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Answer for yourself: Do you remember the incident in the Bible describing the waters of Marah?
"And when they come to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter..." (Ex.15:23).
After crossing the Red Sea, the Cloud of God began to turn in a southerly direction, along the western edge of the Peninsula of Sinai. For three days they travelled into the wilderness, and found no water. On and on they travelled, and suddenly they came upon a pool of water. But soon their hopes were dashed as they stooped to drink and found that the waters were "bitter". Rather than quenching their thirst, the bitter waters merely aggravated their souls more severely than ever. One of the most tragic things about Israel's journey through the wilderness was the fact that they could never seem to come to that place where they recognized the faithfulness of their God. Over and over again they witnessed His mighty working and delivering power; but never did they learn His ways, and have the assurance of His ever-abiding faithfulness.
Answer for yourself: What is the hidden story behind the "bitter waters of Marah" which the Rabbis teach us?
Deuteronomy means "second law." It records the second giving of the Law by Moses as he prepared the nation to enter their promised inheritance. But Moses did more than simply repeat the Law to a new generation.
The nation owned the land by God's grace and possessed the land by God's power, but they could not enjoy the land unless they obeyed God's Word. When the nation disobeyed, God chastened them in the land (book of Judges) and then took them from the land into Babylonian captivity. Obedience to God and His Laws which framed their covenant as you can see is very important if we desire the blessings of God and not His chastisement.
In the addresses, Moses first reminded the people of God's past leading (chaps. 1-4). The word remember is used 14 times in the book. Then he restated and applied the Law (chaps. 5- 26), and closed his message with words of warning and blessing (chaps. 27-33).
Before he repeated the Law to Israel, Moses reminded them of their holy relationship with God and of their privileges as His chosen people. What other nation had heard the voice of God, had seen His power and glory, and had received His Word as their wisdom and their very life (vv. 1, 4, 25, 40)?
On the basis of these privileges, Moses warned them to take heed lest they forget what God had done for them (v. 9), how God had come to them (v. 15), w hat God had said to them (v. 19), and what God expected of them because of His covenant (v. 23). To whom much is given, much shall be required.
He also warned them that disobedience would bring chastening. God forgives His people when they repent (vv. 29-31), but read Hebrews 12:25-29 before making plans to disobey God. He is a merciful God (v. 31), but He is also a jealous God (v. 24); He will not permit His children to sin successfully.
God's people have three responsibilities when it comes to His commandments: hear them, learn them, and do them (v. 1). When we read the Word of God, we should hear the voice of God as the Spirit speaks to us personally. We must allow the Spirit to teach us God's truth and then empower us to obey it. The blessing comes in the living of the Word and not in the learning (James 1:21-25).
Most of Deuteronomy is an not only a reiteration of but an explanation and application of the commandments repeated here.
The laws alleged to have been expounded in Marah included the seven Noachide laws, the Sabbath, honor of parents, and Dinim (Litigations).
Rabbi Judah cites the Deuteronomic version of the Decalogue, where the Sabbath and parental-honor commandments contain an appended reference to a prior command-"As the Lord thy God commanded thee" (Sanhedrin 56b, Deut. 5:12, 16). The occasion of the prior command, according to Rabbi Judah, was the pause at Marah. We may assume that Rabbi Judah used the Deuteronomic text merely as corroborating support of an old rabbinic tradition, but the real reason must be found elsewhere. The second Decalogue
Answer for yourself: What theological or historical point can be made once one understands that the rabbis teach that it was at Marah that Moses reiterated the Noachide laws before elaborating upon them in giving Israel the 613 Mitzvoth?
It seems to me that the Marah tradition offers a clue to the content and number of the commandments of the Tablets of the Law.
Answer for yourself: Did the Sinaitic covenant, which marked the birth of Judaism, represent a break with Noachism (or Semitism), or was it merely a new, advanced stage of development? THINK!
Answer for yourself: If the latter, what distinguishing feature did Judaism introduce to indicate its departure from Noachism?
Answer for yourself: Why did the Tablets contain ten commandments?
The Marah tradition makes it clear that Judaism did not reject its Noachic roots. The preliminary instruction-leading, according to the rabbis, to the Sinaitic covenant-began with a restatement of the seven Noachide laws.
Now please pay attention. Of these only the belief in God is a positive injunction. The remainder are negative injunctions, admonishing against the commission of various crimes. There is no mention of man's moral, ethical, and social obligations to his fellow man. Indeed, this is characteristic of all ancient Semitic codes.
Judaism's distinctive innovation over Noachism is its development of new concepts of socio-ethical human relations and obligations. It was the psalmist who succinctly defined it in his admonition:
"Remove thyself from evil (adhere to the 7 Laws of Noah) and do good" (adhere to the positive commandments over and above the Laws of Noah given now in the Laws of Moses )(Ps. 34:15).
The biblical allegation that ...
"there [in Marah he made for them a statute and an ordinance" (Exod. 15:25) ...
indicated to the rabbis that Marah was the location of a substantial pre-Sinaitic theological and juridic exposition. The Judaic character of the new revelation is reflected in the phraseology of the succeeding verse:
"If thou wilt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes . . ." (Exod. 15:26).
The admonition to "do that which is right" (yashar may also be translated "fair," "equitable," or "ethical"), in addition to the compliance with laws and statutes, is Judaism's point of departure from Noachism.The Judaic elements of the Marah tradition were inherent in the Sabbath and parental-honor laws which supplemented the seven Noachic laws.
That the rabbis regarded the Marah laws as a preparatory stage to the Sinaitic covenant is evident from a Mechilta comment on the text in Exodus 15:26:
"If thou wilt hearken to the voice of God thy Lord"
The Rabbis teach that this verse refers to the Ten Commandments, which were proclaimed from mouth to mouth in a loud voice." It may be said, therefore, that the Marah tradition was formalized by the Decalogue [Ten Commandments], which in effect comprises the seven Noachide laws and the three supplementary laws added to them in Marah. The commandment against bearing false testimony properly comes under the heading of Dinirn.
This is startling in light of the almost complete absence of knowledge of the Laws of Noah in Christianity today. I find it totally amazing that God continues His progressive revelation through successive Covenants; never ending any but elaborating in each successive covenant where greater responsibilities and privileges are given. As far as non-Jewish believers go most will tell you that they admire and try to live out the 10 Commandments; little do they know that 7 of the 10 are reiterated and come from the Covenant of Noah which contain the Laws of Noah which we see in Acts 15. Over and above these 7 Categories in the Covenant of Noah we find consisting within these 7 Categories of Commandments a total list of 66 individual Laws which are the non-Jew's Covenant stipulations of his Covenant with God which if obeyed guarantee his right standing and acceptance with God and a place in world to come. Blessed be His Name. Baruch HaShem. (Abraham P. Bloch, The Biblical and Historical Background Of The Jewish Holy Days, Ktav Publishing House, Incl, New York, 1978, pp. 1-3).