Exodus 15:1-21 - Victory Hymn
Notes
Transcript
The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from:
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.”
Behold, brothers and sisters, this is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.
Exordium
Exordium
Beloved in Christ,
I invite you to open Holy Scripture to Exodus 15 this morning.
A couple of weeks ago, we saw God’s victory as He caused the Red Sea to part, allowing the people of Israel to walk through on dry ground, and the Egyptian army to be consumed by the Red Sea as the waves came crashing down on them. The people of Israel are finally freed from their oppressive bondage and slavery. I want to remind you of the central theme I have in mind for the book of Exodus: God's promised presence is with His children as He fulfills His covenant to the patriarchs, saving Israel for His glory.
During my study week this week, I came across the following quote by the beloved Reformed theologian R.C. Sproul:
“You cannot understand the New Testament without a grasp of the book of Exodus. The story of the New Testament is the record of the new ‘Moses,’ Jesus Christ, leading God’s people out of their bondage to sin and into the Promised Land of forgiveness and grace. To understand what Jesus was doing in the New Testament requires an understanding of what Moses did in the Old.”
We must have a grasp on the Exodus to ensure we understand the New Testament. As Augustine once quipped, “The Old Testament is the New concealed, and the New Testament is the Old revealed.”
In our verses this morning, we will see the response of the people of Israel after they have been saved. The storyline moves from historical narrative to a poem, hymn, or song. It is widely recognized as the oldest poem in Scripture. Today, we reflect on the redemption Yahweh brought to the Israelites through a hymn.
As you read through the entire song, you begin to realize there is one subject and one object of this hymn - Yahweh. The hymn is to Him, and it is about Him. The hymn declares Yahweh’s rule and reign, specifically regarding Yahweh’s holy war against Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. We see this type of hymn, sung to God, in other places in Scripture, such as Deborah and Barak in Judges 5, Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Luke 1:46-55, and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, in Luke 1:68-79.
And we also see these types of hymns sung to Jesus Christ. We see this in Revelation 5:9-14:
9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Also in Revelation 15:3-4:
3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! 4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
These hymns and songs give Jesus Christ the honor of ruling and reigning in the heavenlies. So, it is right for us to ascribe glory, honor, blessing, and worship to the Lord Jesus Christ throughout all our days on earth. There should never be a day that passes when we do not give praise to our great Lord and Savior, for He, by His redemptive power, has saved us from the horrific realities of sin, the enemy, eternal damnation, and the wrath of God.
In many regards, we look to the Exodus while simultaneously asking ourselves an honest question: Have I responded rightly to salvation by living a life of worship to the Lord?
My thesis for these verses is that worship is always the appropriate response to God’s redemptive work.
Exodus 15:1-12 - Yahweh’s Divine Power
Exodus 15:1-12 - Yahweh’s Divine Power
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.
You may notice that Exodus 15:1 is repeated in Exodus 15:22. You might be thinking, “Why is there a need for the repetition?” This is done intentionally. This is an intentional literary device called an inclusio. An inclusio lets readers know that this entire passage forms a cohesive unit. We must remember that the original authors did not use chapter numbers and verses, so the inclusio helps readers better understand the writings.
In Exodus 14:14, Moses tells the people that the Lord will fight on their behalf; they only need to be silent. Now, the congregation erupts in a chorus of praise, singing this song to the Lord, their great Divine Warrior. You can imagine the roar as millions of people sing this song out to the Lord. One can only imagine the chorus of praise from people of every language, nation, and tribe singing “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
Notice how the song begins in Exodus 15:1-2, with eight singular personal pronouns: “I” and “my.” Though the people sing this, the poem starts with an individual element. Each of these individuals has a profound personal connection to the story of the Exodus. “Yahweh has saved me.” So, I will sing. Why? Because Yahweh has triumphed gloriously over the Pharaoh by throwing his army into the Red Sea. The response by the people is to declare that the Lord is their strength and song. He has become their salvation. This statement is echoed throughout the pages of the Old Testament. We read this exact wording in Psalm 118:14 and Isaiah 12:2. Generation after generation, the people of God, unashamedly declare, “The Lord is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.” Today, we assert this same truth: “Christ is my strength. Christ is my song. He has become my salvation, my redemption, my liberation, and my deliverance.”
