"Checed (The Real I Do)"

Last week we began this look into worship through singing. Last week we saw that there are 50 explicit commands around singing. Kind of strange, right?

Don't murder. Oh, and sing." Right? "You shouldn't touch another man's wife. Sing. Don't steal but sing." Right? It's a weird idea to think that there are so many commands about singing.

It's just 50 times. That's a bit redundant, can we agree? Fifty times we find the command to sing to the Lord. Make a joyful noise to the Lord. What's this revealing about God?

Well, I've said for years, every command of God in the Bible is about lining us up with who God created us to be and is ultimately for his glory and our joy.

We learned that corporate singing strengthens the immune system. Group singing is a natural antidepressant. It lowers stress levels and diminishes cortisol.

And here is something beautiful about it. The Lord does not instruct us to sound perfect, does He? His word says, "Make a joyful noise…" It does not say it has to be a good one.

Last week we read through Exodus 15, a song by the Israelites absolutely captivated by the strength of God. The first part of the song we looked at was about the strength and power of God.

The focus was about what God had done. You did this. You accomplished this. You made this happen. You took the initiative. You took action on my behalf. It was not us; it was you.

We determined the reason they did this then, and why we do this to this day is to be reminded of what God has done; not what we have done, but what He has done. We tend to forget this.

We have not done this; God has done this. God is our strength. God is our song. God is our salvation. We have not earned anything.

We have been the recipients of the strength, kindness, and initiative of God in the heavens, which is why the second part of this stanza shows the futility of man-driven effort.

This is where we pick up today. We are going to read our passage again today. We are going to read the whole chapter through, and we are going to let God speak to us. Read: Exodus 15

Exodus 15 ESV

1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. 4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. 5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. 8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ 10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. 13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. 14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. 16 Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.” 19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” 22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

Last week was all about what God did, remember? That’s what the people of God do. They remember Him and His works, strength, and power. But when you read on you see what the enemy does?

"The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.'"

It went from you, you, you, you, you to… What were the Egyptians thinking? "I, I, I, I, I." Verse 10:"You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters."

I want to point out here that the Bible is saying despite the long patience of God, finally when the fury of God is unleashed, it moves quickly.

That's what we've seen in Egypt, and that's what you'll see throughout the rest of the Old Testament. That's what I think you even see in our day and age.

If you've ever built a fire… If when I said that you thought about flipping a switch in your living room, we're on two different pages. I'm not judging you for that. It's easy, quick, and clean.

What I mean by "starting a fire" is the process of kind of gathering what's called stubble or kindling, things that will light easily. It really is an awesome process, kind of a right of passage for many.

Then as that starts to go, you put smaller twigs on. As that starts to go, you put bigger sticks on. As that starts to go, you finally get your logs on there. Then you have yourself a roaring fire.

Stubble or kindling is something that lights quickly and burns quickly. You must stay on top of stubble. It's going to go quickly if you don't feed it.

What the Bible just says is the fury of God burns through the enemies of God like stubble. It happens quickly. If you've you're like, "Whoa! It's been like 400 years. Four hundred years isn't quick.

That's five generations. How could you say 400 years is quick?" Well, no, no, no. The wrath of God is slow; the fury of God is fast. Let me try to distinguish between those two.

The idea of wrath is steadily building opposition against. It's a rhythm God gets into with those who are not his children. God is the Creator of all, but he is only the Father of some.

Are you tracking with me? He is the Creator of all, the Father of some. The way God deals with those who are not his children, who are in glad rebellion against him, is to endure with great patience.

He is patient with their rebellion and then enters that rebellion and pleads with them to repent and come home and then patient, and then back and pleads with them and be patient.

Plead with them and be patient. Plead with them and be patient. Plead with them and be patient. Then he pleads with them and is patient. Then after that, he is more patient. See the pattern?

Then from there, he shows more patience. Then after that, more patience until finally (not toward his children, because his children are not under wrath; they're under mercy) when God's patience with his enemies is done, spent, he unleashes fury, and fury always works quickly.

Where wrath works slowly in the steadfast love of God, his fury burns through his enemies like stubble, which means his enemies aren't the big logs.

