The Song of Triumph
“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. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a Man of war: the LORD is His name.” Exodus 15:1-3
Singing is an expression of the emotions. People sing when they are happy. They sing when they are sad (think about some of those country songs). Some sing love songs to their sweetheart. Whatever the reason, singing has been around since probably the beginning of mankind. It makes one wonder if Adam sang to Eve or if they both sang to the LORD. Music can change a person’s mood. I can be depressed and put on some Beach Boys or some lively bluegrass music, and my spirits lift. I used to have my clock radio tuned to a local news and talk station, but being awakened every morning to one piece of bad news after another was not conducive to awaking in a good mood so I changed my clock radio to Christian radio and now awake to praise and worship music. The radio personalities that I hear in the morning always avoid the hard news and tell good, human-interest stories about how God had answered prayer for folks. As I wrote in yesterday’s blog, we need to fill our minds with good thoughts that promote our faith and give us hope for the future especially first thing in the morning.
The song that Moses and the Israelites sang was the first time that vocal music was used in the scriptures. They were singing praises to God because of the many wonders that He had performed to allow them to escape from the Egyptians. Before they had escaped, they had been instructed to not be afraid, to stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD who would fight for them, defeating the Egyptians, and they were to remain silent until after the rescue (Exodus 14:13-14). Can you imagine your family line being enslaved for over 400 years? Those who escaped through the parting of the Red Sea had never known freedom. The Hebrew people certainly had a lot for which to praise the LORD.
When God parted the Red Sea to allow His people to cross over on dry land, it is estimated that there were perhaps several million of them. Once they made it safely to the other side, God closed the waters back over the Egyptian soldiers who were drowned. The Red Sea is described as a narrow, inland sea extending northwest from the strait of Bab el Mandeb to Suez, Arab Republic of Egypt, for a distance of about 1,400 miles. The sea separates the Arabian Peninsula from Northeast Africa, and its maximum width is about 220 miles. The maximum depth of the sea is about 7,000 feet, well over a mile. The site of the safe passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea is said to be the Gulf of Suez. A computer expert did some calculations and concluded that in order for millions of Israelites to cross in the time allotted would have meant the waters were swept back for a five- and one-half mile swath. So much for the unbelievers who say that if this event really did happen, then the Red Sea was nothing more than a creek.
God is described in three ways: Strength, Song, and Salvation. I am so glad that I don’t have to deal with life in my own strength. Scripture tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Sometimes we don’t want to “bother” the Lord with our petty little problems (as if we had that power) and try to handle them ourselves. Why do we do that? He wants us to bring EVERYTHING to Him in prayer. He wants to be a part of all we do (as long as it is not sin) because He is living His life through us. God is our song of victory. There have been thousands of songs written to tell about our wonderful Lord. A line from one of the old hymns “Jesus Is All The World To Me” that is no longer sung goes like this: “When I am sad, to Him I go, No other One can cheer me so; When I am sad, He makes me glad, He’s my Friend”.
God is our salvation. In the Old Testament, salvation meant safety, ease, soundness, and deliverance, both physical and spiritual. The Old Testament saints were saved by believing in the promise of a Savior who would come to bring forgiveness and salvation. In the New Testament, salvation is deliverance from the power and dominion of sin. It is freely offered to all upon repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ. God gave us Jesus because of His great love for mankind. The realities of salvation are forgiveness, regeneration, and sanctification. The ultimate culmination of salvation is the resurrection and glorification of all true believers. Jesus did what man could not do for himself.
Moses wrote that God is a Man of war. Many folks become offended at all the bloodshed in the Old Testament. There were times when God told the leaders of Israel to kill their enemies. In thinking about that, almost any husband and father would do whatever was necessary to protect his family, even if that meant killing someone who was about to harm his loved ones. Israel is God’s chosen nation. He did whatever was necessary to protect them from their enemies. He did have to punish them at times because of their disobedience, but His love for them has never waned. Our world has always been in a state of war: good vs. evil, and will be at war until such time as Christ returns to make things right. Knowing Christ gives believers the strength to fight the battles ahead, and, in the end, to be victorious. “Victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever”.