Moses and Miriam Lead the People in Praise
Study Scripture: Exodus 15: 1–3, 11-13, 17-18, 20- 21
Background Scripture: Psalm 33, Revelation 15:3-4, Psalm 78
Lesson 5 September 28, 2024
Key Verse
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.
Exodus 15:20
INTRODUCTION
Would you like to be in bondage? Do you consider yourself to be in bondage? Are you really free?
As we examine this passage in the Bible of a people freed from bondage and led to freedom we must pause and consider our own life, for in some ways we are not free and freedom appeals to us.
We might be stuck in family situations, held at a particular undesired stage of life where you are not free to do what you want to do, or trapped by a pattern or habit you cannot shake, or you might be locked into a relationship where you are controlled or constrained.
As you think about freedom look at how God can work to affect your situation.
Would your examination of our Lesson Study help you to see how God might be working in your life as you desire freedom?
Keep that thought in the back of your mind.
Note that God saw that His people were in trouble in Egypt for they were in misery, they suffered, and they cried out, for their situation was desperate.
So, God was concerned and He noticed them.
When you need to be freed does anyone notice that you need help? Worse, is there anyone seeing but are they willing to help?
But never forget that when God’s people cry out God responds. He notices, He cares, and He acts. This is good news.
Sometimes you think your circumstances are so difficult God has left you alone. If you stop believing and walk away from God you will be in doing that ignore the consistent and frequent message of the Old Testament that God notices His people and will act to save them. One writer comments for our benefit:
“The story of the Exodus is the story of the battle between the forces that enslave God’s people and the power of God to overcome them. In order to win God must defeat the enemy. That is how the rest of the story plays out; it is a war between God and Pharaoh. Virtually every scene in the rest of the story depicts a battle between two gods. And in every case, God wins the battle”.
Now notice how God thinks and operated when dealing with evildoers who oppose the people of God. He continues:
“God does not want to win and then have Pharaoh just give up. So God actually beefs up his enemy. He makes Pharaoh more like the best version of Pharaoh. He strengthens him so that Pharaoh is on his game. God doesn’t want this to be a fair match—he wants to tilt the scales in the balance of his opponent.
It’s just like hundred of years later when Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a contest. Let’s see whose God can burn up the sacrifice on the altar. So Elijah covers his sacrifice with water around the altar. And still his God comes out on top. Still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is shown to be stronger than the god of Baal.
And note what is now said to you:
“God wants to free you from your addiction. God wants to free you from difficult circumstances. God wants to free you from the confusion of an unhealthy relationship. God wants to show you that he is stronger than whatever new king has arisen in your life. He wants a clean fight, and he wants to show you that he can win.
At the end of this entire ordeal, Moses composes a song to celebrate their victory”.
We therefore will examine
- The nature of God. God is a Warrior God. He is a God of War against evil and we need God to fight and be a warrior for us just as He was for Israel. Just read Ephesians 6:12 for it tells us who we are really fighting against and the true nature of our unseen enemy.
- The characteristics or virtues of God,
- How God works,
- The effects of the work of God on unbelievers, and
- The fact that God reigns forever.
Pharaoh and the rest of worldly leaders think they are smart. They thought that when Israel went into the wilderness they were shut in on a helpless path with the seemingly impassable sea right before them and the Egyptian army right behind them. Because of their human reason they thought Moses and Israel and their God had made a foolish strategic move.
But they are not smart. God therefore declares to them that He intends to teach them as well as Israel some significant lessons about God Almighty so that all men will know God’s thinking about them and what and why He intends to do with them. God says:
“I will be honoured upon Pharaoh and upon the hosts that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD”.
The people of God from the very beginning of the human race have had occasion to sing the praise of
of a human monarch, ruler, or thinker. But our Text looks at a song that places the spotlight squarely on God’s character and His mighty works. Words in the form of poetry had been recorded but this is the first time the verb sheer or “sing” is used in Scripture, so this is not only the first sing recorded in the Bible but also some scholars hold that for several hundred years this is the first recorded song in human history. It does however bear a close resemblance to the religious Egyptian poetry with which Moses because of his training was obviously quite familiar.
