Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:26-27

26 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.

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.

Along with the tree that healed the bitter waters, God gave the Israelites a covenant that He would heal them and keep them from the plagues of Egypt, so long as they obeyed His commandments. This making of covenants out in the wilderness brings to mind a similar scene with their namesake, Jacob/Israel, after he had fled the home of his birth and was on his way to a new land. It seems being out in the wild, untethered from all prior patterns and support is an ideal place to establish new commitments with God. When an individual or a people are at their lowest and barest is when God can finally pour a new foundation in their heart.

I also want to draw attention to the different ways that Israel is commanded to follow God. They are to “hearken to the voice of the Lord,” then “do that which is right in his sight.” This is then repeated in another way as, “give ear to his commandments,” and then “keep all his statues.” Twice we are shown that the pattern for obeying is both listening/hearkening, as well as doing/keeping. There is an element of discovering God’s will, and an element of doing it. And make no mistake, it is His will. “Do that which is right in his sight,” was the command, not what is right in our sight, or according to our own biased interpretation of His will. None of us can do any good if it isn’t God’s good.

Then, after offering this covenant to Israel, God then gave them a great gift: twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. A literal oasis in the desert, a flowing refuge from the thirst that had troubled them, a sign that God was more than equipped to care for their every need. If Israel would bring the faithful obedience, God would bring all the healing, life-sustaining waters.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:25

25 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,

In the previous verses Israel had found themselves without any fresh water, and had murmured to Moses, asking what they were supposed to drink. I compared this to the sinner who leaves the enslavement of his vices, only to find himself in a hard and trying world, with none of his old coping mechanisms to soothe his aches.

In verse 25 we hear God’s solution, which is that He had planted a tree, and when the tree was cut down and cast into the waters it counteracted the bitterness, making the water sweet to the Israelites. I do wonder whether “bitter” and “sweet” are only referring to the taste of the water, or whether “bitter” actually “poisonous” and “sweet” actually “safe to drink.”

To me, the symbolism of this moment is clear. Consider that the tree was apparently able to draw in the bitter waters that the Israelites could not drink and still remain live, but by its death it also sustained life for all the people. Christ is the tree that is able to take in all the bitterness, all the sin and evil, of this world. He takes it into his own person and remains perfect, yet he was cut down and killed, buried in the waters of death, and by his virtue dispelled the curse of mortality for us all. He takes all of our trials and travails and sweetens them, counteracting their effects by providing forgiveness for sin and resurrection from death. All wrongs are made right in him, all setbacks are made to our own benefit.

Going back to the idea of the addict beset by the afflictions that normally would cause him to relapse, recovery is found through a higher power that makes the intolerable tolerable. Surrendering the bitter moments to the group, the sponsor, and the higher power causes them to lose their power. The bitterness is taken out of the pain and what remains is a growing opportunity. The addict finds respite and soothing through this new process, and he is able to continue onward, not going back to the comfort of his old slavers.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:22-24

22 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.

23 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.

24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

There was a rich symbolism in the plagues that befell Egypt, each one corresponding to the effects of sin upon mankind, mirroring the natural consequences that we face for our evil deeds. Unsurprisingly, that same rich symbolism is present in the account of Israel’s journey into the wilderness. As we encounter each setback the Israelites faced, hear their reaction to it, and see God’s solution, I will pay close attention to how it is a type for the hardships that we, who are faithful, also face in our journeys.

Indeed, if there is any lesson to be learned from the stories of Israel in the wilderness, it is that hardship is not only for the wicked. Yes, the Egyptians received a singular sort of suffering for their crimes, but the Israelites would be tried by fire as well!

And so, in today’s verses, the Israelites found themselves finally free, out on their own, but there wasn’t any water to be found. They pressed on a little further, and there the water was bitter, so much so that they could not drink of it.

As a person who has been a slave of addiction, and associated with many others in the same boat, I have seen the euphoria that befalls a freed soul when he leaves his captor by making a confession of his sins. All at once, that man is out of the place he thought he would never leave, just like the Israelites, and he is sure that the worst is behind him. But now he faces the world without his drug of choice. He still faces difficult relationships, financial pressure, feelings of inadequacy, long spells of boredom, and he has none of his sinful wine to slake his thirst. He is in the bare, open desert, a man alone, and he can see no water.

