Afterglow: The Song of Moses and Israel (Exodus 15:1-21)

(This is supplement 9 to the #HeartChat Bible study taking place every Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, 6:30 Pacific USA. Pastor Mike is teaching his Escape from Egypt series on Twitter. Click here for class schedule and links to the notes. Click here to follow Pastor Mike on Twitter.)

INTRODUCTION

This teaching is based on a 9-part sermon series I preached in August 2004. The "Escape from Egypt" study is relevant to our day as God will be dealing with a new Pharoah (Antichrist) soon. (Revelation 13:1-18)

SERIES IN REVIEW

God's Ways Are Not Our Ways (Exodus 5:1-23) Sometimes obeying God results in things getting tougher.

God in the Here and Now! (Exodus 6:1-13) See big problems as an opportunity for God to act in a big way.

God of Israel VS "Gods" of Egypt (Exodus 7:1-13) How do you know if your greatest service for Jesus still lies ahead?

The 10 Plagues - Part 1 (Exodus 7:14-25; 8:1-32; 9:1-7) When things go wrong and we know that there's a direct relationship to what's happening and the fact that we're not living for God, we need to do more than just say we're going to change. We need to change.

The 10 Plagues - Part 2 (Exodus 9:8-35; 10:1-29) It is of vital importance that the great stories of what the Lord has done be passed down to the next generation that they might come to know God, also.

The 10 Plagues - Part 3 (Exodus 11:1-10; 12:1-29) There's a fresh beginning when you come to Jesus. The calendar begins anew!

7 glimpses of Christ in the Passover:

1. A lamb unblemished / sinless (Exodus 12:5)
2. Life scrutinized over time and proven blameless (Exodus 12:6)
3. Killed in a public execution (Exodus 12:6)
4. Substitutionary sacrifice (Exodus 12:6)
5. No bones broken prophecy (Exodus 12:46c)
6. Blood saves from God's wrath (Exodus 12:12-13)
7. Belief in Him delivers from death (Exodus 12:13)

The Exodus Begins (Exodus 12:29-41; 13:17-22) "The best way in God's will is not always a straight line." (My professor in college)

Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:1-31) Sometimes God puts us in a fix because He's got a higher purpose.

ON THE SHORES OF THE RED SEA

Here we have Israel on the shores of the Red Sea after crossing over. (Exodus 15:1-21) They've watched the seas cave in on and drown Pharoah's entire army. They see the dead carcasses washed up on the seashore before their very eyes. And these are on a high! Wouldn't you have been? A person - a group of people - can't get any higher than this!

A song can't help but be written about what's taken place to give outlet to the inner joy that's felt. (Exodus 15:1) It's a song of praise.

And praise is to play a central part in the believer's life. After all that God's done for us to redeem us (because that's what we've really got going on here in the Escape from Egypt series - it's a story of redemption and a picture of ours) - After all that God's done for us, should there not be a wellspring of praise in our soul that rises up that cannot be quenched?

THE SONG OPENS

"Lord" (Strong's #3068) used four times in the opening verses (five times if you include the first "Lord" in v. 1a; 13 times total throughout passage). (Exodus 15:1-3)

Throughout the Escape from Egypt episode, God has been saying, "Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord" (Exodus 14:18a) or something similar. Part of this whole process has been that people would come to a knowledge of God that they didn't have prior to this experience. God's enemies come to this knowledge (Egypt in particular). The nations who hear of what's taken place come to this knowledge. (Exodus 15:14-15) And now we see that Israel comes to this knowledge. They come to know God as He should be known and as they've never known Him before and as God desires that Israel know Him.

Part of the damage of the fall is that man lost his knowledge of God and his ability to know God as He really is. And Christianity is really all about the knowledge of God being restored to men and women. (John 17:3)

God's rightful position is above all else. (Exodus 15:1b) Does He occupy this place in your life?

HOW GOD DESTROYS ISRAEL'S ENEMIES

The chief circumstances of Egypt's overthrow are detailed. (Exodus 15:4-10) It's a good thing to reflect upon the circumstances of how we came to Christ and how God worked to overthrow the evil one who had us in his grip. And when was the last time you told somebody about it? It's the best way of sharing one's faith. ((Revelation 12:11ab)

And each of us has a story like Israel's that's just as exciting and miraculous because it is tied to Jesus and the cross and His resurrection on the third day and now all these years later Christ's work has found it's place in us. And we're saved today. And our eyes are open to the truth. And we care about the things of God. And it's all because of what the Lord's done for us. It's our testimony. It's an exciting and miraculous story each of us has. Don't let the devil discount your story so that you don't use it.

GOD CELEBRATED

Here we find descriptions of God's character, person and ability. (Exodus 15:11-13) The Escape from Egypt story was partially about the God of Israel versus the "gods" of Egypt. And Egypt had all of these so-called "gods" that they worshiped. And even Pharoah said at the beginning sarcastically, "Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice.... I do not know the Lord." (Exodus 5:2bd) But now all the gods of Egypt have been proven as falsities and the bowing down to them foolishness. And the God of the Hebrews has been revealed in all His glory. "Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord." There is none like You!!!

THE EFFECT OF THE VICTORY ON THE NATIONS

Let me just put it to you this way: Our enemies think twice before they mess with us (believers). (Exodus 15:14-19) They have to go through God first to get at us!

God does loosen our enemies' leash at times. They have to get an okay from God before they can do anything. (Job is the example!) You're more than just you. Sometimes we can fall into the trap that it's just us. But it isn't just us, my friends. If you're in Jesus, you're more than just you.

There's a rising up of the promise of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in their descendants here whereas while they were in slavery Israel thought, "It's never gonna happen that we'll be brought to the land promised our forefathers." But now after what they've seen of God and what He can do, the promise is resurrected in their hearts. (Exodus 15:16-17)

Do you need a promise resurrected in your heart? Allow God to resurrect a promise that's died. If the Escape from Egypt series has anything to minster to you, it has this. Do you see what God can do even when all seems lost?

THE WOMEN JOIN IN

Women in ministry long ago! (Exodus 15:20-21)

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. God's rightful position is above all else. (Exodus 15:1b) Does He occupy this place in your life?

2. Each of us has a story to tell of how God overthrew the devil in our lives and saved us. (Exodus 15:4-10) What's yours?

3. Do you need a promise resurrected in your heart? Allow God to resurrect a promise that's died.

4. Israel stands on the shores of the Red Sea having just witnessed Pharoah's entire army drown. A song can't help but be on their lips! (Exodus 15:1) Write your own song of praise to God for what He's done for you (in redemption).