The ‘Song’ is a big part of the inspiration for the forever popular Book of the Psalms that has always played a foundational role in Jewish and Christian worship and in that Book there is a clear picture of a God of Wonders.
It is such a remarkable Song that it is clear that it came to Moses spontaneously through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as Moses and the nation would sing when the power and the presence of God became real to them in an extraordinary way. This very first of the sacred songs recorded in the Bible would have been directly inspired by the Holy Spirit so that man would sing to the Lord Himself directly and thus worship in song and in praises.
Everyone who have been caught in the grips of sin and made a slave to the ‘flesh’ and then have the marvellous experience of being delivered by God can understand the joy and gratitude felt by all those that have had similar experiences. So, we can readily appreciate the joy and gratitude felt by Israel when they experienced the mighty works of God on their behalf.
We must therefore become aware that the complete fulfillment of the words and vision of this Song involves what the redeemed saints of God did when in Revelation.
But it is to be borne in mind that many times after the joy of deliverance and the celebration, dancing and singing that come with it, there can be bitter disappointment when the journey of life takes an unpalatable turn and people so easily forget the blessings that they have had. Our great song today will have Israel’s incredible forgetfulness as they faced the bitter waters of Marah outside of our Study Chapter, verses 23-25.
Today as we look that the various events in the life of the people of Israel let us learn how God works and what He does in order to mature us and bring us to the place of perfection. We need to learn patience and “let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”.
One writer comments that most of us pray for the Lord to give us patience and give it to us right now, without understanding that’s not the way that we obtain patience. For, we obtain patience through the experiences of life. The apostle Paul says, “Tribulation worketh patience”
2 Peter 2:9 tells us,
“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished”.
The next major milestone in the unfolding plan of redemption and founded in the covenant with the patriarchs was the formation of a nation that would be God’s peculiar people and through whom His grand plan of redemption would find fruition.
Just before the time of our Text the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and heavily oppressed by the Egyptians. The events recorded in Chapters 12 to 14 of Exodus are the first planks in the building of the nation of Israel by their God.
These pivotal and enduring events which were the common experience of all the people, united what was up to that time a loose tribal based people and we begin to see the emergence of a nation. The instituted Feast of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex.12 & 13)distinguished the Israelites from the Egyptians and started the formation of national institutions.
Moses’ request to the Pharaoh for the release and departure of the Israelites from Egypt drew this arrogant response,
“Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go”? And then defiantly “I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go” (Ex.5:2).
Ten devastating plagues later Pharaoh and the Egyptians knew who the God of the Israelites was, particularly after the night of ‘Passover’ when the firstborn of man and beast in every Egyptian home was killed by the ‘destroying angel’ (Ex.12).
Israel was delivered for the blood of the Passover lamb made it possible for them to escape the destroying angel.
This event convinced heart-hardened Pharaoh and his people that they should let the Israelites leave Egypt, however and sadly for the Egyptians, their education was not yet over.
Notice that Egypt was practically destroyed by the plagues but it showed God’s mercy and grace for it was a gracious decision of God to allow Pharaoh and the Egyptians even to survive. God allowed Pharaoh to remain to show the power and glory of Almighty God so that the world of that day would see and understand that there was only one God.
This news of what had happened to the most powerful nation on earth would go out all over the world. Every nation would fear.
“The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall upon them”. (Ex.15:14-16).
Soon after the Israelites left Egypt, Pharaoh and his officials had second thoughts about the departure. It appears they received a report that the Israelites were wandering about, lost in the wilderness, making them a ready-made prey for recapture or destruction. The Egyptians then pursued them to the Red Sea. The Israelites for their part choose a route that put them in the most vulnerable of positions; their only options being the Red Sea on one side and Pharaoh’s vastly superior army on the next.
This set the stage for arguably the greatest Old Testament miracle, if not in the entire Bible. The mighty power of God would take the children of Israel through the Red Sea. Israelites miraculously crossed the Red Sea on dry land, while the Egyptian forces were completely destroyed in the Red Sea when they followed the path Israel took without understanding that Israel was following instructions from God while they were not in possession of ant instructions from God. (Exod.13:17–14:31).