Then the man might murmur to his mentor, much like Israel did to Moses, “well what am I supposed to do now?” Our slave masters might have been evil, but they also provided a structure that protected us from the harshness of the world. Who will protect and provide for us now?

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:20-21

20 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.

21 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.

We have not heard of Miriam since she followed baby Moses floating down the river as a baby (the common assumption being that Miriam was the unnamed sister in that story). Now we hear that she had grown to be a prophetess in her own right, and apparently a leader of women. At her example, all of the women joined in music and song and dance. I would assume the song that they sang was the same one we were given over the last nineteen verses.

I find something very appropriate in it being the voices of women that sang praises for the miraculous avoidance of war. War is antithetical to the female instinct to put down roots and build a home. War undoes the miracle of life that emerges from the body of the woman. War and womanhood are completely at odds to one another, so it is very fitting that it was the voices of women praising that war, itself, had been defeated that day.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:18-19

18 The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

19 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.

Today we reach the end of the song. Israel observes that “the Lord shall reign forever,” and their justification for that claim is that He has already proved Himself stronger than the chariots of Pharaoh, and also able to preserve His people, Israel. In essence the argument is that God is mightier than the greatest power in the world, so He shall reign, and He has even shown power over life and death, so that reign will never die.

Verse 19 once again contrasts the differences in experience that befell the Egyptians and the Israelites. They each tried to walk the same path, the passage through the sea, but they came to two completely opposite outcomes. The Egyptians ventured forth with ill purpose of heart, and so were destroyed by that path. The Israelites moved forward in obedience to God’s commands, and so they were saved by that path. We learn from this that God’s way is both a way of salvation and damnation, depending on the state of the soul that walks along it.

Israel’s song is either a song of hope or warning, depending on the sincerity of your heart. By all means, come and join the throng of believers and see the miracles of God lift and preserve you, but only if you are sincerely turning your life over to Him, otherwise you will come to a terrible end!

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:14-16

14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.

15 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.

16 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.

Sandwiched between two verses that speak of God’s salvation of Israel, we have the contrasting description of fear being invoked in the hearts of every pagan nation. This structure seems to convey a message that Israel would have peace, but it would come by the destruction of their enemies at the hand of the Lord. The dissolution of evil is the core of peace for the righteous.

Throughout these verses we hear that Palestine, Edom, Moab, and all the other inhabitants of Canaan would be made to feel afraid, sorrowful, amazed, trembling, and dread. In other words, every enemy of the Lord would be given to every negative emotion. Bold words from the Israelites, a people not known for any military prowess since Abraham rescued Lot hundreds of years earlier! But having a military mismatch and being outnumbered didn’t really matter. This song was not saying that these pagan nations would be put to fright by Israel, but “by the greatness of thine arm, O Lord.”

I wonder whether the Israelites understood yet that they would be the tool in the Lord’s hands for this particular work. They had just witnessed what things He could do by commanding the winds, the heavens, and the sea, but did they realize that He would be commanding them, too? It would, even as they say here in this song, be God’s work, and by His hand, but it would be done by His arm becoming flesh through them.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:13, 17

13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.

17 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 song shifts, at least temporarily, from describing the destruction of the Egyptians to the salvation of the Israelites. It has two verses dedicated to their redemption, though in between them are three verses describing the fear and fame of the Lord that will spread through every other kingdom.

These two verses speak of God redeeming the people of Israel, guiding them, bringing them in, and planting them in their new home. They are expressing great care and attendance from the Lord, His presence actively and constantly helping them.

There is also a prevailing notion of Israel coming into the abode of God. They are being brought to his “holy habitation,” God “shalt bring them in,” they are planted “in the mountain of thine inheritance,” and kept “in the Sanctuary.” Remember that in verse 2 of this song Israel promised to create a habitation for the Lord, and now they are describing being brought into His home, thus creating a reciprocal balance: His home within their home within their home within His home, a cycle without end. John would describe the same state in 1 John 4:13 when he wrote, “we dwell in him, and he in us.” The Israelites are describing a closeness with God that is more enmeshed and intimate than any other relationship one can possibly have, the ultimate relationship that we are all meant to seek for.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:9-12

9 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.

