#12 Moses’ Great Song of Praise

With their enemies drowned and their freedom secure, the people of Israel burst into song and praised the Lord. We don’t read that they praised God while they were enslaved in Egypt, and while they were going out of the land, they were complaining to Moses and asking him to let them go back. But it takes maturity for God’s people to have a “song in the night” (Job 35:10; Ps. 42:8; Matt. 26:30; Acts 16:25), and the Jews were very immature in their faith at that time.

This hymn of praise has four stanzas: God’s victory is announced (Ex. 15:1-5), God’s weapons are described (vv. 6-10), God’s character is extolled (vv. 11-16a), and God’s promises are fulfilled (vv. 16b-18).

God delivers His people through the trials of life. When we experience His deliverance—the power of His hand upon our lives—our hearts are always filled with joy and rejoicing. Praise floods our hearts. And usually, the greater the deliverance, the greater the praise lifted up to God.

This is what happened to the Israelites. God’s great deliverance at the Red Sea was the most wonderful deliverance Israel was ever to experience as a nation. God knew this; therefore, in His infinite wisdom, He stirred Moses to record the praise of his heart forever in Holy Scripture. The song is usually divided into five sections or stanzas.

However, this division seems to focus present-day thought and divisions upon the song. It seems far more natural to look at the song as a whole with Moses declaring how God Himself delivered His people, gloriously delivered them.

Note that Moses’ sister Miriam also led the women in singing praises to God (Exodus 15:19-21). Both songs are obviously two of the oldest songs ever recorded in written form.

This is the subject of the present passage, this is: Moses’ Great Song of Praise: Praising God for His Great Deliverance, Exodus 15:1-21.

3. A song of God’s glorious purpose: to lead the redeemed to God’s holy dwelling (the promised land) (v.13-18).

4. A song of special praise and dance: sung by the women of God’s people (v.19-21).

Israel’s first great affirmation of faith was expressed in a song. Some have titled this song, the “Song of the Sea.” Since it is not the only song of Moses (cf. Deut. 32; Psalm 90), this title is definitive enough, linking it to Israel’s passing through the Red Sea, as described in Exodus chapter 14.

The 400 years of the Israelites’ oppression in Egypt which God had foretold Abraham (Gen. 15:13‑15) has now ended, fulfilled precisely, to the very day (Exod. 12:40‑41).[1] The affliction of the Israelites was noted by the God who had covenanted with Abraham to bless him through his offspring and to bring them out of bondage into the land of Canaan. Sending Moses to Pharaoh, God forced this reluctant ruler to release the Israelites through the ten plagues wrought by the hand of Moses. The death of every firstborn male of the Egyptians moved them to urge the Israelites to leave their midst, providing them with gifts of the best of Egypt (Exod. 12:31‑36). After the Israelites, Pharaoh and his officials had second thoughts, and with the report which led them to believe that the Israelites were wandering about, lost in the wilderness, they pursued them, up to and even into the Red Sea, where they were destroyed as the waters of the sea returned to their place (Exod. 13:17–14:31).

The deliverance of the Israelites and the defeat of the Egyptians is the occasion for the song which is recorded in Exodus chapter 15. It would appear that Moses wrote this song, which is no surprise in the light of the other songs he has written (Deut. 32; Psalm 90). The mood of the song is triumphant. The song is a description of the power of God as Israel’s defender, as evidenced in the destruction of the Egyptian army and in the deliverance of Israel by means of the Red Sea. The recent victory of God at the Red Sea is seen as a guarantee of the fulfillment of God’s purposes for Israel in the future, especially in the defeat of their enemies and in their possession of the land of Canaan.

The structure of Exodus 15 is straightforward. Verses 1‑21 contain the “Song of the Sea.” Verses 22‑26 describe the incident at Marah, occasioned by thirst of the Israelites and the bitter water which they found there. Verse 27 records the arrival of the Israelites at Elim, where there was water in abundance.

God’s Victory Over the Egyptians in the Red Sea (15:1‑12)

Generally speaking, the structure of the “Song of the Sea” is straightforward. The simplest division of the song is two‑fold: (1) What God had done for Israel by drowning the Egyptians in the Red Sea (vss. 1‑12); (2) What God will therefore surely do for Israel in the future (vss. 13‑21). Finer distinctions can be drawn, but there is less agreement as one becomes more detailed in the breakdown of the song.

Moses apparently wrote the song,[2] and may have led Israel as they sang it. The first refrain, “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea” (v. 1) is echoed by Miriam,[3] who led the women in singing almost the same words and dancing: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea” (v. 21). While this song was sung corporately as Israel’s expression of praise and thanksgiving for God’s deliverance from Egypt through the Red Sea, verses 1 and 2 express this praise in a personal and singular. The first person pronouns “I” and “my” make the praise here personal.

In typical psalm‑like fashion, the acts of God are viewed as evidences of His nature and character. Consequently, the defeat of the Egyptians is described in poetic imagery. God’s deliverance is then viewed in the light of the character of God which is demonstrated in His deliverance.

With dramatic poetic strokes, the event which just occurred in the midst of the Red Sea is described. While natural forces are employed, they are seen as miraculous events, brought about by the direct intervention and involvement of God. The Lord is said to have “hurled the Egyptians into the sea” (v. 4). They sank to the depths[4] “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 is evidenced by His control over the forces of nature (e.g. the winds), and by His ability as the Creator to cause nature to act unnaturally (e.g. the “congealing” of the water, so as to pile up like a wall).

In verses 9 and 10, the sovereignty of God is seen in His ability to prevail, as a mighty warrior (cf. v. 3) over the Egyptians, the mightiest army on the face of the earth. They arrogantly pursued the Israelites, confident of victory (v. 9). In spite of their power and confidence, God simply “blew them away,” causing them to “sink like lead” in the sea (v. 10). The greatest army on the face of the earth was no problem for the God of Israel to dispose of.

Verses 11 and 12 summarize the implications of the mighty acts of God at the Red Sea, focusing upon God’s nature and character: “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.” The greatness and the goodness of God are thus recognized by the Israelites as they reflect on God’s victory over their enemies, the Egyptians. What impresses me about the conclusions which this song reveals is that they are the same as those purposes God has already stated in the Book of Exodus. What God intended for His people to learn from the miracles of the exodus is exactly what they concluded, as indicated in the song which they sang.

Before his return to Egypt, God told Moses that Pharaoh would not release the Israelites until He compelled him to “with a mighty hand,” revealed by performing “wonders” among them (Exod. 3:19‑20; cf. 6:1). Now, after their passing through the Red Sea, Israel praised God for what His “mighty hand” had done (vss. 6, 9, 12). God revealed through Moses that He was about to “bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt” (Exod. 12:12). Now, after the exodus, Israel proclaims, “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?” (Exod 15:11). By the exodus, God said that Israel would know He was the Lord their God, who brought them out from under the yoke of the Egyptians (Exod. 6:7). Thus, after the crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites sang, “He is my God, and I will praise him” (Exod 15:2). That which God sought to accomplish in the events of the exodus, He did accomplish, as seen by the praises of His people in this song.

The Lord is mentioned ten times in this hymn as Israel sang to the Lord and about the Lord, for true worship involves faithful witness to who God is and what He has done for His people.

God’s victory was a glorious victory, for it was wholly the work of the Lord. The Egyptian army was thrown into the sea (vv. 1 and 4), and the soldiers sank like stones (v. 5) and like lead (v. 10). They were consumed like burning stubble (v. 7). Pharaoh had ordered the Jewish boy babies to be drowned, so God paid him back in kind and drowned his troops.

The statement “The Lord is a man of war” (v. 3) may upset people who feel that anything relating to warfare is alien to the Gospel and the Christian life. Some denominations have taken the “militant” hymns out of their hymnals, including “Onward Christian Soldiers.” But Moses promised the people, “The Lord shall fight for you” (14:14; see Deut. 1:30); and one of God’s names is “Jehovah-Sabaoth,” which means “Lord of hosts, Lord of armies,” a title that’s used 285 times in the Old Testament. Martin Luther wrote in his Reformation hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”:

Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing, Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle.