At the end of Exodus 15:2, there is this little phrase that can seem perplexing on the surface: “My father’s God, and I will exalt him.” We know biblically, theologically, and experientially that just because a father is a God-follower does not mean that his children will follow Christ. A person who grows up in a healthy, biblical, gospel-centered church does not automatically become a Christian because of these external factors. The Spirit must regenerate the heart, and one must repent of sin, declaring Jesus is Lord. “My father’s God” speaks to the connection to the Patriarchs and God’s covenant with them. Yahweh is a covenant-keeping God.
This is an encouragement to us today. How many times have our wayward, fragile hearts wondered if God will keep His promises to us? Most of the time, we have the assurance of faith, but there are times when we think, “My sin is far too great for God to forgive truly. My transgressions are much too serious, and I keep running back to the same sins like a dog returning to its vomit. Is the Holy One of Israel going to forgive all my horrid sins, keep me close to Him in this world, and then declare me innocent and righteous on the Great Day of Judgment, allowing me to enter into paradise?” Here’s the good news, Hebrews 13:8:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
If God was a covenant-keeping God in Genesis and Exodus, we can trust He is still a covenant-keeping God in the New Covenant. In moments of doubt and despair, we can run to Jesus for assurance of salvation, knowing He has promised to keep us in the covenant initiated by His sacrificial death. He keeps us now and forevermore.
Exodus 15:3-12 details Yahweh’s great victory over Pharaoh and Egypt at the Red Sea. A theme we’ve discussed previously arises again: Yahweh is a man of war. He is the great divine warrior who fights on behalf of His people. Pharaoh and his army were no match for Yahweh’s incredible power, even if, as Exodus 15:9 details, they believed the people of Israel would be theirs again. They ran headlong into the Red Sea only to be consumed by the waves as the strong right hand of the Lord shattered His enemies.
Yahweh holds power over nature itself. He commanded the waves to come up, and they obeyed. He commanded the waves to return to normal, and they obeyed His command. And does not our Christ hold rule and reign over the waves of the sea? Hear Mark 4:35-41:
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Christ holds power over the winds and waves of the sea in Mark 4, just as Yahweh held power over the wind and the waves in the Red Sea. The simple words of “Peace! Be still!” bring the storm to an end, calming the anxious fears of the disciples. “Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Oh disciples, this is not the first time the wind and the sea obeyed Him. They obeyed Him when the people of God crossed through the Red Sea, and they obeyed Him when He told them to come crashing down. Little did they know, this same Jesus, who slept in this boat during the storm, would bring them the victory they so desperately longed for over the power of sin. Christ’s right hand is a mighty right hand, both willing and able to save.
These verses in Exodus 15:3-12 are powerful. Hear the truth of your God: There is none like Him. None are majestic in holiness like our God. None are awesome in glorious deeds like our God. None are capable of doing wonders like our God. None had the power to free the people of God from Egypt like our God. None had the power to crush the world’s most powerful army like our God. None had the power to die for your sins. None had the power to redeem you from the power of sin, the flesh, the devil, and the world. None had the power to resurrect after being dead for 3 days. None had the power to take you, a spiritually dead person, and cause you to be a new creation in Christ Jesus. NONE! There is NO ONE like our God! Worship truly is the proper response to God’s redemptive work.
Exodus 15:13-18 - Yahweh’s Redemptive Love for His People
Exodus 15:13-18 - Yahweh’s Redemptive Love for His People
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.”
