Lack of Beliefs = Works of the Flesh

When I began my study on Moses and the Israelites journey in the wilderness this month, the Holy Spirit showed me that I should go deeper into the study.  We have been born into sin as they were and we can learn from their mistakes.

At Church one Sunday, the Holy Spirit spoke to a prayer partner while praying with me.  She mentioned the water that was bitter and became sweet when wood was thrown into it.  She continued to say, "The Lord has given you (me) an assignment to study what she saw in the Spirit".  At the moment I was told I had an assignment I was elated and ready to go home and dig into the Word.

I have shared with you in the last two posts about the bitter water, but now let's go even deeper into the bitter water study and see what the Word of God reveals. 

Exodus 15:22-27

Three days later in the wilderness "the people grumbled at Moses" (v. 24). How sad. They went from the bondage of slavery in a foreign land to the thrill and excitement of freedom and praise to the LORD God. Then they were overcome by their old way as slaves looking at life. They allowed their circumstances to dictate their attitude toward their leader.

Who led them to Marah? They were led there by the Pillar of Cloud (13:22). Their murmuring against Moses was, in reality, murmuring against Yahweh! What was the cause of their murmuring? Their eyes were no longer upon God.

Three days into the wilderness they found no water. And when they came to Marah, the water was so bitter that they couldn't drink it (v. 22-23).

The people in the wilderness of Sin grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?".  They failed to reason that if Yahweh can hold back the walls of water in the Red Sea can He not provide water.

God revealed Himself at Marah as Yahweh Rapha, "I the LORD, am your healer." The word for "healer" means "to restore, to heal, to cure, or a physician." He not only heals physically, but morally and spiritually. "The LORD your God heals." The word means "to mend," like the mending of a torn garment. It has the idea of repairing as being reconstructed and to cure as a diseased person is restored to health. "The LORD is the physician."

We all come to life with a need of healing. Our waters become bitter as gall. "Where will you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is nothing sound in it, only bruises, welts and raw wounds, not pressed out or bandaged, nor softened with oil" (Isaiah 1:5, 6). The LORD says, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). The Apostle Paul says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Jesus is both the tree and the waters. "He (Christ) bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus alone brings spiritual healing to our broken lives. The tree of the cross is the only balm that can sooth our broken hearts and cleanse us from our sins. The cross of Christ sweetens the Marah's of life. He turns the cross into the tree that gives life.

The Lack of Beliefs and Values Bring Out the Works of the Flesh

It is human nature that if our beliefs and values are weak or non-existent, we will manifest the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21 identify the works of the flesh. They are “... Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition's, heresies, envies murders, drunkenness, revealings, and such like:...”.

Works of the flesh are manifested when we have no belief or hope in the future or something greater than ourselves. Someone that has little or no beliefs values nothing but their own immediate gratification. It is self-evident to Christians and non-Christians alike that the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21 are works of self-destruction. Things like adultery, wrath, and drunkenness may have some short-term pleasures, but in the end these sins can only result in calamity and eventually death .

Galatians 5:21 ends with saying that those that do the works of the flesh “shall not inherit the kingdom of God”. If we do not believe in God's promises, we see no value in God's inheritance of eternal life. Because of our unbelief we value nothing and will not inherit God's mercy, goodness, and eternal life. Our unbelief condemns us to only inherit the fruits of our fleshly works, namely death and destruction.

Proverbs 5:3-5 tells us of the strange woman that is sweet and smooth, but her end is bitter and will lead us to hell (Proverbs 5:4, “But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword”).

Proverbs 5:4, the Bible tells us that adultery starts off sweet, but ends in bitter consequences. The act of adultery is the biggest scam that we and our flesh will play on ourselves. The short-term pleasures of adultery will tempt us into thinking that it will be the greatest thing to do. Both partners will enter into an adulterous relationship purposely thinking of only the initial pleasure and none of the consequences. In our heart of hearts we know that adultery will not end well for either party.

~Bits and Pieces of notes part 2

David's Prayer for Mercy:  O loving and kind God, have mercy. Have pity upon me and take away the awful stain of my transgressions. Oh, wash me, cleanse me from this guilt. Let me be pure again. For I admit my shameful deed-it haunts me day and night. It is against you and you alone I sinned and did this terrible thing. You saw it all, and your sentence against me is just. Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Don’t toss me aside, banished forever from your presence. Don’t take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. (Psalm 51:1-12 TLB)