Exodus 15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
Even after the children of Israel witnessed and personally experienced the Lord’s miraculous power and awesome love in the Exodus Salvation Event, they still could not fully trust God. Ten times in the desert they griped, grumbled, murmured, complained and blamed God.
Murmuring can be construed as an outward display of inward unbelief, for if we could truly trust God 100% we would have nothing to grumble about. The Lord proved His goodness time and again, responding in mercy for provision. In this instance, the Lord answered Moses’ prayer cry by showing him a tree, which, when cast into the water, made the bitter waters sweet.
The tree symbolizes the cross of Christ: the cross was cast into the waters of our life made bitter by sin, and life became sweet and refreshing. Forgiveness, love and acceptance gives life to the soul. The amazing truth this story proclaims is that God responds to our complaints when turned into prayers. He hears our prayers even if they are mixed with the murmurings of unbelief.
We are like Israel also. We have been miraculously saved, but yet we complain and blame when trouble arises. Complaining is a sin, a sign of pride and unbelief. We learn, by God’s grace, to turn worry and complaint into prayer. Then the tree is placed on our life to save it and change it. Murmuring becomes thanksgiving.