Exodus 15:1-21 Praise the Lord!

Exodus 15:1-21

Music expresses the soul. When things are too big to put into words, we put it to music, to song. When things need to be shouted, to be cried, when we just need to FEEL – we sing, or listen to someone else sing.

I remember going to the London Mens Convention a few years back. It was at the Royal Albert Hall. 5000 men. And we sang praises to our God. Oh my. It was electric. 5000 strong voices echoing around the magnificent hall – that was singing. We rejoiced at the mercy and grace of our God. I remember singing “In Christ Alone”. Wow. The joy was almost tangible – I could almost reach out and touch it.

Now take that experience and make it bigger – much bigger. 600 000 men, plus women and children, standing on the shore of the Red Sea, just after a most miraculous rescue. A crowd of about 2 million people crying out in song “Praise the Lord!” A whole city shouting and praising God. Wow!

Today I want us to travel back in time, 3500 years ago. To stand on the shore of the Red Sea and FEEL what it was like to sing this song this morning. Let us let Moses lead us in praise.

Are you ready? Get into your time machine. Time circuits set for around 1500 BC. Location Red Sea, near what is now the Suez Canal, Egypt. Ready? But wait. Remember how this time machine works? We don’t go as observers... we lock on to an Israelite in that time, link up with his mind, and we will see with his eyes, and hear with his ears, and feel his emotions, and remember his memories. Are you ready to experience the Red Sea rescue as an Israelite. Yes. Engage!

1. V1-10 Praise the Lord for he rescues his people

1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD:
“I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.
2 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him!
3 The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!

We’ve arrived! We’ve been transported back in time. This morning, you are now an Israelite, standing on the edge of the Red Sea. You can feel the sand under your sandals, the weight of the pack on your back filled with everything you own. It is the day before the Red Sea crossing. You are camped between Egypt and the Red Sea, and some of the older men are not too happy about, muttering words like “caught in a trap” and “what is Moses playing at”. There is a sense of unease, discontent and murmuring in the camp.

And then you heard a scream, a cry of terror: “They are coming!”. No! It cannot be! Your eyes wide you look towards the rear of the camp – and the sight strikes terror into your heart. The Egyptian army bearing down on you. The huge dust cloud raised by the chariot wheels. The flash of the swords and armour in the sunlight. The shouts of the soldiers and the whinnying of the horses fills your ears. Fear grips you, and 300 years of slavery kicked in. “I’m sorry master”, you shout, as you stumble back towards Egypt, towards your old, familiar life. Back towards slavery and the crack of the whip across your back.

And then suddenly you hear the sound of a rushing wind as the pillar of fire blazed past you overhead. The LORD! You had forgotten him in your terror. “How could I forget?” you think. Moses had just been telling us how we will celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread every year in the Promised Land to remember what God had done for us. And how every firstborn son will be redeemed, bought back, to remind us how God had redeemed us, Israel, his firstborn son; and how he had judged the Egyptians because of their rebellion against him. How could I forget? Have I so little faith?

You see in the pillar of fire the angel of the LORD, a human-looking figure, like a Son of Man. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. (Rev 1:13-16) And he stands, stands between you and Egyptians. He is your protection and your shield. Your enemy cannot break through. And you cannot run back to slavery. Praise the Lord!

And then suddenly you hear the voice of Moses, loud and strong. “Men of Israel, see today the salvation of the Lord! Be still, and let the Lord fight for you!”

And then you see him raise his staff into the air. And the sea... the sea beings to churn. And the wind starts to blow, stronger and stronger. But you don’t notice the wind, you just stare in wonder at the sea, transfixed. The wind blows, and the sea writhes, waves crashing back and forth – but there, there in the middle, right in front of Moses, the water level is noticeably lower. The wind howls and the sound of rushing water fills your ears, salt spray hits your face, and the sound of shouting – no, of praising is all around you. “Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!” People are shouting. Because now they can see two great pillars of water rising up – and there, there in the middle of the sea a road. A straight road to freedom.

