seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
I admit it, I have no idea how Moses and the Israelites really felt.
I've never been in a situation like that. There were Egyptians everywhere along the horizon. They were armed with the latest and deadliest weapons. Even without these weapons, the Egyptians had been bullying the Israelites around for over 400 years. I already read about how they would beat the Israelite slaves feet leaving them crippled. How much worse would it have been if the Egyptians had captured these 2 million refugees? It must have been a terrifying situation to be stuck with your back against the sea.
Then the Israelites saw the sea open up so that they could just walk across! I think they would have had to blindfold me and carry me across. I really would not have trusted those huge walls of water to remain. It must have been terrifying to see Nature acting so Unnatural.
Then the Egyptians came after them. There were 2 Million refugees, most of whom were on foot. The Egyptians had horses and chariots as well as armed foot soldiers. It must have been absolutely terrifying to see that army coming.
Then, the walls of water came crushing down on the Egyptians. The Israelite refugees walked between walls of water on dry ground and then the sea just collapsed on the Egyptian Army. Now that gives me the real meaning of the phrase "Oh My God".
So that's what's happening in this long poetic chapter..... Moses and the Israelites are spontaneously composing a song of praise and thanks. This song would be sung over and over and over again to preserve this historical event to those who were to young or ignorant to read it.
The commentary in Bible.org calls this the "Song of the Sea".
Moses apparently wrote the song, and may have led Israel as they sang it. The first refrain, “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea” (v. 1) is echoed by Miriam, who led the women in singing almost the same words and dancing: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea” (v. 21). While this song was sung corporately as Israel’s expression of praise and thanksgiving for God’s deliverance from Egypt through the Red Sea, verses 1 and 2 express this praise in a personal and singular. The first person pronouns “I” and “my” make the praise here personal.
