Bible Basics Conference 2014

Exodus 15

The Song of Salvation

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Michael Hardt

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Exodus 15:1-2

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‘Then sang Moses and the childrenof Israel this song to Jehovah, andspoke, saying,

I will sing unto Jehovah,for he is highly exalted:

The horse and his rider hath hethrown into the sea.

My strength and song is Jah,and he is become my salvation:

This is my *God, and I will glorifyhim;

My father's God, and I will extolhim.’

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Singing has to do with joy

• This is the first song recorded in the Bible

– No song before Exodus 15

• Not even in Gen 31:27

• ‘Why didst thou flee away covertly, and steal away from me, and didst nottell me, that I might have conducted thee with mirth and with songs, withtambour and with harp…?’

– Singing is connected with joy (Ja 5:13)

• So why could they sing now? And not before? 3www.biblecentre.org

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This song can be looked at on different levels

1. The situation of the Israelites (historical)

2. A picture of salvation (typical)

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1. The situation of the Israelites (historical)

1. They had spent decades in a strange land

2. They had been oppressed in cruel slavery

3. They had been sheltered from God’s judgement (Passover)

4. They had experienced a miraculous escape

5. They had experienced God’s presence in the cloud

6. They had realised their complete inability, and their need to be delivered

7. They had seen the Red Sea give way for them

8. They had seen Pharaoh's armies triumphantly defeated

They can sing because they areredeemed and set free / delivered

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2. A picture of salvation (typical)

• Believers today are sheltered from judgement(Passover)

– The price of their redemption has been paid (the bloodof Christ)

• But God has done more

• He has also delivered us from the power of– Satan: “…that through death he might annul him who

has the might of death, that is, the devil; and might setfree all those who through fear of death through thewhole of their life were subject to bondage.” Heb 2:14

– World: “who gave himself for our sins, so that he shoulddeliver us out of the present evil world” Gal 1:4

– Sin: “For sin shall not have dominion over *you*, for yeare not under law but under grace.” Rom 6:14

• Singing follows redemption (angels don’t sing)

• This song of salvation finds its Christianequivalent in the triumph of Romans 8 6

• There is then now nocondemnation to those inChrist Jesus. Rom 8:1www.biblecentre.org

A great pattern for a good song…

Exodus 15

Exo 15:1

• Then sang Moses and the childrenof Israel this song to Jehovah,

• and spoke, saying,

• I will sing unto Jehovah,

• for he is highly exalted:

• The horse and his rider hath hethrown into the sea.

1. Intelligent, not repetitive

2. The theme is… God– His name is mentioned about 16

times (plus ‘he’ and ‘thou’)• 12x ‘Jehovah’• 1x ‘El’• 1x ‘Elohim’• 1x ‘Jah’• 1x ‘Adonai’

3. They do not sing aboutthemselves, but it is personal

– They recognise God as Strength /Salvation / Guide

4. Expresses faith– looks forward to future victories

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Exodus 15

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Exo 15:1bThe horse and his rider hathhe thrown into the sea.

Impressive type :• They saw only death• But the water opened up

the path of life• In the death of Christ,

death itself has become theway to life

• Deliverance to thebeliever

• Certain judgement to theunbeliever

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Exodus 15

Exodus 15:2

• My strength and song is Jah,

• and he is become my salvation:

• Salvation: here for the first timepeople possess salvation

• Only two earlier references tosalvation in the Bible:

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Thus Jehovah saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw theEgyptians dead on the sea-shore.

Exo 14:30

I wait for thy salvation, OJehovah

Gen 49:18And Moses said to the people,Fear not: stand still, and see thesalvation of Jehovah, which hewill work for you to-dayExo 14:13

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What is ‘salvation’ ?

• We sometimes use the term (too)loosely

• God does not describe Israel as‘saved’ before

– (i) they had crossed the Red Sea, and

– (ii) their enemies had been judged

– (iii) they had been delivered / set free

– (iv) they knew it

• The passover lamb provides shelteragainst God’s judgement

• This shelter tends to be the firstconcern of an awakened conscience

• But once this is obtained a newquestion arises: what about my pride,carnality, etc.

• This leads to the experience ofRomans 7

• We still have the flesh

• Need deliverance from power of sin…

• How? Christ died – and we withHim (Romans 6)

– Learnt experimentally

– Rests on Christ’s work

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“Salvation means knownconscious deliverance”

“Salvation means that I ambrought consciously to know

God in the triumph ofredemption by Christ for me.”

William Kelly www.biblecentre.org

What is ‘salvation’ ?

• Don’t settle for less than‘salvation’!

• Old Testament pictures– Illustrations for us

– Not the Christian position

– But our appreciation

• Christ’s work is one

• It was accomplished once for all

• But there are many types:

– show how we learn about thedifferent aspects of His work…

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Exodus 15

Exodus 15:2b

• This is my *God,

• and I will glorify him;

• My father's God,

• and I will extol him.

• God is only fully knownin redemption /salvation

• Before the cross Hecould not be fullyrevealed

• The result ofredemption is theexaltation of theredeemer

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Exodus 15

Exo 15:3 – 5

• Jehovah is a man of war;

• Jehovah, his name.

• Pharaoh's chariots and his armyhath he cast into the sea;

• His chosen captains also aredrowned in the Red Sea.

• The depths covered them;

• they sank to the bottom as astone.