The crossing of the Red Sea separated and physically moved Israel from Egypt and set them on the road to the Promise Land.
It was the single event salvation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and the people’s response to this wonderful deliverance is the focus of our Study Scripture. Israel had seen, and they too had learned. Unfortunately, they forgot the blessings that God had given them when they encountered a hard trial.
Exodus 15 records that the people responded to this stupendous miracle with a Song of Triumph.
Note that this was a song of victory and the song of the over-comers, winners. It is the song of those that are more than conquerors.
Interestingly there is no record of the Israelites singing while they were in Egypt, even during the plagues, which clearly distinguished the Israelites from the Egyptians
(Psalm 37).
This Song in response was Israel’s first great affirmation of faith. They celebrated the event at the Red Sea as a great military victory by God (Ex.15:1-12) and continued to do so for generations (Ps.106:7-8). The first part of the Song (vs.1-12) looks back on God’s destruction of the Egyptian soldiers, and the second part (vs.13-18) predicts Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land.
There is much we can learn about our own salvation from the event and this Text. Paul informs us that the Israelite experience was an illustration of our own salvation.
“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. (1Cor.10:1-2). Now these things occurred as example to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. (1Cor.10:6). These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come”, (1Cor.10:11).
We will observe that the Israelites were in a completely hopeless and helpless situation as the Egyptian forces closed in on them (14:8-12)and this is a true picture of the sinner before he is saved.
Their salvation or rescue or deliverance was altogether the work of God, though they demonstrated some faith in obeying Moses command to go forward and they are commended for this act of faith by the writer of Hebrews, (11:29).
Thus, we see a demonstration of the grace of God in salvation and faith as the means through which grace works.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, (Eph.2:8).
A hard lesson for many to accept but one that is clearly shown in this Text, is that God is glorified in executing judgment as He is in the exercise of His mercy.
The destruction of the Egyptian army will equally bring glory to God as will His deliverance of Israel. “…But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD…” (Ex.14:4).
As we consider our Study Text, the triumph in the song of Moses strikes a sharp contrast to the failure of faith a few days later.
We must be duly warned that in the midst of triumph failure lurks. It is all of God and about God.
THE TEXT
Verse 1. Then Moses and the children… it almost sounds as if they brokeout inspontaneous singing, though it is assumed Moses wrote the song, (Deut.32; Psalm 90).
…I will sing… the song was sung by the whole throng as their expression of praise and thanksgiving for their deliverance, however the first person pronoun give personal expression from each person.
It was directed to God and He is portrayed as the victorious protagonist in the conflict with the Egyptians.
Note God had created all things, and He as a warrior, uses the wind and the sea as His weapons so that Pharaoh’s best officers are no match for the weapons of the Lord, the wind and the sea.
The song thus opens with God’s role as a warrior for He showed that He is LORD by triumphing gloriously, using the simple things that He had created beforehand to defeat presumptuous man. God simply picked up and hurled the 100,000 or so Egyptian army soldiers to their doom in the sea.
God did what the people of Israel could not do and so they praised God.
God’s effortless disposal of the Egyptian army described poetically as “…the horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea…” speaks to His character and attributes; important considerations going forward. (See verses 4 – 8). In the eyes of the people God exalted Himself in His glorious defeat of the enemy.
Note the words of the Book of Revelation follows the same pattern as the Song of the Exodus. The Song of Moses is called the Song of the Lamb and that opens in heaven as the saints stand before the sea of glass mingled with fire acknowledging the Greatness of the Lord made manifest by His glorious triumph.
Literally God is “gloriously glorious” or “He is exceedingly exalted with the word gaah used only 7 times in the Bible with 4 times of those used in this event. The root of the word is said to mean “to rise” and so the image is of God “risen up like a wave”. God rose like a wave and the Egyptians were thrown into the sea.
