The Song of Moses

The song of Moses is the first song in the Bible. Moses leads the people of God in a song of praise in response to the saving acts of God.

1 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.
2 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.
3 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.

4 “Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
    you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
8 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.
9 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.’
10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.

13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
    you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab;
    all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
16 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.
17 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.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

Some of the things we learn through the song of Moses:

1. God is the ultimate authority over creation, life and death

God created all things, and God alone has the right to choose who/what lives and dies. God saves the Israelite people despite their shortcomings, doubts and rebellion.

2. God saves His people

God saves His people from bondage, slavery and oppresion. God does not delight in seeing his people taken advantage of. He saves the Israelites from pharoah but also from themselves.

3. God is just in his actions and gets angry at injustice

God often is patiently unjust by offering mercy and grace. But there also comes a time when God chooses to act to end injustice. Even in the midst of God's judgement and action we find God's mercy as he offers pharoah oppertunities to let His people go.

4. God is sovereign and in control

God is in control over life, death and all of creation. We see God act with a mighty hand parting the sea and allowing the people to pass through.

5. God is worthy of our praise, exaltation

We find many reasons to praise and exalt God as we reflect on His might acts and his love for His people.

6. God's power is manifested in the Holy Spirit (breathe)

The Holy Spirit is often the manifestation of God's power. God breathed into adam and eve to create life. We find her God also breathes the wind to display his power.

7. God is majestic, holy, great, steadfast in love

God is holy and steadfast in love. He pursues us even though we grumble in the desert and desire to run back to our own personal Egypt, our place of bondage and slavery.

8. God redeems his people through purchase

The people of Israel have been purchased by God. Forgiveness requires sacrafice and so we see the passover lamb provides the price. This is a beautiful foreshadow of Christ our passover lamb who died on the cross for our sins.

MADE TO WORSHIP