If there is in this world an enemy like Satan, and if sin and evil are hateful to God, then He must wage war against them. “The Lord will march out like a mighty man; like a warrior He will stir up His zeal; with a shout He will raise the battle cry and will triumph over His enemies” (Isa. 42:13, niv). Jesus Christ is both the Lamb who died for our sins and the Lion who judges sin (Rev. 5:5-6), and one day He will ride forth to conquer His enemies (Rev. 19:11). To emphasize only “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) and eliminate “God is light” (1 John 1:5) is to rob God of His attributes of righteousness, holiness, and justice.

On three special occasions recorded in Scripture, the Jews sing, “The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation” (Ex. 15:2): when God delivered Israel from Egypt, when the Jewish remnant laid the foundation of the second temple (Ps. 118:14),^5-6 and when the Jews are regathered and return to their land to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom (Isa. 12:2).^5-7 In each instance, the Lord gives strength, salvation, and a song.^5-8

(15:1-2) Song— Worship— Praise— Thanksgiving— God, Names - Titles— Moses— Deliverance: the song in this passage is a song of God’s praise. It is sung to the LORD. The Lord is the focus of the praise. He is addressed thirteen times in this passage, in just twenty-one verses.

· The song sung by Moses addresses God ten times as LORD (Jehovah, Yahweh) (Exodus 15:1-3, 6, 11, 16-18).

· The brief song sung by Miriam (Exodus 15:19-21) addresses the Lord two times (Exodus 15:19, 21).

Moses and the Israelites were flooded with the joy of the moment, and their hearts were just overflowing with a spirit of rejoicing and praise to God. Two reasons are given for Israel breaking out in song.

1. The Lord had gloriously triumphed on behalf of His people: He had hurled the armed horsemen of their enemies into the sea. The Lord had gloriously delivered them from being recaptured and enslaved again by the Egyptians. Moreover, the Lord had miraculously drowned the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. He had made absolutely sure that the ancient Egyptians would never again enslave His people. This was the greatest day of redemption in the history of Israel. God had redeemed them, saved and delivered them from their enemies.

2. The Lord was, therefore, worthy of praise and renewed commitment (Exodus 15:2). Note how personal the Lord was to the Israelite believer during these moments. His relationship to the Lord was very personal. His heart just broke forth praising God for the personal relationship God had made possible and wrought.

a. The LORD is “my strength” (Exodus 15:2). No matter what trial confronts the believer, God strengthens the believer to face the trial of...

The believer is weak within himself, but the LORD is always present with him. The Lord is his strength. This the Israelites, God’s people, were declaring.

b. The LORD is “my song” (Exodus 15:2). The believer faces the same trials and sorrows upon earth as unbelievers do. Both believers and unbelievers suffer upon earth; often believers suffer more because of the persecution and hatred of the world. Nevertheless, God comforts the believer and gives him the peace and security of His Holy Spirit. The believer knows that the world and its afflictions can take his life, but not his soul. He knows that he is going to serve God forever in the new heavens and earth. Therefore, the believer is to...

The believer is weak within himself, but the LORD is always present with him. It is the presence of the LORD that always puts the song within the believer’s heart. Moses and the true believers among Israel knew this glorious truth; therefore, they led all the people in declaring the glorious truth: “The LORD is my song.”

c. The LORD is “my salvation” (Exodus 15:2). The enemies of the world—including evil men, sin, death, and hell—are always attacking and threatening the believer. But God is the believer’s Savior: He will deliver and save the believer from all that opposes him.

d. The LORD is “my God” (Exodus 15:2). He is the true and living God. God had just proven this once again by miraculously delivering His people through the Red Sea and destroying their enemies. The miracle had just taken place. It was time for God’s people to reaffirm their faith and declare that God is “my God.” It was time for them to praise and make a renewed commitment to Him. Each Israelite had reason to stand up and shout...

e. The LORD is “my father’s God.” Their fathers had taught them to believe God and His great promises to His people. Their fathers were strong in faith and God had blessed them ever so richly. Therefore, the Israelites declared that they were committing themselves to follow the God of their fathers. He was worthy to be followed. This He had just proven by delivering them so miraculously through the Red Sea.

(15:3-12) Deliverance— God, Power— Song: the song was a song of God’s great deliverance. Six facts are declared about God’s great deliverance.

1. God delivered His people by His name: He is the LORD, and the LORD is a warrior (Exodus 15:3-5). The very name LORD (Jehovah, Yahweh) means that God is our Redeemer, Deliverer, Savior. The LORD...

The point: the place where Israel crossed the sea was not a shallow place, not only ankle or knee deep. It was a large body of water, a body so large that it drowned the Egyptian army when God released the two walls of water to flow back together again. A miracle? Yes! A phenomenal, miraculous work of God—all to save His people just as He had promised He would.

The very name LORD is the picture of a warrior who delivers, saves, and redeems us from the enemies of this world (cp. Exodus 14:14). The LORD is the warrior who saved Israel from being slaughtered and enslaved by the Egyptian army. Similarly, the LORD is the warrior who will save us from our enemies.

2. God delivered His people by His right hand of power (Exodus 15:6). The right hand is a symbol of power. In reference to God, it refers to His omnipotent power. God is omnipotent: all power belongs to Him. He can do anything, and nothing is too hard for Him. God’s right hand can roll back and make a passageway through the waters of any sea—if He so wills. God can reverse any law of nature as He wills. The Israelites had just witnessed this astounding miracle of God. Their song declared the glorious fact:

Þ The right hand of the LORD destroyed and dashed the Egyptian army into pieces.

God is omnipotent. He has the power to deliver and save us from any force, no matter how evil, terrible, or terrifying. He even has the power to save and deliver us from death, the power to plant the seed of eternal life in us.

“The Lord is a man of war” who doesn’t fight with conventional weapons. Using human characteristics to describe divine attributes,^5-9 the singers declare that His right hand is glorious in power, His majesty throws His opponents down, and His anger consumes them like fire eats up stubble. The breath from His nostrils is the wind that blew back the waters and congealed them so they stood like a wall. When the overconfident Egyptian soldiers thought to catch up with the Jews, God simply breathed and the waters returned and drowned the army. What a mighty God is He!

3. God delivered His people by the greatness of His majesty (Exodus 15:7). Note that Pharaoh and his army are said to have risen up against God, not Israel. God counts believers as His own, as His very own people, as His very own family. Therefore, to rise up against believers is the same as rising up against their Father, against God Himself.

Þ God overthrew those who opposed Him. The word “overthrew” (haras) is the picture of destroying a building. The enemies of God set out to destroy the building of God, His people, His Old Testament body of believers. Therefore, God destroyed the building of their army.⁶⁴

Þ God sent forth His wrath and consumed them as stubble. He consumed them as though their building was nothing but stubble.

The majesty of God is so glorious—so brilliant and bright—that it can consume the mightiest army upon earth, consume it as though it is nothing more than mere stubble.

4. God delivered His people by His mighty control over the waters (Exodus 15:8). Note that the “blast of God’s nostrils” is said to have caused the strong east wind that divided the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21). This is simply descriptive language, a poetic way to declare God’s control over the waters. The fact is unquestionable, obvious: the blast of God’s nostrils, the blast of God’s control...

5. God delivered His people by His glorious triumph over the bitter hatred of the enemy, over their pride and boastings (Exodus 15:9-10). The spirit of the Egyptians is exposed in these two verses. They had been gripped with a spirit of bitter hatred against the Israelite slaves. To the Egyptian mind, the Israelites were the scum of the earth, descendants of detestable shepherds, a people worthy only to be enslaved. Moreover, the Israelites were the cause for the ten plagues being launched against Egypt, the cause for the destruction of Egypt and its economy. The Egyptians had always loathed the Israelites, but after the terrible destruction of their nation by the God of the Israelites, their loathing grew to hatred—bitter hatred. Thus, the Egyptians had vowed to utterly destroy God’s people.

a. Note the sixfold vow and boastings of the Egyptian army. It is as though they are so bent on pursuing and destroying God’s people that they can hardly catch their breath. The picture is that of a heaving chest and a breathless voice boasting...

b. But God had promised to deliver His people, and this He did. He fulfilled His promise. God caused the wind to blow and note what happened:

Þ The sea covered the Egyptian army and they sank like lead in the mighty waters (Exodus 15:10).

