Exodus 15:1-21
~16 min read
SERMON OUTLINE
TRANSCRIPT
Our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus 15:1-21, and the title of our message is "The Song of Praise."
Some Bible critics have tried to argue that this song was out of place in the book of Exodus because up until now everything that was recorded was strictly narrative. So this passage appeared to have interrupted the flow of the biblical narrative. Others even challenged that this song was not written by Moses and it was only added later on. But nothing is further than the truth. This song was divinely inspired and preserved by God, just as all scripture is given by inspiration of God and preserved by Him.
One of the greatest proofs that this song was inspired and preserved by God was found in the Book of Revelation in Revelation 15:3. When the Apostle John was taken up into heaven to have a view of heaven, he heard the glorified saints singing. Allow me to quote what John said, "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.'" Surely the song of Moses is a reference to this passage in Exodus chapter 15. Can you imagine all the glorified saints in heaven singing this?
In the previous chapter 14, we saw the salvation of Israel. They had been delivered from captivity in Egypt, and immediately after they crossed over to the other side of the Red Sea, they sang this song unto the Lord. Salvation always demands a response, a response of praise, and what better way to express one's gratitude and praise than in a song? Whenever God does something great, He deserves our praise, and often times, this praise comes in the form of a song. Take for example when God created the world, the morning stars sang together, and all the angels shouted for joy (Job 38:7). When God delivered David from the slimy pit and placed his feet on the rock, David said, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 40:3). When the Israelites returned from their captivity in Babylon, Isaiah prophesied that they would be singing as they entered into Zion (Isaiah 51:11). And all of us would remember when God gave His only begotten Son, and Jesus Christ came into this world, all the angels were singing for joy.
Today we are also singing in the church all the time, isn't it true? We sing praises to God for His wonderful salvation and all the great things He has done in our lives. That is the reason why verse one begins with the word "then" because the children of Israel had just witnessed the salvation of the Lord, and therefore, they must respond. And they responded by singing this wonderful song. Verse one: "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
Who was singing? Moses and the children of Israel. In verse 21, the Bible tells us that Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses, also joined in the singing. This was the first time Miriam was mentioned by name. Most likely, she was the young girl who looked after the baby Moses in the basket in the River Nile. So all the men, women, and children were singing this song. Remember there were about two or three million Israelites who had crossed the Red Sea, which means about two or three million people were singing this song, most likely by the seashore. In other words, it was a three-million-strong choir.
Many years ago, I attended a missionary conference in the Philippines, and there was this choir presentation. In a normal choir, there'll be some people who will sing soprano, others will sing alto, tenor, and bass. But in this particular choir at the missionary conference, they were not musically trained, so they were not able to sing in different voices; they were only able to sing in the same voice — soprano. I remember the choir master said to the choir members, ‘We may not be able to sing the different voices, but we have the numbers. We have about 60 or 70 choir members. While we lack the ability to sing the different voices, we have the numbers.’ Indeed, when they sang, it was so majestic and awesome.
We do not know how Moses and the children of Israel were able to sing the same words - perhaps they were echoing stanza by stanza what Moses was singing. But one thing we do know, they were all singing. Can you imagine 3 million people singing all together by the seashore? It must have been thunderous.
The best way to study this song is to consider what it emphasises. Basically, this song speaks of two things: what God has done and who God is. If we may put it this way, what God has done reveals to us who He is.
I. What God Has Done
Firstly, let us look at what God has done. From verses 1 to 8, this song talks about God's power in separating the Red Sea by sending a strong east wind. How do we know that it was not by chance or coincidence that the wind came? Or as some people would say, randomly. Verse 8 tells us, "…with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together”. And verse 10 says, "Thou didst blow with thy wind". God was the one who sent the strong east wind, separating the Red Sea, and when He did that, the Israelites went across on dry land. When Pharaoh and his soldiers tried to follow, the waters covered them. But before that, the chariots and the horses were caught in the mud and they were thrown into disarray. Subsequently, they sank into the bottom of the sea like a stone. You know, sometimes children like to play by the seaside, and they would throw stones into the sea. The Egyptians sank into the bottom of the sea like a stone. Verse 5 tells us.