We must now understand that there are two sides to the role of God as a warrior for it means something different to different groups, for there are the people of God, and the people of Egypt. What the warrior means for Israel is now stated in verse 2.
Just imagine the fearful sight to the children of Israel as they saw the approaching Egyptians and they were commanded to walk through walls of sea water! Here is the next side of the Warrior God!
Verse 2. “The LORD is my strength and my defense;
He has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
My father’s God, and I will exalt him”
Verse 2 therefore points to the continuing praise of God and here the praise is seen in the personal relationship and the expression of that relationship: my strength and song, my salvation, my God.
My father’s God speaks to the covenant with the patriarchs and God is praised on all these fronts.
…my salvation is a glorious phrase; we cannot save ourselves, but God must become our salvation. “Salvation is of the Lord” (2 Tim.1:9).
Thus verse 2 elevates the praise of verse 1 for God’s rescue of the Israelites and their safe passage through the Red Sea, (Psalm.118:14; Isa.12:2).
God was deserving of honor for acting on behalf of the Israelites to prevent their destruction or recapture by the Egyptians.
The people were trapped and they had been terrified when God surprised them by how He worked and delivered them.
They would sing that He belonged to them in a special sense and that He belonged to their fathers, who believed in God; trusted, obeyed and had faith in Him. God was wonderful and so was their salvation.
Their behaviour is exemplary and consistent with that of true believers. God’s people should praise and worship Him for His perfections, awesome works, and His gracious and providential blessings, (Eph.1:13-14; Phil.1:11; 1 Pet.2:9).
Verse 3. Here the song exalts the Lord as a mighty man of war after the display of His military prowess in the defeat of the then most feared army. His obvious strength and power in overthrowing the Egyptians marked Him as invincible and implicitly shamed the gods of Egypt as impotent. The idea and rightly so is that no one better understands how to fight and defeat the enemy in battle.
One writer notes: He is depicted as commanding the hosts of heaven and earth from His throne room. There is an underlying assurance that despite the age-old battle between good and evil, the righteous remnant is preserved from all threats from the enemy. The Israelites respectfully gave God the credit for defeating the forces of the Egyptians.
…man of war…this event showed the Israelites a new dimension of the nature of their God. They now saw Him as a warrior fighting on their behalf, (Josh.5:13-14). This was an important concept for the people to grasp, though later on several occasions they forgot that God was their defender.
We should be aware of the hard truth that God is a warrior and needs to destroy His enemies.
Firstly, we note God’s judgment is “just”, for the Egyptians had thrown Hebrews boys into the Nile and so it was right for God to throw Pharaoh’s army into the sea. Rebellion and grievous sins deserve a similar response in judgment and it would ne unjust not to punish the Egyptians for their actions, so that the rebellious world would know that the world was ruled by a just God, and they should beware of their actions and its consequences.
Second, the army of Pharaoh had to be destroyed so that the people pf God need not fear they would be taken back into slavery. For salvation there had to be judgment.
Third, note that God’s judgment is impartial for though God judged the Egyptians, God would not hesitate to judge Israel at Sinai when they worshipped idols, for there the divine warrior killed several thousand Israelites for their gross actions. Note this interesting comment by one writer and we should note it carefully:
“So we see that God the warrior is not Israel’s pet lion whom they can send out against their enemies according to their pleasure”.
All must tremble before God. So we must straighten up!
Interestingly, Moses sings My strength and my song is Yah” using the contracted form of Yehovah, Yah, in a poetic form, Isaiah uses this in Isaiah 12:2. The compound form is used in Genesis 22:2 in the name Moriah, or “Bitterness of Yah”.
It is also the form of the wonderful name that we use each time we say “Hallelujah”, or “
Praise Yah”.
The meaning is that God, Yah, is “my strength and my song and that leads us to consider that He has become our salvation.
Verses 4 – 13. The writer used dramatic poetic language to describe the events of Israel crossing the Red Sea. God is portrayed as using the forces of nature as one would use a weapon to bring about the miraculous events, which are then seen as God’s personal victory over the Egyptians.
