I’m guessing that you know the details of the story from Exodus 14, how God delivered the entire nation of Israel by marching them THROUGH the sea and drowning Pharaoh’s army in that same water. Those who were part of the covenant had been twice delivered in less than a week! The Passover saved all their firstborn sons, and now at the Red Sea, every single person was delivered from death—whether by the water or by the hand of the armies of Egypt. This time they come to believe the Lord, at long last! After such a miraculous and powerful deliverance from the LORD, the entire nation of Israel believes!
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses. Exodus 14:30-31
No complaining! No doubting! Only praise, thanksgiving and celebration! It may be the greatest miracle in the Bible, considering all the complaining they do all through the rest of the book. (They are so bad, they almost sound like the conversation of church members at a restaurant for Sunday dinner!) But today they are people of faith and testimony.
Moses and the people of Israel sang a song. I don’t know how the song was sung, or how it came to be. Pretty obviously, based on the content, it was created for this occasion. It’s unlikely that someone composed the song and projected it on a mountain so that everyone could sing together in unison, in which case, the form would be ABCD. Maybe one person sang a line and everyone repeated it. (They came to call this “lining out” a song. The form would be AABBCCDD). More likely, one was making up lines and everyone was singing a short refrain (since it is recorded two times in this chapter). That form is AbAcAdA. The refrain is,
"I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
The singing begins with Moses and the people singing that refrain, and ends with Miriam his sister singing the same words.
The violence of the subject seems rather dark and mean-spirited, compared to “love your neighbor as yourself.” But understand the subject here: An army of the nation who had enslaved and recently abused Israel had been overthrown. It was a miracle and worthy of praise, even if it rejoices when an enemy falls. After all, as they sing, so it is proven true: “The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.”
So far, in our survey of the Bible, we have seen examples of what we might summarize with the word “worship.” People have built altars, sacrificed animals, bowed their heads and fallen prostrate, and even removed sandals. People have heard from God, talked to God, even argued with Him. But this is the first time that we see singing and dancing, which we might summarize with the word “praise.” Praise includes words like “song,” “praise” and “exalt,” “majestic,” “glorious,” “wonders,” and even “sanctuary,” “tambourines” and “dancing.”
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. . . . Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,
"Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
"You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
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."
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."
We need to freeze this moment in the history of encounters with God, because it is a fleeting moment. They will be back to doubting Him again within three days. But for now, we will celebrate this celebration of the goodness of the Lord. We can assume that people had danced and praised before, and that singing in praise and thanksgiving was not being invented at the moment. Nonetheless, it is the introduction of a different kind of relationship with God.
YOUR ENCOUNTER
I imagine myself to be well familiar with praise in my life. But maybe most of the joy I find in praise is due to my enjoyment of the music that usually carries it. Maybe I am dependent on showing off my musical skills, more than I am of truly rejoicing in the Lord. If I can’t praise without the music, then I am just an idolater. If that is the case, then I am actually more of a fan of music than I am of God, or even more focused on my own reputation than that of the Lord. Like a preacher who only reads his Bible to prepare for a sermon, I have become a “professional” professor of my faith.
How about you? Are you, by faith, thankfully aware of the goodness of God? Do you take joy in the nature and power of Lord?
My grandmother had a little ritual that has served as a challenge to me. Whenever she got in her car, when it started she would say, “Thank You, Jesus!”
Have I lived with such gratitude that I see everything as an undeserved blessing from God? Do I truly recognize the majesty of the Lord? Are the excellencies of Jesus enough for me? I stand in awe of Jesus, not just to sing about standing in awe of Him.
Try this exercise in prayer: Praise God for His nature, His character, and His attributes by going through the alphabet. For each letter, name one or more of the names of God, or one of His attributes. No music, no audience, just you and Him. Share about what you experienced, and write about it in your journal.