10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

The song now shifts to focus on another aspect of God’s conquering of the Egyptian army. Here the will of the Pharaoh’s charioteers is described in opposition to the Lord’s. The desire of the enemy was to pursue, to attack, to spoil, to satisfy a blood lust, and to destroy the people of Israel. Furthermore, in verse 11 reference is made to “the gods,” meaning the false idols that Egypt worshipped and gave credit for their high station in the world.

But all this intention and power was for naught. Against Egypt’s will and Egypt’s gods there stood the Lord. Notice the descriptions of what happened to Egypt in verses 10 and 12: “they sank as lead in the mighty waters,” and “the earth swallowed them.” Their defiant will was “swallowed” in the Lord’s. Their once-great strength was “sunk” by the strong tides of the Almighty.

False doctrines and mortal power may prevail for a time, campaigns may continue for a while, but in the end all other powers and desires will ultimately be swallowed up in the Lord’s. Even the most defiant reviler of God today will one day bow the knee and confess with the lips. All rebellion will be “covered,” all pride will by “sunk,” all faithlessness will be “swallowed.” All that will remain is the Lord.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:6-8

6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

7 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.

8 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 previous three verses established the simple facts of what happened at the Red Sea, today’s verses now add vivid imagery and artistry. The enemy wasn’t just drowned in the sea, they were “dashed in pieces,” and “consumed as stubble.” The water didn’t just withdraw to the side and then collapse back into place, it was gathered together by “the blast of the nostrils,” and it “stood upright as an heap,” and finally “congealed in the heart of the sea.”

Reading these parts of the song one has the image of sudden, dramatic destruction. It paints a picture of large movements happening sharply. This was no war of attrition, no gradual wearing down. Pharaoh’s will had been progressively broken by the gradual succession of plagues in Egypt, but the final scene in his story was one of immediate devastation. In a single moment, the charioteers were turned from the assailants to the victims.

And verse 6 makes perfectly clear that the hinge by which this sudden, dramatic turn came was the hand of the Lord. It was “become glorious in power,” not because it had obtained a power that it had lacked previously, but because this was the first time that power and glory was perceived so fully.

The miracles in Egypt had tended to follow a gradual, natural process. The plagues had primarily been ushered in by understandable means, such as slowly being blown in by a wind “from the east.” They were forewarned of and prepared for, and were for the most part situations that people actually already saw in their daily lives, just not to such extreme lengths and not all in the same year. The parting and collapsing of the Red Sea, on the other hand, was something immediate, unannounced, and unlike anything that had been seen before. This was what made it so momentous as to be worthy of a song!

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:3-5

3 The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.

5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

The next three verses of song are short and to the point. First, we are told “the Lord is a man of war.” Admittedly, this is a role of God that we often forget in today’s sanitized/effeminate Christianity. John Eldredge has written extensively how our culture has lost the truth that our Lord is a warrior. In his book, Wild at Heart, Eldredge says, “Jesus is no ‘capon priest,’ no pale-faced altar boy with his hair parted in the middle, speaking softly, avoiding confrontation….He is the lord of hosts, the captain of angel armies.”

That isn’t to say that the Lord lacks warmth, compassion, and tenderness for His chosen people. He is capable of being both gentle to the innocent and fierce to the guilty. What the Israelites saw on the banks of the Red Sea was that fierceness of God, and they were so in awe of it that they repeated it over and over in their song!

Verses 4 and 5 recount in short manner the way that Pharaoh and his men were “drowned in the Red sea.” The statement “they sank into the bottom as a stone,” sounds to me like a derision. They were heavy, dull, and useless, judged by the water to be unfit of ascension, and so hastily condemned to the depths instead.

These three verses have related the pure and simple facts, with very little embellishment. Now, in the next set of verses, the drama of the situation will be better conveyed with more flowery and expressive statements. This song is laying out the experience in layers: facts first, flair following.