Exodus 15 - I AM Your Song

[Music] then [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh well thank you that's that's a surprise i don't really know what to say i can say that i'm grateful that they didn't pick much more embarrassing pictures of me because there's there's a legion of those let's see and so no i'm very grateful ingall and i are so blessed by this wonderful time in our life that god has us here serving this congregation and being part of it and i feel like i get the best birthday present at all being able just to open up god's word and talk about it together with you right here right now so i feel like it's a wonderful gift for me so let's pray together jesus um i'm so grateful and i hope lord to not take it for granted this wonderful gift this wonderful blessing that you've given us of ingol and i being here to serve this congregation at this time and jesus the the beautiful warm reception over the last few years we're just we're humbled and we're blessed by it but lord we we really desire our deepest our deepest longing is that really all the attention and focus jesus that it be on you and so god grateful for their kindness now god we we ask that you in your goodness to us you make our hearts and our minds alive to your word because it's so precious thank you jesus we pray it in your name amen so with that i'd like you to open up your bibles to the book of exodus chapter 15. now i ask you to turn to exodus 15 but it's going to be a few minutes until i actually get to the text of the chapter because last sunday i told you that this week we would discuss a little bit of the geography of the crossing of the red sea and so i just want to take maybe the next five or six minutes to talk about this idea just so these concepts are firm in your mind and actually we're going to be talking a little bit more about geography when we make our way later through the book of exodus now if we start with egypt on the western part of our map we see that ultimately the children of israel would travel eastward from egypt and then northward to continue into the promised land of canaan the land of israel we also see that there are two fingers of the red sea that extend up northward there's the gulf of suez on the west and the gulf of aqaba on the east and in between those two fingers of water is the sinai peninsula and then east of the gulf of aqaba is the arabian peninsula now this is what we know from the bible we know that the children of israel came from egypt they crossed a body of water they came to mount sinai and eventually they came to canaan the land of israel but where was the body of water that they crossed where was the mountain that they came to and what was the general path of their journey to the promised land well there are different thoughts on how to answer that question the first two ideas for where the crossing of the body of water is focus on the sinai peninsula so some people think that they crossed over an area called the bitter lakes and came onto the sinai peninsula then some people think that they crossed over an area of the northern tip of the gulf of suez and then they came onto the sinai peninsula but then the other ideas for the crossing of this body of water use a completely different approach they think that mount sinai is not on the sinai peninsula as traditionally understood but rather mount sinai is actually on the arabian peninsula now let me say of this very different idea there's a lot to be said for this approach and i'm personally gaining more and more respect for this position we're going to talk more about the exact location of mount sinai when we get to it in the book of exodus but for now this is what i just want you to notice that it's entirely possible that the crossing of the body of water for the people of israel may not have had anything to do with the gulf of suez it might have been a crossing of the gulf of akuba and on to the arabian peninsula so some people think that they crossed at the northern part of the gulf of aqaba at a place called ezzie and gibber something that they crossed in the middle part of the gulf of aqaba at a place called noviba beach now this site has gained some notoriety because there's evidence of a much more shallow land bridge that goes from one side of the gulf of aqaba to the other on that particular place on the gulf and there's also archaeological artifacts some of them under the sea and some of them on either side of the crossing that suggest that this was the place but then a third alternative that people give is that it's way down to the south at this place called the straits of chiron on the gulf of aqaba so what do we have when we're all done with that well basically friends we have five different suggestions for where israel might have crossed the red sea that body of water in my view none of the five are impossible but some are more supported by biblical evidence than others and we'll speak more about their path we'll speak more of mount sinai as we make our way through the book of exodus but what i want you to understand right here right now as we launch into exodus chapter 15 is simply this when they came from the red sea and the great victory from that crossing of the body of water they came out singing and they were singing songs of glory to the lord look at it right here exodus chapter 15 verse 1. then moses and the children of israel sang this song to the lord and spoke saying i will sing to the lord for he has triumphed gloriously the horse and its rider he's thrown into the sea the lord is my strength and song and he has become my salvation he is my god and i will praise him my father's god and i will exalt him the lord is a man of war the