Our five basic senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. These five senses help us gather information about our surroundings. I thought it might be interesting for the devotionals this week to provide some mini lessons through familiar Scriptures highlighting one or more of the five basic senses each day. Today’s mini lesson highlights the Sense of Taste.
We all have favorite comfort foods; warm stew on a cold winter night, or perhaps a cup of chilled fruit or cold watermelon slices on a hot summer day. I am equally sure each of us has a memory or two of foods we never wish to taste again. One of the odd side effects of the recent COVID pandemic for many people was the loss of taste; complete absence of the ability to taste food at all. And here’s an interesting bit of trivia; nearly 20% of people have a genetic variation in the OR6A2 gene which makes them more sensitive to cilantro and report that it tastes like soap to them. Our sense of taste can bring good memories and not-so-good memories. But let’s move on to today’s mini lesson.
Exodus 15:22-25 (NLT) 22Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. 23When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). 24Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. 25Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.
In our Scripture passages today, the Israelites are thirsty and the only water they find is too bitter to drink. They complain to Moses; Moses cries out to the LORD; the LORD answers with a piece of wood. But the LORD’s wisdom is far beyond our own and this piece of wood works. The water is now safe for consumption. Yet there is more to the story:
Exodus 15:27 (NLT) 27After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.
After refreshing themselves with dates and spring water, the whole community of Israel sets out once again into the wilderness. And it doesn’t take long for the complaining to start up again.
Exodus 16:11-15, 31 (NLT) 11Then the LORD said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the Israelites’ complaints. Now tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” 13That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. 14When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. 15The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was. ... 31The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.
Finally there was fresh game each night. Quail covered the camp. And each morning, a flaky white substance with a sweet honey-like taste for bread. Most Bible footnotes tell us that the word manna means, “What is it?” (v. 15).
Yet the lesson today isn’t about the sense of taste; bitter water, fresh water, meat, or bread. It’s about trust—the LORD said he would provide and he did. It’s about obedience—the people were given guidelines on how much food to collect; some obeyed and some received consequences for their disobedience. I would encourage each of you to go back and read Exodus 15:22-16:31 in its entirety including the verses in between our selections. This time instead of focusing on taste; focus on trust and obedience.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for giving us our sense of taste. Thank you for the lessons we can learn in your word. Along with the Psalmist, may we Taste and see that the LORD is good (Ps 34:8), for truly You are good. We place our trust in You. Guide us in being obedient people.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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