A Tree Did That

Scripture Reading: Exodus 15:22-25

Scattered intermittently throughout the Old Testament are strange, fascinating, and unexplained narratives: stories of miracles or experiences for which is given no rationale. This story in Exodus 15 is but one example of that. Part of this story is completely normal and easily understood. The water where the Hebrew people find themselves in the wilderness is “bitter,” or undrinkable. You have to have water to survive.

Therefore, it makes sense that the people would complain and grumble about Moses’ leadership. It isn’t fair, but it is rational. It also makes sense that Moses would fervently pray about this problem. Where else could he go to find some resolution and answer to the problem they faced?

The part of the story that makes you think, “Huh?” is the remedy that God gives to Moses. He tells him to take a particular tree and cast it into the water. How will that help? There isn’t a scientific explanation for how that would cure the water of its poisonous bitterness.

While I understand some people’s hesitancy to see a type of Christ and the Gospel where the Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us it is meant to be a type, it is hard for me to come up with any other explanation for what is going on here. (A type is a foreshadowing through a person or event that portrays something about Jesus or the gospel. A type is prophetic, in a sense. It points us toward Christ and tells us something about Him and His work).

There is another water story in the Old Testament that gives us a basis for thinking this way. The story of the Rock that Moses struck and from which water gushed forth to meet the need of the Israelites in the wilderness. It is similar to this story in that they need water and a miracle is provided for it. And we know that in that instance it is a type of Christ because Paul later says, “That Rock was Christ.” In that case, the picture is Christ (the Rock) is struck by Moses (the lawgiver) and after being struck water flows forth and saves the people of God.

You might also remember that this happened twice, but the second time Moses was told to “speak to the Rock.” Moses was angry and struck the Rock in disobedience to God’s instructions. Why was he told to speak to the Rock the second time instead of striking it again? Because Christ was only crucified once. By striking the Rock twice, Moses was defacing the painting of Christ God was creating.

I believe this is meant to be a type as well. The tree (the cross) is cast into the bitter waters and makes them sweet. It is a straightforward point that is being made. We don’t need to complicate it and try to allegorize it and make every detail have some symbolic meaning. It is a prophecy of what the death of Christ would do for us spiritually.

I don’t believe the New Testament writers ever intended to point out every Old Testament type for us. They gave us enough to get us on the right track. They help us read the Old Testament with open eyes, looking for Christ. Here, we see the miraculous power of the Cross to heal our bitterness and transform it into something that meets our needs, refreshes us, and makes life sweet.