The world hates believers. Believers live righteous and pure lives; they teach love and compassion, unselfishness and giving, giving even to the point of sacrifice. The world despises this way of life. The worldly of the world want to...

Thus the life of believers and the life of the worldly are at odds. The result is tragic: the worldly ridicule and persecute believers. But God has promised a glorious triumph over the worldly of this earth. He has promised to deliver us from this world. And God will fulfill His promise; this is the strong declaration of Scripture.

6. God delivered His people by His matchless person: no god is like Him (Exodus 15:1-12). No person, no being—real or imagined—can compare with God. This the LORD had just proven.

Þ Egypt was renowned for its gods, but they were nothing but man-made gods. They were mere idols who were helpless in protecting the Egyptians from the execution of God’s holy justice.

Þ The leaders, kings, and princes of this world are often treated as gods, but they are mere men. They are only frail, limited, and mortal, totally incapable of standing before or against the Lord.

The song of Moses graphically declares the truth: “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you...”

What wonder? The Lord stretched out His right hand, and the earth swallowed the enemy of His people. No man-made god could keep God from executing justice upon the oppressors and evil persecutors of His people.

In the ten plagues that He sent on the land, the Lord had already proved Himself greater than the gods and goddesses of Egypt. No wonder His people sang, “Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods?” (v. 11; see Micah 7:18) The answer, of course, is nobody, for no other being in the universe is “majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders” (Ex. 15:11, niv). This stanza goes on to praise God for His power (v. 12), His mercy to deliver, His wisdom to guide (v. 13), and the awesomeness of His person to bring fear to the hearts of His enemies (v. 14).

The nation anticipated their march to the Promised Land, knowing that the news of the Exodus would travel quickly to the other nations and bring fear to the hearts of their enemies (vv. 14-16a). When the spies entered Jericho, they discovered that the people of the land were indeed paralyzed with fear as Israel arrived on the scene (Josh. 2:8-13, 24; see Num. 22:3; Ps. 114). The heathen nations knew that the true and living God was more powerful than their gods and would give Israel the victory.

God’s Victory Over the Enemies of Israel in the Future (15:13‑21)

(15:13-18) Song— Purpose, of God— Land, The Promised— Guidance, of God: the song is a song of God’s glorious purpose: to lead the redeemed to His holy dwelling, that is, to the promised land. This passage is definitely referring to the promised land. Note that enemies would stand in the way as Israel marched to claim their promised inheritance, but God would cause the hearts of the enemy to melt. God was going to bring His people to their inheritance, to the promised land, to the very sanctuary where the presence of the Lord dwelt (a symbol of heaven).

Note a significant fact: these verses point to the future. They declare the assurance of God’s people in the great promise of God. What promise?

Þ That God was going to lead His people to the promised land; that God was going to make absolutely sure that His people received their promised inheritance, the inheritance of the promised land (cp. 1 Samuel 26:19; Psalm 79:1).

The Scripture and outline points cover the message proclaimed by the song. God’s glorious purpose is to lead His redeemed people to His holy dwelling, to the promised land (symbolically, the promised land of heaven where His holy presence dwells eternally).

a. The source of God’s great purpose is His mercy, His love (Exodus 15:13). God had demonstrated His mercy and love by redeeming His people. He had saved them from the bondage of slavery by delivering them from their enemies through the Red Sea.

The point is clear: in looking to the future, God’s people could trust the mercy and love of God. God’s mercy and love would continue to lead His people until they reached the promised land.

It is God’s mercy and love that redeems us, that saves and delivers us throughout life. We can rest assured: God’s mercy and love will lead us to the promised land, the promised inheritance of living with God eternally.

b. The impact of God’s leadership and guidance was clearly seen: it was a clear demonstration of God’s awesome power (Exodus 15:14-16). God’s hand would rest powerfully upon His people. Note the impact upon Israel’s enemies. Fear would grip them. Note the five different descriptions of the fear.

Þ Enemies would melt away, the enemies who stood against the march of God’s people to God’s dwelling (the promised land).

Þ People would be gripped with fear and dread, as still as stone, until God’s redeemed people reached God’s dwelling (the promised land).

No enemy will ever be able to stop God from leading us to the promised land of heaven. God protects and guides us day by day, and He will protect and guide us until He is ready to take us home to heaven.

The first half of the “song of Moses” emphasizes the defeat of Israel’s enemies, the Egyptians. The second half of this song, in verses 13‑21, is upon the defeat of those who would oppose Israel in the future. To state the matter differently, the first half of the song dwells on the Egyptians’ defeat, while the second half focuses on Israel’s deliverance, especially that deliverance which was yet to come, the defeat of those enemies who would resist Israel’s possession of the land of Canaan, which God promised He would give them.

The New International Version clearly underscores the shift from the past defeat of the Egyptians to the future defeat of Israel’s enemies by consistently rendering the verbs of verses 13 and following in the future tense.[5] Thus, while verses 1‑12 have dwelt on God’s past deliverance of His people, verses 13‑21 look to His future deliverance of the Israelites.

Rightly, the Israelites saw the plagues and their passing through the Red Sea as a beginning. God did not just promise to release the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, He promised to bring them into the promised land of Canaan. In one sense, the whole exodus event was somewhat of a secondary matter, a means for His people to possess the land of Canaan:

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them and will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. … And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord’” (Exod. 6:6, 8).

Verse 13 therefore begins with a summary statement of what God is yet to accomplish for His people. Out of His unfailing love, He will lead His people, whom He has just redeemed, into His “holy dwelling.” There is a lack of consensus as to what is meant by the expression “holy dwelling” here. I doubt that it’s primary reference is to the temple (cf. Psalm 92:13), which is, as yet, not an element of Israel’s hope.[6] The song could be referring to the promised land of Canaan as God’s “holy dwelling” (cf. Psalm 78:54; Isaiah 11:9). In the light of the promise of God to Abraham that the sign of His presence with Israel would be that Israel would worship God on “this (holy) mountain” (Exod. 3:12; cf. v. 5), the “holy dwelling” may be Mount Sinai. In any case, I believe that the “holy dwelling” of God is a reference to the promised land, whether or not a particular place (either Mt. Sinai or the temple) is also in mind.

The hope expressed in verse 13 will require the defeat of Israel’s enemies, the Canaanites, who will resist their entrance and possession of the land. The means of accomplishing this are viewed as the same as those used to deliver her from Egypt and the Egyptian army. The defeat of Israel’s Canaanite foes is thus described in verses 14‑15.[7] The defeat of the Canaanites is assured by the defeat of the Egyptians, the most formidable enemy of all. The Canaanites will be more easily overcome because of the terror produced by the report of the drowning of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. They will know that the God of Israel is a God of might, a warrior (v. 3), who is able to overcome the enemies of His people.

There is a play on words evident in the second half of the “Song of the Sea,” which takes up some of the same expressions or imagery employed to describe the defeat of the Egyptians and uses them to apply to the defeat of the Canaanites. For example, the Egyptian soldiers were said to have sunk “like a stone” in the Red Sea (15:5). Now, the terrified Canaanites are prophesied to become “as still as a stone” (15:16). As the arm of the Lord enabled Israel to pass through the Red Sea, so the Israelites will pass through their enemies (15:16).

