Song of Victory

Well, good morning, church.

We are celebrating baptism this morning, as you've noticed from the giant tank up here,

right?

And we are looking at a passage from Exodus this morning that is about celebration, so

it's very fitting.

Would you turn with me to Exodus chapter 15, verses 1 through 21?

Exodus 15:1–21

Exodus 15.

That's page 57 in the Pew Bible, if you want to turn there.

It'll be helpful to have it open before you as we look at what this passage speaks to us

today.

Exodus chapter 15, page 57, if you're looking in the Pew Bible.

Exodus 15 · chapter mention

Let me read this for us.

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,

I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously.

The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.

This is my God, and I will praise him.

My father's God, and I will exalt in him.

The Lord is a man of war.

The Lord is his name.

Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk

in the Red Sea.

The floods covered them.

They went down into the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power.

Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.

In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow your adversaries.

You send out your fury.

It consumes them like stubble.

At the blast of your nostrils, the waters piled up.

The floods stood up in a heap.

The deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

The enemy said, I will pursue.

I will overtake.

I will divide the spoil.

My desire shall have its fill of them.

I will draw my sword.

My hand shall destroy them.

You blew with your wind.

The sea covered them.

They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?

Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

You stretched out your right hand.

The earth swallowed them.

You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed.

You have guided them by your strength, your holy abode.

The peoples have heard.

They tremble.

Pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed.

The trembling seizes the leaders of Moab.

All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

Terror and dread fall upon them because of the greatness of your arm.

They are still as a stone till your people, O Lord, pass by.

Till the people pass by whom you have purchased.

You will bring them in and plant them on your mountain.

The place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode.

The sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

The Lord will reign forever and ever.

For when the horses of Pharaoh and his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea,

the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them.

But the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea.

Then Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand.

And all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.

And Miriam sang to them, sing to the Lord.

For he has triumphed gloriously.

The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

Let's pray as we consider this word together.

Oh, Lord God, we thank you that we can gather together Sunday after Sunday.

We can come together as your people.

We can sing praises to your name.

And Lord, best of all, we can hear your voice speaking to us from your word.

God, thank you that you're a speaking God.

Thank you that you're worthy to be praised.

Thank you that you call us out of ourselves to know you and to see you in all of your beauty and glory.

Lord, would you do that this morning as we consider this passage?

Would you help us to see you afresh in the power of your Holy Spirit?

Help us to see you, Jesus.

We pray in your name.

Amen.

Well, I wonder what, if anything, makes you want to sing?

You might be thinking, nothing makes me want to sing.

At least not in front of other people.

Maybe if I'm in the shower and no one's around.

Sometimes I think we sing just because we're happy, right?

Imagine the crowded stadium singing the home team's fight song when they've just scored the game-winning goal, right?

Some of you maybe experienced something like that.

Sometimes we sing for the very opposite reason, because we're sad.

Just think of all the great breakup songs that have been written, right?

And just think of all the times those songs have been sung behind the wheel of a lonely drive home, right?

Or in front of a laptop camera for display on YouTube or whatever have you.

You know, sometimes we sing just because it's the thing to do, right?

Out comes the cake, candles are lit, and suddenly all the guests break out into happy birthday to you without any instructions whatsoever.

It just happens because it's the thing to do.

How about when we come to church?

Too often I think we sing because it's just the thing to do.

If you're new to Christianity, if you're exploring spiritual things,

maybe it still feels a bit strange to you to stand in a room with a hundred or so people you've never met

who then just start singing together.

And if you're used to church, take a step back.

That is a bit strange if you think about it.

But it's more than just the thing we do.

There's actually a deep reason why we sing.

In fact, when you look across the whole Bible,

and church history for that matter,

you see all sorts of songs.

Songs of lament at times.

Songs when people are brokenhearted.

Songs of praise.

Songs that tell a story and frame how we understand ourselves.

We see people singing in their homes.

And we see people singing in the temple.

We see people singing even in prison cells in the Bible.

The people of God seem to be always singing.

And here in Exodus 15, we see a great example

of why.

Why?

Why do we sing?

Why can we sing?

At this point in the story of Exodus, you'll remember,

the people of Israel have just passed through the Red Sea to the other side.

And there they stand on the shore of the Red Sea.

