But even here below, and now, true believers ought to imitate the people of Israel on the shores of the Red Sea, and say with them, "The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him." The deliverance of Israel was doubtless most marvellous, but yet it is but a little thing when compared with the great deliverance through which we hope to have part in eternal life. Ah! the more we meditate on this song, the more it will touch our hearts by making us think of our own deliverance. And if we are true believers, and if Jesus is our Saviour, we have the same eight reasons that the Israelites had for singing the song of praise. 1. Like them, we have been delivered from a terrible danger. It was the danger of death,-not of the body, for that is comparatively nothing, as our Lord has said,1 but of the soul; that is to say, condemnation, alienation from God, a whole eternity passed "in outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth; the fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries."2 2. Like the Israelites, we have been delivered from inevitable danger. There is no way of escape—no salvation in any other than in the Lord Jesus Christ: "there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” 3 He alone can enable us to escape from the fearful ruin to which we are exposed. 3. We have been delivered from a universal danger. Indeed, we are all by nature under condemnation. "There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” 4 1 Matt. x. 28. 2 Matt. viii. 12; Heb. x. 27. 3 Acts iv. 12. 4 Rom. iii. 22. 4. We have been delivered by most glorious marvels. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God," exclaims the apostle John.1 These things are so sublime and so marvellous, that the angels desire to look into them.2 5. We have been delivered notwithstanding our sins; for "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 3 6. Like Israel, we have been delivered all together. Not one of the chosen people of God will be missing; the youngest child, the most despised, the most forgotten of men, if he has put his trust in the Lord, will not perish; the angels will come to carry him, as they did Lazarus, into Abraham's bosom.4 7. God has saved us without any strength of our own, for we were incapable of doing anything. "I have trodden the winepress alone," 5 saith the Saviour by the mouth of Isaiah. "When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly," says the apostle Paul. He obeyed for us, he has borne our sins, he has accomplished all the work of our salvation. 6 8. Lastly, our deliverance has been accompanied, like that of the Israelites, with glorious promises. The Lord will guide us with his counsel, and afterward he will receive us to glory. He will be our strength, because he has been our Saviour."8"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Thou in thy mercy has led forth the people which thou hast 3 Rom. v. 8. 6 Rom. v. 6. 1 1 John iii. 1. 2 4 Luke xvi. 22. 1 Pet. i. 12. 5 Isa. lxiii. 3. redeemed. If any be in Christ, Christ will be his Guardian, his Shepherd, his Leader, his Comforter, his All; his prayers will be heard, his sorrows will be relieved, and the day will come when every tear will be wiped away from his eyes.1 Is it not, then, true that we have as much reason, and indeed greater reason, to repeat the song of Moses? Oh, let us sing with our hearts the praise of our God while we are here below. Let us say like Israel, "I will prepare him an habitation: he is my father's God, and I will exalt him." Thus, we shall be in a state of mind to continue with courage and with love our journey through the wilderness, and afterwards we shall be among those who shall sing eternal songs of praise in the heavenly Canaan. God himself has taught us that this grand scene and this song of deliverance are intended to represent our redemption by Christ Jesus. In the visions of the future which God gave to the apostle John, and which he has related in the book of Revelation, the redeemed are represented as standing, as it were, on a "sea of glass" (which will never be agitated by any storm). In their hands they have the harps of God; "and they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." 2 1 Rev. vii. 17. 2 Rev. XV. 3. XXXII. The Bitter Waters. (EXODUS XV. 12-27.) KON the preceding chapter we considered the situation of the Israelites as they stood singing a glorious song of triumph. Alas! in what a different state of mind we find them when, after having suffered thirst in the desert, they reached the twelve fountains of water and the seventy palm trees at Elim. On the shore of the Red Sea all their voices resounded with joy, all their hearts throbbed with gratitude. No more bondage nor suffering, no more threats, nor violence, nor murders; no more anguish nor terrors, no more tears. Who would not have believed that their gratitude must be unbounded? Should we not have thought that they would gladly have gone onwards with this joy, confidence, and love in their hearts? Alas! behold them at Marah, only fifteen leagues distant. They had had but three days of marching and of suffering, and already they had distrusted the faithfulness of God, had complained and murmured, not against God, it is true, but against Moses, which was in truth the same thing. Here is a great lesson for us all. But first let us finish the consideration of the remaining verses of the song. To understand these verses well, we must recall to mind the train of thoughts which are there expressed. There are three feelings and three holy impressions. 1. A holy resolution. "The Lord is my strength. I will prepare him an habitation. is become my salvation, I will exalt him."1 He 2. A holy admiration. "The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name. Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power." 3. A holy confidence. Lord, among the gods? "Who is like unto thee, O Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation." In verse 14, the Israelites declare that, after such a victory, they have no reason to fear anything. God will fight for them, God will lead them on from victory to victory, to the land of Canaan, which he has promised to their fathers. "The people shall hear, and be afraid sorrow shall take hold" of the Philistines, or inhabitants of Palestina. Edom, or the Idumeans, shall be amazed, trembling shall take hold of the mighty men of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. All the people whom Israel had to combat shall be rendered powerless. "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, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased." And this was exactly what happened, as we read in the book of Joshua. Forty years later, when spies, sent forth by the tribes of Israel went to Jericho, Rahab concealed them upon the roof of her house. And before they 1 Exod. xv. 2. |