New Testament Reading: Revelation 21:1–8

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’” (Revelation 21:1–8, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 15:22-27

“Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.’ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.” (Exodus 15:22–27, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

In this sermon series, I have tried to convince you that the Exodus event along with the wilderness wandering that followed it and the eventual conquest of Cannan by the Hebrews is to be viewed in a multidimensional way. 

One, we must view this story as historical. The book of Exodus is a historical book. It tells us about what God did for the Hebrews in the days of Moses to deliver them. It tells us about how the LORD went with his people to provide for them and to guide them in the wilderness. These things happened, that is my point. We must approach the book of Exodus as history. 

Two, we must see that the person of Christ and the work of Christ were revealed ahead of time in the Exodus event. In other words, the redemption that the LORD accomplished for the Hebrews was a type or a foretaste of the greater act of redemption that the Messiah would accomplish. The Hebrews were delivered from Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb. They passed through the waters of divine judgment and emerged safely on the other side of the sea. The LORD was present with them, and he would continue to be. In fact, he would dwell in the midst of his people as he led them towards the promised land. And I am saying that person of Christ and the work of Christ was pictured or prefigured in an earthly way in these historical events. Remember that Jesus the Christ was introduced as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He was hidden in Egypt for a time and was brought out as an infant. Just as the LORD demonstrated his power over nature and the so-called gods of Egypt, so too the Christ demonstrated his power over the same through the working of mighty deeds. Christ also passed through the waters of divine judgment – not the waters of the sea, but the waters of death – and he was brought safely through to the other side in his resurrection (Christian baptism is a  picture of this, among other things). After rising from the dead and after ascending Christ gave the Spirit to indwell his people as they sojourn towards the promised land. Here I am simply reminding you of what I have said before. The Exodus was not just another common event in a long succession of events in the history of the world. No, it was special, for in it something of the person and work of Christ was revealed. This truth may be observed in the Exodus story itself, but it is made especially clear by the teaching of the New Testament. 

Three, we must see that there is a correlation between the experience of Israel in the Exodus event and the experience of all who have faith in Christ. When I say that there is a correlation I mean that in some ways Old Covenant Israel’s experience matches the experience of all who have faith in the Messiah even to this present day. Of course, in many ways, the experience of the Hebrews who lived in the days of Moses was utterly unique. Only they were brought out of Egypt. Only they were led into the wilderness toward Sinai, etc. But at the same time, their experiences established a kind of pattern – a pattern familiar to all of God’s faithful. Think of it. In Christ, we too have been redeemed from bondage. In Christ, we too are sojourners (we live in this world, but this is not our home). In Christ, we too will enter the promised land – not Canaan, but the new heavens and earth, the heavenly and eternal city of Jerusalem. I’m saying that Israel’s experience in the Exodus mirrors ours. Theirs was earthly, ours is spiritual. So there is much for us to learn. I’ll remind you of what Paul the Apostle wrote regarding this correlation between Israel’s experience and ours. Speaking of Exodus events he wrote, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11, ESV). Stated simply, things that happened to Old Covenant Israel are meant to instruct even those of us who live now under the New Covenant. 

So let us consider our passage for today with these things in mind. 

*****

Those Who Are Redeemed Must Sojourn

We have come now to the portion of the book of Exodus that is about Israel’s sojourning in the wilderness. To sojourn is to dwell temporarily in a place that is not your home. We may refer to the Hebrew’s stay in Egypt as a time of sojourning. In fact, the scriptures do this. In Deuteronomy 10:19 we find this law given to Israel: “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” So yes, Israel sojourned in Egypt. They lived there for a long time, but they were strangers there. And after the LORD delivered Israel from bondage, he led them, not immediately into  Canaan, which was the land that was promised to them, but into the wilderness to sojourn there for a time.

In Exodus 15:22 we read, “Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur…” (Exodus 15:22, ESV). The wilderness of Shur is to the East of Egypt in the northern part of the Sinai in what is today northern Saudi Arabia. This wilderness is vast, rugged, and in the days of Moses, it was very sparsely populated. From there Israel would go south. Canaan was to the north! But the LORD led Israel to the south to wander in the wilderness for a time. 

And this is the first thing that I wish to draw your attention to this morning regarding our text. The LORD did not immediately lead his people into the promised land of Canaan, but into the wilderness. Israel would sojourn in that thirsty land. In fact, we know they would remain there for 40 years because of their disbelief. But even before that, it was the will of the LORD to lead them, not directly to Canaan, but into the wilderness to sojourn there. We are to see that Israel went into the wilderness, not because they were lost, but because the LORD led them there in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. 