lord is his name pharaoh's chariots and his army is cast into the sea his chosen captains are also drowned in the red sea the depths have covered them they sank to the bottom like a stone that first stanza of this amazing song of moses starts out in such a beautiful way matter of fact if you look at the line right before the song begins verse 1 says this then moses and the children of israel sang the song to the lord this remarkable song is assumed to have come in sort of the spontaneous outpouring of the people of god there they are they're set free from egypt they've crossed the red sea now they're coming into this new land this new territory they've seen their enemies those soldiers that had enslaved them for generation upon generation those soldiers were dead washed up until the shores of the red sea they're free to quote a phrase they are free at last thank god almighty they're free at last and without freedom what do they do they sing a song they sing that song when their salvation was real to them they sang that song when the presence of god and the power of god was real to them they could see it right in front of them they could see the pillar of cloud by day there with them and the very presence of god himself right there in the pillar of cloud they could see it in the pillar of fire by night the presence of god was with them aware of all of that together what else could they do but sing now think about this i think about it as it relates to us as a congregation because one thing i never want to forget is how strange it must seem to some people that we gather together in a big room here on sunday and we all sing songs together it just doesn't happen other places in society does it there you are you're walking up and down state street on a beautiful saturday afternoon enjoying the sunshine and the shops and you have a coffee somewhere and there's hundreds of people all around you what do people break out spontaneously in the song on the streets you know it's just like a musical or something like that people walking around singing other places where you gather together with a bunch of people in a room there you are in the movie theater do people well let's begin the movie with a song does anybody do that i never i never want to forget how it just must seem strange why they come together why do they sing what are they doing here but then i think in other terms it's not strange at all is it i think about it how i go to a baseball game i love baseball and i like going to dodger stadium and how i go to dodger stadium and visit there and watch the los angeles dodgers play and i think they sing three songs together every game before the game starts what do they sing they sing the star-spangled banner the national anthem and then in the middle of the seventh inning what do they do they sing two songs they sing god bless america and then they sing take me out to the ball game three songs everybody's singing together it's practically a worship service right there then i think if people think it's okay to sing together then how much more should it be thought that it's wonderful and good and appropriate for the people of god who have been rescued by god to come together and to sing praises unto him to realize what a precious thing it is for god's people to come together like a great big choir like a great big concert and our audience isn't one another our audience is the lord we never want to forget that sometimes people get an entirely twisted idea of what true worship is about they think that true worship works like this you're the audience the people up here are the performers and god is the one who helps everybody do it ladies and gentlemen that is exactly backwards i'll tell you what the true conception what the biblical conception is it's like this god is the audience you are the performers and the people up here on the platform are helping it all happen that's how it's supposed to work god listens to the beautiful praise that comes forth from this congregation and he's honored he's pleased if i could use that figure speech a smile comes upon his face when he realizes his people love him and want to express that in song to him you can see that right there from verse one where it says this i will sing to the lord there's two things there there's a note of determination i will sing i'm gonna do it this is a decision of my will and i think that's important for us to grab a hold of sometimes because i recognize it sometimes you come in here and you don't feel like singing you just don't maybe there's something about the ambiance maybe there's something about the melody maybe there's something about your mourning that makes you say i don't feel like singing ah but that's when you turn back you say no i will sing unto the lord i will do it it's just going to be a decision that i do because no matter how i feel about it he's worthy of it and you realize that there's something going on here that says i'm not the center of things i can't judge it by whether or not i feel good about the worship service it's to honor him it's to glorify him and i hope i like it i hope i feel good but really that's not of ultimate importance is it it's that god is honored and that he receives the praise that's due to him but notice this as well it's not only i will but it's i will sing to the lord he is the audience oh i know you're aware and sometimes awkwardly aware of the fact that other people around you can hear you sing and maybe you don't have the best singing voice maybe uh for you like me it's sort of a challenge to keep on key and in tune and all the rest of it well then maybe that means you don't sing quite so loud but you should still sing because you're