• The whole of Satan’s powerdefeated

• A complete victory

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‘he shall crush thy head, andthou shalt crush his heel’Gen 3:15:

…having spoiled principalitiesand authorities, he made ashow of them publicly, leadingthem in triumph by it. Col 2:15

‘that through death he mightannul him who has the mightof death, that is, the devil’

Heb 2:14:

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Exodus 15

Exo 15:6-7

• Thy right hand, Jehovah, isbecome glorious in power:

• Thy right hand, Jehovah, hathdashed in pieces the enemy.

• And by the greatness of thineexcellency thou hast overthrownthine adversaries:

• Thou sentest forth thy burningwrath,

• it consumed them as stubble.

Parallel: ‘…that we should be to thepraise of his glory’ (Eph 1:12)

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Exodus 15

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‘There is no condemnationfor those who are in ChristJesus.’ (Rom. 8:1)

Exo 15:8• And by the breath of thy

nostrils• the waters were heaped

up;• The streams stood as a

mound;• The depths were

congealed in the heartof the sea.

Breath: normallyinsignificant

Waters: the waters ofdeath opened up thepath of life• Realise own inability

(Rom. 7 / Ex.14)• Look for deliverance

from outside• 2 Natures• Identification with

Christ in death

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Exodus 15

Exodus 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 unsheath my sword,– my hand shall dispossess them.

Exodus 15:10

• Thou didst blow with thy breath,

• the sea covered them;

• They sank as lead in the mightywaters.

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The enemy said… … but God acted!

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Exodus 15

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Exodus 15:11-12Who is like unto thee,Jehovah, among the

gods?Who is like unto thee,

glorifying thyself inholiness,

Fearful in praises,doing wonders?

Thou stretchedst outthy right hand,

the earth swallowedthem.

• God’s actions showGod’s greatness!

• He is unique,incomparable

• You don’t find‘holiness’ inGenesis

• God’s holiness onlyrevealed inredemption

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Exodus 15

Exodus 15:13

• Thou by thy mercy hast led forth

• the people that thou hastredeemed;

2 Stages:

1. Redeemed

2. Led forth

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Exodus 15

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Exodus 15:13bThou hast guided themby thy strengthunto the abode of thy holiness.

• God’s dwelling with Hispeople – after redemption

• We have been brought near• Distance – measured by

the cross• Nearness – measured by

Christ’s place in glory!

So near, so very near to God,I cannot nearer be,

For in the person of His SonI am as near as He’

• Faith• anticipates what God

will do and• regards it as ‘done’• Rom. 8:30: ‘whom he

has justified, these alsohe has glorified’.www.biblecentre.org

Exodus 15

Exodus 15:14 -15

• The peoples heard it,

• they were afraid:

• A thrill seized the inhabitants ofPhilistia.

• Then the princes of Edom wereamazed;

• The mighty men of Moab,

• trembling hath seized them;

• All the inhabitants of Canaanmelted away.

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• These were distant enemies

• Faith draws on past experienceand trusts God for the future

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An example: Rahab

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Jos 2:10-11‘For we have heard that Jehovahdried up the waters of the Redsea before you when ye cameout of Egypt;and what ye did to the two kingsof the Amorites …We heard of it , and our heartmelted,and there remained no morespirit in any man because of you;for Jehovah your God,he is God in the heavens aboveand on the earth beneath.’

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Exodus 15

Exodus 15:16

• Fear and dread fall upon them;

• By the greatness of thine armthey are still as a stone;

• Till thy people pass over, Jehovah,

• Till the people pass over that thouhast purchased.

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Rom 8:31-35• What shall we then say to these

things? If God be for us, who againstus?

• He who, yea, has not spared his ownSon, but delivered him up for us all,how shall he not also with him grantus all things?

• Who shall bring an accusationagainst God's elect?

• It is God who justifies: who is he thatcondemns?

• It is Christ who has died, but ratherhas been also raised up; who is alsoat the right hand of God; who alsointercedes for us.

• Who shall separate us from the loveof Christ? tribulation or distress, orpersecution, or famine, ornakedness, or danger, or sword?

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Exodus 15

Exo 15:17

• Thou shalt bring them in,

• and plant them in the mountainof thine inheritance,

• The place that thou, Jehovah,hast made thy dwelling,

• The Sanctuary, Lord,

• that thy hands have prepared.

• Faith trusts God for the future

• Unbelief assumes the song waswritten in Solomon’s day

• Faith can speak of future eventsas in the past (just as certain asthough they had alreadyhappened)

• Being a Christian is not just aboutshelter from judgement = great asthis is

• God has more for us– He already dwell with us

– We will be ‘with Him’

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Exo 15:18.19• Jehovah shall

reign for everand ever!

• For the horse ofPharaoh, with hischariots and withhis horsemen,came into thesea, and Jehovahbrought againthe waters of thesea upon them;

• and the childrenof Israel went ondry groundthrough themidst of the sea.

• Faith extends• not only to

the nearfuture(conquest ofCanaan) but

• to thedistantfuture(Millennium)

• All based onChrist’s work onthe cross

• Enemiesdefeated

• His peoplespared

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Can youimagine oneperson not

joining in ??

Exo 15:20.21And Miriam the prophetess, thesister of Aaron, took thetambour in her hand, and all thewomen went out after her withtambours and with dances.And Miriam answered them,Sing to Jehovah, for he is highlyexalted:The horse and his rider hath hethrown into the sea.

V.1 says ‘Then sang Moses andthe children of Israel this song toJehovah’

The objective side

V.20 says: ‘Miriam and all thewomen’

The subjective response

But the theme remains: thegreatness of the Lord, and ofwhat He has done…

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But in all these things we more than conquer through him that hasloved us.For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, norprincipalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separateus from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:37-39

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