Have you ever had God answer your prayer so clearly, so powerfully, that your heart just burst open in praise? In Exodus 15, Israel responds to divine deliverance with spontaneous, Spirit-filled song. But suffering is never far away.
Commentary
vv. 1–21 – The first thing Israel does after crossing the Red Sea isn’t eat, or sleep, or strategize—it’s sing. This is the Bible’s first recorded hymn, and it doesn’t arise from a temple or tabernacle. It springs from the hearts of the Israelites on the shore of the Red Sea and in the presence of the Angel of the Lord. The language in verse 1 is vivid: “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord.” The Hebrew verb here implies a repeated action—it could be translated “kept singing.” This wasn’t a brief song. This was worship that was sustained and to be forever remembered. And what’s the theme? “The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.” Now in Egyptian military culture, chariots were the ultimate symbol of power. The Hebrew word for “thrown” pictures a violent action. God not only defeated Pharaoh—He publicly humbled the nation of Egypt. Then verse 2 makes it personal. “The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation.” This is no small statement. God didn’t just save them generically; He became their salvation. He didn’t hand them a plan. He was the plan. The in verse 3 we read: “The Lord is a man of war.” This phrase may unsettle modern ears, but to a people fresh from years of oppression this is a point to celebrate. God doesn’t observe injustice indefinitely. At some point He will respond in offense against those who harm His people. From verses 4 to 10, the poetry is rich in descriptions of God’s power over creation as He leads His people to redemption. Years later, the world will witness the same when Christ exercises power over creation on His way to redeeming His people. Then comes the climax in verse 11: “Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods?” This is not a question of speculation—it is exultation. All the gods Egypt trusted in had failed them. No one compares to the God of the Hebrews. And notice the language: “glorious in holiness.” His holiness isn’t just His moral purity—it’s His majestic distinctiveness. His set-apart-ness. He is unlike anything and anyone. The rest of the song in verses 12–18 anticipates the future. Israel hasn’t yet reached Canaan, but they sing like it’s already theirs. “Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them…” They believe what God begins, He will finish. Then in verses 19–21, Miriam echoes the refrain. She leads the women with timbrels and dancing and possibly in what’s known as antiphonal praise where there is a call and response.
vv. 22–27 – the music fades and we’re told, “So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur…” Three days in, and there’s no water, and when they find some, it’s bitter. The water may have been clear, but perhaps it was the presence of mineral salts which would render it undrinkable. So they call the place Marah. In three days they go from rejoicing to murmuring. When they say, “What shall we drink?” it’s not a question of curiosity, it’s a complaint and it’s accusatory. So Moses cries unto the Lord and God shows him a tree to cast into the waters. There’s nothing medicinal here. This is supernatural. The God who turned the river to blood, can make bitter waters sweet. Then God makes them a promise. “If thou wilt diligently hearken… I will put none of these diseases upon thee… for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” That name—Jehovah-Rapha—means “the Lord thy healer” and it only appears here. Finally, they come to Elim. A place of twelve wells. God has led His people from bitterness to abundance. From a time of testing to a place of rest.
Application
God’s redemptive work is the best reason for singing. I think an argument could be made that God gave man the ability to sing for the purpose of praising Him for His redemptive work. There is no record of Israel singing in Egypt. It is deliverance that fuels doxology. The reason some Christians don’t sing with joy is simple—they’ve lost sight of their emancipation. They’ve forgotten the chains. Christian, don’t forget what God has done for you. Sing about it.
God’s judgments are worthy of praise. This song doesn’t hide the God’s judgment upon the Egyptians. The psalms also dwell on such truths, and their absence from corporate worship is why modern Christians struggle with such themes. But a God who saves must also judge. While we ought to be careful not to assume we rightly read God’s judgment, at the same time, never apologize when God displays such power.
Seasons of trial often follow moments of triumph. The same God who parted the sea led His people into a desert. Why? Because faith must be tested. Anyone can celebrate a victory. But not everyone will trust God when tested. When the Israelites tasted the bitter waters they became blind to the visible presence of God in their midst. This is always true of those with a mere temporary faith, which is what Christ warns of in the parable of the sower. Remember, bitter experiences do not mean divine abandonment. God has signed you for a class that is intended to strengthen your faith.
The Cross of Christ neutralizes the bitterness man deserves. There is nothing good in man that deserves any good from God. In a real sense, we deserve the bitterness of God’s wrath for our sin. Yet, like the tree at Marah, the tree of Calvary, where the Son of God died the just for the unjust, becomes the means to turn the bitterness of judgment into the sweetness of mercy. When you die, will you taste the bitterness of hell, or will you enter the sweetness of heaven? Are your sins forgiven? Have you believed in the power of the cross? The Cross of Christ is the healing instrument for sinners. Through the Cross, Christ is “the Lord thy healer” who takes away the disease of the curse, the consequences of sin, and Christ becomes your Elim, where you drink of a well that never runs dry, and experience the life more abundant that He promises.
“Notice the song is all of God. There is not a word about Moses. Read this song through, and neither Moses, nor Aaron, nor Miriam is in it, God is all in all; “I will sing unto Jehovah.” That is blessed praise when self lies with the Egyptians at the bottom of the sea, and when everything that is in us that is commendable is traced to the grace of God, and the Lord is magnified for it. Oh for the glorification of Jesus, and none but Jesus!” — Charles Spurgeon
Share this post