This stanza looks forward to Israel’s conquest of Canaan and points out that God purchased Israel and they are His people. The nations in Canaan would be as still and dead as stones as the Jewish army conquered the land and the tribes claimed their inheritance. God brought them out of Egypt that He might bring them into Canaan and plant them in their own land (Pss. 44:2; 80:8, 15; Isa. 5). God would put His sanctuary among His people and dwell with them in glory. “The Lord shall reign forever and ever” (Ex. 15:18) is the climax of the song, emphasizing that God is sovereign and eternal.

When you read verse 19 in the Authorized Version, you get the impression that Pharaoh himself accompanied his army and led them into the sea where they all drowned, but the nasb clears up this misunderstanding. It reads, “For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea.” Pharaoh was apparently on the scene (14:6), but he certainly wasn’t leading the army.

Not only did Moses lead the men in the singing of this anthem of praise (15:1), but Miriam^5-10 formed a special choir of Jewish women who assisted her as she repeated the first words of the song. Their joyful enthusiasm was expressed as they sang, played their tambourines, and danced before the Lord (see 1 Sam. 18:6; 2 Sam. 1:20). Miriam is called “the prophetess,” which explains why later she had the courage to criticize Moses (Num. 12:1-2).^5-11

“And the waters covered their enemies; there was not one of them left. Then believed they His words; they sang His praise” (Ps. 106:11-12). However, that isn’t the end of the story, for the nation’s singing soon turned into complaining as they entered the wilderness and headed toward Mt. Sinai. “They soon forgot His works; they waited not for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert” (Ps. 106:13-14).

It wasn’t easy for them to carry the burden of freedom, and God had to teach them how to live a day at a time.

Verses 17 and 18 conclude with a confident affirmation that God will bring His people in to the promised land, where He will plant them on His holy mountain. Perhaps now the reference to the Lord’s sanctuary does refer to the temple. At least this can be the fulfillment in a way that is more specific than Israel anticipated. There, the Lord will reign over His people for ever and ever. The Lord is now seen, for the first time I believe, as Israel’s king. The treaty between God and His people will be delivered to them from Mt. Sinai. The exodus will serve as the basis for that treaty, as the early chapters of Deuteronomy will make clear.

Verses 19 and 20 turn from poetry to prose, but they may still be a part of the song. These verses serve to emphasize the fact that Israel’s hope for the future is directly related to God’s act of deliverance at the Red Sea. Miriam, a prophetess and the sister of Aaron (not to mention Moses, cf. footnote 3), led the women as they repeated the first refrain of the “Song of the Sea,” which must have been quite a feat for a woman who would have had to be around 90 years old. Both the men and the women seemed to have sung their own parts in this marvelous hymn of praise.

(15:19-21) Miriam— Song— Praise: the song stirred a special praise and dance by the women of God’s people. These three verses cover what is called “The Song of Miriam.” Remember, Miriam was the sister of Moses, the older sister who had so lovingly looked after him when he was a tiny baby.

a. When did Miriam sing this song? Right after God’s glorious deliverance (Exodus 15:19). Scripture says...

b. Miriam led all the Israelite women in dancing and praising the Lord (Exodus 15:20). Note that Miriam is called a prophetess.

c. The song of Miriam was sung to the LORD (Exodus 15:21). The song focused upon two great facts:

God delivers His people. He always has and He always will deliver us from evil, even from the final evil, that of death and hell.

The “Song of the Sea” was obviously important to the Israelites who passed through the Red Sea, and who sang it as recorded in our text. 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.

The “Song of the Sea” reveals the great significance the exodus event had for the one who had passed through the sea, but what value does this event have for others? Is the exodus and the passing of Israel through the Red Sea only dull history, unrelated to our lives? Far from it, the exodus is a theme which permeates the remainder of the Old Testament, as well as the New. For saints of every age, the exodus is both a prototype and a prophecy of the future redemption(s) of God. Notice the following allusions to the exodus or to the terminology of the “Song of the Sea”:

(1) The events of the exodus were retold to the next generation of Israelites, as the basis and motivation for their obedience to the Law which God had given (cf. Deut. 4:32‑40; 7:17‑19).

(2) In the crossing of the Jordan, there is a decided parallel to the crossing of the Red Sea (cf. Josh. 3:14‑17).

(3) The story of Israel’s exodus and portions of the “Song of the Sea” are frequently quoted in the Psalms.[8]

(4) Throughout the Book of Isaiah, as well as in some of the other prophets, the deliverance of Israel from its bondage in Egypt was likened to the deliverance of Israel and Judah from their Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. Thus, either by a direct reference or by an allusion, the exodus is constantly drawn upon as a symbol and source of hope for Israel’s future deliverance.[9]

(5) The exodus was, in the Old Testament prophets and in the New Testament gospels, a prototype of the greatest redemption of all, the redemption of men’s souls from bondage to sin, which was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, the lamb of God (cf. Luke 9:31, where the “departure” which Jesus was discussing with His disciples was literally His “exodus”).

(6) In the Book of Revelation, the deliverance of Israel (as depicted in the “Song of the Sea”) was seen as typical or symbolic of the deliverance of the tribulation saints (Rev. 15:1‑4).

Biblical history is not written to bore us with irrelevant details. It is written in order to provide our faith with historical roots. Israel’s hope regarding the future (Exod. 15:13‑21) was rooted in their experience in history, through the plagues and their passing through the Red Sea. So, too, our future hope is based upon God’s actions in the past, both in our experience, and in the experience of those who have lived (and experienced the hand of God) before us. The Old Testament is therefore a rich source of faith‑building history, which assures us of what God can do, based upon our knowledge of what God has already done. This assumes, of course, that we read the Old Testament with the “eyes of faith,” believing that these events did happen, as they were described.

The “Song of the Sea” and the exodus experience which it describes is an excellent illustration of a principle which is taught in the New Testament:

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us (Rom. 5:2b‑5).

Here, Paul is teaching us that the joy of the Christian remains, and even grows, in the midst of trials and tribulation. The more difficult things become, the more our faith is put to the test. The more our tested faith proves to be legitimate and living faith, the more hope we have for the future. It is the testing of tribulation and trials which shows that our faith is much more than a “fair weather faith,” thus giving us even greater confidence in the future.

Israel came to know God in a greater way as a result of the trials and testings 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 which He leads us through. 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.

The “Song of the Sea” which the Israelites sang also serves to remind us that our security and hope are ultimately dependent upon the character of God. While their song described the deeds of God in the destruction of their enemies, the song points to the character of God which His actions point to. God’s greatness, goodness, and faithfulness are the basis for our faith and our hope. Ultimately, we trust a person for his character, and not for his abilities. God is both able and willing to help us in our time of need. The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New, and because He does not change (Jas. 1:17), we can trust in His character as demonstrated in the lives of the saints of old.

DEEPER STUDY (15:20) Prophetess: the calling of the prophetess is the same calling as a prophet. The prophetess was a woman called by God to be God’s spokeswoman. She was called, appointed, and anointed by God...

Scripture mentions several other women who were called by God to receive the prophetic gift to speak for Him, to be His prophetesses:

The Second Crisis of Israel In the Wilderness, Bitter Water at Marah: Bitter Experiences Made Sweet and Pure, 15:22-27

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men and women. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.”

That wise counsel comes from American preacher and Episcopal bishop Phillips Brooks (1835–1893). When he spoke those words to his Boston congregation, perhaps he had the people of Israel in mind, for whenever the going got tough, the Israelites began grumbling and talking about returning to Egypt. It was one thing for the Jews to stand by the Red Sea and joyfully sing praises to the Lord, and quite something else to trust God in their daily wilderness walk. They were no different from God’s people today. Life is still a school, and the painful experiences of life teach us some of the most important lessons.

As we trace the activities of the Israelites, we learn some important truths to help us in our own walk of faith.

“Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle,” wrote saintly Andrew Bonar. It’s possible to win the battle and yet lose the victory, which is what the Jews did as they left the Red Sea and began to march toward Mt. Sinai. They forgot that life is a pilgrimage during which we must learn new lessons and fight new battles. One great victory doesn’t settle everything; we need challenging new experiences that will help us mature and glorify God. Yes, life is a school, and the Lord knows just when to give us an examination.^6-1

(15:22-27) Introduction: complaining, grumbling, and murmuring are terrible sins. Think of the hurt and pain we feel when people grumble against us, especially when the complaint threatens our...

