Exodus 15:1-19
Various people groups around the world worship different gods. Which one is the right one, which one is the true God? Is your God personal? Does He love you and help you? There are many religions in the world. I was just reading in the encyclopedia about some of them. Each claims to be superior in one way or another. So how can we know which is the right one with so many different religions? I believe there is only one true God. I believe He can be known.
The most outstanding facts in Christianity are the claims the Bible makes about God. The Bible says He is above all other gods. He has revealed Himself to us by a written record which we call the Bible. Although the acts in which He engaged are recorded as historical acts, they are, at the same time, acts of revelation. And in those acts of history, He tells us who He is and what His person is like. This teaching will answer the question, WHO IS LIKE GOD?
In Exodus 15:1-19 we have a song of victory. It is probably the first recorded song. In it, we will find the answer to our question, who is like God?
1. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spoke, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2. 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.
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.
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.
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 praises, doing wonders?
12. Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
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.
14. The people shall hear and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestine.
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.
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.
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.
Moses and the children of Israel sang this song at the time of their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. In it, I have discovered several basic QUALITIES about God which set Him apart as the one above all others.
My first discovery reveals a basic quality of God in
His Glorious Triumph
In the very beginning of the song, they said, “I will sing unto the LORD for he has triumphed gloriously.” What the LORD did for the children of Israel at the Red Sea was a tremendous victory. It looked as though they were going to be captured by Pharaoh and his army. They were trapped between the mountains and the Red Sea, but God opened the sea, and His people went through. The water stood up on either side, and the people went through between the walls of water.
When Pharaoh attempted to follow them with his army, he was caught in the middle by a triumphant, glorious act of God. The song brings this to our attention: “The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
In their song, there are more ideas regarding the glorious triumph of the LORD: “He is my strength and my song, and he is become my salvation,” Ye-ho-shua, the Hebrew for my salvation. He has become my strength and my song. Because of this, they said, “I will prepare him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Because of His glorious triumph, He is worthy of exaltation.
Imagine being one of the people of Israel at this time when it seemed as though they would need to give up and go back into the bondage of slavery, and then the LORD delivered them in such a glorious, triumphant fashion. No wonder they would say, “He triumphed gloriously.” This is the God Who transcends all others. I am sure that Pharaoh and his army expected to be successful in their pursuit of Israel. Most likely, they had invoked the blessing of their gods. The God, Who is above all other gods, triumphed gloriously by throwing the horse and his rider into the sea.
The second quality which I discover in this song is found in verse 6, “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power.” Let us meditate on
His Glorious Power
Six different expressions are listed in the next few verses that show us how God exercises His power against the enemy. He is described as a man of war. “The LORD is a man of war” against Pharaoh, for the LORD dashed in pieces the enemy. He overthrew them. They became as stubble burned with the consuming fire of His wrath. He consumed them as stubble.
He gathered the waters together with the blast of His nostrils. The wind blew, and the waters returning covered those who were pursuing after them. They sank as lead to the bottom of the waters.
God’s glorious power had control of the elements: the wind and the water, as expressed in these various descriptive words. God’s glorious power has control of men. God, in His power, always opposes evil: He never sides with evil. This is important for us to remember. He is glorious in power, but His power is always against evil, and in this particular case, it was against Pharaoh and his army. God’s glorious power puts Him above all other gods.
Then the third quality I discover in this song is found in verse 11, “Who is like thee, glorious in holiness.”
His Glorious Holiness
That thought is difficult for us to understand because we have so little with which we can compare holiness. The Bible makes it very clear that no man is holy. No, we are all polluted by sin and unclean, and our righteous acts are as filthy rags said the Prophet Isaiah.
But the glorious holiness of God is expressed in two different ways and revealed in two different areas. In the first area of mercy, the song describes how God redeemed His people. “In mercy you led forth the people which you have redeemed.” They further say He is going to plant them in the mountain of His inheritance: “In the place, O LORD, which you made for you to dwell in, in the Sanctuary.” They conclude that God the LORD shall reign forever and ever. His glorious holiness expresses itself in the area of mercy toward them whom He has redeemed.
It also expresses itself in the area of justice to those who do not respond to the LORD. They will fear, but it will be different. Fear and dread will fall upon those who do not know the LORD. Particular geographical areas are named: Palestine, Edom, Moab, and the inhabitants of Canaan. Fear shall grip those who do not know the God of holiness and mercy. They will have no strength left in them. They will be as still as a stone. They will not be able to move until the LORD’s own people are passed by – the ones whom He purchased.
Egypt was greatly distressed because the horses of Pharaoh went down in the sea while the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. God’s glorious holiness expresses itself on the one hand in mercy and on the other hand in justice. None of us can escape this glorious holiness, for we are either in one area or the other. We need to respect the mercy and justice of our gloriously holy God. We dare not override or presume upon His mercy, for then the only result can be His justice.
These qualities place God above all other gods, and we may rightly ask the question, who is like God? The answer is no one is like God. There is no other god like Him. This is so beautifully expressed in this song.
The personal question comes like this to you, do you know Him as that superior God? Do you know Him in a personal way? Can you speak with Him? Do you understand when He speaks to you by His Word? You can know Him in a personal way. He is seeking to show in and through you His glorious triumph, power, and holiness to answer the question, “who is like God?”
Thanks, J. Mark, for this teaching from Exodus. The Bible is incredible, and each generation can learn from all that is written in this wonderful book. For example, people everywhere want to be free. In Exodus, the children of Israel were enslaved by the Egyptians. You know the story Moses led them to “freedom.” But were they really free? Why did they want to go back to Egypt? What does it mean to actually be free?
Jesus tells us that if “He sets us free, then we will be free indeed.” This, my friend, is real freedom. Praise Jesus, this freedom knows no boundaries, it does not matter which country you are in, or who you are working for, this freedom is for everyone.
If you would like today’s program or if you have any questions, here are a few ways you can contact us. One of the best ways is email. Our email is [email protected]. If you don’t have email, no problem, our mailing address is Hope for Today, Box 3, Breezewood, Pennsylvania 15533. Or you can connect with us on our website. Our website is heraldsofhope.org. While you are there, please click on the listen tab and listen to our other teaching. Again, the website is www.heraldsofhope.org.
This brings us to the end of today’s program, thanks again for being with us. We look forward to being with you next week. I will leave you with the words of Jesus from John 8. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Go and live in that freedom.
*This episode is an exposition of Exodus 15:1-19 by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.