So here a pattern is established for us: those who are redeemed must sojourn. Stated negatively, the pattern is not from redemption to glory, but from redemption to sojourning to glory. 

Here is how Old Covenant Israel experienced this pattern: they were redeemed from Egypt, they sojourned in the wilderness for a time, and then they entered Canaan, which was the land that was promised to them. 

And here is how New Covenant Israel experiences this pattern: we have been redeemed by the shed blood of the Messiah from the domain of darkness, bondage to sin, and the fear of death. The new heavens and earth is our home. Our inheritance is the heavenly city of Jerusalem. But we are not there yet, are we? We are sojourners. We live here in this world, but we confess that this is not our home. We long for the world to come. We must view ourselves as sojourners, brothers and sisters. The pattern is this: from redemption to sojourning to glory. We are sojourners now.

This is what Peter calls us. He writes to Christians saying, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11–12, ESV).

The writer to the Hebrews speaks of our sojourning when he says, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14, ESV).

So just as Israel was to be ever mindful of the fact that they were not at home while in the wilderness, but were sojourners, so too we must be ever mindful of the fact that we are not at home, but are sojourners in this world. We are just passing through. 

Does it sound strange for me to talk this way? After all, this is our hometown, isn’t it? After corporate worship, we will all go home. It must have been obvious to Israel in the wilderness that they were sojourners. There was nothing permanent about their situation. But you and I live relatively settled lives. In fact, we enjoy a great deal of stability and comfort. But there is a danger in these blessings. We may forget that we are sojourners. The homes we live in are not our homes. This city is not a lasting city. This world is not the world that will be for all eternity, for when Christ returns he will make all things new. This world will be renewed, filled with the glory of God, and established in glory forever and ever. If you are in Christ united to him by faith, that is your home. Presently, you are a sojourner. 

Tell me brothers and sisters, do you have the mindset of a sojourner? Sojourners must still be concerned with the details of their day-to-day life. They must eat and drink, raise their children, and seek to serve the Lord in the land that they find themselves in. But the sojourner will also live with a degree of detachment from the land of their sojourning. As the sojourner goes about their business they will be ever mindful of the fact that this is not home. This will affect their priorities and investments. Though they may love and appreciate the land of their sojourning, their longing will be for home. This is why Jesus speaks to sojourners saying, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV)

Those who are redeemed must sojourn, and we are sojourners now. 

*****

One Purpose Of Our Sojourning Is Sanctification

The second thing that I wish to draw your attention to is that one of the purposes of our sojourning is sanctification. 

Perhaps the question has already come to your mind: why didn’t the LORD lead Israel straight to Cannan? Why the wilderness wanderings? That’s a good question, isn’t it? Why did the LORD permit Israel to experience so much trouble in that desolate and dry land? And perhaps you have wondered the same thing concerning the Christian life. Why this life? Why the sufferings of this life? Why not immediate glory for the one who has faith in Christ? Many things can be said about this, but the truth that I wish to emphasize this morning is that one purpose for sojourning is sanctification. 

By sanctification, I mean growth in faith and in godliness. Sanctification is that process wherein God renews us “in the whole man after the image of God, and… [enables us] more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness” (Baptist Catechism 38). And I am saying that one of the primary purposes for sojourning, both for Old Covenant Israel and for us, is sanctification.

God sanctifies his people as they sojourn. And how does he do this?  It is often through testing. You know this to be true. Growth comes when we are tested. This is true of our muscles. This is true of our minds. And it is also true of our faith, hope, and love. Spiritual growth comes through testing. 

In verse 22 we learn that Israel “went three days in the wilderness and found no water.” This was no minor inconvenience, but a serious problem. The Israelites had certainly carried water with them, but now they were about out. This great multitude would soon perish without a substantial source. The people must have felt great anxiety about this. It would be terrifying to be caught in the wilderness with no water.  

In verse 23 we read, “When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah”, which means bitterness. When they found this pool of water they must have felt great relief. But as they tested the water they found that it was undrinkable. Their hope quickly turned to great despair. 

