Another Song of Triumph – Unheard People Sing

Another Song of Triumph – Unheard People Sing

Exodus 15: ¹⁹ For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

The Song of Miriam

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. ²¹ And Miriam answered them:

“Sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!”

 

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After Moses sang, Miriam got up and sang a short song.

 

My Observations:

• The women possibly were not singing but wanted to sing.
• Miriam may have noticed the women were not singing, so she got her tambourine out and sang a short song.
• Miriam gave the reason why everyone should sing, namely they were rescued by the LORD.

 

GOD used Miriam as a leader. She is called a prophetess. Very few women in the Bible were called this title, so it shows she had a special anointing by GOD as a leader. Miriam seemed to be gifted to help out where there was a gap in the execution of a plan.

 

Jochebed, Miriam’s mother, made an ark to save Moses, Miriam's’ brother. Miriam watched over Moses and made sure he stayed safe. Miriam jumped into action again by seeing the women and making them join in on the celebration of GOD’s triumph. Her song may seem simple, but it symbolizes a leader who sees those who are unheard. GOD was praised by everyone.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about Miriam’s song?
• Have you ever seen someone who wanted to join in, but were afraid to?
• Can you take a moment to help those who are unheard by guiding them in praise to the LORD?

Song of Triumph Part 4 – GOD has Won the Next Battle

Song of Triumph Part 4 – GOD has Won the Next Battle

Exodus 15 ¹⁴ “The people will hear and be afraid;
Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
¹⁵ Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;
The mighty men of Moab,
Trembling will take hold of them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.
¹⁶ Fear and dread will fall on them;
By the greatness of Your arm
They will be as still as a stone,
Till Your people pass over, O Lord,
Till the people pass over
Whom You have purchased.
¹⁷ You will bring them in and plant them
In the mountain of Your inheritance,
In the place, O Lord, which You have made
For Your own dwelling,
The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

¹⁸ “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

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Moses ends the song with encouragement that GOD is more powerful than the enemies the children of Israel will face.

 

My Observations:

• Even though GOD wiped out the Egyptians, the children of Israel knew there were other groups who were similar to their recent defeated enemy.
• Moses mentioned that GOD’s demonstration of power would put fear in all the surrounding enemies.
• Moses sung about GOD “purchasing” the people as a reference to what JESUS would do to redeem humanity.

 

As the promised land was to the children of Israel, heaven is to you and me. The mountain of GOD’s inheritance could represent HIS eternal rewards for those who cling to their faith and persevere through tribulation.

 

GOD inspired Moses to sing about facing the immediate near future opposition from all sides. The promised land was heavily guarded and was supernatural. It produced fruit larger and more plentiful than anywhere else. Very strong people found this treasure on earth and would fight anyone who wanted to take the land. GOD had already defeated this enemy before the battle began. HE shall reign forever and ever. amen

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about other enemies of the children of Israel?
• Have you ever faced victory and then immediately faced fear because of the existence of other enemies?
• Are you replaying fear of the future in your mind, or remembering GOD’s powerful performance?

Song of Triumph Part 3 – No One like GOD

Song of Triumph Part 3 – No One like GOD

Exodus 15: ¹¹ “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
¹² You stretched out Your right hand;
The earth swallowed them.
¹³ You in Your mercy have led forth
The people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided them in Your strength
To Your holy habitation.

 

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After the Egyptian army was destroyed by GOD closing up the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel sang. This third stanza was about GOD.

 

My Observations:

• Moses recognized that humans try to be gods but they cannot compare to the true GOD.
• Moses points out GOD’s holiness, HIS deserving of healthy praiseworthy fear, and HIS power to do wonders.
• Moses ends the stanza with GOD dismantling the mindset of humans thinking they can do anything above HIM.

 

There is no one like GOD! HE is worthy of all praise! Only HE is holy and HE can do anything, anytime, anywhere. GOD takes down enemies who try to place themselves over one another with the pride of the Enemy. This song speaks about GOD’s triumphant power.

 

Moses also speaks about redemption. GOD rescued HIS people out of Egypt and does the same for you and me. HE rescues us out of a mindset that keeps us as slaves to the world, blinding us from GOD’s tremendous power. GOD was leading them to HIS holy habitation.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about this part of the song?
• Have you marveled over GOD’s incredible power over your life lately?
• What amazes you about GOD’s power, holiness and redemption?

Song of Triumph Part 2 - Easy for GOD

 

Song of Triumph Part 2 - Easy for GOD

Exodus 15: ⁶ “Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;
Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
⁷ And in the greatness of Your excellence
You have overthrown those who rose against You;
You sent forth Your wrath;
It consumed them like stubble.
⁸ And with the blast of Your nostrils
The waters were gathered together;
The floods stood upright like a heap;
The depths congealed in the heart of the sea.
⁹ The enemy said, ‘I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword,
My hand shall destroy them.’
¹⁰ You blew with Your wind,
The sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

 

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Moses continues to lead the children of Israel in song after they saw the Egyptians defeated by GOD. This stanza seems to pay tribute to how easy it was for GOD to take down the Egyptians.

 

My Observations:

• Moses used many human attributes like “right hand,” “nostrils,” and “heart” to invoke human understanding and excitement.
• Moses remembered how stubborn and cruel the Egyptians were and placed their futile attempts of being gods in the song.
• Moses points out how easy it was for GOD to overthrow the Egyptians.