No, his enemies are the little stubble that's easy to burn through. We saw that in Egypt, and the people of God remembered God did this. God made a way. God got them out, and they sing.

Cosmic victory. It's not just this personal intervention and action, and it's not just his strength. They're also celebrating this cosmic victory that's occurred.

It's in this next part of the text that we see a new idea interjected into human history. Exodus 15:11 through 13. Look at this. Read: Exodus 15:11-13

Exodus 15:11–13 ESV

11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. 13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

The idea of holiness isn't a new concept. Holiness means other than. It means different than. Holy…different than.

When the Israelites are singing that God is holy, that's not a new concept, especially because they tie God's holiness back to his power.

"You are mighty and majestic in power. The earth has swallowed, and the creative order obeys you." But that wouldn't have been anything new. The Egyptians thought that about their god.

No, the song goes on to say something that had never been said or considered before in human history. "You are holy not just because of your power.” They say, “You are holy in your steadfast love."

That phrase steadfast love is the Hebrew word checed (Hesed). It's a different kind of love than maybe you're thinking.

It's not a love of kind of emotive fluttering heart but a love of the will. It's a love of decision. Here's why that's so powerful.

What we see in this moment when the people of Israel sing, "You are holy in power. You are other than in your power. No one has power like you. You command all of creation.

The sea obeys you. The wind obeys you. The locusts obey you. Disease. Everything obeys you. You are holy, but you're also steadfast in love. You're also checed (Hesed)."

Checed (Hesed). God is the real, "I do." Are you tracking with me? When people get married, they turn, and they face one another. They give these really impossible covenant promises.

That's what the Lord does, except the Lord is able to keep his word. The Lord looks upon his people and says, "In sickness and in health, I do. I'm in. You are my people. I am your God.

I am not going anywhere. You're mine. My kindness is yours, my strength is yours, and my personal action will be at your attention. I'm not going anywhere."

There had never been (and to this day there is not) a God whose holiness is marked not just by power but by checed (Hesed), love. "I'm not going anywhere. I do. I will.

I cannot break my promises to you because I promise by my own name." That's a stunning proclamation, and it's what sets Christianity outside of all other world religions.

No other world religion has a God who promises to flex his power, might, and holiness to love his people unconditionally. It sounds crazy, right, and yet this is what they're singing.

They get this, and it blows their mind. They sing. It's not just this cosmic victory over other gods and this God who is holy in power and in steadfast love, but it's also a celebration of…

Future victory. Look at verse 14 through 18. Read: Exodus 15:14-18

Exodus 15:14–18 ESV

14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. 16 Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

Again, if we're reading the Bible with our imagination, I always want to say this. I don't mean you're imagining things that aren't there.

I'm saying you're reading the text with an eye for trying to smell, see, and feel the weight of what's happening in the Scriptures.

The most powerful empire in human history ever known to man to this point was just destroyed and laid to waste, and the whole world saw it. They didn't watch it on Twitter.

They didn't see it pop up on their devices, but Egypt…great, wealthy, powerful Egypt that had made all these other nations subservient…has now been laid to ashes.

This was at the hands not of a revolt of slaves but natural disaster after natural disaster after natural disaster after natural disaster after natural disaster.

This was one after another, after another, after another, until finally the great sea split and swallowed the Egyptian army.

Now we're a disenchanted people, so that doesn't freak us out, but to enchanted people, I mean, these nations are terrified of the God of these slaves.

The nations now tremble. They're still. The song paints this picture of people who are unwilling to move because of terror. I know you don't think you would do that if you got terrorized.

I know all of you think you're Jason Bourne, and the second something terrifying happened you'd do like a roundhouse ninja kick and stab somebody in the throat with a pen, but really what he is saying…

Ultimately in this text they're saying they're so terrified, they can't move. If after Exodus we would get into Joshua, we'd see this exact thing take place.

The nations aren't necessarily afraid of the Israelites, but they're terrified of the God of the Israelites.