We must see this as a test of faith, brothers and sisters. In fact, verse 25 says that it was. “There he tested them”, the passage says. What would the people do? How would they respond? Would they trust in God? Would they remember what the LORD has done for them not long before? Remember, the LORD had demonstrated his power over nature in the outpouring of the ten plagues. He turned the water of the Nile to blood. And after the plagues, he parted the water of the Red Sea. Now the LORD tested them at Marah. Would the people remember the promises of God? Would they remember his past faithfulness? Would they trust in his sovereign power? Or would they lose it when faced with the threat of thirst in the wilderness? Verse 24 tells us: “And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’”

Notice that the word “grumbled” appears three times in a short span in the Exodus narrative. It appears here in 15:24. It will appear again in 16:2. There the people are hungry and “the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness…”  And the word appears again 17:3 where we read, “But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’” 

You are probably noticing a theme. This story that we are considering today along with the next two are about testing. After Israel was redeemed from Egypt they began to sojourn in the wilderness. And as they sojourned the LORD tested them three times concerning the provision of water, bread, and water again. By the way, can you think of someone else who was tested in the wilderness three times over? Christ was! He overcame the temptation, didn’t he? But what did Israel do when they were tested? They doubted and they grumbled against the LORD. I take this to mean that most grumbled, but I trust that the faithful ones among them were sanctified as the LORD proved himself over and over and over again. Soon we will see that the LORD provided water from a rock and manna from heaven. Here in the text that is before us today, we learn that the LORD made the bitter waters of Marah sweet.  

Verse 25: “And [Moses] cried to the LORD [notice, he cried, he did not grumble] and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” You can search for a scientific explanation for this if you’d like. I don’t think you’ll find one. Nor do I believe one is necessary. This entire Exodus story is punctuated by the miraculous works of God. And it is has been common in this story for the LORD to instruct Moses to use a physical item through which he works his miracles – a staff, dust thrown into the air, now a log. 

Here is what we know. The LORD demonstrated his power over the waters of Marah through Moses. He proved himself to be faithful once more. He provided for the thirst of his people. He turned that which was bitter, sweet. This he did for Old Covenant Israel through Moses, and this has done in an even greater way for all of his elect through Christ.  

Christ satisfies the thirst of all who trust in him. Everyone who drank the sweetened water of Marah was thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that Christ gives will never be thirsty again. The water that Christ gives becomes in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life  (see John 4:13–14).

And in Christ, all of the bitterness of life is turned sweet. For “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Even the bitterness of death is turned sweet for the believer, for Christ has removed the sting of death. For the believer, death is the gateway to glory.  

Brothers and sisters, it is imperative for Christian sojourners to remember these things as we are tested by the trials of life. 

Sometimes it feels as if we are sojourning in a dry and desolate place. The circumstances of life may lead us to think, there is no hope! There is no way out! But we must remember that the LORD is faithful. He has been faithful to us in the past, and he will be faithful to us in the future, for he has promised. He will preserve those who are his in Christ Jesus. He will bring his elect safely home. Between now and then, we must be full of faith. 

And at times it may seem as if the LORD has led us to bitter waters. That which we thought would bring satisfaction and refreshment in this life brings disappointment. Will we trust the LORD in our disappointments and despair? Will we believe that the LORD is able to make the bitter waters of this life sweet in Christ Jesus as he brings good from that which is evil and leads us through the waters into life eternal? Brothers and sisters, we must. 

Verses 25 and 26 are important. Starting in the second half of verse 25 we read, “There [at Marah] the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer” (Exodus 15:25–26, ESV).

Notice a few things about this portion of the passage. 

One, here we learn that the LORD sanctified his people not only through the trial of the lack of fresh water in the wilderness but also through his word. Yes, he tested them through a difficult life experience but he also spoke to them. And this is how the LORD sanctifies us. Through experiences and by his word. 

Two, the lesson that he taught them was really quite simple. If Israel would diligently listen to the voice of the LORD their God, and do that which is right in his eyes, they would be blessed. None of the diseases that the LORD put on the Egyptians would be put on them. This implies that if Israel failed to listen to God’s word and to keep his commandments, they, like the Egyptians, would be cursed. Note this principle well. We will return to it in just a moment.  

Three, the LORD reveals himself to Israel here as their “healer”. The word healer can also be translated, “to make fresh”. It refers to the process of being restored to health or being made fertile. When the LORD said, “for I am the LORD, your healer”, he was saying, I am the one who has the power to make you healthy, fruitful, and prosperous. 

