Monday
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. . . .
Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.”
(Exodus 15:1-7, 11-12, NIV)
Today’s verses record the “victory song” of Moses and the Israelites following their exodus from Egypt. The exciting liberation of the Jews from the hands of their oppressive slave masters, which yesterday’s verses described, is recorded in chapters 12 through 14 of the book of Exodus. Once the Israelites reach safety and witness the waters of the Red Sea engulfing the army from Egypt, the people sing a song, part of which is excerpted in our devotional reading.
The majesty and power of the Lord are extolled and God is in fact described as a warrior. He defeated the army with its chariots and killed the best of Pharaoh’s officers. A central theme that emerges from this victory song is the fact that God achieved this victory on his own, without the help of the Israelites. This is an important insight that is repeatedly highlighted in the Old Testament history books. The Israelites are merely spectators who witness God’s divine intervention. They are constantly being told to trust the Lord, who will protect them, and not to lose that confidence.
As the Lord is preparing them for the Exodus experience, he tells his people through Moses: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). In most cases in the Old Testament, this is the pattern. God secures victory for his people, thereby teaching them to trust him and not in their swords.
Prayer
Lord of History, teach us to trust you rather than to trust in our own strength or our own weapons. As you saved the Israelites from the sword of Egypt, protect your church – a “holy nation” – by your power and for your glory. Amen.