Sing to the Lord

Have you ever considered why God’s people sing? From the outside, it may seem strange that a regular practice of God’s people when they meet together is singing. Outside of the church, there aren’t many places this occurs. Maybe the crowd sings along with a band at a concert or maybe friends sing their favorite songs together or maybe you sing aloud in the shower. Corporate singing though appears to be unique. Let’s see what we can learn about why God’s people sing, what they sing, and to whom they sing from the first recorded song in Scripture. This is the song of Moses in Exodus 15 and these notes were adapted from the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary.  

The Lord Is Worthy of Praise (15:1–21)

This song of praise is magnificent! It is the first song in the Bible. Apparently Moses penned it right after the deliverance. Notice just a few truths about it.

Everyone Should Sing to the Lord

Moses and all the people sang of the Lord’s triumph. Miriam went out with all the women and sang of His glorious triumph with dancing and a tambourine (vv. 20–21)! Everyone was singing because everyone had been rescued.

Every believer should sing to the Lord, not because they have a good voice, but because of what God has done for them! Praise is the natural response from those who have experienced God’s grace. The exodus was the most important event in the Bible until the cross. What did they do after it? Sing! That is what saved people do. This pattern continues throughout the Bible all the way to Revelation 5, where we see everyone worshiping the Lamb who redeemed a people with His blood. The Song of Moses is similar to other songs or psalms in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Examples include

• Deborah and Barak’s song in response to victory over Sisera and Jabin of Canaan (Judg 5:1–31);
• Hannah’s song at the birth of Samuel (1 Sam 2:1–10);
• Mary’s response to the angel’s news and Elizabeth’s greeting (Luke 1:46–55); and
• Zechariah’s prophecy after the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:68–79).

The exodus song is rich with lyrics, as are the other songs in the Bible. We have no melody for these songs, but we have the words. That shows us how important the lyrics are in music. Here they were narrating God’s work: His mercy and His judgment. This is important. It is not just “mood music.” It is a good model for reminding yourself of God’s redeeming grace. Songs help us remember. Songs are portable theology. Everyone should sing from their heart to the Savior for the great deliverance they have received.

Sing about Him and to Him

It is difficult to outline the structure of this song. It has been done various ways by different scholars. One way to look at it is like this: In verses 1–5 and 18 the song is about God, and in verses 6–17 the song is sung to God. Notice the shift in verse 6 to “You.” We sing about who God is, and we sing to Him, personally, in worship, expressing to Him our love for Him and gratitude for His salvation.

Sing of His Glory and His Salvation

This song talks about who God is, what He has done, and what He will do as God and Savior.

God’s Glory. This song tells of the splendor of God and His attributes. First, we see the name of God. “Yahweh is His name” (v. 3). Here there are clear echoes of chapter 3, where God revealed His name to Moses. God is self-existent and self-sufficient.

Second, we see God is the personal God. He is “my strength and my song” and “my salvation” (v. 2). You can know this same God. The exact representation of Him is found in Jesus (Heb 1:3).

Third, God is the covenant-keeping God. Moses described Him as “my father’s God” (v. 2). Just as God demonstrated His power and glory in the past, so He does now.

Fourth, God is a warrior (v. 3). God will reign triumphantly over all His enemies, as He did over Pharaoh (vv. 4–10, 12, 14-16). Throughout the Bible God was opposing the enemies of Israel or, at times, opposing Israel themselves. Then at the cross God was in Christ triumphing over our greatest enemies. In Revelation we see that He will return to triumph over Satan (Rev 20:7–10).

Fifth, God is unique. “Who is like You among the gods?” (v. 11) Moses asked. These words are echoed in Psalms 86:8 and 89:6. God is without peer. He is incomparable and utterly unique.

Finally, God is loving. “You have redeemed with Your faithful love” (v. 13). In God’s great grace and mercy, He rescues and leads us.

Salvation and Redemption

God’s Salvation. This song also highlights the greatness of God’s salvation. He is sovereign over salvation. God was not acting arbitrarily in all of this; He was working out His sovereign purposes, leading His people out to His holy abode (v. 13). And all the kings of the nations would be silent when God would bring His people to His sanctuary (v. 17). Notice how they sang in faith about future events as if they had happened already! It would be a hard, complicated journey to Canaan, but they were singing of the Lord’s triumph (v. 15).

God also redeems. Here again is that wonderful word “redeem” (v. 13). The song’s reference to God’s redemption points back to 6:6. Redeem (ga’al) means to “reacquire” or “get back for oneself” or “buy back” (see 6:6; Ps 74:2; 77:15; 106:10; Isa 41:14; 52:9; 62:12). Christ did not redeem us with money but with His own blood (1 Pet 1:19). He rescued us from our awful situation with the payment of His life. In addition, the text says that Yahweh is going to bring Israel to His “dwelling” (v. 17). Stuart summarizes this verse:

“A grand theme of Scripture appears at this point in the song. Even though God has graciously come at various times and ways—most fully in Christ—to the place where we live, it has always been God’s plan that his people should, because of the work of Christ, eventually join him where he lives. The story of ancient Israel mirrors this. God called them out of where they had been born and had been living (Egypt), bound them to himself in a covenant (at Sinai and again in Deuteronomy), and then led them to his holy dwelling (Israel/Jerusalem/the temple). The same sort of thing happens in Christ, yet on a greater and more lasting scale. God calls those who believe in him out of where they have been born and are living (earth), binds them to himself in a (new) covenant (by believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord), and then leads them to his holy dwelling (heaven).”

The Lord will also reign forever (v. 18). This is an obvious note about the eternal nature of God’s salvation. Gloriously, John the apostle heard God’s people in heaven singing “the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb” (Rev 15:3), a song which is new, but is as old as the exodus!

“Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations. Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name? Because You alone are holy, for all the nations will come and worship before You because Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Revelation 15:3–4

Indeed, we have experienced the greater exodus. And we shall forever sing His praise. Our souls will forever say, “There is no one like You, O God!”

Leave a comment – What is your favorite song melody? What are your favorite Christian praise or hymn lyrics? How do good lyrics teach good theology?

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