Exodus 15
The Song of Triumph
Ex 15:1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously, the horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.
Hebrew songs and poetry usually do not rhyme. Instead, they are written in parallelism. The second verse will parallel the first verse. The Holy Spirit uses the technique of repetition to drive His point home. Parallelism is also easier to memorize. In this song, it is possible that the men sang the first verse and the women paralleled the second verse. As dead Egyptian bodies were washing up on the beaches, two million Jewish men, women, and children were singing this song.
The song begins with praise to Jehovah. Israel sings to Jehovah, because He has kept His promise of the Abrahamic Covenant. Jehovah had fought the gods of Egypt and won. He has drowned the 600 Egyptian chariots who were attempting to defeat and enslave Israel.
2 The 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.
Jehovah is the strength of Israel. Jehovah is the national song of Israel. The Hebrew word for “salvation” is יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua), which is the Hebrew name of Jesus. Jehovah has become the Yeshua of Israel. Yeshua is the God of Israel. Yeshua will be praised. Yeshua is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yeshua will be exalted.
3 The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name.
Jehovah is a warrior, meaning that He fights actual battles to protect His people. Jehovah is His name, meaning that His character trait is to keep His promises.
4 The chariots of Pharaoh and his army he has thrown into the sea, and his chosen officers were drowned in the Red Sea.
Jehovah drowned the Egyptian chariot cavalry, eliminating their military prowess in one night.
5 The depths have covered them, they went down to the bottom like a stone.
The Egyptian cavalry chariot is no longer a threat to Israel. They sank like stones. They are now sitting at the bottom of the Red Sea.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power, your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
The right hand of Jehovah shattered the Egyptian chariot cavalry.
7 In the abundance of your majesty you have overthrown those who rise up against you. You sent forth your wrath; it consumed them like stubble.
Jehovah is a majestic king. The Egyptian god arose up against Him, but He overthrew them. The Egyptians experienced the righteous anger of Jehovah. The wrath of Jehovah burnt them like a fire. They are now nothing but burnt stubble.
8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters were piled up, the flowing water stood upright like a heap, and the deep waters were solidified in the heart of the sea.
Jehovah breathed on the waters and it split in two. The flowing water stood upright, all bunched together. The deep waters were all piled up and made solid.
9 The enemy said, ‘I will chase, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’
Egypt was arrogant enough to think that they could chase Israel through the Red Sea, draw their swords, kill them, and plunder them.
10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Jehovah blew His breath and the sea drowned the Egyptian chariot cavalry. The soldiers sank like lead in water.
11 Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you? – majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, working wonders?
The Egyptian gods were lifeless and powerless. None of them were alive, omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient like Jehovah. Even though Jehovah possesses infinite power, He is a holy King who deserves praises because of the miracles that He performs.
12 You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them.
Notice that the earth swallowed the Egyptian soldiers, transferring them to Sheol. The same thing will happen to Korah later. This is why archaeologists cannot find chariot remains in the Red Sea. If a modern charismatic pastor/archaeologist claims that he has found the chariots of Egypt in the Red Sea, then he is lying. Beware of this kind of false teaching.
13 By your loyal love you will lead the people whom you have redeemed; you will guide them by your strength to your holy dwelling place.
The Hebrew word for loyal love is חָ֫סֶד (hesed), meaning one who enjoys performing good deeds for those he loves. What does God do for fun? Jehovah enjoyed liberating Israel. He enjoyed leading them to the Promised Land. He enjoyed redeeming them. He enjoyed guiding them. He enjoyed using His strength to lead them to a place that was sacred and special to God.
14The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
The nations will hear about the power of Jehovah. Forty years later, Joshua will lead the Jews into Canaan. They will be terrified of Jehovah, because they heard how Jehovah decimated Egypt. This testimony will be so powerful, that forty years later, it will convert Rahab.
Philistia is the modern Gaza Strip of Israel. Canaanites were living there at this time.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified, trembling will seize the leaders of Moab, and the inhabitants of Canaan will shake.
When the Jews move from Egypt to Canaan, they will pass through Edomite and Moabite territory. Edom (Esau) was the brother of Jacob who sold his messianic birthright for a bowl of stew. Moab was the ancestral son of Lot and his oldest daughter. These two tribes would become mortal enemies of Israel. However, they would fear Jehovah, because they heard what He did to Egypt. This devastation of Egypt was not done in a corner. Everyone in Mesopotamia (and possibly the world) knew of this historical event. Naval technology was much more advanced than what liberals currently teach in today's classrooms.
16 Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of your arm they will be as still as stone until your people pass by, O Lord, until the people whom you have bought pass by.
Edom (Esau) and Moab would eventually refuse to help Israel on their journey to Canaan. The Edomites and Moabites did not help Israel, because they were afraid of the power of Jehovah. The Edomites and Moabites were seeped into paganism. They enjoyed the prostitution temples, the material wealth, the occultic practices, and the human sacrifices of demonism. They did not want Jehovah around to decimate them like He did to Egypt. Basically, the surrounding tribes knew of Jehovah, but they preferred and even craved their demonic gods.
17You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place you made for your residence, O Lord, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.
Jehovah will fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant by planting the Jews in the mountains of Israel. Jerusalem will be on the top of a mountain. The geography of Israel is full of mountains and hills. Jerusalem is currently located on the top of a mountain.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!
Jehovah is a King who will reign for eternity.
