THE RED SEA
The Israelites were in captivity under the rule of the pharaoh. Moses helped them escape. After they escaped Egypt, they traveled in the wilderness. The Lord guided them in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
But pharaoh came for them. He wanted the Israelites to work for him again. Erecting buildings, statues, temples, towers, and serving him for the rest of their lives. There was no way out! There were mountains on both sides of them. The Red Sea was in front of them and pharaoh was behind them! The pillar of cloud stood between the Hebrews and the Egyptians. The Egyptian army could not see the Israelites, but they kept on going STRAIGHT AHEAD.
Moses spread his robe out and the waters parted. The Israelites went quickly between the walls of water and made it safely to dry land on the other side of the Red Sea. The Egyptians followed them. Moses spread his robe out once more and the waters came back together. The Egyptian army was destroyed. As morning dawned, the Hebrews saw the chariots and soldiers from the Egyptian army. They were free at last. Paul writes that when the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, they were baptized. Afterwards, they rejoiced and praised God for bringing them out of bondage. They could have gone the short way, but God lead them through the Red Sea. It is my wish and prayer that we will never fear and that we have God in our hearts. Amen.
Stephen Newby
WATER AT THE WELL
Jesus was on a journey towards the town of Galilee, from Judea. On His way there He passed through a Samaritan city called Sychar. The Samaritans, as some of you probably know, were the descendants of corrupt Israelites who worshiped the Assyrian gods that the Assyrian King brought to Israel when he invaded it. The disciples went into Sychar to buy some food for themselves and for Jesus. They left Jesus on the outskirts of the town near a well. This well in particular was called “Jacob’s Well.” Jacob, supposedly, when he was passing through the country, had stopped and made a well for himself and for the other people around him. As Jesus sat there at the side of the well, a woman came to draw water. She was a Samaritan. As she let down her pail and brought it up again Jesus said, “Give Me to drink.” The woman was startled. She replied:
“How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.” John 4:9–10
That’s amazing isn’t it? Living water. What was the woman’s reply? In John 4:11–15 it says:
“The woman saith unto Him, Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast Thou that living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”
The woman realized that the water that Jesus was giving to her was spiritual water. She realized that to obtain this water she must confess her sins. This, she did. Jesus proceeded to ask her to call her husband to tell him what she had seen and heard. But she confessed that she had no husband. Jesus told her that she had had five husbands. She stared in awe at this man who knew everything about her. She ran into the city and called all of her friends and neighbours to come and see the man that told her everything she ever did.
As Jesus and His disciples looked over the fields that were not yet ready to be harvested, He said “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” John 4:35–36. Jesus was referring to the missionary work that had been done that day. The Samaritan woman brought many people to Christ. Many of them believed and they asked Jesus to stay with them for a time.
It is my wish and prayer that we also may ask for this living water and that we may be gathered in by Jesus when the time of deliverance comes.
Michael Cyrus Newby
WATER TO WINE
In Cana there was a wedding party; a lot of people were invited.
The people ran out of wine/grape juice, so Mary told them to put water into very large jars. Mary then asked Jesus to turn the water into wine/grape-juice.
When they tasted the wine/grape-juice, it was the best they ever had.
If we want Jesus to change us like He changed the water into wine/grape-juice, then ask him with all your heart and with all your mind and soul. AMEN
Sarah Newby
THE HEALING OF THE WATERS
There once was a valley that was well watered. It was compared to the garden of the Lord. In Genesis 13:10 it says “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.” It was the Jordan Valley, and it was in this beautiful place that Lot chose to pitch his tent. Unfortunately, after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, the region became a desolate waste, a wilderness.
“A portion of the beautiful valley remained, with its life-giving springs and streams, to gladden the heart of man. In this valley, rich with fields of grain and forests of date palms and other fruit-bearing trees, the hosts of Israel had encamped after crossing the Jordan and had first partaken of the fruits of the Promised Land.” –Prophets and Kings, p. 229. A great walled city was before them, Jericho, the center of the worship of Ashtoreth. When the walls came down a declaration was made. “And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it” Joshua 6:26
Centuries later he place remained desolate, cursed. The springs no longer brought forth water. In the days of Ahab, Jericho was rebuilt and the worship of Ashtoreth was also revived.
Elisha attended the school of the prophets that was not far from Jericho. One day, the men of the city came to him asking for help. Even though the school was in the midst of fruitful groves and the city beautiful, the land was barren. The spring, that years before had been pure and had provided the city with water, was now unfit for use. What did Elisha do? He took some salt and put it in a new cruse. He went to the spring of water and threw the salt in and said “Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.” 2 Kings 2:21
It was not Elisha, but God who healed those waters. In Matthew 5:45 it says “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” The people of this city did not deserve to be helped and healed but God is always willing to heal and restore.
But what does the salt represent? Just a few weeks ago we had a health meeting on salt. We learned that it preserves and adds taste or flavour to food. Elisha taught this spiritual lesson by casting the salt into the spring, the same lesson that Jesus taught years later. He said, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” The salt mingling with the polluted spring purified its waters. It brought life and blessing where before had been death. Ellen White writes that when God compares us to salt it is to teach us that we are to be blessed, purified, and to receive the grace that brings salvation, When salt is added to food, for example, it must be mixed in properly so that it may preserve. So it is with us. We must mingle and have personal contact with others. Only in this way can those that have been polluted like this stream be purified and turn to God.
This is our work, for our own life and also for others. It is my wish and prayer that we may allow God to use us so that we may be a blessing in this dark world.
“Give and it shall be given unto you,” (Luke 6:38) for the word of God is “a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” Song of Solomon 4:15. Amen.
Sesciah Newby