What Is Oasis Life Journey

Oasis Life Journey is a kind of church that I want to start. As I have read through both old and new testament books, I can't help but notice the kinds of things that happen when people are on a journey in the wilderness and are confronted with wilderness.

Oasis in the Bible are places where people rest from a long journey. It's not a place to call home, but it is a place to stop and rest. A place where one is refreshed. One dictionary said that Oasis is a fertile place surrounded by desert wilderness. Another said that an oasis is a place where there is a well or a spring in the desert. And yet another said that an oasis is a place of abundance. And yet another said it was a haven--a place of safety.

In Exodus 15, the Israelite people came to an Oasis. It was after a few days without food or water. They had barely escaped the Egyptian army. Somehow the Red Sea had parted for them to cross on dry ground while the Egyptians were crushed. They attributed this to the power of a god who called himself, "I am what I am." What does that mean? In a Hebrew transliteration his name is Yahweh. At any point, you can imagine, I get cranky by 6 pm if I haven't eaten since noon. These people were pretty cranky. The journey had been hard. They were grumbling. They grumbled against Yahweh and their leader Moses.

Well, they finally came to an Oasis. They called it Marah which means, 'bitter'. I suppose we all experienced times in our lives where we finally thought we were getting what we wanted only to find it was really just a mirage or rotten, unsatisfying, spit out of your mouth disgust. Well, this was one of the those times for Israel.

They complained to Moses. Moses prayed for his dear life that Yahweh would do something. Somehow, Yahweh lead Moses to a certain root. A root that when tossed into the bitter water, the bitter water became drinkable. It reminds me of my grandmother's house. She has well water. None of the family really likes her water. Most don't even like to take a shower in it. Well, over the last few years something happened and made the water worse. It would come out of the faucet orange sometimes brown. Now she has a 'root' (filtration system) in the basement that filters her well water. However, it still isn't drinkable, at the faucet she adds another filter. The water isn't horrible but it doesn't fully quench ones thirst.

I suppose this is how that stagnant water was at Marah. Moses was able to add a root that made it drinkable, but it wasn't the cool, pure, refreshing water one hopes for.

Yahweh then somehow speaks through Moses. Moses warns the people to follow Yahweh, to listen to Yahweh and keep Yahweh's commands. If the people do this Yahweh promises to provide for them and be their healer.

Yahweh is kind of funny about this... because here the people know that they are only stopping to rest and refill and retool and heal one another... they are not to stay at the Oasis, it will dry up.

So they move on. After a few days, Yahweh leads them to another Oasis. Yahweh reveals his heart for the people. This Oasis is called Elim which means many palms. In other words it is a place of abundance. Not only is there water (12 springs) at this oasis, there are 70 palm trees. These trees may have been fruit bearing trees...

There seems to be a hidden concept behind the numbers of this story. There our 12 tribes of Israel. Each have a spring that is sufficient for quenching their thirst. It's also spring water, so it is cool and refreshing. This water doesn't need filtered its fresh and pure. Then there are 70 palm trees. It strikes me that 70 is made of seven tens. Seven is a number that represents infinity (in this case I believe it represents that God's provision is abundant), the number 10 represents the idea of complete. In other words there is enough for everyone. God has provided water and shade for everyone.

Oasis is a place of abundance. I believe God has more places of abundance in store for all people on the journey of life.

Many times we have sought to find sustenance, but have come up with bitterness.

Yahweh has another Oasis in store for us, when we listen, follow and obey his commands he will be our healer, our provider. You are welcome to join the discussion and enter into the Oasis Life Journey.