The Message of Exodus – Chapters 15
Red Sea Baptism and the Song of Victory
By I Gordon
In our last study in
the book of Exodus we looked at chapter 14 and what we called ‘The Red Sea
Baptism into Christ’. We saw Israel, led by the Lord, down into the waters of the Red Sea, with the entire Egyptian army in close chase
behind. You may remember that the New Testament called this event being ‘baptised into Moses.’ Israel’s journey down into the Red Sea, and their coming out alive on the other side,
was a type of our baptism! It was a miraculous victory straight from the hand
of the Lord. And worthy of a little bit of praise! In chapter 15 we read of the
song sung to praise God during this time. It is an awesome song, giving all
glory where it should always lie… with God and God alone! It is a song giving
the testimony of those that had seen the salvation of the Lord, and as such,
should be applicable to those saved today.
Preparation
Please read Exodus 15:1-21 and think about
the words of this song. How much credit does it give to Israel
for what has been achieved? How much of ‘self’ is there in this song, either
mentioning Israel’s good or bad deeds? What does it reveal about the character of God
and the character of the enemy? Do you know where in scripture this song is
sung again?
He turns my mourning into dancing…
How much singing has Israel been doing up until this point? How much
praise has found its way up to God? You wouldn’t be far wrong if you said just
about zip! We’ve heard some moaning, quite a bit of groaning, (and then some
moaning again!) but now, for the first time we see real praise! It is
interesting that this is the very first song that is revealed in scripture. Not
only that, but it is the first record of anyone singing praise to God! How
appropriate this is for us, for true praise and worship will always follow
revelation of what God has done for us in Christ. CHM, in his ‘Notes on the book of Exodus’
writes ‘It was when they emerged from their significant baptism “in the cloud
and in the sea”… that six hundred thousand voices were heard chanting the song
of victory… We too must know ourselves as saved, in the power of death and
resurrection, before we can ever present clear and intelligent worship.’ As Israel sat on the shores of the far side of the Red Sea, the realisation of
the extent of God’s salvation was there, plain as day, for all to see. And you
can’t keep praise down for long when the eyes have been opened and are focused
upon what God has done! So let’s look at the song.
And it’s all about Him!
Exodus 15:1-3 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song
to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and
its rider he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song; he
has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God,
and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.
Now the first thing to note about the start
of this song is that it is very personal. The Lord is not seen as someone far
away or uninterested. He is very real, very active, and very much in control.
Not only that, but the Lord is Israel’s
strength and salvation. Not
just a ‘help’. Think about it… how often do you pray asking the Lord to ‘help’
you do something? That is what most people think. That they are the ones who
basically have to struggle on with whatever strength they have, while the Lord supplies
a little bit of strength or patience or ‘help’ for the long hard road. Well,
because of what Israel had seen before their very eyes, they had gone beyond just having
the Lord as a ‘helper’. They had seen that He didn’t just help, but that He
fully took over! Their song didn’t say that the Lord is their helper. No, the
Lord is their strength… the Lord is their salvation. Do you have God in His
rightful place as the one who, through your consent, can live out His life
through you?
Our sins have sunk like lead!
Exodus 15:4-12 ‘Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has
hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red
Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths
like a stone. “Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand,
O LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down
those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like
stubble… “The enemy boasted, ‘I will
pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on
them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ But you blew with
your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty
waters. “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you— majestic in
holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretched out your right hand
and the earth swallowed them.
The song continues, focusing on what became
of the Egyptian army. Obviously they took an unexpected swim in the Red Sea when they tried to
cross! The song says that the Lord ‘shattered the enemy…they sank like lead in
the mighty waters… he hurled them into the sea.’ What an awesome picture of
what happened to that which stood against us – our sins. The Lord, majestic in
holiness, awesome in glory, dealt fully with our past, present and future sin,
burying them in the waters of baptism as deep as He did the Egyptians! And it
says above that the God ‘unleashed His
burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.’ I don’t know about you, but this
passage reminds me of what it took to have my sins forgiven. It reminds me of
the anger and justice of God that was poured out upon the cross, and consumed
the one who unreservedly took my place.
Look also at the claim of the enemy – ‘The
enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. My hand will destroy
them.’ Likewise, the Christian’s enemy, Satan, is full of boasts but his defeat
occurred at the cross and any accusations or doubts that he may
try to place upon God’s people are as empty as Pharaoh’s famous last words in
this passage. Stand your ground and start praising God again for Jesus ‘disarmed the powers and
authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the
cross.’
Do you know the victory that was achieved on the
cross? If so, believe it to be true for your own life, and keep yourself
focused on it.
Your song of praise to God will come from your understanding of what Jesus has
done for you. ‘Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.’ (Psalm
106:12)
If God be for us…
Exodus 15:13-16 “In your unfailing love you will lead the
people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy
dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
The chiefs of Edom
will be terrified, the leaders of Moab
will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will
melt away; terror and dread will fall upon them. By the power of your arm they
will be as still as a stone— until your people pass by, O LORD, until the
people you bought pass by.”
In these verses we see the effect of the Red Sea crossing on Israel’s
enemy. ‘The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia.’ Are these words
true? Of course they are. When Israel
finally got into the Promised Land, Rahab spoke of
the fear that came upon the inhabitants of Canaan saying
‘I know that the LORD has given this land to you
and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this
country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for
you when you came out of Egypt…When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for
the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.’ (Joshua
2:9-11)
So the words of the song were prophetic of
the fear that would come upon the enemy in the Promised Land. How much sadder
does that make the fact that through their own fear of the enemy, Israel
had to wander aimlessly for another 40 years after this? They where frightened
of a shaking courage less enemy! They sang the words of the song, but didn’t
truly believe it in their hearts. Does this not speak to us as Christians? How
many Christians still struggle with God’s intentions towards them, let alone
that of the enemy? How many Christians fail to enter the ‘promised land’ and
the promises God has for them due to fear of that which has already been
defeated? Let us sing the song, believe
its words, and live it out.
Notice also what it testifies concerning
the Lord- ‘In your unfailing love you
will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to
your holy dwelling.’ What an awesome promise this is for us. Not only
redemption through the Red Sea, but the promise for continual leading until we arrive home, in
Heaven, His holy dwelling.
The ‘How Much More’ of Salvation
Exodus 15:17-18 You will bring them in and plant them on
the mountain of your inheritance— the place, O LORD, you made for your
dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established. The LORD will reign
for ever and ever.”
Not only did God
provide an awesome salvation for them through the Red Sea, but this song makes clear that he will bring
them into His inheritance – the land He set apart for them. Israel was to be assured that the miracle of the Red Sea salvation was not the end of the Lord’s work
on their behalf. He would lead them, and plant them, in the Promised Land.
Remind you of any particular promise in the New Testament? Yep, you got it (I
hope!). Romans 5:10 states this ‘how much more’
when it says ‘For
if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of
his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his
life!’ Surely this is
something to be thankful for! God’s work on our behalf never stops at our
salvation. The Bible says that if He sent His Son to the cross when we were His
enemies (which He did), then we should have an even greater expectation of His
continual work on our behalf now that He has given us His Son.
Conclusion
What a song this is!
It covers all aspects of Israel’s salvation and gives all glory to the Lord.
In contrast with much of our praise and worship today, it doesn’t focus at all
on ‘self’ but places the God of Israel in His rightful place as savior,
redeemer, and Lord. As we have seem, it is a song that we can sing too for God
is all of these things to us. Let us see, through a revelation of God’s grace,
the extent of His salvation and let’s believe His words and sing His praise
too.