In today’s society, the concept of covenant is relatively unfamiliar. Take, for instance, marriage. Biblically, marriage is a covenant between two people. However, our nation has couched marriage in the idea of a contract between two parties. According to 2024 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the divorce rate in the United States is approximately 42%. Estimates reveal that first-time marriages will end in divorce 41% of the time. Second marriages have a 60% chance of ending in divorce. Third marriages have a 71% chance of ending in divorce. The most fundamental covenant in our society, marriage, has eroded. Divorces had become commonplace due in large part to no-fault divorces. Gone is the understanding of covenantal marital love between a man and his wife.
Yet, contrary to this is God’s covenantal love for His children. It is steadfast, enduring, and eternal. Notice how this love is applied in Exodus 15:13 - God has led His people, whom He redeemed, by His steadfast love, and He has guided them to His holy dwelling place. What rich love. The God who freed them from Pharaoh will also bring them to the Promised Land, setting up the temple in Jerusalem where His presence dwelt. There were multiple times when the people of Israel complained against God. He could have disowned them in their sinfulness, yet it was His covenant love that led them into the Promised Land. He remained faithful to the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, regardless of the sinful rebellion of the hearts and actions of the Exodus generation.
This is not only a great lesson for the Exodus generation, but also for us. John Owen’s book, The Mortification of Sin, is a brilliant and helpful read on the believer’s fight against indwelling sin. Christ has set us free from the power of sin’s dominion, but we still have indwelling sin that wars against us till the day we die. At one point, he writes, “When sin lets us alone, we may leave sin alone.” What is his argument here? Sin never lets us alone, so we cannot take time off in this war against the flesh. We understand that the war is complex, ongoing, and multifaceted. We find victory due to Christ and the Spirit’s leading, but there are many, many times when we give in to sin. Times when unjust and unrighteous anger arises towards spouse, children, or neighbor. A lingering look towards a man or woman that reveals lust in the heart. The arrogant pride of thinking we are greater or wiser than our brothers and sisters. For a brief moment, whatever sin we fail to resist seems entirely tempting and worthwhile. Yet, we know that the moment we partake of and eat that sin, guilt and shame overwhelm our hearts. Then the enemy consumes our thoughts, “Would a child of God really do or think what you’ve just done? Are you sure you are truly a child of the King? You think and behave more like Gentiles than one who is in the Church.” We, seemingly, are left to the fiery darts of the evil one, and those arrows hurt. We sit in the silence and isolation of guilt, trying, like Adam, to hide ourselves from the great God of heaven.
Yet, in those moments, we can return to Exodus 15:13. God’s covenantal love keeps those who genuinely belong to Christ, and He will lead us to the New Jerusalem, or, as Augustine wrote, “The City of God.” Indeed, the Lord disciplines us in times of disobedience, but His love is steadfast, never ceasing, everlasting. One of my favorite Latin phrases is “Angus Dei,” a title of Jesus meaning Lamb of God. This comes from John 1:29:
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
There is an image that corresponds to “Angus Dei.” You have probably seen it many times - a picture of a lamb with a flag. This symbolizes the atoning work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Whenever I see those images, I’m reminded that it is the Lamb who has taken away my sin, and He, out of sheer grace, leads me to New Jerusalem, to His holy abode. He knows my failings, sins, faults, and blemishes, yet He declared me righteous, and He is, right now, leading me home. The same is true for you as well, dear brothers and sisters. Christ, the great Lamb who takes away your sin, is leading you to the Eternal Promised Land. Why? Not because we are superb, faultless, or sinless, but because of His steadfast love to those whom He has redeemed.
In Exodus 15:14-16a, the focus shifts from the people of Israel to the surrounding areas, including Philistia, Edom, Moab, and all the inhabitants of Canaan. They have heard of Yahweh’s great power, and they will tremble, seized with terror and dread. Remember, the area of Philistia was north of Egypt along the Mediterranean Sea. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob. The Moabites come from Moab, the son of Lot, the nephew of Abraham. The land of Canaan is where the Israelites are traveling towards, the Promised Land. All of these people react to the power of Yahweh, and their reactions are not positive. It is driven by horror and fear.
