Notes on
Exodus 15
Exo 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the
LORD, and spoke, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed
gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Someone may have written this song under the inspiration of the Lord. They took
tumbrels and marched around in joy as they sang a song of thanksgiving for their
deliverance. They may have jumped up and down for joy, marched, leaped, twirled
and many other things as they spontaneously rejoiced in the Lord.
If they would have practiced and put on a performance to entertain, it would
have been stated as such but this seems to be a spontaneous worship and
thanksgiving unto the Lord for His deliverance.
They were making a joyful noise unto the Lord. This is a natural reaction to
victory. King David danced before the Lord with all his might when we saw the
ark of God coming back into its rightful place.
There is nothing wrong with making joyful noises in worship toward God. There is
nothing wrong with being vocal about our God like we are very vocal when our
favorite team scores a touchdown. I believe this worship was with instruments
and it was spontaneous. I do not believe David's dancing before the Lord or the
children of Israel's dancing was the practiced dancing we see in churches today.
If it was true worship, it would be for everyone and not just the talented,
beautiful and those that practice in order to perform for an audience.
However, I'm not going to condemn that practice or say they are not of God, but
true worship is spontaneous rejoicing, not entertainment. Some countries
including the Jews had folk dancing that was common among many people. Perhaps
we are getting praise dancing mixed up with folk dancing and thinking it is the
way to worship God.
Some churches give ballet dancing lessons and such. I'm not going to judge them
but only say that we must be careful to keep the gospel pure and not hide it
under a bunch of requirements, legalism, good deeds, entertainment, and
nonsense. Even an innocent church quilting bee could hinder the gospel if we got
rapped up in learning to quilt instead of teaching the word. I see the word
badly neglected in churches today. Praise and worship is necessary and never
should be abandoned but oh how beautiful it is just to sit with a group of
believers and just study the word diligently.
Exo 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he
is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father's God, and I will
exalt him.
They had no way of escape except by the mercy, grace and power of God. God saved
them and no other. Moses can't take the credit, the faith of the people can take
any credit, and no personality can take the credit for their deliverance. He
delivered them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea by His own mercy and power.
.
"I will prepare Him a habitation." That says a lot. God will abide with us when
we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.
God was limited to Israel before Christ came and as long as they feared Him and
walked in His commandments, He was right there with them. When they forsook God,
His presence was not with them to protect them and the enemy would then be able
to come in like a flood.
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you.
When we just begin to believe in Jesus Christ, we are preparing ourselves for
His habitation. He dwelt in the tabernacle in the wilderness but through Jesus
Christ He abides in each individual who believes in Him. We become a temple or
tabernacle for the Holy Spirit to dwell within. We can be filled with His spirit
daily. There is an initial filling where we probably will speak with tongues as
evidence but after that we can be filled with the spirit many times as we walk
with the Lord.
Exo 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
This is true against the enemies of God, the enemies of His people and the
enemies of the gospel, the Lord is a man of war.
Exo 15:4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his
chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
This didn't happen without many warnings first.
Exo 15:5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O
LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Exo 15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that
rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as
stubble.
Exo 15:8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together,
the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart
of the sea.
Exo 15:9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the
spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall
destroy them.
Exo 15:10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead
in the mighty waters.
Exo 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee,
glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Exo 15:12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
Exo 15:13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed:
thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
This looks like a verse with a triple meaning.
1. As God led forth the children of Israel out of Egypt and redeemed them, He
then began to guide them to a place where God Himself dwelt with them.
2. When He sent Jesus to the world to become flesh, all who believe can be part
of the habitation of God when the Holy Spirit abides within each believer.
3. When Jesus returns, sets up His kingdom literally and puts down all
rebellion, God Himself will dwell with all mankind that remains at that time
including those that died in the Lord and rose from the dead.
Exo 15:14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the
inhabitants of Philistia.
Exo 15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab,
trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt
away.
Exo 15:16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm
they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the
people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
God redeemed them and they are His. This promise was given to Israel first. All
the law, sacrifices and promises was to bring them to the time when Christ would
come to save them from sin. The law showed us what sin was but it couldn't save
us and give us a changed life filled with the spirit of God. Those that believed
were saved but by looking forward to the time when God would send the Messiah.
We are saved by looking back to that time.
Exo 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine
inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in
the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
Exo 15:18 The LORD shall reign forever and ever.
This is a promise that will be fulfilled literally. Both Israel and all who
believe will receive this inheritance. Even though Israel later rejected Him the
times of the Gentiles will draw to a close and the Jews will be grafted back in
their own vine.
I will say this. This day may already be arriving. Thousands of Jews are coming
to Jesus Christ. The Gentile nations are going deep into sin and many are
starting to reject him. The coming of evolution and Darwinism was the beginning
of the end of the time of the Gentiles. Unbelief cut Israel off from the vine
temporarily and unbelief will cut the Gentiles off and graft back in Israel. It
is our choice to hold onto the faith once delivered so that we also are not cut
off from the vine.
Reference: John 15 and Romans 11.
Exo 15:19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his
horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon
them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
Exo 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her
hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Again this is spontaneous praise and worship not practiced entertainment. It was
to worship God and give Him glory. Entertainment gives glory to the people
performing the action.
Exo 15:21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath
triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Exo 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the
wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no
water.
Exo 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of
Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
Exo 15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
At the first sign of trouble, unbelief sets in. We also go through these times.
This is one reason to be rooted and grounded in the word of God. The rejoicing
and excitement or miracles have a way of disappearing at certain seasons. It is
these times when we need the word hidden in our hearts.
Exo 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which
when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for
them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy
God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon
thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for am the LORD that healeth
thee.
Here is a promise of continual healing. There are ifs to these promises:
First of all they must avoid unbelief because it will cause all the other sins
that open the door to sickness. We must not take this wrong. Every individual
who gets sick is not guilty of sin. Because of sin, sickness entered the world.
The places where sin abounds the most may have the most sickness but the
innocent are sometimes victims of the environment around them and may suffer
sickness through no fault of their own.
Here is God's promise.
If they keep His statues and commandments, He will not put on the diseases that
He put on Egypt.
A nation that fears God and walks in His ways will have God's protection. If
that same nation begins to move away from God, reject Him and allow sin to
overcome them, God's hand of protection is not there as before. God doesn't
really have to bring judgment to a nation, all He has to do is go away and the
devil will be free to do whatever he desires.
I believe the United States is in danger of losing the protection it once had.
We threw God out of our public schools and in came drugs, abortion, teen
pregnancies, sexual disease and school shootings caused by hate. After this
country got established, we never were attacked on the mainland until 9/11 by a
foreign country. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and got us into a war with Germany
and Japan but that was not on the mainland.
Exo 15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and
threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
This was Israel's time of spiritual renewing and refreshing. God is good to
those that trust in Him.