Complaining, grumbling, and murmuring hurt and cause pain. But more than this, complaining and grumbling show a great distrust in God:

Þ It shows that we do not believe God is in control and that He is going to work things out.

Þ It shows that we are distrusting God’s power, questioning His goodness to take care of the situation.

This is the subject of this important passage of Scripture. It covers the first terrible sin of the Israelites, that of complaining. They grumbled and murmured against their leader, God’s dear servant Moses. This is: The Second Crisis of Israel In the Wilderness, Bitter Water at Marah: Bitter Experiences Made Sweet and Pure, Exodus 15:22-27.

3. The cry of God’s servant to the Lord and the Lord’s provision for His people: He showed Moses a piece of wood that purified, sweetened, the water (v.25).

6. The abundant provision of God: led them to Elim which had twelve springs and seventy palm trees (v.27).

Uppermost in the minds of the Israelites wasn’t how to please God but “What shall we eat?” and “What shall we drink?” According to Jesus, these questions reveal an anxious heart, not a trusting heart (Matt. 6:21, 25-33), and this can lead to all kinds of problems.

A single day in the wilderness without water would be tolerable, two days would be difficult, but three days would be impossible, especially for the children and animals. And then to be disappointed by finding bitter water would only make the situation worse. (The word “Marah” means “bitter” and is related to the word “myrrh.”) But God was testing His people, not because He didn’t know their hearts, but because they didn’t know their own hearts. People often say, “Well, I know my own heart,” but they forget that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9)

The Lord tests us to encourage spiritual growth and bring out the best in us, but the devil tempts us to bring out the worst in us and to encourage spiritual immaturity. The attitude that we take toward our difficulties determines which direction life will go, for what life does to us depends on what life finds in us. If we trust God and obey His Word, we’ll pass the test and grow; but if in unbelief we complain and disobey the Lord, we’ll fail the test and remain immature (James 1:12-18; Heb. 12:1-11).

The people of Israel were experts when it came to murmuring and complaining (Ex. 16:1-12; Num. 14:2, 27-29; 16:41; 17:1-10; Deut. 1:27; Pss. 78:17ff; 106:14). While God was testing them, they were tempting Him by their attitude and their words. To tempt God means to deliberately adopt a disobedient posture and dare Him to do anything about it. On more than one occasion in their wilderness wanderings, the Israelites invited the judgment of God by their obstinate attitude and their persistent grumbling. Our Heavenly Father is long-suffering and gracious, but sometimes He has to “spank” His children to teach us how to behave. Complaining doesn’t solve problems, and if we try to run away from a difficult situation (“Back to Egypt!”), we’ll meet the same problems in the new place and still have to solve them. Of course, the heart of every problem is the problem in the heart, and the hearts of many of the Jews were not right with God. They remembered the food they ate in Egypt but forgot the wonders God had performed (Ps. 106:7), and some of them had begun to worship the gods of Egypt that Jehovah had humiliated and judged (Josh. 24:14; Ezek. 20:6-9; 23:8). Imagine worshiping idols and then complaining to God about your problems!

Moses took the right approach, the way of faith: he cried out to the Lord and then followed God’s orders. God can solve our problems by changing things (like making the bitter waters sweet), by giving us something else (like the wells of water at Elim), or by giving us the grace we need to bear with our difficulties and not complain. The third approach is what produces lasting spiritual growth (2 Cor. 12:7-10). To make “the tree” a picture of the cross of Christ is to go beyond what this passage teaches. Certainly God’s children find victory in their trials by identifying with Christ in His death (Rom. 6) and resurrection (Rom. 8), but that isn’t the lesson of this passage. The emphasis is on trusting God and obeying Him, knowing that the will of God will never lead us where the grace of God can’t keep us. When we experience trials, our complaining is evidence of unbelief, but our obedience is evidence of faith.

From this difficult experience, the Jews not only learned something about themselves and about life, but they also learned something about their God, that He is “Jehovah Ropha, the Lord who heals” (Ex. 15:26).^6-2 God promised Israel abundant physical blessings if they would obey Him, but physical afflictions if they disobeyed (Deut. 7:12-15; 28). These promises were a part of the Old Covenant with Israel and aren’t repeated in the New Covenant for believers today. If it is His will, God is certainly able to heal every disease except the last one, but our attitude must always be, “Not my will but Thy will be done.”

If life were nothing but tests, we would be discouraged. If life were all pleasure, we would never learn discipline and develop character. The Lord knows how to balance the experiences of life, for He brought His people to Elim where they found plenty of water and opportunity for rest. Let’s be grateful that the Lord gives us enough blessings to encourage us and enough burdens to humble us, and that He knows how much we can take.

(15:22-23) Israel— Wilderness Wanderings— Thirst— Trials: the first crisis faced by Israel in the wilderness wanderings was that of thirst.

1. Moses led the Israelites from the Red Sea, beginning their march to Mt. Sinai. To reach Sinai they had to cross the desert of Shur. It was the desert that created the problem: they traveled and found no water. Imagine two to three million people marching across a desert for three days and finding no water. The water supply of some families had run low, and apparently the supply of others had run out. Being out in the desert with no water was as severe a crisis as could be faced. It was a matter of life and death—survival was at stake, the survival of several million people including children. What could be done?

2. Moses led them to a place where there was supposed to be water, to Marah. But shockingly, the water had become polluted: the water was bitter, unfit to drink. From the reaction of the people, it was apparently so bitter that they were afraid to drink it, feeling it was unsafe.

Þ The Israelites had just been delivered by God from Egyptian slavery. Their deliverance is a picture of the believer’s redemption, of his deliverance from the enslavement of the world to sin and death.

Þ The Israelites had just begun their wilderness journey, their journey to the promised land of Canaan. This is a picture of the believer beginning his Christian life and walk, his journey throughout life to the promised land of heaven.

Þ Thus, the crisis of the bitter waters of Marah is a picture of the bitter trials that confront the believer as he walks throughout life, marching to the promised land of heaven.

Now, just think of the bitter trials that confront us throughout life, such bitter trials as...

Bitter trials are the normal experience of human life. They confront us all, and they perplex and puzzle us. Believers often ask, “Why has God let this happen to me?” Trials and temptations are common to all people. When they strike us, the question is: How are we going to react? Are we going to trust God to help and strengthen us, or grumble and complain and perhaps curse God?

After traveling for three days in the hot, dry desert, the Israelites must have burst forth with joy at finding water. But what a terrible disappointment! Bitter, undrinkable water!

The bitter, undrinkable water is a picture of the bitter waters of the world, the bitter trials and experiences of this world. The person who drinks from the waters of this earth is doomed to disappointment. The waters of this earth will prove to be bitter:

The waters of the earth never satisfy the thirst of the human heart. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy the thirst of the heart. He is the living water.

(15:24) Complaining— Grumbling— Murmuring— Sin— Israel: this is the first terrible sin of Israel, that of complaining, grumbling, and murmuring. This was to be a sin constantly committed when the Israelites faced a crisis. Keep in mind what the Israelites had just experienced three days earlier: the great deliverance of God through the Red Sea. Moreover, throughout the previous year or two, they had witnessed the awesome power of God through the ten plagues of judgment cast upon the Egyptians. But here they were, three days later—just three days after their great Red Sea deliverance—complaining and grumbling against God’s servant. They should have remembered God...

They should have trusted God to provide water. They should have bowed in prayer, calling upon God to show their leader, Moses, where water was. Imagine what a glorious picture of trust and victory that would have been: two to three million people—men, women, and children—all bowing together in military file on the desert sands, all praying and calling out to God for help through the crisis.