But why did God do that? Well, it was all because of the pride of Pharaoh and his soldiers, or the Egyptians. Verse 9, "The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.” The enemy was so self-centered that the Bible records how he referred to himself six times in one single verse: ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide…my lust shall be satisfied…I will draw my sword, I will destroy.’ In a sense, the enemy was so proud, boastful, impulsive, greedy, and violent that he did not even have time to catch his breath when he repeatedly said, "I, I, I." All the atrocities they had done; the killing of the male Israelite babies by drowning them in the River Nile, the oppression, the rebellion, the refusal to let the people go to worship God - everything could be traced to this root problem: pride.
That was also the downfall of Lucifer. Do you remember? The Bible tells us in Isaiah 14:12, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer". How did Lucifer fall? When he repeatedly said in his heart, " I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Perhaps you may be thinking to yourself, ‘Surely I'm not so proud like the Egyptians or Lucifer. I know better than that.’ Well, think again.
Maybe you can turn with me to James 4:13-15. In this passage, James exposes the common sinful pride of men who said in their hearts, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain". Take a moment and consider this. Isn't this our common mentality when we make plans and decisions for ourselves and for our families? We decide on the date - today or tomorrow. We decide on the place we will go into such a city. We decide on the duration; we will continue there for a year. Why a year? Why not two or three? Well, we decide we're going to stay there for a year. We decide what we are going to do; we are going to buy and sell. And we even decide on the result; we will get gain. In other words, we are so assured in our hearts that we will make a profit. James says, ‘You do not even know what is in store for your life tomorrow. You do not even know what will happen tomorrow, and yet you make such elaborate plans. For what is your life. It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.’
Dear friend, it is not wrong to make plans. We have to make plans, whatever they may be: plans pertaining to our studies, our families, our children, our future, our retirements. But we must bear in mind that we are not in control of our plans, just as we are not in control of our lives. For all we know, we may die even before any of those plans can come to fruition. So what should be our attitude? Verse 15 says, "For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." When God is not in the picture, when we do not consider God in our plans, when we do not pray and submit our plans and decisions to God, when it is all about ‘I, I, I’ or ‘me, me, me,’ that is pride, and that is the root cause of all our problems.
Notice the attitude of Moses was the opposite. He was praising God for all the things He had done. Throughout this song, never once did Moses talk about himself or his part in Israel's salvation. Surely Moses had done a great deal in the salvation of Israel, but he knew that he was just an instrument. That was the reason why he did not even mention once what he had done. It was all about God.
Indeed, music has a great part in our lives, especially in our worship of God. Can you imagine a Christian worship service without music at all? It will be so unfulfilling. Every week, we sing hymns of praise to God. When you and I sing, we are not singing about ourselves or what we have done. We give glory to God for what He has done. We praise God, especially for all the things He has done in human history, for His salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So each time we sing, our focus must always be on God, and we consider what He has done for us, especially in our salvation.
II. Who God Is
Secondly, who God is. What God has done reveals who He is. His work always reveals something about Himself, His character. Do you realise that it is impossible to praise God without focusing on His attributes? Why? Because it is His attributes that make Him so great. Isn't it true? Let us consider some of the attributes recorded in this song.
Firstly, Moses praised God for His eternality. He repeatedly used God's divine special name - Jehovah, all the Lord. This was the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. It means that God was self-existing, eternal, and unchangeable. The God who delivered Israel out of Egypt was the same God at the burning bush. It was the same God who first made His Covenant with Abraham. Moses said in verse three, "the Lord is his name."