“The Lord is said to have ‘hurled the Egyptians into the sea’ (v. 4). They sank to the depths ‘like a stone’ (v. 5). The winds are described as coming from the ‘nostrils of God’ (v. 8). The waters ‘congealed’ so as to ‘pile up like a wall’ (v. 8).
God’s sovereignty over the natural forces (e.g. the winds), are now clearly understood by the Israelites and proclaimed in the song and by His ability as the Creator to manipulate nature (water piled up like a wall). As well His sovereignty over humans is seen in the defeat of the arrogant, confident and powerful Egyptian army, (vs.9-10).
Thus the crossing of the Red Sea was a revelation of God’s nature and character and crystallized in the minds of the Israelites God’s awesome power and faithfulness to His people expressed in phrases like: “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?…
You in Your mercy have led forth
The people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided them in Your strength
To Your holy habitation.
The Egyptian magicians could not do all the signs and show the ability that God did. The Egyptians gods were shamed for they could not protect their people from the plagues. The powerful and feared Egyptian army showed they were likewise powerless.
No one was as great or as powerful as the LORD. None was like the LORD.
We are reminded in Scripture “Yes, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. But do not lose heart because this is not an even battlefield. The forces of good and evil are not spiritually matched. Nothing can stand in the way of our God!
No army, no dictator, no evil regime, no culture, no ideology, no politician, no sickness, no broken relationship, no sins from our past—nothing can stand in the way of our God!
His victory over evil is complete. It is decisive. And it has already been won. On the Cross, Jesus won the war against evil.
Paul says in Colossians 2:15: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him”.
When we are weak, He is our strength.
Verses 14 – 18. As the Israelites reflected on the victory over the Egyptians they could see its effects on the enemies they would encounter on their way to and in the land of Canaan. Their God would guide them “To Your holy habitation”.
News of the Red Sea crossing would cause terror, fear and panic to engulf those nations (Josh.2:9) and at the moment they could see taking possession of the Promised Land by means of military conquest. Israel’s hope for the future was clearly rooted in their miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea. These were heady days for the fledging nation basking in the worship of their covenant-keeping God.
In these verses from 13 we see the song of victory over the Egyptians shifts to victory over all opposing nations, especially the Philistines, the Edomites, the Moabites, and the other Canaanite peoples.
Israel were not yet in the Promised Land and they were still on the shore of the Red Sea but their faith in God’s power and His promise made them sing as though they had already defeated the Canaanites as well as the Egyptians. God had promised and so the outcome was guaranteed.
There are also allusions to the Abrahamic Covenant in verses 13 and 17 and the people saw God’s deliverance at the Red Sea and their ultimate conquest of Canaan within the framework of that Covenant.
“The LORD shall reign forever and ever” (v.18)is a confident affirmation of their faith in God and the realization of His ultimate purpose.
One writer in part provides the following thoughts on the “Song of the Sea’: It served as a vehicle by means of which they could praise God. It also provided the mechanism for recording and recalling God’s great act of deliverance at the Red Sea. It directed Israel’s attention on the character of God, and it produced hope and confidence in God’s future protection and blessing.
It is important at this stage to examine the purposes of the Song before the people of Israel continued on their long journey. One writer advises: “It was a source of encouragement, a reminder that God had rescued them in the past and would do so again.
Singing it would have promoted faith and helped to keep them focused on their destination.
It also provided a way to pass along the story of their deliverance to future generations…..
Perhaps Caleb was humming it when he first scouted the land and then returned to announce to his brethren, “We can do this!” (Numbers 13: 30). Undoubtedly it helped sustain many of the people during the wilderness years.
For the young people who learned it as children, it would have helped them catch the vision of their special calling and destiny. It would have taught them something about God’s greatness and helped give them the courage to take over the land”.
But of course the writer makes this additional of observation warning us that praising God by itself has limitations and we have to do more than that: “Of course the song by itself was no guarantee against apostasy. Many in the older generation of Israelites, especially, were scarred by deep rooted fears and idolatrous habits absorbed during a lifetime of slavery. Shortly after the crossing of the Red Sea, the people began to complain about a lack of drinking water.(Exodus 15:22-24).
