The Story Through the Bible Exod 15

The song

I had considered skipping chapter 15 or at least the first 21 verses because it didn’t initially seem tied to our story focused way of study but really it’s like saying you went to a big theater production and saw the whole story and then left just before the end when they all sang the song that wrapped up the whole thing. That would be crazy to do. So we’re going to look at the song here.

Exodus 15:1–18 LSB

Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to Yahweh and said, “I will sing to Yahweh, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. “Yah is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him. “Yahweh is a warrior; Yahweh is His name. “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are sunk in the Red Sea. “The deeps cover them; They went down into the depths like a stone. “Your right hand, O Yahweh, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O Yahweh, shatters the enemy. “And in the greatness of Your exaltation You pull down those who rise up against You; You send forth Your burning anger, and it devours them as chaff. “And at the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up, The flowing waters stood up like a heap; The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. “The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be fulfilled against them; I will draw out my sword, my hand will dispossess them.’ “You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. “Who is like You among the gods, O Yahweh? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Fearsome in praises, working wonders? “You stretched out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them. “In Your lovingkindness You have guided the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have led them to Your holy habitation. “The peoples have heard, they tremble; Anguish has seized the inhabitants of Philistia. “Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; The leaders of Moab, trembling seizes them; All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. “Terror and dread fall upon them; By the greatness of Your arm they are still as stone; Until Your people pass over, O Yahweh, Until the people pass over whom You have purchased. “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, The place, O Yahweh, which You have made for You to inhabit, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. “Yahweh shall reign forever and ever.”

vs 2 -

My strength | ah-tzi

and song | we-zim-rat

Yah | yah

has become for me | we-yee-he-lee

as salvation | le-shua

Yah the short form of Yahweh and shua word for salvation when put together forms the name of Jesus - yahshua

Here in Israel’s greatest salvation story of the old testament we can see the foundation laid for Jesus as the true salvation.

A: Song of Praise to the LORD's Strength (vv. 1–3)

B: The Enemy Drowns in the Sea (vv. 4–5)

C: The LORD’s Right Hand Shatters the Enemy (vv. 6–10)

D: THE PIVOT: "WHO IS LIKE YOU, O LORD?" (v. 11)

C': The LORD’s Right Hand Swallows the Enemy (v. 12)

B': The Enemy Melts in Fear (vv. 13–16)

A': Song of Praise to the LORD's Eternal Reign (vv. 17–18)

+------------------+-----------------------+--------------------------------+

| THEOLOGICAL ATTR.| SCRIPTURE REFERENCE | REFORMED BAPTIST EMPHASIS |

+------------------+-----------------------+--------------------------------+

| Divine Warrior | "The LORD is a man of | God's holy war against sin and |

| | war..." (v. 3) | the enemies of His Covenant. |

+------------------+-----------------------+--------------------------------+

| Incomparability | "Who is like You... | The Transcendence and Holiness |

| | glorious in holiness?" | of the Creator (v. 11). |

+------------------+-----------------------+--------------------------------+

| Covenant Love | "In Your mercy You led| Hesed: The steadfast, electing |

| | the people..." (v. 13)| love for the redeemed. |

+------------------+-----------------------+--------------------------------+

| Eternal Reign | "The LORD shall reign | The Unstoppable Kingdom and |

| | forever..." (v. 18) | Sovereignty of Christ. |

+------------------+-----------------------+--------------------------------+

Exodus 15:19–21 LSB

For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam answered them, “Sing to Yahweh, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.”

Here is our only mention by name of Miriam in Exodus some believe her to be the sister at the beginning of Moses’ story but we can’t know that for sure. It also might seem strange that she’s referred to as Aaron’s sister instead of Moses but this is how it normally would have been done. Aaron was the older brother remember so it would actually have been culturally weird and possibly sound arrogant for Moses to write that she was his sister instead of pointing to Aaron.

What is the purpose of Miriam the prophetess though? What is a prophetess or prophet for that matter? A prophet isn’t just the guy telling you what the lottery numbers will be next week, or the doomsayer on the corner saying “the end is near!” although that one might at least be possibly included where I don’t think lottery number guy would be. The real purpose, and I think we’ve talked about it before is to be someone who tells people what God is saying. So the importance here of Miriam after the song is sung is the response we should all participate in with regards to salvation.