Sometimes people read the Bible and they marvel at how God divided the Red Sea and caused the Israelites to walk on dry land, how He destroyed the enemies of His people, how God was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, how He provided manna from heaven, and all those miraculous works. But then they seem to think that that was the God in the past, that was the God in the Bible. Dear friends, He is the same God you and I believe in. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever - the Lord is his name.
Secondly, Moses praised God for His power. Whatever the Israelites had witnessed in the Red Sea, it was a demonstration of God's power. God had proven Himself to be omnipotent or powerful when He overpowered His enemies. Verse 6 "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.” Remember, the Israelites had witnessed the demonstration of God's power in the Ten Plagues. They had witnessed how God guided them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. But the moment they saw the Egyptians pursuing them in their chariots and horses, they panicked and forgot who God was.
Eventually, the horses and their riders were thrown into the sea. How often when you and I are afflicted with a deadly disease or illness, when we face financial crisis, or we encounter a powerful adversary of the Gospel, like the Israelites, we panic. And when we panic, we forget who God is. Think about the times when you are troubled, when you are afflicted. Are those times when you will panic, and then you will forget who God is? We ought to be reminded, like the Psalmist says in Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” Our God is omnipotent, all-powerful. If we remember that, if God is with us, what can our enemy do to us? What can the issues and challenges of life do to us if God is for us?
Thirdly, Moses praised God for His faithfulness and justice. God said that He will fight for the Israelites, and He did. God is a man of war, which means God is a warrior. God's war against the Egyptians was a holy war. It was holy because God was holy. Therefore, even in His anger, even in His judgment, He would not sin.
Remember, the children of Israel were so frightened when the Egyptians were right behind them and the Red Sea was right before them. They were trapped, so to speak. They were so afraid that they started to murmur and complain against Moses, accusing him of bringing them into the wilderness because there were no graves in Egypt. They would rather serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.
What did God say to them through His servant Moses? ‘Do not fear, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, for the Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.’ What happened when the Lord, a man of war, was fighting for them? That was the time when the Israelites stood still, and they just watched. The Red Sea was divided, and they simply walked across on dry land. When they looked back, they saw the Egyptians trying desperately to follow. After the waters came, they were all drowned. They just watched and saw.
Sometimes when we have reached our wits' end, humanly speaking, we have done everything we can, but it seems hopeless. When we turn right, there's trouble. When we turn left, there's trouble. When we look into the future or we anticipate what is in the future, there's more trouble. What can we do? Instead of murmuring and complaining, we look to God, and we cry out to Him, ‘Lord, I have done everything I can. I want to glorify you as a family, as an individual. I want to praise you. But it seems there's no way out. Save me, fight for me.’ And then we just wait patiently, watch, and see. The Lord will deliver us. Do you believe in Him? Well, the Israelites, they just simply stood and watched, and the Lord was the one who did everything.
Fourthly, Moses praised God for His supremacy. The eternal, all-powerful, faithful, and just God was supreme. Not only over His enemies, not only over our lives, not only over the Creation, but over all the other gods. Look at verse 11, "Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?” The obvious answer is there's none like God. Through the Ten Plagues, God demonstrated that there was none of the Egyptian gods like Him, none, not one.
Finally, Moses praised God for His mercy and love, verse 13 "Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.” Time and again, God had proven His love for Israel. Everything that had happened up to this point in the book of Exodus was motivated by God's love. He had kept all His loving promises to Israel. Will He keep His promise to bring them into the Promised Land? He has led them as they came out of Egypt. He has led them to cross over the Red Sea. Will He not keep His promise to bring them into the land of Canaan? Most certainly, that was the reason why Moses looked into the future and confidently anticipated the day when God would lead them triumphantly into the land of Canaan. He would help them to defeat all the inhabitants of Canaan; you can read about that in verses 14-16.
Dear friends, time and again our God has proven His love for us. Is it not true? He has answered our prayers, He has provided for all our needs, He has protected us from harm and danger, He has raised us from the bed of affliction. And yet, we doubt Him. We doubt if He really hears our prayers, we doubt if He will really answer our prayers, we doubt if He will really save us and bring us into heaven. We doubt if our bodies will be raised from the graves. We doubt our Lord Jesus will return soon. May the Lord forgive us.