Free.

Liberated at last.

God has rescued them from slavery.

And they sing.

And we know from Miriam's response in verse 20 and 21,

kind of at the end of the section we just read,

we know from Miriam's response that this song

that Moses teaches the people that they sing together

was meant to be sung again and again.

Notice in verse 1, look at just this little detail.

Notice that verse 1 says,

I will sing.

But now take a look at verse 21.

It becomes an invitation.

It becomes a command even.

Sing.

Miriam's words here,

calling out to the women and through the women,

to all the people,

telling them to make the theme of this song their own.

Sing.

Sing.

Telling us to make it our own.

So what is the theme of this song of the sea,

as it's sometimes called in Exodus 15?

Well, what we see here in the song of the sea

is that there's one big main point

with two practical implications.

One big point,

two implications,

two results.

First, let's take a look at what this main point

of the song of the sea is.

And when you take a look through the first,

say, 10, 11, 12 verses of this song,

you see that God is praised here.

This is a hymn of praise to God.

And God is praised here,

not just for sort of generally rescuing the people

for bringing them out of Egypt.

He's praised for something even more specific than that.

Isn't he?

This is a song of praise,

because God destroyed the Egyptian army in the sea.

Sing to the Lord for,

because he's triumphed gloriously.

The horse and the rider,

he has thrown into the sea.

In other words,

we sing

because our enemy has been conquered.

First 12 verses of the song,

God's pictured as a mighty warrior.

Verse 3,

the Lord is a man of war.

The Lord is his name.

Now, at first,

that might make us a little uncomfortable,

right?

Are we meant to be praising

some kind of angry, vindictive deity here?

Some God who just sort of flies off in a rage

and plays favorites?

What sort of God is this?

But look again,

that's not the picture here at all.

Rather,

we're singing praise to a God

who in great might

has stood up

for the oppressed

and the poor

and has become their champion.

After all,

Pharaoh and his chariots

and their riders,

the Egyptians,

they aren't coming

to say they're sorry.

Right?

They're not coming out

to say,

oh,

400 years of slavery,

you know,

let us give you a parting gift.

They're not coming out

to say they're sorry.

They're coming out to what?

To devour.

Look at verse 9.

The enemy said,

I will pursue,

I will overtake,

I will divide the spoil.

My desire shall have its fill of them.

I will draw my sword

and my hand

shall destroy them.

Pharaoh's hand,

the hand

that had held

the people of Israel

in slavery

for generations

is now set

on destroying them.

But

there's a stronger hand.

Verse 6.

Your hand,

your right hand,

oh Lord,

glorious,

in power,

your right hand,

oh Lord,

shatters the enemy.

Imagine how it must have felt

in 1945

in London

when VE Day,

Victory in Europe Day,

finally came

when Nazi Germany

finally fell.

Imagine what it must have been like

living in fear

year after year after year,

wondering

wondering when the next

bombing raid

would strike.

Wondering year after year

when the next friend

or family member

would be lost

in combat

in some ditch

far away

on the continent.

And now imagine

what it must be like

to hear the news

that there's peace,

that the enemy

has been conquered

and the war

is over.

historical accounts

of 45

in London

tell us that

more than a million

people packed

the streets

from Trafalgar Square

to Buckingham Palace.

Is it any wonder

that they rushed

into the streets

and I'm sure

they were singing

something,

God save the queen,

whatever they could think of

king at that point.

No wonder

they packed

the streets

and rejoiced.

No wonder

the Israelites

sang on the shores

of the Red Sea.

Imagine the relief,

imagine the joy

they must have felt

to look back

and say,

there's no more enemy.

He's gone.

And yet friends,

here's what we know.

we know

that there's

an even greater

victory that's been won.

An even greater

enemy that's been conquered.

You see,

in and behind

human oppression

and injustice,

deep down

in our own hearts,

there's a power

at work,

isn't there?

And this power

makes it such

that even when

we know

the right thing

to do,

we find that

we end up

not doing it.

And the things

that we know

we ought not

to do,

well,

those are the very

things we end up

doing.

Have you ever

found that

to be true?

Good.

I'm not the only

one in the room.

Who knows

what that's like?

And here's the thing,

despite telling

ourselves again

and again,

this time

it's going to be

different.