8 At the blast of your breath, the waters piled up! The surging waters stood straight like a wall; in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard.
11 “Who is like you among the gods, O LORD— glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?

Can you picture it? Can you see it? Can you feel it? Walking through the sea on dry land. The waters standing like great battlements- huge walls standing to attention as the people of God walk by. The pillar of fire behind your back, and freedom, a new life, the Promised Land ahead of you! Praise the Lord, for he is good, and his mercies endure forever!

But then suddenly the pillar of fire vanishes, and with a great cry the Egyptian army rises up and rushes forth. No!

“Quickly, come on!” you shout. “Move! Run!” You grab the hand of those with you stumbling, running towards the light. You can hear the whinnying of the horses, the clanking of armour, the creaking of the chariots – and the voices of your slave masters. “9 I will chase you. I will catch up with you. I will plunder you. I will consume you. I will flash my sword; my powerful hand will destroy you.’

Terror grips your heart again. Someone screams behind you. You can feel fear all around you. “We’re going to die!” someone shouts. You gasp for breath, your legs burning. “No, I don’t want to go back” you hear yourself. “Save us, O Lord” someone cries out. You push on... and suddenly you’re on the beach, on the other side – you made it! And you collapse in exhaustion, gulping in great lungfuls of air. You feel the sand against your face, feel it between your hands.

And then you thing in despair: “This is where I will die, on a beach, run through by an Egyptian sword or trampled by an Egyptian warhorse.”

6 “Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power.
Your right hand, O LORD, smashes the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow those who rise against you.
You unleash your blazing fury; it consumes them like straw.
8 At the blast of your breath, the waters piled up! The surging waters stood straight like a wall; in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard.
9 “The enemy boasted, ‘I will chase them and catch up with them. I will plunder them and consume them. I will flash my sword; my powerful hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

As you lie there on the beach, expecting at any moment to feel a cold hard blade pierce your back, and the harsh laugh of an Egyptian soldier – instead you hear a shout of terror from the Egyptian soldiers. “The Lord! The Lord fights for them against us!”

In wonder and hope you stand and turn to look behind you. You see the Egyptians in fear and confusion. Their chariots are stuck in the mud. Their horses are whinnying in fear, trying to turn back. Then suddenly a great blast of wind sweeps in from behind you, pushing you to the ground. You hear a great roar of rushing waters, like a thousand waterfalls, and you see – you see the sea crashes down upon the enemy of God’s people.

1 “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.
2 The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him!
3 The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!

Praise the Lord because he rescues his people!

But that is not all. We don’t just praise him for what he has done. We praise him for who he is. And the great crowd raises its voice in song and praises the Lord for he is the Most High.

2. V11-13 Praise the Lord for he is the Most High

11 “Who is like you among the gods, O LORD— glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? 12 You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. 13 “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home.

Praise the Lord for he is the Most High.

Throughout this Exodus story one thing has become vbery clear: the Lord is immensely powerful. There is no-one like him. He is not an equal amongst the gods – he is far above. Egypt was the world superpower of the day – and the Lord God showed that he was far superior to their gods. Many commentators have wondered about the plagues – why specifically those? And one of the most plausible explanations is that the plagues were all showing God’s power over the different gods of Egypt. Egyptians worshipped many gods, each god with its own little area it ruled: like the sun god Ra, or Khnum the river god of the Nile, and so on. Each plague showed God’s mastery over these little gods – he was more powerful even in their area of power. He is the one true God over all the others. Yahweh is his name – or as he now has fully revealed himself: the triune God; Father, Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. Who is like our God, indeed? Other gods are stone idols or ideas made up out of nothing. Only the Lord speaks, only the Lord acts, only the Lord comes to live with his people.

It is not a surprise that Christianity is the only religion based on verifiable history – things that have actually taken place. Real events, real people, real experiences. And when God speaks through his prophets, it’s not just vague suggestions about things that may or may not happen: it is about specific events – even the names of the people involved - that then take place. In fact, a prophet in Israel whose words did not come true was a false prophet and was put to death!