God, who loves us, who showers His grace and mercy upon us in the past, will continue to love us, and He will continue to shower His grace and mercy upon our lives in the future. Do you believe Him? Indeed, this is an amazing song of praise, but not everyone is able to sing this song, just as not everyone is able to sing the hymns of praise in the church. They may be able to sing those words, but without meaning, without understanding, without conviction, unless they have a personal relationship with the almighty God, like the Israelites who had witnessed the salvation of the Lord and crossed over to the other side of the Red Sea. They had trusted and believed in the Lord. That was why this song was so meaningful to each and every one of them. That was the reason why Moses said at the very beginning in verse two, "The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation" - which means He has a dwelling place in my heart - "my father's God, and I will exalt him."
Dear friend, have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour? Is He dwelling in your heart? Do you know Him experientially and with conviction that He is eternal, powerful, faithful, just, supreme, loving, and merciful? Is He the only reason for your existence in this world? Is your life all about Him, or is your life all about yourself, like the Egyptians who said, ‘I, I, I’? If God is your sole purpose living in this world, then you will be able to sing all the hymns of praise with understanding, with meaning, with conviction, and your voices will ascend to Him like a sweet savour, pleasing and acceptable in His sight, just like the three million strong choir singing by the seashore, and their voices ascended unto the Lord, so much so that it was recorded in the Bible that even in heaven, the glorified saints were singing the song of Moses.
We pray that each time we come before the Lord, as we sing, we know who our God is because of what He has done in our lives. He has saved us, transported us out of darkness into His marvellous light. So with conviction in our hearts that He is almighty, we render our voices to praise Him, all to the glory of God.
Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to consider this passage, which is the song of Moses recorded in Exodus 15. As we study this song, we consider what it emphasises, and it speaks of two very important things: what Thou hast done and who Thou art. We pray that as we live our lives on this Earth, likewise we will always consider what Thou hast done for us — our Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary — and who Thou art. So as we live our lives, we live our lives to consider all Thy attributes. Thou art eternal, powerful, faithful, and just, supreme, loving, and merciful. And so as we live our lives, we may encounter difficulties, troubles, and afflictions, but we are not afraid because of who our God is. So we look to Thee, and we cry out to Thee, ‘Save us, help us, fight for us,’ and we will wait patiently and see the salvation of our almighty God. As we pray, as we submit our supplications unto Thee, hear our prayers and answer them according to Thy will, time, and purpose. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
THE BOOK OF EXODUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeExodus 21:18-36
The Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsThe Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsExodus 22:1-15
The Character Of GodThe Character Of GodExodus 22:16-20
Reaching Out To The Down-And-OutReaching Out To The Down-And-OutExodus 22:21-24
The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodThe Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodExodus 22:25-31
Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthTruth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthExodus 23:1-9
Remember Who God IsRemember Who God IsExodus 23:10-19
What Must We Do To Have VictoryWhat Must We Do To Have VictoryExodus 23:20-33
How We Ought To Worship GodHow We Ought To Worship GodExodus 24:1-4, 7
On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?Exodus 24:4-8
Responding To God’s InvitationResponding To God’s InvitationExodus 24:9-18
The Right Attitude Of GivingThe Right Attitude Of GivingExodus 25:1-8
There I Will Meet YouThere I Will Meet YouExodus 25:9-22
Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Exodus 25:23-30
Let Your Light So Shine Before MenLet Your Light So Shine Before MenExodus 25:31-40
The Veil That SeparatesThe Veil That SeparatesExodus 26:1-37
A Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandA Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandExodus 27:1-19
Who Can Represent Us Before God?Who Can Represent Us Before God?Exodus 27:20-28:14
How Can We Know God’s Will?How Can We Know God’s Will?Exodus 28:15-30
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