So then, here is the lesson that the LORD taught to Israel at Marah as he spoke to them after satisfying their thirst. I am here to bless you, to make you fruitful and prosperous as a people. But here is the condition: you must listen to my voice and keep my commandments. 

As you probably know, this little simple lesson would end up being central to Israel’s existence under the Old Mosaic Covenant. This principle – obey God and be blessed in the land, disobey and be cursed – would be the core element of the covenant that God made with that nation through Moses. If Israel was to be blessed and prosperous they needed to obey the law of God. This work’s principle was stated at Marah and it would prove to be foundational to the Old Mosaic Covenant. 

Christians living under the New Covenant who’ve had it ingrained in them that we are saved from our sins, not by works or through the keeping of God’s law, but by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone, might be troubled by the works principle found here. Listen again to the conditional nature of this arrangement: ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer” (Exodus 15:25–26, ESV). The arrangement is certainly conditional. It is an if/then arrangement. But pay very careful attention to what is going on here. The offer is not forgiveness of sins, nor is it life eternal in the new heavens and earth, but blessings and fruitfulness on earth. 

What I have just said is key to understanding the works principle that is clearly present in the Mosaic Covenant. Was the Mosaic Covenant a covenant of works? In other words, did the blessings offered by God to Israel in that Covenant depend upon the obedience of the people of Israel? Yes, certainly! But the blessings offered were earthly blessings. If Israel obeyed the LORD, they would be blessed by the LORD in the land. If they disobeyed, they would be cursed and even vomited out of the land. How then could an Israelite be saved from their sins for all eternity? How could an Israelite inherit blessed eternal life in the new heavens and earth? In the way that you and I receive it! Not by good works. Not by law-keeping (for we have all violated God’s law in thought word and deed). But only by trusting in the promises made to Adam and later to Abraham concerning the Messiah. Do not forget that those same promises were entrusted to Israel in the days of Moses too. Those promises were not annulled or taken away when God entered into that Covenant of works with them through Moses. No, the promises of God remained. And salvation was obtained by the grace of God and through faith in the promised Messiah. But as it pertained to blessings on earth, the nation of Israel would enjoy them only if they were obedient. This is what Paul the Apostle says so clearly in the books of Romans and Galatians (see especially Galatians 3:17ff.)

Though you and I do not live under this works principle that was imposed upon Israel at Marah and later expanded under the Mosaic Covenant at Sinai, we may still learn from it and apply it. Think of it. What was Israel called to do as they sojourned in the wilderness? They were to trust the LORD and they were to obey him.   

Trust and obey… It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Christian sojourners are to trust and obey, trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey! It is simple, but it can also be very difficult for us given our frailty. We are so prone to forget God’s faithfulness, to doubt, to panic, and to even grumble against God as Israel did at Marah. And sometimes we struggle to obey his voice. But truly, this is where abundant life is found. We are blessed in Christ when we trust him and obey his word. As Christ said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:9–11, ESV)

Those who are redeemed must sojourn. One purpose for sojourning is sanctification. The LORD sanctifies us by his word and by testing us through the trials of life. And in this way, the people of God will learn to trust him and obey him with ever-increasing sincerity. 

*****

Those Who Sojourn Must Know The LORD Will Bring Them Safely Home

The final observation that I wish to make from our passage today is that those who sojourn must know for certain that the LORD will bring them safely home.

I draw this principle from verse 27 which says, “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water” (Exodus 15:27, ESV). If Marah signifies the trials and the testings of this life, Elim seems to be paradise by contrast. There was an abundance of water there – one spring for each tribe of Israel. And there was an abundance of trees too so that Israel might rest in their shade. After Israel was tried and tested in a dry and thirsty land, they were comforted and refreshed. And so it will be for all who are in Christ Jesus. 

After the sojourning of God’s people is complete Christ will return to make all things new. And all who are in Christ will be refreshed by “ the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, [they will eat of] the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree [will be] for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:1–5, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 15

“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.’ After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.” (Revelation 15, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 15:1-21

“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, ‘I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The LORD will reign forever and ever.’ For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.’” (Exodus 15, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Our text for today begins with these words: “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD.” Because you and I are so accustomed to singing songs to the LORD, we might not think much of this statement. Again, the text says, “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD.”      