This time

it's going to be

different.

Still,

that same

inability,

that same

power at work

in us,

deep down

in our hearts

is there.

And the trouble

with this enemy

is that we

can't seem

to externalize it

and we can't seem

to separate it

from ourselves.

Right?

Pharaoh's chariots

and horsemen

are one thing,

scary,

yes,

but able to be

conquered and

God did it.

But what about

this thing

in me?

This power

that seems

to hold

on to bitterness

when I know

I should forgive.

This power

that just

wants to look

the other way

when my neighbors

are in need,

when I know

I should probably

give them a call

or show up

or offer to

just listen

and help.

this power

in me

that always

seems to want

to bend

the truth

when I know

I should be

truthful.

If the waters

of the Red Sea

were to come

crashing down

on all that,

what would be

left of me

in the process?

Wouldn't I be

swept away

with it?

So we ask,

how could God

win this victory?

How could God

conquer this enemy?

Listen to what

the Apostle Paul

says in Romans 7

reflecting

on all these

rich themes

of deliverance

and exodus.

Paul says this,

he says,

I delight in the

law of God

in my inner being,

but I see

in my members

another law

waging war

against the law

of my mind

and making me

captive

to the law

of sin

that dwells

in my members.

Wretched man

that I am,

who will deliver

me from this

body of death?

Exactly.

Who

can rescue

us from this?

But then he says,

thanks

be to God

through Jesus

Christ

our Lord.

You see,

when sin

had pursued

us

and sought

to devour

us

and when we

were held

captive

by its power,

a power that all

of us in this room

were just nodding

our heads about,

right?

When that was

the case,

Christ

stepped in

as our champion

and as our

victor.

He

bore

the worst

that sin

had to offer

on the cross.

Standing

in our place,

identifying

with us,

taking on

our flesh,

becoming

like us

in every way

and on the cross

taking on

that power

of sin

and taking

on the judgment

that it rightly

deserved.

Letting sin

and death

pour its

cascade

over him.

And then

Christ

came through

the waters

of judgment,

victorious,

risen to new

life,

such that

now sin

has no

claim on

him

and united

to him

by faith,

sin no

longer has

any claim

on those

who trust

in him.

You see,

because Christ,

our victor,

Christ,

our warrior,

Christ,

our champion,

has stepped

in and

taken hold

of us

and gone

through the

waters

and come

out,

our sins

have been

forgiven.

The old

is gone.

The new

has come.

The horse

and the rider

he has thrown

into the sea.

Sin and death

have been

defeated

and we stand

on the shore

of the new

creation.

And that's

why

we ought

to be a

singing people.

Because the

battle has

been won

through Jesus,

our king.

That's why

Paul tells

the church

in Colossi

that we read

earlier to

sing.

He says,

let the

word of

Christ

dwell in

you richly,

teaching and

admonishing one

another in

all wisdom

and singing.

Singing

psalms and

hymns and

spiritual songs

with thankfulness

in your hearts

to God.

With thankfulness

for the word

of Christ,

for the gospel,

for the good

news that in

his grace,

God's forgiven

our sins and

triumphed over

death.

But here's

the thing,

it's not just

now that

we'll sing

this song.

It's actually

a song we'll

sing for

eternity.

It's very

interesting,

Revelation

Revelation 15 · chapter mention

chapter 15,

at the very

end of the

Bible,

says,

and they

sing the

song of

Moses,

the servant

of God,

and the

song of

the Lamb

saying,

great and

amazing are

your deeds,

O Lord

God Almighty.

you see,

this theme

that in

Jesus God

has conquered

our greatest

enemies and

set us

free,

this song

of deliverance,

this song

of salvation,

this song

of praise

on the shores

of the Red

Sea,

that is a

song that

the church

is going to

sing forever

with thanksgiving

in our hearts

to the Lord.

Now,

this does not

mean that

the people of

God,

that the church

never sing

songs of

lament.

It never

means that

we never

sing songs

of crying

out for help.

We sing all

of those songs,

don't we?

And yet,

running like

a current

underneath

is this

new song,

this song

of the sea

that the

horse and

the rider

God has

thrown into

the sea

for us.

You know,

this is the

good news

of the gospel,

friends.

