Exodus 15:1

The Bible says in Exodus 15:1, “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” It is important to recognize how thankful Moses and the children of Israel were after they were delivered from their enemies. Learn to be thankful. Recognize the good things that Jesus has done for you, and be thankful. Praise the Lord for the great things He has done. David wrote in Psalm 100:1-2, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” Many of the Psalms start with the phrase “Praise ye the Lord,” including Psalm 104:35, Psalm 105:45, and at least twenty other Psalms. Every Christian must ask the question: how much do I praise the Lord Jesus every day for all that He has done for me, especially for dying in my place?

It is also important to notice that when Moses praised the Lord, he praised the Lord for the victory over their enemies. Many miracles took place, including the dividing of the Red Sea; but the miracle that seemed to most impress Moses was the destruction that came upon Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s army. The entire song of praise is found in Exodus 15:2-19 that says, “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; 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 host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.”

One of the most serious difficulties that Christians sometimes face in this world has to do with the unbelievers who oppose or who hate believers. Of course, according to the teachings of Jesus, we ought to love our enemies and pray for those who hate us and use us. Also, we must remember that God’s great purpose for everyone is that they would be saved. Jesus said, “The son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus said in John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” That is why the Lord wants believers to live a life that is a witness for Him. Jesus wants to save lost souls, not condemn them. But Jesus is the Judge of the whole earth, and He will Judge and He will punish when He knows that it is time for any individual. Jesus also loves His own, and He has all power and will take care of His own. Pharaoh was at the head of a great army, and humanly speaking the children of Israel had no chance against such an army. But God gave the victory over the enemies. It took a miracle to open the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross over it; but to the Israelites the greatest miracle was the fact that the Red Sea closed back upon the Egyptians and they all drowned. That is mainly what this song of praise is all about. For example, Exodus 15:6-7 says, “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.” Make sure that you learn to put your trust daily in the Lord, and you also will one day see such victories over those who hate you. One reason that He told us to love our enemies is because He will take vengeance when He decides to do so. “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay.”

The Bible says in Exodus 15:20-21, “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” Notice that the first phrase in Exodus 15:20 speaks of “Miriam the prophetess.” The primary definition for a prophet is “someone who speaks forth the Word of God.” Of course, a prophetess is a woman who is a prophet. The Bible does not put any prohibition on a woman speaking forth the Word of God. Jesus wants all of His believers to take part in spreading the Gospel. Each believer has a gift, and should put their gift into practice in the spread of the Gospel of Christ. If someone has a gift to serve Christ, then that person must use that gift to serve the Lord. Let not any person forbid the exercising of the gifts. It says in First Corinthians 12:4, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit.” In a list of these gifts, it also says in First Corinthians 12:10, “To another working of miracles, to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.” One of the points being made in this passage is that any believer (man or woman) can be given any gift, as the Lord chooses. If God gives a gift to someone, dare any person forbid the exercising of that gift? The question should never be, “Is this person a man or a woman,” in order to determine their qualifications for some kind of Christian service. The question should be: “Is this person gifted by Jesus to perform this service?” Miriam was a prophetess because God made her to be a prophetess.

Notice also that it says in Exodus 15:20, “and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.” This dancing and music was done as part of the praise to the Lord and was an expression of their great joy and happiness in that the Lord had delivered them from their enemies. And so we see that dancing is not of itself wrong. It depends upon what kind of dancing it is, how it is performed, and why it is done. The Lord knows. It says in First John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

The Bible says in Exodus 15:22-27, “So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.” The children of Israel needed water. Of course, water is one of the basic necessities of life. God did two things to provide them water. First He performed a miracle at the waters of Marah. The Lord gave them something to drink when there was nothing good to drink to quench their thirst in the desert. Secondly, He guided them to a place of abundant water. It says in Exodus 15:27, “And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.” As long as God has use for you on His earth, He is going to provide for you. He has promised to provide your needs. You do not have to worry like unbelievers. Jesus promised in Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

It is important to notice what is said in Exodus 15:26, “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” This describes God’s health plan. Life comes from God, and health comes from God. There are many reasons for sickness, and one of the reasons is sin. If you are sick, you need to ask yourself the question: is this sickness because I have not done “right in his sight.” God sees all and knows all, and He is holy. He judges sin, but He also forgives sin. If you have sinned, and the sin has caused your sickness, then you need to confess your sin in order to be rightly related to Jesus and to be healed. Looking back to the events in Exodus the Bible says in First Corinthians 10:8, “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.” And it says in First Corinthians 11:30-32, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” Learn to examine your life and confess your sins. Jesus will forgive you. One more important passage that reveals this truth that sin causes sickness, and confession brings forgiveness and healing, is found in James 5:14-16, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” One of the most important points about all of these verses from the Bible is the truth that the Lord brings healing no matter what the cause of the sickness. No doctor brings healing, and no medicine brings healing. God is the author of all healing. Of course, God might use a doctor and medicine in the healing process. But if you get healed, God healed you.

If you get sick, these are the things you should do:

1. Confess your sins to Jesus.

2. Pray and ask other to pray.

3. Find the best doctor that you can.

4. Get a second opinion if the situation calls for it.

5. Take the medicine and other treatment that is prescribed by your doctor if you are led of the Lord to do so.

6. Give God the glory for the healing that He has given to you.

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