Have you ever reflected on the ability that humans have to sing? It really is a marvelous thing to consider. Humans can sing. We have this ability to utter words in a musical way. No other creature, with the exception of the angels, can do this. We say that birds sing, and indeed that is true. But they do not sing in the way humans do. Humans have this capacity to put words to music, to compose songs, and to communicate complex things to God and to one another in this way. Humans and angels are the only rational creatures created by God. And both angels and humans were created with this ability. 

Why did God make us in this way? Well, I am not saying that this is the only reason, but I am confident that the supreme reason is so that we might give glory to God with our voices. Yes, we are to give glory to God with our words. We are to speak to him in prayer. We are to give thanks to him with our lips. We are to testify to his goodness. But there is something special about singing. Singing joins the heart and the head in a way that speaking cannot. This is why the Psalmist says, “My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!” (Psalm 108:1, ESV). And Paul the Apostle commands that believers “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:18–21, ESV). 

I think it is right to assume that God’s people have always sung praises to him. By that I mean, I think it is right to assume that God’s people, from the days of Adam to the days of Moses, sang songs of praise to God, though we do not have a record of it. But here is the thing that I want you to notice: the record of the songs sung by God’s people begins here in Exodus 15. This song – the Song of Moses – is the first song recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture. And it is a song sung in response to the great act of deliverance worked by God to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptians.    

Note this: all of the songs of praise uttered by God’s rational creatures, whether of angels or men, are in response to the works and revelation of God in creation and redemption. We sing because God has revealed himself to us. We sing in response to the marvelous things that God has done.  

Did you know that the angels sang praises to God when he created the earth? Genesis chapters 1 and 2 don’t speak to this, but Job 38 does. There the LORD questions Job saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4–7, ESV). The point is this: the angels sang together in response to God’s work of creation. 

And throughout the scriptures, God’s people compose songs in response to his works of creation and redemption. 

Here in Exodus 15 Moses and Israel sing in response to the LORD’s work of redemption. 

In Judges 5 we find the song of Deborah and Barak which they sang when the Lord gave them victory over the enemies of God’s people, Jabin and Sisera. 

In 2 Samuel 22 we find a song composed by David composed in response to his deliverance from the hand of Saul and of all his enemies. “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence.” (2 Samuel 22:1–3, ESV)

The entire Psalter may be described as a response to the self-revelation of God in creation and redemption.  

And take special notice of the songs of praise sung in heaven and on earth concerning the Christ at his birth, upon the completion of the work of redemption, at his resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand, and concerning his return, the final judgment, and consummation of all things. Read the Gospels to find an account of these praises. Read also the book of Revelation. 

One commentator (Rykan) has noted that the drama of redemption is a musical. I agree! And I will add that this musical comes to a crescendo in the finished work of Christ, his life, death, burial and resurrection, and his eventual return.

The point is this: God created humans with the capacity to sing. The highest use of this capacity is to give glory, honor, and praise to our Maker and our Redeemer. We are to sing praises to our God with all of our being. And the songs that we compose and sing to our God are in response to the revelation of himself in the work of creation and redemption. Here in Exodus chapter 15 we find the first recorded song in Holy Scripture. It functions as a paradigm of sorts for all other songs pertaining to the redemption of God’s elect. 

The song of Moses, as it is called, is divided into five parts. In verses 1-3 praise is offered up to the LORD. In verses 4-10 the defeat of the Egyptians is recounted. In verses 11-13 praise and thanks is again offered up to the LORD. In verses 14-16a something is said about the reaction of the future enemies of Israel – the nations will hear and tremble; dread will come upon the people of Philistia, Edom, and Moab; the people of Cannan will melt away as they hear of what the LORD did to the Egyptians. And then fifthly and finally, in verses 16b-18 a word is said about Israel coming into the land that God had promised to them and how the Lord would dwell in the midst of them in the sanctuary on his holy mountain. Our passage for today then concludes with a remark about Miriam. She was the sister of Aaron and Moses. She was probably the one who followed Moses down the Nile when he was placed in that miniature ark. She was the one who suggested to Pharaoh’s daughter that her mother nurse the child. Miriam, this sister of Moses and Aaron played a very significant role in the leadership of Israel. She is here called a prophetess. She, along with the other women, took tambourines and let Israel in the singing of this song.  “And Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea’” (Exodus 15:21, ESV).