You know,

I think most

of us,

most of our

friends,

most of our

neighbors,

you know,

underneath the

sort of

busyness of

life,

there's,

I mean,

if we're honest,

isn't there

just a quiet

rumble

of despair?

Just a

quiet,

gnawing

sense

that the

bottom's

gonna drop

out

at some

point.

You're only

gonna live

so long.

That the

sort of

tones

that are

played

underneath

every

moment of

life,

even the

joyful

moments,

end up

being a

tone of

sadness.

And yet,

here the

gospel comes

in and

says,

oh no,

that's not

the song

that underlies

everything else.

let me

take that

song of

despair from

you and

give you a

song,

give you a

hymn of

praise,

give you a

song of

victory and

triumph that

will run like a

current under all

of your sadness,

under all of your

hardship and your

moments of joy and

your moments of

struggle.

Come take this

song,

because he's done

it.

Christ is risen,

the horse and the

rider he's thrown

into the sea.

Now as Moses

continues this

song on the

shore of the

Red Sea,

he begins to

sing that of

two kind of

results or

implications.

He sort of,

he looks back

and says,

look at what

God has done,

they've sunk

like a stone.

God blew his

nose and

destroyed our

enemies.

That's one of

the only sermons

I remember from

growing up,

by the way,

in the church

that I grew up

in.

The pastor

gave a sermon

called,

what happens

when God

blows his

nose?

And it was

on this

text.

Did you

catch that?

Now I'm

sure there's

someone who

will be the

only sermon

they ever

remember here

at Trinity.

This is

God,

this is our

God,

he's so

great,

he's so

amazing,

he's like

you,

oh God.

So Moses

sort of looks

back and

then he

looks ahead

and he

sings of

two kind

of results,

two implications

of the fact

that God

has triumphed

over his

enemies.

And the

first is

this,

that the

surrounding

nations

will fear

God.

Look again

at verses

14 through

16,

in the

song of

the sea

here.

Those names,

if you're not

familiar with

those,

those are

nations in

and around

the promised

land where

God is

eventually going

to take

his people.

And Moses

says that

they're going

to hear what

God has

done and

they're going

to tremble.

God is

to hear what

God is

God is

a God

who saves

and God

saves in

such a

mighty way

that the

nations will

see his

greatness

and worship

him.

Of course,

in the Old

Testament,

we see only

a shadow

of what this

means.

But when

the New

Testament,

when the

New Covenant

comes,

that has

unfolded in

all of its

fullness.

I've been

reading the

book of Acts

recently in

just some of

my personal

prayer time.

And don't

you see there

that people

from all

nations don't

just hear about

Israel's God,

but they come

to trust and

believe in

Jesus,

Israel's

Messiah.

They come

to trust and

believe in

him as the

world's true

Savior and

Lord.

The nations

now aren't

just trembling

because they

heard of this

mighty deed,

but now they're

trembling in

worship and

love as they

take this

God as

their own.

Moses was

helping the

people of

Israel to

see here,

something I

think is

very important

for us.

He was

helping the

people to

see and to

sing right

here on the

shore of the

Red Sea that

if God had

defeated the

Egyptians behind

them,

then the

nations in

front of

them wouldn't

ultimately be

able to undo

them either.

If God had

defeated the

enemies behind

you, the

enemies in

front of you

won't be able

to conquer

you either.

And it's

true for us

today.

If Jesus has

defeated sin

and death, if

God has made

us his children

and called us

his own, what

is there really

to fear in

what lies

ahead?

God has

to fear in

God.

Of course, this

isn't saying

that we ought

to be triumphalist.

After all, between

the Red Sea and

the Promised Land,

what is there?

There's a

wilderness.

And in that

wilderness, there's

going to be hunger

and thirst and

there are nations

waiting to attack.

There are hardships

ahead.

But here in this

song, if the

greatest enemy has

already been sunk

in the sea, then

we need not be

afraid.

So the first

result is that

the nations will

fear God.

And the second

result is that

God will bring

his people safely

to his dwelling

place.

We see this in

verse 13 and

verse 17.

Let me read

those two verses

again for us.

You have led

in your steadfast

love the

people whom

you have

redeemed.

You have

guided them by

your strength

to your holy

abode.

You will bring

them in and

plant them on

your own

mountain.