singing unto the lord and you do it for a reason that the horse and his rider he's thrown into the sea you've delivered us you've blessed us oh god and then notice this in verse two it's really wonderful the lord is my strength and my song god is my strength lord you've come through and i love how he puts it there he's not going to say this it isn't that the lord gives me strength although you could say that's true instead what does he say the lord is my strength i almost think that the apostle paul quoted this idea in ephesians chapter 5 later on when he gives that wonderful challenge excuse me ephesians chapter 6 where he says be strong in the lord and in the power of his might lord you are my strength and ladies and gentlemen god's your strength that's a lot of strength that's an infinite resource for you and for i and verse 2 also says he has become my salvation now when you grab onto that no wonder you want to sing now as somebody who likes to bring out the meaning of scripture and just sort of lay out what the scripture says i'm always faced with a bit of a challenge when i come to a passage like this because i have to say do we want to really focus in in great depth or or maybe just kind of get the feel of it and this is what we're going to do this morning i'm basically going to read to you the second and the third and the fourth and the fifth stanzas of this great song without a lot of comment upon it because we're just going to receive the great power of it and let it sort of sing to our heart as it must have sang to them back then so put yourself in the sandals of an ancient israelite here you are marching away from the great victory at the red sea and here you are with your heart singing right along with them starting now at verse 6 the second stanza your right hand o lord has become glorious in power your right hand o lord has dashed the enemy in pieces and in the greatness of your excellence you have over overthrown those who rose against you you sent forth either you forth your wrath it consumed them like stubble and with the blast of your nostrils the waters were gathered together the floods stood upright like a heap the depths congealed in the heart of the sea the enemy said i will pursue i will overtake i will divide the spoil my desire shall be satisfied on them and i will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them you blew with the wind the sea covered them they sank like lead in the mighty waters and i just imagine just a yahoo going up from everybody as they saying that now the third stanza verse 11 who is like you o lord among the gods who is like you glorious in holiness fearful in praise is doing wonders you stretched out your right hand the earth swallowed them you and your mercy have led forth the people whom you have redeemed you have guided them in your strength to your holy habitation and then now verse 14 the fourth and the fifth stanza the people will hear and be afraid sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of philista then the chiefs of edom will be dismayed the mighty men of moab trembling will take hold of them all the inhabitants of canaan will melt away fear and dread will fall on them by the greatness of your arm they will be still as a stone to your power till your people pass over o lord till the people pass over whom you have purchased you will bring them out and plant them in the mountains of your inheritance in the place o lord which you have made for your own dwelling the sanctuary o lord which your hands have established and then this glorious conclusion the lord shall reign forever and ever ladies and gentlemen that's just flat out glorious and i love how the the the whole song concludes that glorious phrase in verse 18 the lord shall reign forever and ever and that enduring truth remains that is no less true in our own day in the 21st century than it was true back for moses and the people of israel back thousands of years ago matter of fact you can say this that the song of moses echoes all the way from those thousands of years ago by the shores of the red sea and it echoes forward into eternity all the way to revelation chapter 15 on the shores of the sea of glass in the very throne room of heaven oh i mean that because keep a finger there in exodus 15 but turn over to the last book of your bible revelation chapter 15 and if you look at verses 3 and 4 of revelation chapter 15 you're going to see that right there in the very courtroom of heaven there is a multitude that has come from great suffering they have experienced great victory they stand on the shores of a great sea and they sing this song look at it with me here revelation 15 3 they sing the song of moses the servant of god and the song of the lamb saying great and marvelous are your works lord god almighty just and true are your ways o king of the saints who shall not fear you o lord and glorify your name for you alone are holy for all nations shall come and worship before you for your judgments have been manifested don't you see that that's the same song as moses saying oh it condenses it all down into a couple of verses but it's the same themes extolling the salvation and the greatness and the goodness and the deliverance and the triumph of the god that we serve the heart the spirit of this song of moses it echoes all the way back from exodus all the way forward to revelation and could i be bold enough to say it it encompasses everything in between you and i we share in this song you and i when we sing our praises to god we are right there along with that great choir singing that song of deliverance that song of victory that song of defense that song of confidence in the lord so can you just take