The Exodus was not an event exclusive to the Israelites. The Exodus was a clarion call to the nations, “Yahweh is victorious over Egypt and her gods. Everyone, recognize the glory of Yahweh!” In antiquity, if a nation defeated another, it was believed that their gods were superior. Here you have a people that is not even a nation defeating the most powerful country at the time. Egypt’s gods were known to be supreme. Yet, Yahweh proved Himself to be preeminent. The nations would look upon the Red Sea and know, “Yahweh is greater.” The nations’ response to this event should have led them to repentance and worship. Come bow down before the Creator of the universe. Worship the One who can save.
Look at Exodus 15:18 with me. “The Lord will reign forever and ever.” Wow. The rule and reign of our God is eternal. He holds sovereign power over the universe. There has been, nor will there ever be, a time when the Lord does not reign. At this very moment, Hebrews 1:8-9 is a reality:
8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
What was the response of the Israelites after Yahweh gained the victory over Egypt? Singing and worship. What is our response to Christ securing the victory? Singing and worship.
Earlier, we discussed how Exodus 15:1-2 employs the first-person singular pronouns “I” and “my.” However, we must remember this song was sung by the people of Israel corporately. Corporate worship is vital to the life of the believer and the congregation. As a church, we take great joy in singing to the Lord together. One of the cherished moments for me during the service is when we sing. I often pause singing for just a few moments to listen to the church’s voice praise the Lord.
We must never forget that worship is a matter of the heart. External displays of worship with a heart distant from Christ are not true worship. As the Lord says in Isaiah 29:13,
13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
It is entirely possible to have external acts of worship and praise, all the while having a heart that is far from Him. A heart near to the Lord is not an arrogant heart; it is a humble heart. As Isaiah 66:2 states,
2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
The Lord looks favorably upon the humble one. What has been the state of your heart this morning during worship? Have you come to worship the Lord in humility, apathy, or arrogance, seeking to glorify Him and Him alone?
Another reality of our worship is that we should have deeper worship as we mature in Christ. Our passion in worship should be much greater than it was when we were saved. The worship I experience now is much richer than it was in my early years as a Christian, and the same should be true for you. Why is this? Simple. We know more about the Lord through His Word. If you want to learn how to have a deeper worship experience, spend time in the Holy Scriptures to get to know the Lord on a deeper level. As you know Him more, you’ll experience greater measures of joy in praising Him.
Exodus 15:19-21 - Yahweh’s Triumph
Exodus 15:19-21 - Yahweh’s Triumph
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.”
In these last few verses, we see that Miriam the prophetess leads the women in worship. They grab tambourines and sing the first part of the song. These tambourines were small, cylindrical drums and were often used when soldiers returned home victorious in battle. It is not a coincidence that tambourines were used here after Yahweh’s great victory.
Closing
Closing
This song was originally written by Moses, sung to and about Yahweh. Yet, we can also sing this about Jesus Christ, our Lord.
“I will sing to Christ, for He has triumphed gloriously; He has conquered all His enemies. Christ is my strength and my 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. Christ is a man of war; the Lord is His name.
He has put His enemies to open shame at the cross. Christ’s right hand is glorious in power and shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty, you will overthrow your adversaries on the Last Day, as you trample them like a winepress, consuming them like stubble.
The enemy has said, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils, I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy Him and those who are His.” You will speak a word, and your enemies will be defeated.
Who is like you, Christ, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? Your enemies will be Your footstool.
You, Christ, have led in you steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; You have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
The peoples have heard; they tremble; dread will fall upon the people of all nations, languages, and tongues as they seek to hide their faces from the wrath of the Lamb. Yet, by Your power, Your people, those You have purchased by Your blood, will sojourn on this earth and be pilgrims to Mount Zion and the New Jerusalem, the place that You have prepared for them.
You, Christ, will reign forever and ever.”