This was the first of many bouts of grumbling and complaining. A few months later at Mount Sinai, they lapsed into idolatry in Moses absence (Exodus 32). Eventually their lack of faith on then them for forty years of wandering in the wilderness (Numbers 14:26-35). With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, none of the adult male Israelites crossed the Red Sea live to see the Promised Land”.
Verse 19. It appearsverses 19 and 20 are prose, rather than the poetry of the preceding verses, though they may still be part of the song.
This verse succinctly captures the supernatural event that occurred at the Red Sea. The mighty Egyptian army in full battle array went into the sea, following the path of the Israelites only to be inundated and drowned when the waters regained its natural properties. Meanwhile, the Israelites walked on dry land through the middle of the sea.
Verses 20- 22. After Moses and the people has sung, Miriam, the prophetess, Moses’ elder sister, (Exodus 4:14), who had arranged Moses’ mother to be hired as Moses’ nurse or nanny, whose name is first mentioned here, and sister to Aaron, gathered all the women, told the women to get their tambourines, put on their dancing shoes
She had the prophetic gift and she here used it to lead the women in a song of praise, exalting the greatness of the LORD.
She was one of the 7 prophetesses spoken of in Scripture. Her role in saving the life of Moses makes her a remarkable person. She waited in the bulrushes while Moses’ ark was in the river. She watched to make sure he was all right. (Exodus2:4). Her contribution to the work of God to Israel was outstanding.
Note that her praise in her song was direct and to the point.
Like her brothers she died in the desert before the people reached the Promised Land.
Moses led the Israelites away from the shores of the Red Sea and they travelled in a south-easterly direction into the Wilderness of Shur. This area was semi-desert and to the east of Egypt’s border. It was located in the north-western portion of the Sinai Peninsula; (Num. 33:8). They continued in the desert moving south for three more days and found no water. We should not assume that the people had no water to drink, but rather that their supply was dwindling and careful rationing would have to take place. There was very likely growing anxiety over the water situation.
Note that ‘wilderness’ does not imply a waste of sand, but a broad open expanse which afforded pasture enough for a nomadic tribe to find some grazing for their flocks. Interestingly, Moses had asked Pharaoh’s permission for the Israelites to go a three-day journey into the wilderness (3:18; 5:3; 8:27), but now after a three day trek the people found no potable water.
Moses and the Israelites arrived at the oasis called Marah but disappointingly found they could not drink the water due to its “bitter” taste. This explains the place being called Marah, which means ‘bitter’. It was not unusual to find salty, brackish water at some oasis.
An oasisis always a very welcome sight tothe desert traveller and sighting the waters at Marah must have brought great anticipation to the Israelites. Here was water, they could drink to the full, water their flocks and replenish their reserves. It was a bitter disappointment to discover that the waters were bitter, and unfit for consumption.
Their joy at finding water quickly turned to anger at Moses for leading them to such a place. They did not hesitate to place the responsibility for this ‘blunder’ squarely on the shoulders
Note now that three days in the wilderness does not seem like a very long time, but it is long enough for the people to forget the great victory they had seen and the power of God.
The Hebrew verb rendered “murmured” refers to more than just incidental complaining. The Israelites’ grumbling was in fact rebellion; they questioned the Lord’s motives and abilities
(Ex.16:2; 17:3; Num.14:2). Since the people could not directly voice their dissatisfaction to God, they targeted Moses with the question of what were they going to drink.
One writer notes: When the supply fails, our faith is soon gone. .. In three days they had forgotten God’s miracles at the Red Sea, much less the plagues. This should prove that miracles do not result in great faith. Rather great faith comes from a settled conviction that God is trustworthy.
Now why did God bring the people into the wilderness for the wilderness is not always a pleasant place and water is often scarce. What we have to remember is that we will have to go through the desert to get to the Promised Land and that it is God that leads us into this desert, for He wants us to get rid of our ideas of comfort and come closer to Him.