what i say to you now and what the text so plainly tells to us has an encouragement praise him praise him in song he loves it he draws upon it it brings him glory it's good for us we praise him and we praise him with song now verse 19 we see miriam the sister of moses leading the women in worship so now we're back to exodus chapter 15 verse 19. it says for the horses of pharaoh went in with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea and the lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them but the children of israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea then miriam the prophetess the sister of aaron took the timbrel in her hand and all the women went out with her with the timbrels and with dances and miriam answered them sing to the lord for he's triumphed gloriously the horse and its rider he is thrown into the sea not only did this song hit number one on the israel charts but it even inspired a dance move that was prompted by miriam the sister of moses and she was leading them and the people of god in this glorious song in this beautiful dance unto the lord it was a time of celebration it was a time to bring god glory for all that he had done and it's a beautiful thing here to see miriam leading the women's choir they had a special place in adding their harmony their melody to everything that was going on now if we were just to sort of let the camera pan out to use a phrase from verse 21 and leave them there singing and literally dancing and so excited because they've been free utterly free from all their slavery and bondage in egypt and now they're looking for they're looking forward to the great promised land that awaits them it's not just what they've left behind but it's what god has in front of them that makes them excited what a high time of excitement and we just kind of go yes this is wonderful and then and then verse 22. here's the facts of the matter god works miracles god sets you free god establishes his presence with you as he did with ancient israel but there's still wilderness to go through they still had to reckon with the wilderness now i want you to get the right idea of wilderness in your mind we're not talking about the sahara desert they weren't walking over endless sand dunes trying to get you know to distant place no the geography of this kind of ground it's not sandy desert it's what we would kind of call sagebrush kind of area where there's vegetation and especially when they're when it rains there's more vegetation there's flowers along the way but it's definitely arid it's definitely dry and three days without a good supply of water means trouble well look at it for yourself verse 22. so moses brought israel from the red sea then they went out into the wilderness of shur and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water you're talking about hundreds of thousands perhaps a few million people together in this great group that was being led out of egypt and they have no water that's trouble and three days without water that's crisis what are you going to do lord what are you going to do moses and you can just imagine poor moses in this circumstance does anybody think for a moment that moses had it all figured out does anybody think that god was sort of briefing him no no moses he had to trust god right along the way with everybody else oh lord what are you going to do you know these people lead what need water but i know that you didn't lead them out of egypt to make them die in the wilderness you're going to bring them into the land of promise what will you do lord we'll look at verse 23 now we'll read verse 23 to the middle of verse 25 verse 23 now when they came to mara they could not drink the waters of mara for they were bitter therefore the name of it was called mara and the people complained against moses saying what shall we drink so he cried out to the lord and the lord showed him a tree when he cast it into the waters the waters were made sweet therefore he made a statute and an ordinance for them this is amazing first of all notice the scene they're thirsty they're desperate for water out in the wilderness three days with no water everybody's supply that they had carried with them is now on very short reserves what will they do they come and they find water they see it off to the distance there's a beautiful pool of water and i don't know how big it was but it cheered the whole nation to see that pool of water come we can drink from this and excitedly they send out scouts ahead to go and run and see the water in the grave they get the message back and the scouts come back and they scoop up the water to the lips and they drink it and they spit it out they spit it out violently this water is bitter it's undrinkable whatever the chemical composition or the hard water analysis or whatever you would want to say about that water it all equaled to make it undrinkable and it seemed more than ever like a cruel joke god has finally led us to water but it's undrinkable and it won't satisfy a single need of the people what kind of trick are you trying to play honest god and then what happened the people complained to the lord first of all they called the name of the place mara which means bitter but then it says there that the people complained against moses saying what shall we drink in other words what are we supposed to drink this and what did they do they complained against the lord you know a thought came to my mind as i read that israel was not a democracy moses was not a king over israel but he was definitely the leader appointed by god yet their function in israel some sort of what you might call maybe a primitive form of democracy the people complained their