But this was not to be. They were immature believers: unspiritual, unstable, and carnal (fleshly). Their carnal hearts of unbelief took over, and the Israelites complained, grumbled, and murmured against God’s leader. This was the first terrible sin of Israel, and it was to be a sin committed time and again by them. In fact, every time they faced a crisis, they were to complain and murmur. Note these examples:

Þ They complained and grumbled because of the trials they were facing throughout their wilderness wanderings: they wished to return to Egypt.

Þ They complained and grumbled because they became tired of their leaders, tired of Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership.

Þ They complained and grumbled because of God’s judgment, because God executed justice upon the Israelites who sinned.

As stated in the Introduction, complaining and grumbling are signs of distrust, of terrible unbelief in God. When we complain and grumble, we reveal a heart of unbelief and distrust. We reveal that we do not believe God’s power and goodness. We do not believe that God is in control, that He will work the situation out. A heart that trusts God will always pray, asking God to help. The trusting heart never complains nor grumbles against people and situations, especially not against fellow believers and certainly not against the dear servants of God. Note these facts about complaining and grumbling.

1. Complaining and grumbling are not against the servant of God but against the Lord Himself.

2. Complaining and grumbling are often due to a person not believing God’s Word nor listening to His voice.

3. Complaining and grumbling are often due to the foolishness and sin of man himself.

People thirst for contentment, for an elusive peace of mind. To find contentment and peace, they thirst and thirst after all kinds of things. And the world offers all kinds of things to people, claiming that they will satisfy the thirst of the human heart. But the waters, the things offered by the world, are bitter; they leave a bitter taste in our mouths and do not quench our thirst. Despite this, every day, all over the world, men drink from the bitter wells of the earth, the bitter waters of...

Blinded by a craving that never satisfies, men drink their fill of these waters. They drink and drink, but in the end a bitter taste in the mouth is the only thing that lingers.

What is the answer to the bitter waters of experience as the believer journeys in the wilderness of the world? The answer comes from Jesus Christ Himself. Only He has the power to sweeten the bitter waters of life. How does Christ create this great antidote for a world sickened by drinking polluted waters? Jesus Christ has poured His life into this world and flooded the world with Living waters, waters that satisfy the thirst of the human heart, that give life to man. The Scriptures declare that He is the only alternative to drinking the bitter waters of this earth!

Man is thirsty, thirsty for satisfaction and fulfillment, completion and purpose, meaning and significance, acceptance and recognition, joy and happiness, love and friendship.

The world offers water to man, water that claims to quench man’s thirst. And when man looks at the world, he sees the appealing water, water that looks like it will quench his thirst. But when he drinks the water, it is bitter. The waters of the world fill men with...

The waters of the world—all of them without exception—leave man with bitter achievement and success, bitter gratification and pleasure. Only one person can sweeten the waters of life for man: the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the living water. The water that Jesus Christ gives can actually sweeten the experiences of life. This is exactly what Scripture says.

(15:25) Prayer— Crying, To God— Intercession: What did God’s servant do? Moses did exactly what he should have done: he got alone with God and cried out in prayer. And note what the Lord did: He met the need of His dear servant and of His people. Despite the people’s carnality and sin, despite their unbelief and grumbling, God met their need. God showed Moses a tree that would purify and make the water clean and sweet for drinking. Moses took some wood from the tree and threw it into the water, making the water become clear and pure.

The Lord met the need of the Israelites. He provided clear, pure water for them. Note two lessons.

1) God delivered the Israelites from the severe crisis that had threatened their lives. But note why: because the servant of God got alone and cried out to God. The servant of God prayed and interceded: in desperation he pleaded for God to help deliver the people out of their life-threatening crisis. What a lesson for government leaders and for ministers.

2) God will take the bitter experiences of our lives and sweeten them. He will purify and clean up the bitter experiences of life. Just imagine all the trouble, problems, difficulties, trials, and temptations of life—God will take the bitterness out of them all. He will enable us to bear them all. God will strengthen us to conquer and walk through them all—victoriously and triumphantly.

J. Vernon McGee has an interesting comment on this point (we have set the Scripture off in outline form for simplicity):

“What was it that made the bitter water of Marah sweet? We are told that a tree cast into the water made it sweet.

Þ “Galatians 3:13...says, ‘Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.’

“Jesus Christ died on a tree, and it is that cross that makes the experiences of life sweet. He tasted death for every man, and took the sting out of death. ‘O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ says 1 Corinthians 15:55. It is the cross of Christ that makes sweet the Marah experiences of life.” ⁶⁵

(15:25) Test - Testing: this is a very significant point. This point shows us why the Israelites were unable to find water out in the desert. God was behind the entire experience, behind the crisis. God had purposed that the Israelites would be unable to find water. Why? To test them. What does this mean, that God tested Israel? That God tests people?

Þ God tests people in order to humble them and to reveal what is in their hearts.

Þ God tests people in order to strengthen them and to keep them from sinning.

Þ God tests people in order to refine them and to stir them to live righteous lives.

Þ God tests people so that they will learn more and more patience and endurance.

(15:25-26) Covenant— Promise— Chastisement— Obedience: the Lord now made a covenant, a great promise to His people. Simply stated, God told His people in one word what He expected: obedience. If they obeyed Him, He would not chastise them. But if they disobeyed Him, He would have to chastise them. In fact, He would have to chastise them by afflicting them with the very diseases of the Egyptians. Why the diseases of the Egyptians? No doubt because of the Scriptural principle of judgment. God had delivered the Israelites by inflicting judgment upon the Egyptians because of their unbelief and distrust of God. Therefore, if the Israelites sinned by disbelieving and distrusting God, they would suffer the same penalty as did the Egyptians. The great expositor Matthew Henry says this:

“Let not the Israelites think, because God had...highly honoured them...that...he would connive at their sins and let them do as they would. No, God is no respecter of persons; a rebellious Israelite [would] fare no better than a rebellious Egyptian.” ⁶⁶

The Scripture clearly spells out the covenant and the great promise God was making to the Israelites. Note, what we are calling a covenant was a statute, a decree, a law being laid down by God. Remember, a law or decree is set: it is permanent. If the law is obeyed, then the promise is certain. The promise will be fulfilled.

· He would not have to chastise them with the diseases brought upon the Egyptians (cp. Deut. 28:60).

· He would always be able to provide for them; that is, He would be able to heal them.

God does chastise us, all of us who truly believe in Him. He chastises us because He loves us. True chastisement is always for a child’s good, and a loving father always chastises and disciplines his child when his child goes astray. Thus it is with God. God chastises us to correct, to keep us...

(15:27) Elim— God, Provision: the Lord’s great goodness is vividly seen in what then happened. God abundantly provided for His people. He led them to Elim, an oasis in the barren desert. Elim was a flourishing area: there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees there. The point to see is God’s abundant provision for His dear people. Although it is not mentioned, the people had obviously repented of their terrible sin of complaining, grumbling, and murmuring; and God had forgiven them, pouring out the abundance of His blessing upon them. His provision was just overflowing upon His dear people.

2) God always makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters, even when facing the terrible trials of this life. God’s provision is always sufficient to take care of us, no matter what confronts us.

The “Song of the Sea” was not written to be sung but once. Perhaps the Israelites continued to sing this song as they traveled on their way from the shores of the Red Sea, entering into the Desert of Shur. For three days they found no water. This does not mean they had no water to drink, but their supplies would have been limited, and they would have had to ration them carefully. The people were no doubt anxious about their water supply as they came to Marah.

Sighting the waters at Marah must have brought great rejoicing to the Israelites. Their thirst, they thought, would be quenched, their cattle could be watered, and their reserves replenished. What a disappointment it must have been to discover that the waters were bitter, and thus unfit for consumption. Their joy at discovering water turned quickly to anger at Moses for leading them to such a place. How could Moses have bungled this matter so badly? They did not hesitate to place the responsibility for this blunder squarely on the shoulders of their leader—Moses. They demanded that he come up with a solution.