All of God’s people find themselves in the wilderness at some point or other and even Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit of God to be tested. Israel thought that God would lead them to waters that were always sweet and not tainted and when expectations were dashed they grumbled against the leader and against God, showing the bitterness in their heart.
One writer confronts us this way: “Let me ask you a pointed question. Are you grumbling about something in your life? Is there is a bitterness in your heart against someone or something?
I would like to encourage all of us to confess our bitterness to the Lord. Bitterness is a killer. It saps our joy, contentment and peace and it poisons the water of faith in us and around us.
God does not take it lightly. For 40 years Israel wandered in the wilderness because she grumbled and murmured. A whole generation asked on in the wilderness due to her unrepentant heart”.
CONCLUSION
The “Song of the Sea” (vs.1-21)and the “bitter waters of Marah” (vs.22-26) are contrasting accounts, but together illustrate a common weakness among believers.
Like the Israelites we fail to see the relationship between the affirmation of faith we so frequently make in our worship and the application of that same faith in our daily walk. Israel had just proclaimed her faith in God as her warrior and deliverer, but she was unable to trust in God to provide water. Though God had just executed a wondrous miracle by taking them through the Red Sea and destroying Pharaoh’s army, they could not trust Him to deal with a water problem at Marah.
We need the waters of life in order to have abundant life and we will only find this in constant communion with Jesus for He alone has life-giving water. We should not simply want a temporary fixing of the bitter pools we encounter for that will bring no lasting refreshment. If we are thirsty let us listen to the voice of God and obey. Obedience would bring the blessings of God and not the curses of God. We must apply in our daily walk those truths which we affirm in our worship. Just as God led the Israelites to the waters of Marah, so He leads us in such a way as to give us ample opportunity to apply our faith but too often it is our lack of faith that is revealed.
God is the one that keeps covenant and reiterates this often in His self identification as the God of the Patriarchs. In so doing, he calls those in covenant with Himself to hold Him to His promises. All that God has promised to us He will do as demonstrated with the Israelites and the unchanging God will do no less for Christians.
We are called to trust God, and to keep on singing about His greatness and His mercy and power on our behalf. We are to tremble before him. The LORD is a warrior and that is His name. He fights for His people.
This is a song for the present. It was written and passed down from generation to generation in Israel for our benefit.
We encourage you to find your song just as Moses and Miriam found theirs.
What in your life is the song of victory that you can sing?
Have you seen God show up in your life and you can see His power at work in your life, pushing back the forces of evil around you?
We advise you to find your songs and to tell your story of victory. You can tell the world of how Jesus saved you from your sins and now you are growing in happiness, life and joy and freedom in Him.
Take some time to talk to your Lord about your life, your defeats and your victories. Ask Him to show you the obstacle He has helped you to overcome and what seas He has parted in your life.
He is waiting on your request and He will tell you about those.
Then you will be able to give God the praise He deserves.
Then you will be able to tell Him about how wonderful and how beautiful He is, says one writer.
Sadly, a particular way in which many Christians identify with the Israelites of Moses’ day, was in their lack of faith in God. The Israelites showed a penchant for despair at every difficulty, rather than trust God to honor the clear promises He made to them. The Israelites might offer the poor excuse that the patriarchs were dead for over four hundred years and their interaction with Yahweh was still in its infancy. Christians however have no excuse. We have the record of Scripture and the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit. Yet often our faith in God is lacking in our times of testing and God is not glorified in our lives. The fact is God will be glorified but we will be the poorer for not showing faith in Him.
Israel’s hope regarding the future (15:13-21) was rooted in their recent experiences, through the plagues and their passing through the Red Sea. So, too, our future hope is based on God’s word and His past actions in both our experience, and in the experiences of His people that preceded us. Thus we are assured of what God can do, based on His word and our knowledge of what He has already done.
Israel came to know God in a greater way as a result of the trials and testing that they experienced in Egypt and in the wilderness. We, too, come to know God more intimately and more fully in the midst of the trials through which He leads us. And when we “pass through” these trials, we look to the future fulfillment of God’s promises as even more certain, having experienced His faithfulness in the tough times of our lives.