Êxodo 15

Êxodo 15

Morgan - Then sang Moses and the children of Israel. Ex. 15.1. That was natural, inevitable. There are moods of the soul that can only be ex-pressed in poetry and in music. They are the great moods, whether of joy or of sorrow, of gleam or of gloom. This was a moment of high experience. The hour was full of the sense of the greatness of life. The shackles were gone, the enemies were destroyed; freedom was theirs, and opportunities were before them. This sense of the greatness of life was created by the sense of the greatness of God. What could they do other than sing? In such experiences prose becomes useless, poetry is the only method of expression; monotone is insufficient, harmony is necessary. An examination of the son& will show that it was a glorious celebration of their King, on the part of this newborn nation. It had its backward and its forward look, and in each case the supreme fact was God. He had triumphed gloriously. All the power opposed to Him, and so to them, had proved weak in His mighty grasp. Moreover, He would fulfil all His purposes, bringing them in and planting them in the mountain of His inheritance. When, looking back, God is seen, and forward, His purposes and power are recognized, the soul can sing, even though the threatening dukes of Edom, men of Moab, and inhabitants of Canaan are all about it. Such moments of high vision and glorious praise are full of value, even though presently there may be much of darkness and declension. Whenever they come, let us avail ourselves of them to the full. Exodus 15:1–2,13–18 Our Strength And Song The Lord shall reign forever and ever. —Exodus 15:18 Often called “The March King,” composer and band director John Philip Sousa created music that has been played by bands around the world for more than a hundred years. As Loras John Schissel, music historian and conductor of the Virginia Grand Military Band, said, “Sousa is to marches what Beethoven is to symphonies.” Sousa understood the power of music to motivate, encourage, and inspire people. In Old Testament times, the people of Israel were often inspired to compose and sing songs to celebrate God’s help during times of need. When the Lord saved His people from certain destruction by Pharaoh’s army, “Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord . . . ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation’ ” (Ex. 15:1-2). Music has the power to lift our spirits by reminding us of God’s faithfulness in the past. When we’re discouraged, we can sing songs and hymns that raise our eyes from the challenging circumstances we face to see the power and presence of the Lord. We are reminded that He is our strength, our song, and our salvation. Trust in Him, ye saints, forever— He is faithful, changing never; Neither force nor guile can sever Those He loves from Him. —Kelly Songs of praise raise our eyes to see God’s faithfulness. Exodus 15:1-21 One More Miracle I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! —Exodus 15:1 If you are looking for a praise and worship pattern, look no further than Exodus 15. There you find the Israelites heaping honor on God. The people were just hours removed from one of the greatest rescues in history. The Lord had protected them from the rampaging Egyptians, and their praises reflected the renewed trust in God that this event brought them. It’s appropriate to pour out our unbridled praise on God when we see Him work in great and miraculous ways. But those aren’t the only times He deserves our adoration. Too often we wait for God to perform a big answer to prayer before we feel like singing His praises. But think about this: God doesn’t owe us any miracles. He doesn’t need to do anything to prove His greatness. He has already given us an incredible display of His power in His creation. He has made the ultimate sacrifice to purchase our redemption. Through His power, He has conducted the most miraculous transaction known to mankind—He brought us from spiritual death to spiritual life. Sing praise to God who reigns above, The God of all creation, The God of power, the God of love, The God of our salvation. —Schutz Praise flows naturally from a grateful heart. Exodus 15:1-18 Celebration Of Praise You've probably never been to a worship service quite like the one the Israelites held after they reached the safe side of the Red Sea. The people had just seen God save them from certain, watery death. They had come within an eyelash of being pushed into the sea by the charging forces of Pharaoh's army. Relentlessly, the charioted soldiers had chased them down (Ex. 14:5, 6, 7, 8, 9). In panic, the children of Israel had cried out for help (Ex. 14:10). (ED: WHILE THIS IS TRUE, NOT THAT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO GRUMBLE AGAINST MOSES IN Ex 14:11!) The Lord parted the sea, allowing the people to cross (Ex. 14:16,21,22). But when the Egyptians rode onto the seabed, God caused the waters to cascade down on them (Ex. 14:28). That's when the celebration began! Joyously, the people praised God for His strength and salvation (Ex. 15:2), His power (Ex. 15:6), His greatness (Ex. 15:7), His holiness (Ex. 15:11), His mercy, redemption, and guidance (Ex. 15:13), and His eternal reign over them (Ex. 15:18). They poured out their hearts in worship to the God of their salvation. When we think of the power of God, Of His wonderful works in His Word, We can't help but rejoice in His Son, That the gospel of grace we have heard. --Hess God's great power deserves our grateful praise. Exodus 15:2 "The LORD 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. my strength: Ps 18:1,2 Ps 27:1 Ps 28:8 Ps 59:17 Ps 62:6,7 Ps 118:14 Hab 3:17-19 Php 4:13 song: De 10:21 Ps 22:3 109:1 140:7 Rev 15:3 my salvation: Ex 14:13 2Sa 22:51 Ps 68:20 Isa 12:2 45:17 49:6 Jer 3:23 Lu 1:77 Lu 2:30 Joh 4:22 Ac 4:12 Rev 19:1 my God: Ex 4:22 Ge 17:7 Ps 22:10 Jer 31:33 Jer 32:38 Zec 13:9 an habitation: Ex 40:34 Ge 28:21,22 2Sa 7:5 1Ki 8:13,27 Ps 132:5 Isa 66:1 2Co 5:19 Eph 2:22 Col 2:9 my father's God: Ex 3:15,16 extol him: 2Sa 22:47 Ps 18:46 30:1 34:3 99:5,9 118:28 145:1 Isa 25:1 Joh 5:23 Php 2:11 Rev 5:9-14 MY STRENGTH, SONG, SALVATION, GOD, FATHER'S GOD The LORD is my strength and song - Observe the personal possession emphasized by the repetition of "my" - "my strength and song...my salvation...my God...my father's God." He begins with literally "My strength and song is Yahweh." In other words it is not just an attribute of Yahweh but it is Yahweh Himself. This would be difficult to grasp or believe if it were not the Word of Truth! If Yahweh is my strength, what does that say about my own natural strength? My natural strength is frail, faint, fleeting (I am 74 and this is very real to me! ) THOUGHT - Oh, to grasp just a fringe of the meaning of this truth (cf Job 26:14!) Moses and the Israelites had seen it in the greatest manifestation of God's redemptive strength in the OT surpassed only by the Cross of Christ! The NT applications are surly manifold but well summed up by Paul "I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me." (Php 4:13+) We need to pray for ourselves and others to experientially live out our short time on earth in the truth that "the LORD is my strength," pleading with God for example using Paul's words in Ephesians that the Father "would grant you (us), according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man." (Eph 3:16+). And his words in Colossians 1:9-12+ asking "that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." While it was not labeled a song, the closing words of Habakkuk sound like a song of praise... Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, 18 Yet (WHAT A DRAMATIC TERM OF CONTRAST!) I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments. (Hab 3:17-19+)