Moses cried out to the Lord, who showed him a piece of wood, which he cast into the water, causing it to become sweet. No one knows of any wood which could produce the result which is here described. The transformation of the waters of Marah (which means “bitter,” cf. Ruth 1:20) was a miracle. The casting of the wood into the water must have been a symbolic act, like Moses raising his staff over the waters of the Red Sea.

The incident at Marah was divinely designed as a test of Israel’s faith (v. 25), and as a teaching tool (v. 26). By Israel’s protest against Moses, the people had revealed their lack of faith and hardness of heart. They were deserving of the same plagues which God had brought upon the Egyptians. If the Israelites would obey Him (which, I take it, meant to obey the leadership of Moses) God would keep the plagues of Egypt from falling upon them. If they persisted in protesting against Moses’ leadership, the inference is that God would plague His people as He had done to the Egyptians. God does not tolerate disobedience and unbelief, either in the Egyptians or in His people. Just as the Lord “healed” the bitter waters of Marah, making them sweet, so He would be Israel’s healer, if they would but obey.

Having brought this message home to the Israelites, God led them on to Elim, where there was an ample supply of water. Here they camped, and gained needed refreshment from the water of the springs and the shade of the trees (v. 27).

The Wilderness of Sin lay on the eastern shore of the Red Sea and must not be confused with the Wilderness of Zin which lay south of Palestine and east of Edom (Num. 13:21; 33:11-12). The word “Sin” should not be interpreted in its English meaning, as though Israel were traveling through a “sinful” place. The word “Sin” is related to “Sinai” but the meaning is uncertain.

The whole congregation complained because they were hungry. They had been away from Egypt only a month and still remembered the “flesh pots” of Egypt and the food they had eaten “to the full.” But for some reason, they’d forgotten the bondage, the beatings, and the misery of their forced labor as slaves. They accused Moses and Aaron of deliberately leading them into the wilderness to kill them. They said they wished the Lord had killed them in Egypt when they were full rather than in the desert when they were empty! Little did these Israelites know that they would one day get their request, for the entire older generation would die in the wilderness and never get to the Promised Land.

Conclusion

While this chapter appears to have two very distinct accounts, there is good reason for the fact that Moses has placed them side by side. The “Song of the Sea” and the “bitter waters of Marah” are contrasting accounts, but accounts which have a direct relationship to each other. Two observations are crucial to our understanding the relationship between the praises of Israel in the “Song of the Sea” (vss. 1‑21) and the protests of Israel at Marah (vss. 22‑26).

(1) The Israelites failed to see the relationship between the affirmation of their faith in their worship (vss. 1‑21) and the application of their faith in their daily walk (vss. 22‑26). Israel had just proclaimed her faith in God as her warrior (15:3), but she was unable to trust in God as her waterer (15:22‑26). That God could handle a problem with the water at Marah should not come as any surprise. After all, God had delivered Israel and destroyed the Egyptians by means of His control of the water in the Red Sea. The winds (which the song describes as coming from the breath of God, vss. 8, 10) caused the waters to part. God was able to make the waters congeal, so that there were walls of water on both sides of the Israelites (cf. v. 8). God caused the waters to close in upon the Egyptian army, drowning them all. If God could deal with the waters of the Red Sea, surely He could be trusted to deal with the waters of Marah. Israel should have been able to apply the faith she affirmed in the “Song of the Sea” to her dilemma at the waters of Marah, but she did not.

Lest we become unnecessarily perturbed at the Israelites for their lack of faith, and become a little proud of ourselves, let me suggest that the problem which Israel illustrates is also one of the greatest problems of Christians in every age, including our own. We often fail to apply our faith in God, resulting from one event, to another event which is virtually identical. For example, the feeding of the 5,000 (Mark 6:30‑44) should have taught the disciples to trust in the Lord Jesus to feed the multitudes, and yet shortly after this great miracle, the disciples failed to apply their faith to the matter of feeding the 4,000 (Mark 8:1‑10).

When we gather to worship God, we do not sing the “Song of the Sea” but we do sing many hymns and choruses which express our faith in God. We sing, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” and then go our ways fretting and worrying about the petty details of our lives, as though God was not faithful at all. We sing, “It Is Well With My Soul,” but when some little irritation comes along, our faith flounders. We sing, “O, for a Thousand Tongues,” and then, when someone makes fun of our faith, we are tongue‑tied and cannot find any words to say concerning our faith.

The point is simply this. It is a great deal easier to affirm our faith in public worship than it is to apply our faith in our daily walk. Here is the real crunch. Here is where the rubber meets the road. It is not that we need to worship less, it is that 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, or at least to reveal our lack of faith.

One of the contributing factors to our failure to apply our faith in our daily walk is that we tend to create false distinctions between those areas which are sacred (church, public worship) and those which are secular (work, daily living). The result is that we think of our faith as relevant to our “devotional” activities, but not to our daily activities. It is my contention that God distinguishes between those matters which are holy and those which are profane, but not between those matters which are sacred and those which are secular. A more careful look at the Law of Moses will reveal that Israel’s faith was to govern and guide them in the minute details of their (secular) lives.

(2) Not only did Israel fail to apply their faith to their situation at Marah, they failed to even see the problem as being spiritual. In the text we read that the Israelites protested against Moses, not against God (v. 24). They demanded that Moses produce water for them, they did not cry to God for water. It is my contention that they did not see their circumstances as demanding a “spiritual” solution, but only as demanding a “secular” solution. At least when the Israelites were trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea they cried out to God for help (before they began to grumble against Moses, cf. 14:10‑12). Here, at Marah, they immediately confronted Moses, and ignored God altogether.

Ironically, the Israelites forgot that the pillar of cloud was still guiding them (cf. 13:21‑22), and that God Himself was present with them in the cloud. If they were wrongly led, God led them wrongly by the cloud. Imagine the protests of the Israelites, while the cloud hovered over the waters of Marah. The Israelites failed to understand that if God promised to bring them safely out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan, any obstacle which would hinder or prevent them was one with which God was concerned, and which He could overcome. They failed to see bitter water as a matter about which God would be concerned, but He was concerned because water was necessary to preserve His people.

At the Red Sea, Israel should have learned that God was able to overcome any obstacle (such as the Red Sea, which He parted) or any opponent (such as the Egyptians, which He drowned in the Red Sea—the obstacle). Thus, while the Israelites sang that God was going to overcome their opponents (the Canaanites), they did not grasp the fact that He would also overcome all the obstacles to their entrance into Canaan (such as the bitter waters of Marah).

How often we fall into the very same trap. We view God as being concerned only with the big problems of life, those which appear to be spiritual. But anything which hinders our growth, our sanctification, or our ability to do what He has purposed is a matter about which He is concerned, and which He is able to overcome. Frequently, when we encounter a problem in our lives, we do not even consider that it is something about which God is intimately concerned. We immediately begin to turn to secular solutions, without seeking God’s solution.

One reason why we fail to view our problems as an occasion for faith is that we have become accustomed to living by scientific principles rather than spiritual principles. The scientific method is a good method—for matters of science. But it is incompatible when it comes to matters of faith. Here, the scientific method must be set aside (not scrapped, but set aside). Scientific principles are essential for scientific purposes. One does not, for example, design an airplane, load it full of people, and hope that it flies. It must pass a rigorous series of tests and be proven functional and reliable.

The scientific method requires that every scientific fact be proven, being performed under controlled conditions, having hard empirical evidence, and being repeatable, time after time. In order for one to accept the account of the Red Sea on scientific grounds, the depth of the sea would have had to have been measured, the velocity of the winds calculated, and all other variables considered. In order to prove that this was something scientifically verifiable, the parting of the sea would have to be repeated time after time. And after being scientifically proven, one could only predict that the event would happen again if it were repeated under identical conditions. Any change in any variable would cause the scientist to question the possibility of repeating the phenomenon under different conditions.

