Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Exodus
Book: Exodus
Chapter: 15
Overview:
The song of
Moses for the deliverance of
Israel.
(1-21) The
Bitter waters at
Marah, The Israelites come to
Elim.
(22-27)
1-21 This song is the most ancient we know of. It is a holy
song, to the honour of
God, to exalt his name, and celebrate his
praise, and his only, not in the least to magnify any
Man.
Holiness to the
Lord is in every part of it. It may be
considered as typical, and prophetical of the final
Destruction
of the enemies of the
Church. Happy the people whose
God is the
Lord. They have work to do, temptations to grapple with, and
Afflictions to
Bear, and are weak in themselves; but his
Grace
is their strength. They are often in sorrow, but in him they
have comfort; he is their song.
Sin, and
Death, and
Hell
threaten them, but he is, and will be their
Salvation. The
Lord
is a
God of almighty power, and woe to those that strive with
their Maker! He is a
God of matchless
Perfection; he is glorious
in
Holiness; his
Holiness is his
Glory. His
Holiness appears in
the
Hatred of
Sin, and his wrath against obstinate sinners. It
appears in the deliverance of
Israel, and his faithfulness to
his own promise. He is fearful in praises; that which is matter
of praise to the servants of
God, is very dreadful to his
enemies. He is doing wonders, things out of the common course of
nature; wondrous to those in whose favour they are wrought, who
are
So unworthy, that they had
No reason to expect them. There
were wonders of power and wonders of
Grace; in both,
God was to
be humbly adored.
22-27 In the
Wilderness of
Shur the Israelites had
No water. At
Marah they had water, but it was
Bitter;
So that they could not
Drink it.
God can make
Bitter to us that from which we promise
ourselves most, and often does
So in the
Wilderness of this
world, that our wants, and disappointments in the
Creature, may
drive us to the Creator, in whose favour alone true comfort is
to be had. In this distress the people fretted, and quarrelled
with
Moses. Hypocrites may show high affections, and appear
Earnest in religious exercises, but in the time of
Temptation
they fall away. Even true believers, in
Seasons of sharp trial,
will be tempted to fret, distrust, and murmur. But in every
trial we should cast our care upon the
Lord, and pour out our
hearts before him. We shall then find that a submissive will, a
peaceful
Conscience, and the comforts of the
Holy Ghost, will
render the bitterest trial tolerable, yea, pleasant.
Moses did
what the people had neglected to do; he cried unto the
Lord. And
God provided graciously for them. He directed
Moses to a tree
which he cast into the waters, when, at once, they were made
sweet. Some make this tree typical of the
Cross of
Christ, which
sweetens the
Bitter waters of affliction to all the
Faithful,
and enables them to rejoice in
Tribulation. But a rebellious
Israelite shall fare
No better than a rebellious Egyptian. The
threatening is implied only, the promise is expressed.
God is
the great
Physician. If we are kept
Well, it is he that keeps
us; if we are made
Well, it is he that recovers us. He is our
Life and the length of our days. Let us not forget that we are
kept from
Destruction, and delivered from our enemies, to be the
Lord's servants. At
Elim they had good water, and enough of it.
Though
God may, for a time, order his people to
Encamp By the
Bitter waters of
Marah, that shall not always be their
Lot. Let
us not faint at tribulations.