This place, O

Lord, which you

have made for

your abode, the

sanctuary, O

Lord, which your

hands have

established.

We saw this at

the very start of

our series in

Exodus, didn't

we?

That God saves

in order to

dwell in our

midst.

God rescues

us so that he

can be with

us.

That the God

of the Bible

is a God who

comes into

intimate relationship

with his people.

He's a God who

comes near, so

near that he

even dwells in

our midst.

And that

dwelling has a

future.

The future for

the people of

Israel was a

home in the

land of Canaan.

And eventually

the temple that

Solomon would build

would be the

place where God's

glory dwelt in

their midst.

But you see, the

land and the

temple, that was

just a signpost of

an even greater

dwelling place that

God has in store

for his people.

That was just a

picture of what

was to come.

The Apostle

Peter writes in

his second letter

that according to

God's promise,

we're waiting for

a new heavens and

a new earth in

which righteousness

dwells.

The promised

land of the

Old Testament

was just a

picture of a

pointer to what

God promises to

do for the

whole creation.

To cover it with

his glory as the

waters cover the

sea.

To dwell with his

people and make

all things new.

That it wouldn't

just be a little

patch of earth in

Palestine, but it

would be the whole

earth made new.

You see, the song

of the church,

friends, is a

song of victory

in what Jesus has

done, and it's a

song of confidence

in what he's doing

now in the midst of

the wilderness, but

it's also a song of

hope in what he

will do.

That if Jesus has

conquered sin and

death, then

ultimately he will

bring us safely

home, that he will

return in glory, and

all the earth will

be liberated from

evil and injustice,

sickness, and

death.

And as verse 18

says, the Lord will

reign forever and

ever.

So what, if

anything, makes you

want to sing?

The song of Moses,

as Miriam tells us,

as an invitation.

I wonder, friends,

can you sing verse

two?

Look at that verse.

The Lord is my

strength and my

song, and he has

become my salvation.

This is my God, and I

will praise him.

That's very personal,

isn't it?

my strength.

My strength, my

strength, my song, my

salvation, my God.

That's what it means to

become a Christian, to

look to Jesus Christ,

crucified and risen,

seated at God's right

hand, the very Son of

God, and to say to him,

you are my strength and

my song.

You, Lord, are my

salvation.

You are my God.

To entrust yourself

completely to him.

That's what he calls us

to do, even now.

And once you've taken

that step, once you've

made that decision, once

you can sing that as

your song, Jesus tells us

that the next step is to

make a public profession

in baptism.

baptism.

Baptism is something that

Jesus commands, and it

essentially says, I'm

identifying with Christ.

He is my salvation.

He is my strength.

He is my song.

He is my God.

And there's nothing I'm

holding back from him.

I'm going to get totally

wet.

Baptism says that he,

Jesus, has gone through

the waters of judgment for

me.

He's died and risen again,

and through faith in him,

I've come to new life as

well.

Friends, I wonder if you're

here this morning and you

can sing verse two to God,

to Christ.

Have you been baptized?

Are you ready to take on the

joy of stepping into the

waters of baptism and be

reminded and be powerfully

encouraged by what God has

done and this gift that he

gives you to be publicly

proclaiming your union with

him?

Well, this morning we're going

to invite Geneva and we're

going to invite Tricia to come

on up, and they're going to

do just that.

They're going to tell us what

God has done in their life,

how they've come to know

Christ, and then they're

going to step into the

waters and get baptized.

The elders have met with

both Tricia and Geneva, and

we've affirmed their

profession of faith, and it's

our privilege to bring them

forward for baptism.

So let me invite them to

come on up.

They're going to share their

stories, and then we'll sing,

and then we'll celebrate

baptism together.

And as they come on up,

let me pray for us.

Oh, great God, we give you

thanks that there is a hymn

of praise that rumbles

throughout history and has

met us even here.

Thank you for our Lord Jesus

Christ who has won the

victory over sin and death.

Thank you for bringing us

onto the shores of the new

creation in him.

Lord, you are our strength,

and you are our song, and we

praise you.

Lord, we pray all this in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

So Geneva, why don't you

come on up, and why don't

you share with us your story?

Good morning, church.

Good morning.

So several times throughout

the Bible, God promises to

show mercy to the descendants

of those who love him.