Song of Moses and the Israelites

Exodus 15

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

“I will sing to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
    he has hurled into the sea.

² “The Lord is my strength and my defense^[a];
    he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
³ The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.
⁴ Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
    he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
    are drowned in the Red Sea.^[b]
5 The deep waters have covered them;
    they sank to the depths like a stone.
⁶ Your right hand, Lord,
    was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord,
    shattered the enemy.

⁷ “In the greatness of your majesty
    you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
    it consumed them like stubble.
⁸ By the blast of your nostrils
    the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood up like a wall;
    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
⁹ The enemy boasted,
    ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
    I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
    and my hand will destroy them.’
¹⁰ But you blew with your breath,
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
    in the mighty waters.
¹¹ Who among the gods
    is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
    majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
    working wonders?

¹² “You stretch out your right hand,
    and the earth swallows your enemies.
¹³ In your unfailing love you will lead
    the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.
¹⁴ The nations will hear and tremble;
    anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
¹⁵ The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people^[c] of Canaan will melt away;
¹⁶     terror and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
    they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, Lord,
    until the people you bought^[d] pass by.
¹⁷ You will bring them in and plant them
    on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,
    the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.

¹⁸ “The Lord reigns
    for ever and ever.”

Exodus 15:1-18

This is the first time we see the Israelite’s truly acknowledge God, who he is, and what he has done for them. Here in this song they acknowledge him as Lord.

These realizations in this song would not have come had God not led them through this journey of slavery and total redemption. Through the manifestation of many miracles, God created a track record. He also established his rules for the Passover before it happened, not after. This is key because God gives us his word before he molds us into who we should be. The Israelite’s finally see the strength of God and acknowledge Him as the one true God after saving them from the Egyptians and now see Him as greater than any other.  They truly see him as the great “I Am”.

They see him as their deliverer, loving leader, their God as opposed to the gods of Egypt, and they now exalt and praise him. Without this journey their attitude would be different. If they were not enslaved and perhaps another nation’s god destroyed those who opposed them they may not have had the heart change. This deliverance, from Moses’ first appearance in front of Pharaoh to the crossing of the Red Sea, took more than several months and perhaps even a few years. Time enough for Israelite’s hard heart to be softened and finally committed God.

In conclusion, acknowledge God, who he is, and what he has done for you. Acknowledge his track record in your life and the ultimate price he paid. Meditate on who he is and his majesty.