretaste of finally realized healing as your people experienced at Elim. Thank you for the health you continue to provide, even though we do not realize it is happening: The healing of souls saved from slavery to the Law, the experience of true rest and refreshment, the reality of having what we truly need to thrive, the humility to admit that we truly do not know the fullness of your goodness.
Remind us that healing from our wounds, visible and invisible, takes time. Like the trauma surgeon who moves on to treat other patients and passes responsibility for rehab to another professional, your Son and Spirit will continue your redemption through and through. You have already shown yourself as the pillar of fire by night and cloud by day. And through it all, the doctor is in!
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace; goodwill toward all. Amen.