August 19, 2012
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST
CHURCH
LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd
Floor
150 Washington Street
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
I wish your
soul was bankrupt! You
may not think this is nice to wish on someone, but I know that is the only time
we will seek Christ. Spiritual need is what gives courage to our
soul to cast itself upon the Sovereign Grace of Christ! "If
we stay here we will die."
Milton Howard is pastor of
Kitchen’s Creek Baptist Church in Ball, Louisiana.
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THE SWEETENING TREE
Exodus 15: 23-27
Natural Israel is a type of spiritual
Israel, believers in particular. (Gal 3: 27-29) They passed through the Red Sea,
baptized unto Moses, picturing the baptism wherewith Christ was immersed in the
judgment of God, shown in water-baptism. They saw their enemy dead upon the
seashore and sang a song of rejoicing, a type of the believers rejoicing in
faith as we behold all our sins cast into the sea by the power of Christ. Then immediately the trials began. They went three days but found no water. (Ex
15: 22) Finally, they get to water but the
water was bitter. (Ex 15: 23) Three days ago they were singing and rejoicing in
the Lord but now they murmur against Moses. (Ex 15: 24) But Moses did not lead them into further rebellion
by murmuring with them, instead he cried unto the Lord. (Ex 15: 25) “And the LORD shewed him a tree, which
when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. (Ex 15: 25) If that tree is cast into our bitter waters,
they will be made sweet.
The Bitter Waters
The trial of the believer begins when God’s grace makes us sojourners in this
world. The sins of our old man are
bitter waters. We have sickness and many
bodily infirmities that are bitter.
Worldly cares, trials in our own household, where we work, all of these
can present bitter waters. We find ourselves just wanting to take a long, cool,
drink and be satisfied. But we bend
down, dip beneath the surface, and find bitter waters. How long will we go after that mirage in the
desert? In all worldly rivers we find
pond scum mixed with every sip. But
what a blessing! God will not let his child find refreshing in these earthly
things! Else we would call bitter sweet and sweet bitter.
Two Cries
First, there was a cry of murmuring. Bitter
waters reveal to us there is yet an old sin-man still in the believer. (Ps 39: 5; Ro 7: 18) We usually complain of the second causes like
they murmured at Moses but all second causes are ruled by the God of first cause. Let us not make excuse by merely saying,
“Well, that is my old sin nature.” If we
are partakers of the divine nature, give ourselves to lay aside all murmuring
and magnify the Lord of the trial.
Secondly, there was a cry unto the
Lord. This is the cry of the new man of
the heart. The God of all grace gets the
glory for bringing us to make this cry. (Ro 8: 26) Trials do not of themselves
bring forth prayer from a believer, only the God of all grace does that. Sinners need not only his throne of grace to
go to, but we need his grace to ask him. The Mercy Seat will do a sinner no
good without mercy to make us approach. What grace to have access to his throne
of grace! What grace to be drawn to
approach him!
The Sweetening Tree
The sweetening tree is Christ crucified. (Ex 15: 25-26; 1 Pet 2: 24; Gal 3: 13) The
LORD says, “I am the LORD that healeth thee”.
First, the tree had to be cut down. In place of his people, Christ drank the
bitter waters that caused our curse, cut down upon the cursed tree by divine
justice. (2 Cor 5: 21; Is 51: 22;
Is 53: 5) But Christ accomplished atonement,
perfecting forever them that are sanctified. (Heb 10: 11-14)
Secondly,
notice the tree was there along. Jesus
Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. God’s elect have been sure in our Surety from
before the world began. Our salvation
was accomplished when Christ said, “It is finished.” Right now we are reconciled, pardoned,
accepted, saved, and called with a holy calling. Still, the Spirit of God has to continually
turn us to Christ.
Thirdly,
when cast into the waters, the water were made sweet. Read Romans 8: 34-39 and you will
find the tree that sweetens the bitter waters.
Get these words down in your heart and find the sweetest drink there is.
One
last thing, the Lord is always able to provide plenty of sweet water for each
of his children. Exodus
15: 27: And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and
threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.