These five parts of the song of Moses may be summarized in three points. We see that in this song which Moses composed on the day when God delivered Israel from the Egyptians through the Red Sea, one, thanks and praise is given to the LORD for his deliverance, two, thanks and praise is given to the LORD for his just judgments, and three, thanks and praise is given to the LORD for his personal presence with his people now and forever. These will be the three points of the sermon for today.

*****

Give Thanks And Praise To The LORD For His Deliverance

First of all, let us see that the song of Moses moves us to give thanks and praise to the LORD for his deliverance.

Moses’ song begins with praise to the LORD for his deliverance. “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, ‘I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name” (Exodus 15:1–3, ESV).

Notice three things about these verses.  

One, notice the emphasis upon the divine name, the LORD. I have said before that the book of Exodus is really about the revelation of the divine name, YHWH. The meaning of this name was revealed to Moses by the LORD through words as he appeared to him in the bush that was burning yet not consumed. And we are to see that the Exodus event itself was a revelation of the divine name. In other words, not only did God tell Moses and Israel who he is with words, he showed them who is through his actions – through the outpouring of the ten plagues and through the parting of the sea. Here Moses sings about it. He recounts what God has done for us… “the LORD is his name.”

Two, Moses describes the LORD as a man of war. The LORD is likened to a warrior. He is a God of action, a God of power and strength, a God who fights for his people to deliver them from evil. 

Three, this song of praise is in response to the deliverance that the LORD accomplished for Israel. This is also the theme of verses 11-13, which is at the very heart, or center, of this five-part song: there we read, “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode” (Exodus 15:11–13, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, though you and I were not rescued from Egyptian bondage in the way that Old Covenant Israel was, this song of Moses may be sung by us in light of the redemption that Jesus Christ has earned for us. This is what Revelation 15 says. It is not those who were redeemed from Egypt, but those who have been redeemed from sin, Satan, and death, who “sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty!” This is not the song of Moses unaltered,  but the song of Moses advanced in light of the finished work of Christ. If the song of Moses is the seed, the song of the Lamb is the flower. The two songs are related to one another in this way. The song of the Lamb sung by the Saints in heaven is the full-grown and mature version of the other. 

*****

Give Thanks and Praise To The LORD For His Just Judgements

Secondly, let us see that the song of Moses moves us to give thanks and praise to the LORD  for his just judgments. 

We are more accustomed to giving thanks and praise to God for his deliverance than we are for his just judgments. We love to sing songs about the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus. And I think it is right that our singing is weighted in this direction. But notice the emphasis upon God’s judgments in the song of Moses. 

The people praised the LORD, saying, “The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble”, etc.

These judgments of the LORD were just judgments. By that I mean, these judgments were right, for “the enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’”

And for this reason, the LORD “blew with [his] wind…” The Hebrew word translated as wind is rûaḥ. It can also mean “spirit”. The same word is translated as “Spirit” in Genesis 1:2: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” I think it is right to hear an echo of Genesis 1:2 in the words, the LORD “blew with [his] wind…” I continue… “the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.” 

This is a song about the just judgments of God. The people of Israel sang praises to God for the outpouring of his wrath upon the Egyptians. You would do well to notice that many of Psalms are about the outpouring of God’s wrath. And many of the songs found in the book of Revelation also carry this theme. 

What is my point? My point is that from Genesis to Revelation we see that God is a God of grace and he is also a God of wrath. God will be glorified now and for all eternity, not only for his grace but also for his just judgments.  This is what Paul famously says in Romans 9:24ff. “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:22–24, ESV). Paul’s point is that God is right, and not wrong, to show mercy to some and to judge others. He would be right to judge all for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death (see Romans 3:23 and 6:23). And he is right to show mercy to some. He has this right, for he is God. And we know that he has maintained his justice while justifying sinners by sending Christ to pay for the sins of his elect. This is what Paul says in Romans 3:26.

Here is my question for you: I know that you are eager to give thanks and praise to God for our redemption in Christ Jesus, but do you also praise him for his just judgments? Moses did. Israel did. The Psalms do. The heavenly hosts sing praises to God day and night for his mercy and also his judgments. Consider the opening of the book of Revelation. In 1:7 we read, “Behold, he [Christ] is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen” (Revelation 1:7, ESV). The theme of God being glorified for his wrath is too big to ignore, brothers and sisters. It must be given a proper place in our doctrine and also in our singing.