elders heard it the elders brought the complaints to moses and they heard from the people even though it wasn't a strict democracy but what could all the people do basically at the end of it all they could complain they couldn't really do much about it but they could complain and then i think about our modern day and age and the gift of the democratic system that god has given us in our nation we can do more than complain you know i'm so grateful that in our democracy you have the right to complain go ahead you don't like how things are complain that's your right that's your privilege but you have an even greater right and privilege than complaining you have a responsibility i believe and that responsibility is to vote i mentioned this this last wednesday night and a few people told me that they had never really thought along these terms and i suppose maybe in a small way it stirred up just a little bit of controversy that wasn't my intention but i don't mind doing it i told people on wednesday night what i'll tell you right now that i honestly believe is your pastor that it's a sin for you to not vote that god has given you this stewardship of a vote this responsibility that you have in participating in this democratic system that we have and sometimes people have a hard time figuring out who they should vote for but ladies and gentlemen you should prayerfully think through the issues and you should think through them not just in terms of what issues are important in the media sometimes the media issues are important sometimes they're not but we think of it in terms of life we think of in terms of dignity we think of in terms of freedom we take a look at the big picture of all that god gives us to do and with a christian conscience we should go into the boating voting booth and cast our ballot and since god gives us this stewardship i can't help but think that it's a sin for us to not use the stewardship that god gives to us i think about it on this date that's just not even all entire month out from a great presidential election and it's not just the presidential but it's all offices up and down every level of government i just simply believe this god gives you and i the stewardship of a vote we should use it we're not in the same place as ancient israel we're allowed to do more than just complain but that's what they did they complained and what did moses do look at verse 25 here's moses response so he cried out unto the lord and the lord showed him a tree we have a little mercy from moses do we not lord what are we going to do i don't know i didn't know this water was bitter the people need something what will you do lord please help we're going to die in this wilderness moses cries out god shows him what a tree look at that tree moses i wonder if moses said so what i've seen a tree before what about that tree god moses knew what to do with that tree whether it was by the express revelation of god or maybe moses just figured it out moses cut off that tree and he cast it into the pool of those waters and what happened those bitter waters were made drinkable let me take you through the steps one more time here moses cried out to the lord god showed him a tree the tree made the bitter sweet that's pretty powerful isn't it now bible students and researchers take a look at this and some people think no we know how it happened because it happens this way even to the modern day where there are trees in that kind of wilderness in that part of the world where the trees because of their chemical composition and what's in the sap when you put those trees there's some sort of chemical reaction which makes the heavier uh things in the water sink down to the bottom and the fresh drinkable waters are left up at the top and even though in the whole water there's this beneficial mineral content and you can drink it and it's good and this is phenomenal that happens today some people think it was a very natural thing that moses did other people think it was a miracle just a flat out miracle of god what's the right answer i would answer that yes god may very well have used natural means but it doesn't take away from the miracle whatsoever but don't miss the point i love one point god was mixing it up if you were moses what would you do if you had that rod of god in your hands well i better touch that water with the rug god does good things when i touch water with this rod i said nope let's do something new forget about your rod go to that tree and when he cut down that tree when he put it in there the tree made what was bitter sweet do i have to apply this you see it don't you that god has given us through the finished work of jesus christ a tree a piece of wood upon which the son of god was sacrificed you cry out unto the lord you look to his tree and everything that that tree touches the bitter is made sweet what is it in your life that's bitter today that if you would bring it and let the cross touch that bitter thing in your life it would make it sweet you'd be freed from the unforgiveness you'd be free from the bitterness you'd be free from the fear you'd be free from those addictions and habits that bind your life you touch it you let the cross touch those things and it'll take that which is in your life bitter today and it will make it sweet well with all of this israel was presented with a test let me tell you what i mean pick it up now in the middle of verse 25 where we read this and there he tested them and said if you diligently heed the voice of the lord your god and do what is right in his sight give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes i will put none of these diseases on you which i brought in the egyptians for i am the