Doug Van Pelt

The Great Exodus.15

We see a cool song in the 15th chapter of Exodus. I have heard a modern adaptation called "Horse And Rider (Thrown Into The Sea)" ... at least that's what I think they called it. This song is a great example of one (of many) biblical uses for music. You could even say that the Bible "prescribes" music for the following use or ailment:

Helping God's People Remember Their History
It helps God's people remember and know their doctrine, too. But this history is an important thing that God wanted them to remember. He instructed the Israelites to tell their children and their children's children about the things that God did for His people as they left Egypt.

Here are excerpts:

"I will sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
He has hurled into the sea..
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.

"The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is His name.
Pharaoh's chariots and his army
He has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh's officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.

"Your right hand, O Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand, O Lord,
shattered the enemy.
In the greatness of Your majesty
You threw down those who opposed You.
You unleashed Your burning anger;
it consumed them like stubble...

"Who among the gods is like You,
O Lord?
Who is like You --
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?..."

It's an awesome worship song, and it also reminds God's people so many important details of their history. That's cool. Miriam and all the women danced with tambourines, singing the chorus:

"Sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
He has hurled into the sea."

Not long after (I suppose ... sometimes one passage of Scripture to the next can span several hours, days, weeks, months, even years and decades, even though it takes us only seconds to read from one paragraph to another) Moses led them into the Desert of Shur. They travelled for three days and couldn't find water. This is a practical problem. It's easy to judge the people for grumbling, but what are you supposed to do with little children and animals with no water for three days? God provided, with Moses tossing a piece of wood into the bitter water they found, making it good to drink.

God is Jehovah Jireh -- the Lord our Provider.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at May 31, 2007 12:03 PM