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.”
Exodus 15:2
The bulk of Exodus 15 is a song of praise to God by Moses and Miriam. Their delight in what God had done could not be contained. As witnesses to an extraordinary act of God — the parting of the Red Sea and the deliverance of their people from Pharaoh’s army — the joy in their hearts overflowed into praise on their lips.
If you’ve grown up in church, the story is most likely familiar to you. But take a moment to turn to Exodus 14. Try to place yourself in the sandals of these ancient people who had never known anything but slavery and cruelty. They fled Egypt, following their leader Moses, and found themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place — in this case, Pharaoh’s army behind and the Red Sea in front.
Do they surrender or wait to be slaughtered?
Will death be painful? Will it be quick?
Then, suddenly, terror is transformed to amazement: before their eyes, the sea is miraculously parted!
God made a way where there seemed no way. He rescued His people from certain death. The sea waters parting was miracle enough, but the reality of their dire circumstances catapulted their praise of God to the heights of joyful gratefulness.
Surely the Israelites would have praised God for parting the waters of the Red Sea. But doing so when the enemy was on their heels and death seemed inevitable, propelled their praise to a new level.
Perhaps we have to look back to truly appreciate the deliverance God has provided.
Are you in a good place today? Can you count your blessings? Are you able to acknowledge God’s provision?
Egypt represented sin and the consequences sin always brings: slavery and bondage. For Moses and the Israelites, it was physical slavery. For the follower of Christ, our life before Jesus — our “Egypt” — was spiritual bondage.
The Cross of Christ represents our Red Sea parting, the place where God made a way when there was no way. Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. And, like the parting of the Red Sea, the story may lose some of its wonder over the years because it is so familiar.
But, please. Do not let it.
Take a moment to go back to your Red Sea. Think about the former you, the one on the other side of that wide, seemingly impassible expanse … and let your voice sing along with all of God’s people, as you allow Moses and Miriam to lead you in worship:
“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.”
Perhaps your prayers to God today are not so much worship as seeking guidance. Are you faced with a decision you need to make? Laura’s teaching from I Kings will challenge you to consider your own decision-making process, by examining the decisions made by a few of the Kings of Israel. Watch the most recent teaching video here:
