Exodus 15 - Song by the Sea and Complaining in the Desert

LINK: Exodus 15

Let's start off today with praise!  On the day we did Exodus 15 in 2008,  my family was on a getaway by the sea, and I sang Moses' song. I say March 2^nd because that was the schedule for that particular year.  

Enjoy!

Song by the Sea



BACKGROUND


The response to God's amazing power to part the Red Sea and save the Israelites from the Egyptians was praise!  It was a recalling of what God did and an acknowledgement of the strength, power, holiness, glory, and loyal love of the one and only true God who was stronger than any Egyptian god or goddess. This is why Moses praised God for His uniqueness by asking the question, "Who is like You among the gods, Oh Lord?" This question will be repeated several times in the Old Testament (Psalm 35:10; 71:19; 77:13; 89:6; 113:5; Micah 7:18). God wanted to prove Himself more powerful than all the gods of the ancient world. Moses' song concluded with the assurance that God would bring them to the Promised Land and Jerusalem.

In response to Moses' song, his sister, Miriam, probably in her 90s at the time, took up a tambourine and sang and danced with the women in joyful praise to God. Miriam was the first prophetess mentioned in the Bible. Prophecy and music were closely related in the Bible (1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Chronicles 25:1).

I would love to end on a high note, but this chapter goes from praise to complaining about bitter water at Marah! How quickly they forgot God's powerful protection for them. They complained against Moses again (14:10-12) and would do it many more times (16:2; 17:3; Numbers 14:2; 16:11, 41).  Moses cried out to God, and He gave them sweet water to drink and some principles to obey that can be summed up in this way:

If you obey, I will bring blessing

If you disobey, I will bring judgment

Stay tuned to see how they did!

REFLECTION

The enemy said, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; 

My desire shall be gratified against them; 

I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them."  

You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; 

They sank like lead in the mighty waters.  

Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? 

Who is like You, majestic in holiness, 

Awesome in praises, working wonders? 

You stretched out Your right hand, 

The earth swallowed them.  

(Exodus 15:9-12, NASB95) 

Written in 2008: As I meditated on these verses this morning, I thought of the genocide happening in Libya right now and how Gaddafi is "drawing his sword" and trying to destroy the people of Libya who are seeking freedom from his oppressive 42 year regime. I am praying this morning that God would sink his regime and stretch out His right hand and swallow it up! Would you pray with me?

Update: And we all know how that ended up. Gaddafi is no longer in power and was killed by his own people. Libya is still in turmoil. Please continue to pray for the reign of the righteous Prince of Peace there.

PRAYER


Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?  We call upon You to work wonders in Libya. Amen.

Update: As I was updating this post, I read that a Senior al-Queda leader was killed in Syria.