When they believe the God of the Israelites are not on the Israelites' side, they get cocky. They want to fight. They want to make war. But when the God of Israel shows up, they know it, and they flee.

They will oftentimes in confusion turn and kill one another when they think the God of the Israelites is present. Here's what's happening. They are singing about future victory.

Like I said, if we could go into Joshua and into some of the other Pentateuch books we would see this happen. These nations do tremble. They did stand still.

They were mortified at what the God of Israel could do after hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years of opportunity for them to repent and turn away from their rebellion.

Now when the fury of God arrives, it arrives swiftly, and it arrives in the dwindling down of Israel's army so God could flex and make himself known.

Israel just never has a really scary army. They just have a really terrifying God. They're celebrating this future victory. Listen. What they're singing about is this truth.

It's true about you and true about me. If this is our God, then our future is secure. What have I to fear today? What do I have to fear that 10,000 years from now would cause any consternation?

I could die. I could get sick. But I just don't think that matters 10,000 years from now. I don't think 10,000 years from now I'm like, "Really? I couldn't have gotten another couple of years?"

Now what if something happened to my children? That's some of our greatest fears as parents. Gosh! I've seen it. I can't fathom it. I don't know when I'd get up off the floor. I don't.

But both of my babies have confessed Christ as Lord, so 10,000 years from now… What if I lost all my money? I'm secure. I am a son of God, adopted by the blood of Christ. My future is secure.

His power and strength is in the present. He is working for his glory and my good. I don't pretend to understand how all those pieces come together.

Can he be trusted? Yes. Is he good? Yes. Will there be confusing, difficult, painful seasons? Absolutely, but he is good, and he does good. They're singing of their future security.

We want him to be our peace, and we think about how he has come to be love. Think about how often we wrestle with our own self-condemnation, our own difficulty at comprehending the steadfast love, the checed (Hesed) love, of God for us.

We have an opportunity. They're singing this rooted in the reality of it or in a heart that's longing for it, but we're not passive when we're singing. It's commanded.

It's not a suggestion if you have a good voice, if you're in the emotional groove, if you're in your happy spot. No, no, no. We sing because the Lord has commanded us to sing for his glory and our good.

But we're not passive; we're active as we worship in song. Listen. The people of God have struggled with this.

It's why you saw Miriam break out the tambourine and get her girls' choir together and go to work, reminding them, "The Lord has triumphantly destroyed our enemies, horse and rider.

Let's sing it! Horse and rider! Let's sing it! We are completely free. Let's rejoice in it. He has destroyed all of it. There's nothing to fear. Let's sing it."

The nature, like I said, of what Jayme does when he comes out here (and I know there are other worship pastors at other churches) is he is doing what Miriam did in the text.

He is saying, "God has done this. He is bringing hope. He is bringing life. This is what the Word of God says. This is what's true about God.

This is what's true about us. Let's encourage one another as we hear one another's voices, even if they're mediocre."

Now I want to read verses 22 through 27 to root us back in God's kindness and to set the stage for our worship music this morning. Read: Exodus 15:22-27

Exodus 15:22–27 ESV

22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

Can that sentence just encourage your heart, that these people just went from an epic tambourine-laden worship service to three days later going, "I thought you were going to provide for me.

I thought you were going to help me. I thought you weren't going to abandon us. I thought you were…"? That's a sentence that brings comfort to your pastor's heart. Good. Okay. That’s what we do, right?

Look at verse 27. "Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water."

God leads us out of bondage, leads us out of slavery, and quickly we forget, complain, and grumble. God delivers us again with mighty acts via salvation or whatever.

Then we respond to that rejoicing in the strength of God, in the initiative of God, in the cosmic victory of God and our future being secure.

Then along the way, we can't find water, and we grumble and complain. If I'm God, I'm doing something else with the log. Right? But I'm not God. God is (Hesed). He is the real "I do."

How does he treat his beloved? It's hard for us to imagine that's what we are (the beloved). How does he treat this grumbling, complaining people?

By giving them sweet water to drink and giving them shade and 12 springs in the middle of a desert. In the midst of their grumbling and complaining, God gives them water, shade, steadfast love. Let's pray.

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