lord who heals you god tested israel at mara by giving them a command to obey and he fleshed it out this way he said if you obey this command if you pass this test then i will bless you and i will pour out my grace upon you but friends they need to be tested they needed to be examined by god here's the question since they came from the red sea israel worshiped did they not and israel complained did they not so here's the question was israel a worshipping people who occasionally complained or were they a complaining people who occasionally worshipped that silence is just for you to apply that to your life right now so i'll just give another moment of silence here i'm not even saying anything you just think about yourself a worshipping people that occasionally complain or are complaining people that occasionally worship okay one more moment of silence well that's powerful isn't it and that's why god tests us that's why he examines us not so that he'll find out what's in us oh he knows but so that we will find out what's in us that he was the promise connected to the test did you see it there in verse 26 he says i will put none of these diseases on you which i have brought on the egyptians this was god's promise to an obedient israel if you obey me you're going to be physically healthy and there's something very beautiful in this their physical health was directly connected to their obedience i remember reading a book years ago it's been reissued in in newer editions by a man named dr s i macmillan and the book is titled none of these diseases and in that book he notes that many of god's laws to israel had a direct impact on hygiene and health practices such as circumcision quarantine washing and running water and eating kosher all of that made a real medical difference in keeping israel free from disease you see what god's saying obey me and you will be healthier so here they are at mara mara means bitter or bitterness it's a bitter place but god tested them god blessed them with a promise and god gave them a new revelation of himself a revelation of his name jehovah rapha i am the lord that heals you so friends that's a great blessing israel gained by examination of mara they gained by experience at mara and israel gained by education at mara god had blessing for them even though there was bitterness there all right let's wrap it up with a look at verse 27. then okay mara is in the rearview mirror now then they came to elam where there were 12 wells of water and 70 palm trees so they camped there by the waters is it just me or does elam sound pretty good all these wells of water 70 palm trees it sounds like a place where you say come and let's camp out and friends elim is great i like elam elam reminds me a lot of santa barbara elam is wonderful but i just want you to notice something elim was great but in a way mara was even better for the people of israel what do i mean by that well even though elam was wonderful a place of provision there was new no new revelation of god for them at elam that's where god revealed to himself as jehovah rotham at mara not at elam there was no miracle at elam that there was no uh revelation of his promise there was no new name for god there was no great deep experience or lesson at elam see what i'm trying to say let me sort of wrap it up into this point god has so designed our walk with him that there are seasons of mara and there are seasons of elam there are seasons of testing and trial and there are seasons where it just seems like everything's great now don't feel guilty if you're at elam praise the lord about it can i tell you simply god knows when you need an elam after the red sea after the testing he said my people need a break i'm going to lead them to elam and god knows that and drink it in it's beautiful it's a gift from the lord praise him for it but don't despise the seasons when it's like mara because it's at mara where god will reveal himself to you in a special way if you'll open up your heart in your ears to receive it don't despise it drink it in gain everything lord what what new way do you want to reveal yourself to me lord what miracle do you want to do on my behalf lord how do you want to make the bitter sweet in my life once again and if you find yourself at mara do exactly what moses did do you remember what he did here we go moses cried out to the lord he looked to a tree that is the cross we would say and he received the fact that everything that tree touched went from bitter to sweet that's how god wants it to be for your life father i pray for your people i pray for myself i pray god i pray for those who are so to speak lord at elam bless them let them enjoy it strengthen them pour out your grace upon them i pray especially lord for those who are at mara today there's some bitterness there's some pain there's some great burden in their life jesus i pray that you cause them to cry out to you to look to your cross and then lord so to speak to let the cross touch their current bitterness and to make it sweet would you do that lord and then lord in and through and around all of this won't you lord won't you give us a song to sing touch us with a new heart with a new passion to worship you as we sing our prayers unto you at this time in this place you've done so much for us why would we not we pray this in jesus name amen

Channel: David Guzik

Views: 4,814

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Keywords: david guzik, guzik, enduring word, exodus 15, i am your song, god, lord, moses, children of israel, glory, song, miriam, bitter water, drinkable, marah, israel

Id: 3ReIQWG_XHs

Length: 40min 10sec (2410 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 30 2020