I remember sitting at our dining room table with some friends. We were chatting about life and catching up on each other’s lives. The time we spent with them was refreshing and encouraging. However, during this conversation, we were also playing a board game. The conversation all of the sudden turned cold and tense because the man was starting to lose the game.
1. The laid-back atmosphere was now gone.
2. His words were short and blunt
3. He even got publicly and visibly angered with his wife for the move she made on the board game.
4. The evening became a disaster!
I am sure that most people in this room have come across someone like this in their life. I cannot tell you how many times I have been given the explanation that a man is like this because, “this is just how I am.”
When an unsaved man speaks this statement, “This is just how I am.” He is right! The unsaved man is a slave to sin. The power of sin is over him. He is deceitful, and his heart is desperately wicked above all things. He is selfish, and ignorant of spiritual things.
However, when the child of God says, “this is just how I am” – he is wrong! He is RIGHT in that he may be selfish, brutish, and unfeeling to others. However, he is WRONG in that these things are not his position in Christ as a new creature! A spirit-filled person doesn’t manifest characteristics of the evil one! He manifests characteristics of the Spirit of God!
When we look at God, and see Him as He is – His holiness, His love, His mercy, His justice – we can say with certainty, “This is just how He is.” Unlike the troubled man, willing to roll around in the muck of sin, --God is who He is because He is God! There are:
1. No inconsistencies in His actions, words, or person
2. No attitudes or feelings of resentment or bitterness
3. No selfishness, rudeness, or reactionary words of anger
We need to rehearse who God is and sing songs of praise when He delivers us from battle!
Who is the LORD to you? Before we study Exodus 15:3-21 today, we will take a moment to consider numerous points of cultural context that will be helpful to understand as we approach this passage.
Many refer to the song recorded in Exodus 15 as Israel’s first national anthem. This became a song of identity that would unite the nation around the reality that they were the redeemed people of God.
Songs of triumph after battle were common in the ancient Near East. Kings and warriors would boast of their strength and victory in song; however, this tradition was flipped around in Exodus 15 with a focus solely on Yahweh. This would set the Israelites faith apart (culturally). Israel celebrated Divine power and grace, instead of human strength!
The Israelites used the Exodus 15 song as a model for worship. Future generations sang this song in times of victory and deliverance in Judges 5; II Samuel 22; Psalm 118. Music and congregational singing were established in Exodus 15 as a central way to remember and declare God’s acts.
This is also one of the earliest Bible examples of women participating in a public praise service. Men and women joined together in celebratory worship. Exodus 15:21 emphasizes both genders involved in the worship with Miriam leading the women with tambourines and dancing.
What do the Israelites rehearse about the LORD in Exodus 15:3-10?
1. The Lord is my defender (15:3)
“The Lord is a man of war…”
“A Man of War” means a mighty warrior, an irresistible conqueror; all the power of the Egyptian army was destroyed in one moment by God’s omnipotent arm. Not only do we see that God has an active role in history (He doesn’t simply watch from afar), but we also glean that God fights on the behalf of His people!
A group of kids were playing backyard football with friends. Everyone wanted to be the quarterback, until an older brother joined the game. Suddenly, no one argued about positions anymore. They all knew who was in charge, and when he called the plays, they listened!
In a way, that’s what happened with the Israelites at the Red Sea. They had just watched God split the waters, bring them safely to the other side, and wipe out Pharaoh’s army. At that moment, there was no confusion about who was in charge. They didn’t need to take a vote or form a committee. They know exactly who the LORD is.
What odds are you facing today? What about odds you will be facing in the days to come? Never forget that the Lord is our great defender!
He will defend you when Satan attacks
He will defend you when you fall
He will defend you when you are weak
He will defend you when you are discouraged
He will defend you as you serve Him
The Lord is our defender!
For the Israelites, the LORD wasn’t just another name among many; He was the One who fought for them, rescued them, and proved His power. The Israelites sang with confidence, “The LORD is his name.”
2. The Lord is my LORD (15:3-10)
“…the LORD is His name.”
“LORD” is the word for Jehovah. It is the personal name that God chose to use with His people. The Israelites are declaring the LORD’s supremacy over all the false gods, by reminding us of His name. No other gods can compare! His “right hand” shatters the enemy (15:12)!!
When I was in high school there were a few kids that had nick names. Not everyone was to call them by this nickname. Only those who were there friends could use these names. There was “Slick,” because he got out of trouble often. “Romeo,” because he always had a girlfriend…and “J.J.,” because Jumping John could dunk the basketball
The nicknames came because of the skill, talent, or personality trait they were best known for by their friends. The Israelites turnaround from the Red Sea and say, “The LORD is His name!” In other words, they declare:
Our God is not a generic god
Our God is the one who bound Himself to us (Israel) by covenant
We reject the gods of Egypt
When you went through this past week, with all of its ups and downs – what have you said of the Lord? Are you looking for the Lord in everything and every place you go? Are you thinking or saying…
My God is greater than any other!
My God is faithful to me and His church!
I reject any other gods created in the minds of mankind! The LORD is His name!
3. The Lord is like no other (15:11-21)
“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods…”
This section describes God leading His redeemed people to His Holy dwelling (vv. 13-17). This connects the Exodus from Egypt to the covenant promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So, this song celebrates God’s faithfulness to bring His people out of bondage AND into His presence. No one is even close in comparison to the LORD! No one can measure close to His holiness, or His awesome miraculous power. There is none like Him!
Probably everyone here has used a comparison to try to explain what something is like. For example, cow tongue has a similar taste to roast beef, or that is harder than climbing the devil’s head trail to the top. However, sometimes there just isn’t anything we know of to compare something to!
The Israelites didn’t leave the Red Sea in silence. THEY LEFT SINGING! Their fear turned to faith and their panic turned to praise, because they finally saw the LORD for who He truly is. He is the Warrior who fights for His people, the Redeemer who keeps His promises, and the God whose power has no rival.
And that same LORD still fights for His people today. We may not face Pharaoh’s army or walk through parted waters, but we face our own battles of fear, temptation, sin, and doubt. The good news is that our God has not changed! The LORD is His name! So, when God brings you through something…sing! Don’t let gratitude stay silent. Let your heart declare, like Israel did, “The LORD has triumphed gloriously!” The story that began at the Red Sea still echoes through the empty tomb: our God fights for us, saves us, and deserves our song of praise!