 

Scripture uses the “right hand” as a statement of true, right and just. I believe Moses was speaking about GOD’s power and sovereignty. Would you blow up a balloon with your nose? No. Moses may have simply been excited and used the weakest form of wind a human can produce to show how strong GOD is.

 

The “heart” of things is usually the center, but in humans, it represents the connection to GOD. The enemy is anything or anyone who opposes GOD. In this case the Egyptians were going against a promise GOD made when HE said HE would make Abraham a great nation. By trying to be the nation above GOD’s decree, they became HIS enemy. Their “hearts” became hardened by their belief that they could be above GOD. It was easy for GOD to wipe them out, according to the song.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the song he sang regarding the greatness of GOD?
• Have you ever praised GOD for HIS might and HIS timing?
• Will you praise GOD even if your expectations are being met in a different way then you expect?

Song of Triumph Part 1

Song of Triumph Part 1

Exodus 15: Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:

 

“I will sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!
² The Lord is my strength and song,
And 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 man of war;
The Lord is His name.
⁴ Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
⁵ The depths have covered them;
They sank to the bottom like a stone.

 

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Wow! GOD kept HIS word! Moses and the children of Israel were so elated that they broke out in song. They started the first chorus with what GOD did.

 

My Observations:

• Moses and the children of Israel were relieved and excited.
• Moses probably sang first and the children of Israel repeated his words.
• Moses mentioned what GOD did and who HE was.

 

From the time Moses was born, he had a special relationship with GOD that he could not quite figure out. He tried to do things for GOD with deadly disastrous results. BUT GOD saw his heart. GOD told Moses that HE would save the people from the Egyptians. They thought this was impossible. Even when the plagues were poured out by GOD, they may have thought the Egyptians had it coming, but did not believe.

 

But when GOD performed the biggest miracle they had ever seen, they cheered and sang! The Red Sea fell on the Egyptian army. They knew this was the last thing standing in the way of their true freedom. Pharaoh had no army, no servants, no crops, no gold or silver. They were free and GOD was recognized as their “strength,” their “song,” and their “salvation.”

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the song they sang?
• Have you ever been so elated that you just had to sing or praise?
• Can you sing praises to GOD for being your strength, song and salvation?

Mindsets Addressed by GOD

Mindsets Addressed by GOD

Exodus 14: ²⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” ²⁷ And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. ²⁸ Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. ²⁹ But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

 

³⁰ So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. ³¹ Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

 

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When GOD took the wheels off of their chariots, the Egyptians were filled with fear and tried to turn around from their pursuit of the children of Israel. They may have gotten close to them but fear made them turn around. Moses held up his hand again and the sea returned to its full depth.

 

My Observations:

• GOD wiped out the last thing the Egyptians had, namely a mindset of power.
• The Egyptian mindset of believing in humans as gods was wiped out by GOD.
• The children of Israel heard Moses before the plagues, saw the miracles that would be performed, saw the actual plagues happen, but did not believe until they saw the Egyptian army killed by the Red Sea.

 

Mindsets can help our free will or attack it. The children of Israel were so used to being slaves, that they could not see GOD for who HE was. They cried for help and GOD came. They watched GOD take down Egypt. They left. But it wasn’t until the sea swallowed up the army that they believed in the LORD and they believed in Moses. We treat GOD the same.

 

Our limiting beliefs can limit what GOD can do in our lives. HE does not force HIMSELF on us, rather stands back and knocks on our hearts. If we let HIM in, then HE can do amazing things. GOD allowed Pharaoh to think he was a god. GOD hardened Pharaoh’s heart by simply letting him think he was in charge. All of Egypt fell because GOD saw that his heart would not change. GOD did just as HE promised.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about how HE wiped out the Egyptian army?
• How many times has GOD rescued you and yet you may still be operating with limiting beliefs of HIM?
• Is there a limiting belief that makes you tentative that GOD can do what HE said HE would do?

LORD Fights for Them

 

LORD Fights for Them

Exodus 14: ²⁴ Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. ²⁵ And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

 

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After Moses held up his rod, GOD parted the Red Sea. The children of Israel crossed on dry ground. The Egyptians tried to use the same path that GOD was using to protect HIS people. They pursued inside the parted sea only to find that GOD took their wheels off their chariots. They got scared.

 

My Observations:

• GOD saw the evil of the Egyptians.
• GOD fought the Egyptians in a way that was very calculated.
• The Egyptians recognized that it was GOD who was fighting against them.

 

Doing anything evil against the children of GOD was unacceptable to HIM. The pursuit to pull the children of Israel back into slavery was seen by GOD and HE used their positioning against them. HE allowed them to get close enough to the children of Israel before HE took their chariot wheels off.

 

GOD gave the children of Israel enough of a head start that they could cross the Red Sea in safety. But the Egyptians had troubles and decided to flee from their pursuit. They were in the middle of the Sea with broken chariots. They may have remembered the plagues and felt that it was no longer worth trying to fight against the children of Israel. GOD was setting them up for HIS final blow.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about what HE did to the chariots?
• Have you ever been pursued by an enemy or the Enemy?
• Can you rest assured knowing that GOD is fighting the battle you think you need to fight?