The spiritual method is different. The spiritual method observes what God has done, accepting the event on face value, governed and qualified by the divine revelation which accompanies the phenomenon. The spiritual method then views the event as a manifestation of the character of God. On the basis of God’s character (as consistent with biblical descriptions of His character elsewhere), the Christian then looks at any future circumstance as an opportunity for God to act in such a way as to achieve His purposes by overcoming both obstacles (like the Red Sea, or the hardness of men’s hearts) and opponents (like Satan, the antichrist, or the armies of men who have been deceived and used by Satan). Variations in conditions do not change the character of God, nor do they pose a problem to the God who is all‑powerful.

The reason why we fail to see many circumstances as occasions that require a spiritual solution (and therefore require faith as well) is because we are using the scientific method of reasoning, rather than the spiritual method of reasoning, which reasons according to God’s revealed will and in accordance with the character of God, as demonstrated in history.

As we come to the conclusion of the message, let me attempt to apply this text to a current problem, which I shall call the “charismatic problem.” Many contemporary charismatics are inclined to think and to teach that life can and will be lived on the spiritual mountain tops. Thus, we should expect the Israelites to continually experience the euphoria and optimism of the “Song of the Sea.” Such is not the case, however. God did not allow the Israelites to stay by the sea, singing their glorious song. He did not keep them on the mountain. Instead, God led the Israelites into the desert, allowed them to be thirsty, and gave them bitter water. This adverse situation tested the faith and endurance of the Israelites, and provided the occasion for God to teach His people an important lesson. Expecting to live the Christian life on a continuous high is not only unrealistic, it is unbiblical. Thank God for the times of victory and elation, but do not expect things to stay this way forever.

Now a word to my non‑charismatic reader. While we often accuse our charismatic brethren of expecting the miraculous and the ecstatic to be the norm, we often have become content to expect that things will always happen according to natural laws and practices, so that we expect miracles not to happen. God is not obliged to work a miracle for our benefit, but He is able to do so, and He sometimes does do so. The Israelites saw the miraculous hand of God at work in their passing through the Red Sea, and they expected His hand to work mightily and miraculously as they entered into the land of Canaan to possess it. We, on the other hand, have convinced ourselves that we ought not expect the miraculous.

The conversion of souls is a miracle. If we do not look for God to work in miraculous ways, we may as well stop witnessing and trying to evangelize the lost. The process of sanctification as well as the manifestation of the Spirit in the lives of the saints for ministry is a miracle, and we dare not seek to serve the Lord without asking for His miraculous power to do so.

Frankly, I do not know which is worse—thinking miracles should be the rule, or thinking that miracles have been ruled out—but there must be a balance. The exodus event is a manifestation of God’s miraculous might, employed to achieve His purposes and to fulfill His promises. The Israelites saw the miracle of God accomplished in the past as a guarantee of His intervention in the future. May God give us the faith to look for (but not demand) the miraculous in our lives, when it is required to accomplish the purposes and promises of God.

If you have not personally come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have not experienced the miracle of being born again, of having your sins forgiven, your guilt removed, and of the joy of fellowship with God and the hope of heaven. It is only when you experience this miracle of conversion that you will look for the miraculous hand of God to work in your life in the future.

[1] The reason for the difference between the 400 years given in Genesis 15 and the 430 years given in Exodus 12 is easily explained. God spoke of 400 years of oppression in Genesis 15. During the lifetime of Joseph, the Israelites were not persecuted, and thus Moses writes in Exodus that Israel departed from Egypt 430 years after they had arrived. The difference of 30 years is therefore the time which Israel spent in Egypt in the favor of the Pharaoh who exalted Joseph (cf. Exod. 1:8‑9).

[2] I have worded this statement carefully because there is no clear statement that Moses actually wrote this song. It is, however, rather strongly implied. Moses and Miriam are the two prominent leaders in Israel’s worship. Both Moses and Miriam are prophets of God, who can give inspired utterance (Exod. 15:20; Num. 12:6‑8). This song is sung by the victorious tribulation saints in Revelation 15, where it is called the “song of Moses” (Rev. 15:3). We can, I believe, safely infer that Moses is the author of this song. The motivation for rejecting the Mosaic authorship of the “Song of the Sea” is the belief that some, if not all, of this song was written considerably later than the time of the exodus. The primary reason appears to be the “prophecies” of verses 13 and following, which they choose to view as history, described after the event.

[3] It is interesting that Miriam is referred to as “Aaron’s sister” (v. 20), and not as the sister of Moses. On the basis of this statement, some have suggested that Aaron and Miriam had the same father as Moses, but that Moses was the child of another wife. Others, perhaps more reasonably, have understood that this choice of words emphasized the prominence and position of Moses, even though he was the youngest of the three.

[4] Davis reminds us that the description of the waters of the Red Sea is not consistent with the drying up of any shallow body of water: “The poetic description of Pharaoh’s defeat further substantiates the concept of a crossing where the water was relatively deep. In verse 5 it speaks of the ‘depths’ having covered the Egyptian army. The Hebrew word for depths … usually carries the sense of oceanic depths, the sea, or an abyss.” John J. Davis, Moses and the Gods of Egypt (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1971), p. 174.

[5] This is done even when the verb is actually a past tense. The reason for this is that the past tense is often used to describe a future event, which is certain due to the promise or prophecy of God (this is called, by the grammarians, a “prophetic perfect”). The future is so certain it can be described as already having occurred. In our idiom we would say, “It is as good as done.”

[6] Those who would argue for a late dating of this song would argue that the temple is in mind here.

[7] It is evident that the utter terror of Israel’s foes, which will cause them to “melt away in terror and dread” (15:15) is not as complete as is here envisioned. That the enemies of Israel did fear is clear from the words of Rahab to the Israeli spies in Joshua 2:9‑11 (cf. also Josh. 2:24; 5:1; Deut. 2:25). Nevertheless, the Canaanites did resist Israel, in a way that seems inconsistent with the optimism of this song (cf. Num. 14:14‑21; 20:18ff.; 21:4; 22:2ff.; Deut. 2:1, 3, 8). There are at least two possible explanations. First, the text of the song does not speak of immediate and total defeat, but of the fear of Israel which the exodus produced. The fierce resistance of the Canaanites was motivated, no doubt, by this fear. Secondly, Israel’s delay in entering the land would tend to minimize the impact of the Red Sea event. Had Israel attempted to take the land sooner, the defeat of the Egyptians would have had a greater psychological effect on Israel’s enemies.

[8] Gispen supplies us with this list of citations from the “Song of the Sea” in the Psalms: “v. 1, cf. Pss. 66:6; 68:18; 106:12; v. 2, cf. Ps. 118:14, 21, 28; v. 3, cf. Ps. 24:8; v. 4, cf. Ps. 136:15; vv. 5‑17, cf. Ps. 78:52‑54; vv. 5‑13, cf. Ps. 77:14‑21; vv. 5‑10, cf. Ps. 106:11; v. 7, cf. Ps. 78:49; v. 8, cf. Ps. 78:13; v. 11, cf. Pss. 66:3, 5; 78:4, 12; 86:8; vv. 13-17, cf. Pss. 44:2, 4; 74:2; v. 17, cf. Ps. 80:9, 16; v. 18, cf. Ps. 146:10.” W. H. Gispen, Exodus, trans. by Ed van der Maas (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982), p. 146.

[9] The following are just a few of the passages in Isaiah and other prophets which are dependent upon the exodus account or exodus terminology: Isa. 12 (compare v. 2 with Exodus 15:2); Isa. 43:1‑3a, 14‑21; 44:24‑28; 50:2‑3; 51:9‑11; 52:3‑6, 11‑12; Jer. 16:14f.; 23:7f. Hosea (takes up on the theme of Egypt) 7:16; 8:13; 9:3, 6; 11:5, 11.

A study of Exodus: Birth of a Nation

#12 Moses’ Great Song of Praise: Praising God for His Great Deliverance Exodus 15:1-21

God’s Victory Over the Egyptians in the Red Sea (15:1‑12)

God’s Victory Over the Enemies of Israel in the Future (15:13‑21)

Conclusion