Spontaneous Praise


Exodus 15:1-21
1Then 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.
2The 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 him.
3The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.
4“Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.
6Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
7In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
8At 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.
9The 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.’
10You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
12You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.
13“You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
16Terror 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.
17You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
18The Lord will reign forever and ever.”
19For when the horses of Pharaoh with 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.
20Then 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.
21 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.”

Once again, put yourself into the shoes of the Children of Israel. They have just experienced a mighty victory because of the power of the Lord God. They have miraculously crossed the Red Sea on dry ground and watched their enemies literally disappear. Their response? They immediately break into song and give praise to God for what He has done for them. It is an appropriate response!

I think that we can take some instruction about the praise aspect of our relationship with God. The words of this “song” don’t say anything to God that He doesn’t already know. He was there. He was the one “who threw the horse and rider into the sea.” But by singing these words back to Him the Hebrews are acknowledging that He is one who saved them. He is the one who snatched them out of an impossible situation. They retell the story of His miraculous power to care for His people.

I confess that sometimes I run out of things to say when I want to praise God. Generally is doesn’t occur to me to simply recount the amazing things that He has done for me. My practical mind says “well, He already knows that” – like I could actually tell God something He doesn’t already know! But that’s wrong thinking on my part. I need to recount those miracles because I want Him to hear my gratitude, my awe, and my praises to Him for His greatness. I also need to remind myself that I worship an amazing and holy God who does miraculous things for me all the time.

This particular passage of Scripture is forever etched into my mind because these words have long ago been turning into a children’s song that I learned decades ago. I’ve included a link below. While it is a kids song, it is very memorable and if you want to learn a passage of Scripture easily, this is the best way to do so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr8qCU07l0g

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