WHEN we read those parts of the Bible which relate history, we are struck not only with the things which God has chosen to record, but also with the fact that God has chosen not to tell us things which men very much desire to know. For instance, God has given us various details about the Pharaohs who lived during the time of Israel’s sojourn in Egypt, by means of which we can almost see the very men spoken of; yet God has not told us the particular names of those men. Hence learned persons are not at all agreed amongst themselves which of the Pharaohs the monarch was who perished in the Red Sea.
Again, God has recorded with great minuteness many things respecting the deliverance of Noah and his sons at the time of the flood, but God does not tell us how thankful they were when they found themselves safe, and shut in the ark! But in Israel’s case God tells us about their fears and their cries, and what they said before their deliverance, and after they were saved God records their song of praise, and how Moses, the man of God, sang it, and how Miriam, his sister, led the women of Israel in answering, joy with timbrels and dances.
We may be very sure that there is deep reason in this minute record of this great song. Besides, though the world had gone on for many hundreds of years, never in the Holy Book is there given one single song up to this. And more, in all the records which the world possesses, there is not to be found one single chorus older than that of Israel’s on the liberty side of the Red Sea! It is the first great song mentioned in the history of man! And a marvelous song it is; a nation born in a day sang it; 600,000 lifted up their voices in mighty chorus to the God Jehovah.
There had been singing in the religious services of Egypt which Israel had heard, and the women of Israel had witnessed music dances, one of such dances this picture from the monuments instances, for there you can see the women and children with their branches and musical instruments. But, we repeat, never before in the world’s history had there been a triumph such as that upon the borders of the Red Sea.
And this oldest of songs is also that which the believer of this day sings in spirit, when he knows truly what redemption is. Redemption is the title to sing this song. It is for young as well as old; and thus its sweet strain, “The Lord hath triumphed,” arises from all our hearts who know what God has done for us. The redeemed do not wish to rejoice save in what He has done, and cannot but rejoice in His glorious work for them.
The prophetess Miriam, and the women of Israel, took up the first words of the song which the men sang: “Sing ye to Jehovah, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.” Perhaps they broke in at every pause in the song, or it may be they only “answered them” at the end of each of the three great parts of it. These are verses 2-5; 6-10; 11-18; ch. 15.
Let us ask if we can truly sing, “The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation.” Oh! it is such a joy to rejoice thus; to be assured of His saving power, and to know that it is ours. Then the heart is drawn out to desire even in this world to prepare a habitation for Him. For we desire to have God dwelling with us, when we know that He has saved us. And, as Israel sang, so full salvation is perfect deliverance from all enemies, and from all fear of them. The smallest child amongst the ten thousands of Israel feared the great Pharoah no more, for he and his might were at the bottom of the Red Sea, and as still as a stone. Gone forever.
Now, Satan is a worse foe to us than was Pharaoh to Israel, and it is no wonder that we sing when we know that God has redeemed us and delivered us forever from the power of the enemy. Let us, then, raise our voices and answer, “Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously.”
The glory of God is manifested in the salvation of His people. His power is greater than Satan’s, and those who rise up against God’s people, let them be ever so strong, rise up against God.
Pharaoh imagined that he could pluck Israel out of Jehovah’s hand. God’s way of deliverance was quite unexpected, it was through the sea of death, His salvation for them was by the very walls of water which overwhelmed their enemy. And so it is for us, we are brought into perfect safety by the death and resurrection of Christ; no power of Satan can reach God’s people beyond death that is the boundary of His dominion, but over that boundary we have passed in Christ, who is risen from the dead.
It will be an awful thing for any who knows the truth of judgment to come, to go down, as did the hosts of Pharoah, in their own strength, into the dark waters. Let us whose consciences have trembled at the thought of judgment to come; but who know that Christ has borne the judgment for us, lift up our voices as we think of God’s salvation, and answer, “Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously.”
The third part of the song is perhaps the most beautiful of it all. To begin with, the Lord’s holiness is rejoiced in, and none but those who are redeemed can do this. Men of the world will speak of God’s goodness, but His holiness is the delight of His people alone.
Was it presumptuous to say, “Thou hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed”? It would have been the boldness of unbelief to question their perfect redemption; it is humble faith which sings to God for His redemption, and all His people from the youngest to the oldest can join in this song. There was one way of salvation for all Israel, whether for the princes, or for the little children. God has not two ways of saving us.
And when they sang, “Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation,” they praised God as if their journey across the wilderness was over, or rather, as if they would never have any journey at all! And so it is to faith now, for there are many, and little children, too, who rejoice before God because of His purpose to bring all His own safe to His home.
When we come to the end of the song, Israel looked on to the time when they should assemble around the holy place and worship Him in Canaan. What a bright day that was for Israel when they were not only out of Egypt, but in the happy land! Ah! dear young friends, we, too, look on to the bright time, when all God’s people shall be safe at home in heaven. Surrounding God with perfect joy, when we shall every one have reached the place where God dwells, where all is joy forever. Where sin and sorrow shall never come, and where the Lord shall reign forever and ever. May we all meet there. And every one who is redeemed shall do so. As we think of that day, let our hearts answer, “Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.”
H. F. W.