Is it right that we should grieve over the thought of a sinner being judged? Yes, I think this is right. It is a reflection of the character of God. In Ezekiel 18:32 we hear the LORD say, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live” (Ezekiel 18:32, ESV). So there is a sense in which it is true that we, like God, should take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But there is another sense in which God’s people must believe and confess that God’s judgments are good because they are perfectly just, right, and true.

*****

Give Praise To The LORD For His Presence With Us Now And Forever

So then, as we consider the song of Moses we should be moved to thank and praise the LORD for his redemption and for his just judgments in Christ Jesus. Thirdly, we should be moved to give praise to the LORD for his presence with us now and forever. 

In my opinion, these lines in the Song of Moses regarding the LORD’s presence with his people are the most beautiful and insightful. 

Verse 13 says, “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.” 

Verse 17 says, “You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.” 

I say that these verses are the most insightful because they reveal the purpose of the work of redemption that the LORD had accomplished. The LORD rescued Israel from the Egyptians to dwell in the midst of them.  These people were redeemed to be God’s special possession. They would be his people and he would be their God in a special way. He would speak to them, give them his law, enter into covenant with them, and dwell in the midst of them, first in the tabernacle, and later in the temple which would be built on God’s holy mountain. God redeemed Israel to indwell them. 

But God’s indwelling of Old Covenant Israel was earthly and external. Yes, some had true faith in the promises of God. Yes, these enjoyed the internal operations of God’s Spirit just as we do under the New Covenant today. But God indwelt the nation in an external way. His glory filled the tabernacle and the temple, and the people were invited to draw near.

This principle of indwelling comes to a climax in the New Covenant. The members of the new covenant are those who believe. And all who believe truly are indwelled with the promised Holy Spirit. This is why Paul writes to Christians in Corinth saying, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, [now here are citations drawn from many Old Testament texts, including Leviticus 26:12 and Exodus 29:45] ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty’” (2 Corinthians 6:16–18, ESV).

The LORD rescued Israel from Egypt through Moses to dwell in the midst of them. 

This is even more true of the finished work of Christ. It is by virtue of the finished work of Christ and of the New Covenant, of which he is the mediator, that God dwells in the midst of his people, not externally in a temple of stone, but internally in the heart by his Spirit. 

Stated differently, the Exodus in the days of Moses and the Old Covenant that was transacted with Israel in those days brought about an external indwelling – the glory of God would be manifest in the pillar of cloud, on the mountain, and in the temple. But it is through the cross of Christ that sins were paid for and the Evil One was defeated so that God could dwell in the hearts of his people, making them into the temple of his Holy Spirit. All who had true faith in the Messiah in the Old Covenant and New, enjoyed this internal indwelling. 

The song of Moses was about this indwelling.  Again verse 13 says, “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.” And verse 17 says, “You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.” 

But listen to how this theme of indwelling is greatly advanced at the end of the book of Revelation. Chapter 21 verse 1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1–4, ESV).

*****

Conclusion

Please allow me to conclude now with a few reflections and suggestions for application. 

One, we should take our singing very seriously, brothers and sisters. The New Testament is very clear that singing is to be an element of our worship. We are to “[address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with [our] heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 5:19–20, ESV). I think it is right to say that the drama of redemption is a musical. God acts, and his rational creatures, both angels and men, respond to his works with songs of praise. We must sing, brothers and sisters. And when we sing, we must sing truth, from the heart, and in faith. 

Two, if we have not already done so we must make room in our minds and hearts for what the scriptures have to say regarding God’s wrath. Like God himself, we ought not “take pleasure” in the judgment of the wicked, but we must confess that it is good and right. In fact, the thought of God’s just judgments should bring a kind of comfort to the people of God. By that, I mean that God’s people should take comfort in the thought that God will judge with perfect justice and equity at the end of time. In other words, he will set everything straight, while at the same time showing mercy to undeserving sinners like you and me who are found in Christ Jesus. We must give praise to God for his just judgments, for this is right. 

Three, the Hebrews had good reason to sing this song which Moses composed given the marvelous act of redemption the Lord had accomplished for them. You and I have an even greater reason to sing, for Christ has come. He lived for us, died for us, rose for us, and ascended for us. He has promised to return for us, brothers and sisters. And so whenever we come to give God praise, let us sing to him being mindful of all that he has done for us through Jesus Christ. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness, has transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. He indwells us now and will dwell in the midst of us for all eternity. 

To God be the glory

Great things He has done

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin

And opened the life-gate that all may go in…