January 16, 2007

• Exodus 15:1-19 – The Song of Moses

  Here is the first hymn of the Bible. We started Exodus with people sighing under the oppression of Pharaoh, now they are singing. In fact, this song is mentioned in Revelation 15:3 “They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:…”

  And a careful study of other Psalms finds elements of this song, the people had much to celebrate – their freedom. I am still amazed and wonder why, once they were free under God, why they would want to go back to idols and bondage?

  Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying,: “I will sing to the LORD. For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the Sea!”

  They sang to the Lord. I have a confession to make, I cannot carry a tune in a wheelbarrow, praise teams are not in my future, but God still likes it when I sing praises to Him, He appreciates what earthly ears do not. Songs sung in love and thanksgiving.

  Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song. And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

  What a wonderful sense of security this is, having God as a strength and song, and also knowing that God is not only our God, but God through many generations. There is another line in this song that we can all sing, “He has become my salvation.” How true that is for us all, and in that we do praise Him. Psalm 22:3-5  But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed. We trusted Him for our salvation. Psalm 22 is a description of the crucifixion, and He delivered us gloriously, freeing us from our bondage of sin.

  We are going to see something else in this song of Moses. As God works in our lives, and works in the Israelites’ lives, they gain a fuller picture of Him, and their description of God is enlarged, for God does things in our lives and we can then see more of who He is. My perception of God is constantly being enlarged.

  Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name.

  We think of God as Love, but true love also defends those who are being oppressed. I know that if someone seeks to hurt my kids, I will defend them. God defended the Israelites, and in that defense, He showed the side of Himself as “man of war.”

  Exodus 15:4-5 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; his chosen captains are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone.

  Hmm, depths, sank to bottom like a stone, kind of puts to flight the six inches of water theory. Pharaoh thought he was a match for God, and God showed him how wrong he was.

  Exodus 15:6-7  Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath; it consumed them like stubble.

  Jesus said, Matthew 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. But we know that Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in Heavenly places. And we wrestle using the whole armor of God, our waist girded with truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.

  Exodus 15:8  And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright like a heap; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea.

  Interesting illustration, the idea of the water heaped up (six inches couldn’t heap up too much) and the depths congealed in the heart of the sea I would have loved to have seen that. Isn’t it funny how water (also a symbol of the Word of God) creates and destroys. Here it protects the Israelites, allowing safe passage, but brings destruction to the Egyptians (a symbol of the flesh). And what caused the water to move, the breath of God, the same breath that moved across the face of the earth in creation.

  Exodus 15:9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desires shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’

  Notice that there are a lot of I will’s that the enemy says, thinking that he will conquer God, but no enemy can stand up against God. Also realize that the spoil was really the honest wages that should have been paid to the Egyptians during their period of slavery – remember Joseph is responsible for preserving the life of the Egyptians in the first place. And the enemy seeks to satisfy his desires on the people, but God had a better idea.

  Exodus 15:10 You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

  God showed Pharaoh that his will will not stand against the will of God.

  Exodus 15:11-13 Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You in your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.

  Psalm 89 also speaks in wonder about who is like God. When King David offered to build a temple to God, and God refused it, promising that Solomon would build the temple, in 2 Samuel 7:22 David said, Therefore, You are great, O Lord GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

   There truly is no other God like God.

  Exodus 15:14-18 The people will hear and be afraid; sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; the might men of Moab, trembling will take hold of them; all the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of your arm. They will be as still as stone, till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over whom You have purchased. You will bring them in and plant them. In the mountains of Your inheritance. In the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your own dwelling. The sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. The LORD shall reign forever and ever.

  I find this confidence in God so wonderful, but it is a shame that it will not last forever, the people will lose their confidence everytime a new crisis occurs. Yet we will also see in the Bible how often God’s victories do cause the enemy to fear and flee. God will lead the people around, what He thought would be a one year journey, to teach them and prepare them for the battles ahead, but the people will end up wandering 40 years because they did not trust God. They will forget the Red Sea crossing, when they face lack of water, or giants in the land. Yet, God who can part the Red Sea, is capable of delivering the people, if they had faith and trusted Him.

  Yet, from our vantage point it is easy to point a finger and say, “Oh ye of little faith,” but in reality we do the same thing. God brings us through a challenge, we thank Him, and then walk forward. The next challenge causes us to forget how strong our God is, and we have to take time to stand and watch the salvation of the Lord.”

  Exodus:15:19 For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

  Praying you have a blessed day,

  Heather

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