19 For the horses of Pharaoh came with his chariots and his footmen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the Israelites walked on dry land in the middle of the sea.”
The Egyptian cavalry was drowned in the sea. In contrast, the path of the Jews through the Red Sea was dry and not muddy. Walking through the Red Sea was like walking through an aquarium. The children would have loved it. It would burn this historical event into their minds forever.
20 Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a hand-drum in her hand, and all the women went out after her with hand-drums and with dances.
Miriam was the sister of Moses. She was the first female prophetess mentioned in the Bible. Many charismatics use this verse to teach that there are still female prophets today. This passage is not a New Testament doctrine for today. It is simply the recording of a historical event which happened in the past. Believers are to learn the mind of God from these written historical incidents in the Bible. Bible doctrine for new believers is found in Paul’s letters.
According to 1 Corinthians 14, tongues and prophecies disappeared before the Temple Destruction of 70 A.D. According to Paul’s epistles, women are not to teach men. They are to remain silent in the church.
When a charismatic woman claims to possess the gift of prophecy, she is claiming to receive direct information from God. First of all, this gift has disappeared. Second, even if this gift did not disappear, she still cannot teach men. Third, even if she could receive prophecy and if she could teach men, she is to be silent in the church. Fourth, even if she could receive prophecy and if she could teach men and if she was allowed to speak in the church, she should add her communication from God to the end of the Book of Revelation. However, the Book of Revelation pronounces the curse of anathema on anyone who would be arrogant enough to claim that God gave them direct information outside of the Bible.
In conclusion, there are no male or female prophets in the modern church. The only divine revelation for today is the written Word of God.
21 Miriam sang in response to them, “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.”
The men sang a verse. Miriam repeated the verse.
Notice that the first song of the Bible was created to glorify God. In the satanic world system, music does the opposite. Much of the modern music of the satanic world system glorifies sex, drugs, or even Satan.
Music is powerful. Many alzheimer patients cannot remember the names of their family members, but they can remember lyrics from songs of their childhood. Socrates taught that he could control the minds of a nation’s children by the power of music. Music was created to worship God.
Satan uses music for worship of himself. He uses music to glorify sin. He uses music to destroy the mind of his listeners. This is why it is important for parents to control the media of their family unit.
The Bitter Water
22 Then Moses led Israel to journey away from the Red Sea. They went out to the Desert of Shur, walked for three days into the desert, and found no water.
The Jews left with limited resources so that they could travel light and fast. They were now three days into their journey and without water.
23 Then they came to Marah, but they were not able to drink the waters of Marah, because they were bitter. (That is why its name was Marah.)
They came to Marah expecting to find fresh water, but it was bitter.
24 So the people murmured against Moses, saying, “What can we drink?”
Instead of asking God for water, they complained to Moses.
25 He cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When Moses threw it into the water, the water became safe to drink. There the Lord made for them a binding ordinance, and there he tested them.
Moses prayed to Jehovah. Jehovah showed him a tree. Moses threw the tree into the water. The water was no longer bitter, but safe to drink. Jehovah made a new law with Israel. Jehovah tested His people. The purpose of this test was to reveal the sin nature of man to angels, demons, and to future humans who would study the mind of God through the Scriptures.
Jehovah made a binding ordinance with Israel. If Israel obeys God, then they will be materially blessed. If Israel does not obey God, then they will be cursed. This is the very opposite of New Testament teaching.
In New Testament teaching, if a believer obeys God, then he will not be blessed materially, He will be persecuted. If a believer does not do the will of God, then he will not be persecuted. He may be blessed with material prosperity. Material prosperity keeps one’s eyes off of God.
As for the church, if it is Biblical, it will be persecuted. If it is not Biblical, it will not face persecution. It may prosper materially. Material prosperity causes the church to be more concerned with member growth and not the teaching of complete and sound Biblical doctrine. Large churches will compromise on doctrine so that they will not lose members.
For these reasons, the church cannot claim the ordinances of Israel. The church has not replaced Israel. The church is not Israel. They are two separate dispensational programs. Prosperity teachers merge the two dispensations and confuse Biblically ignorant Christians.
26 He said, “If you will diligently obey the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
The test was simple. If Israel will obey Jehovah and keep His commandments, then He will protect the nation of Israel from Egyptian diseases. Notice that Jehovah brought the diseases upon Egypt. Notice also that Jehovah is the healer.
There is no such gift as a faith healer in the Bible. Jesus could heal, because He was God. He healed every person who came to Him, even if the person did not have enough faith. The apostles healed to demonstrate to the people that their teaching authority came from God. Paul lost the ability to heal near his death, because the Bible was almost complete. With the Bible complete, the authentication of apostolic miracles was no longer needed.
Satan made Job sick. Satan can make a person sick, and then take away the sickness. Many times, charismatics think that God is healing them. Actually, it was Satan who made them sick and it was Satan who took the sickness away. Satan performs this healing trick so that he can keep people out of Bible teaching churches. He would rather have people attend healing ceremonies where truth will be mixed with error. A true church grounded in the Word of God will not tolerate healing, tongues, and prophecies. Instead, a true church will focus on educating the congregation at the deepest level from the entire counsel of the written Word of God.
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the water.
Israel camped at the oasis of Elim. Many teachers spiritualize this passage to make it fit their own personal humanistic theology. Literally, the Israelites rested at this literal oasis. Since the twelve wells and seventy palm trees are not taught anywhere in Scripture as typology, then it should not be taught as such.