There may be gods of stone or wood, there may be philosophies and worldviews, there may be evil spirits – but there is only One God above all, seated high and mighty on his throne. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ.

11 Who is like you among the gods, O LORD.

Praise the Lord for he is the Most High.

3. V13-18 Praise the Lord for he controls our future

13 “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain— the place, O LORD, reserved for your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established. 18 The LORD will reign forever and ever!”

This is the point of remembering what the LORD has done. It is to give us confidence for the future. It builds our faith. Remember that Biblical faith is not “just believe”. Biblical faith is believe based on the evidence. Based on God’s past actions we know that he is able to save, willing to save, and powerful enough to not be stopped. Praise the Lord for he saves his people; praise the Lord for he is the Most High – there is no other; and therefore, praise the Lord for he controls our future. Our future is secure. If he saves us, then we are truly saved.

As an Israelite set free, there would come a time after all the excitement has died down when you think: “what now?”. We’re 2 million people... in the desert... not much water... not much food. Where do we go? Oh, there’s the promised land, but last I heard it was occupied.

And then you hear Moses’ voice leading the people in song. 15 The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain. 18 The LORD will reign forever and ever!”

And you remember he is in control. Just like he has shown in the past. Our lives are in his hands. Do not be afraid.
And we, dear friends, as “time travellers”, have the benefit of knowing that their hope was not in vain. That they did not die of thirst or of starvation in the desert. That the people of Canaan and surrounding lands really were terrified of them. That God did safely deliver them to his holy mountain just as he had promised. Praise the Lord for he controls the future.
And so, that gives us confidence, because we

4. Praise the Lord for he is our Lord

Do you feel the emotions of Moses and the Israelites this morning? Do you feel the joy of being rescued, the wonder of a God, high and mighty and lifted, who cares for his people, little us down here. Do you feel the hope of the future, a new life, knowing that he will take you there?

If you feel it, good, for this, Christian, is YOUR experience, your emotion, your joy.

For we have been rescued, we have been set free. We are known, intimately known by the one true God and we know him. And he has given us a hope and future, we are headed to the New Creation, and it is secured, guaranteed by His blood and by the Holy Spirit, the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. He is with us.

So we can sing a new song to the Lord.

Daniel and the people sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has defeated death and sin on the Cross. The Lord is my strength and my song, he has set me free. This is my God and I will praise him – the God of Moses and Israel and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; Jesus is his name.”

To sum up then. We, like Israel have been set free. Our old sinful life is behind us. We have been taken through the Sea, washed clean, made new. We are headed for heaven and he is before us and behind us, his holy fire is all around us, keeping us safe. The enemy cannot get us, and we cannot go back to our old life. Remember this! Remember when you are tempted. Do not fall. But if you do fall, if you do sin – remember that the price has been paid to forgive you. And stand up, put your pack back on your shoulders, and keep following Him. One day we will see him there face to face, either when we die, or when he returns, whichever comes first. And our journey will be complete. We will be home. Praise the Lord!

11 “Who is like you among the gods, O LORD— glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? 12 You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. 13 “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home. Amen

18 The LORD will reign forever and ever!” Amen

He fought for us on the cross. This is what we celebrate now in the communion. That night in the garden, agonising in prayer, sweat like drops of blood in anguish on his face, as he prepared to take the cup of punishment our sins deserved. As he stands and says “The hour of darkness is here. Here is my betrayer.” At a word he speaks and the whole crowd come to arrest him falls down. Oh, he had power! And yet, he fought for us not with a great display of power, but with a great display of love. Love held his power in check. Love caused him to cry out “Father, forgive them!” as they nailed him to the cross, instead of calling down a legion of angels. Love held him on the cross, nails in his hands and feet. Love took him through the darkness, as he became our Passover Lamb. Love, was why he cried out “It is finished” and gave up his life so that you and I might live.