Worship Our Triumphant God
(Exodus 15)
1. This was a monumental week when it comes to modern attacks upon Christianity with the release that a new documentary on the “Jesus Family Tomb” was soon to be presented on the Discovery Channel.
2. What is the Jesus Family Tomb? Has the lost tomb of Jesus Christ been discovered?
Answer: In 1980, in Talpiot (a suburb of Jerusalem), Israel, a construction crew unearthed an ancient tomb. Inside the tomb was discovered ten ossuaries (burial bone boxes). Inscribed on these bone boxes were names. The discovery of the ossuaries was not unusual, as thousands of ancient ossuaries have been discovered in ancient tombs in and around Jerusalem. What was somewhat unusual was the names that were inscribed on the ossuaries: Jesus son of Joseph, Maria, Mariamene, Matthew, Judas son of Jesus, and Jose (likely an abbreviation of Joseph). T
First, before we examine the question biblically, it is important to understand that no influential archaeologist has come forward in agreement with the Jesus Family Tomb project. The curator for anthropology and archeology at the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem from 1972 to 1997, Joe Zias, states that the project “makes a mockery of the archaeological profession.”
Second, the ossuaries cannot conclusively be dated to the 1st century A.D., although they can likely be dated to that approximate time period. Third, there is evidence that the tomb had been disturbed and vandalized.
Some cultural historians estimate that as many as 25% of 1st century Jewish women were named Mary (Miriam). The New Testament confirms this by mentioning six different women named Mary, including three who were prominent in Jesus’ life (Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany). It would not be uncommon for a 1st century Jewish family to have the names Jesus (Yeshua), Mary (Miriam), Joseph, and Judas – as all were very popular Jewish names (due to their background in the Hebrew Scriptures).
Biblically speaking, there are numerous reasons to reject the idea of the Jesus Family Tomb. First, the New Testament consistently states that Jesus’ family was from Nazareth (Matthew 2:13; Luke 2:4,39,51; John 1:45-46). If Jesus’ family had a tomb, it would have very likely been in Nazareth.
Second, the Bible describes Jesus and his adopted father Joseph as carpenters (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3), likely making them financially poor and of a lower social status. The tomb discovered in Talpiot is the tomb of a wealthy family.
Third, the New Testament states that Jesus’ body was buried in a tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, and that there were witnesses as to where Jesus was buried (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:43-47; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:38-42). Without even considering the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, the New Testament account paints an entirely different account of Jesus, His family, and His burial. Even secular historians and archaeologists view the New Testament gospels as the best existing historical record of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
Now, let’s get to the crux of the matter. The true motivation of the Jesus Family Tomb project is to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. foundation of the Christian faith (see 1 Corinthians chapter 15).
None of the suppositions of the Jesus Family Tomb project can be proven. In fact, the archaeological community is nearly unanimous in condemning the Jesus Family Tomb as a hoax, with no basis in history or archaeology. There is every reason to doubt the claims of the Jesus Family Tomb – archaeologically, historically, and biblically. The Christian faith has nothing to fear from honest and scientific archaeology.
Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-family-tomb.html
3. Christians serve and worship a living Savior, and time will make this more clear to those who quickly accept anything that might make Christianity seem untrue while refusing to concede discoveries that evidence the truth of God’s Word.
4. And, as Christians gather in Jesus’ name, their intensity is greater when they are being attacked. We are more prone to grow and worship God when we realize that we really are a chosen minority.
5. But, in good times and bad, the church gathers for edification, which simply means being built up in our faith; this occurs in a variety of ways. The idea of teaching and preaching is often associating with edification. So is prayer. Indeed, we can say that edification also includes what we might call “worship.”
6. There are many means to worship God, and today, as we focus in on the Children of Israel and their deliverance across the Red Sea, one of the first things they did was to take time to worship God.
7. They did so through singing, music, and dance. As a matter of fact, Exodus 15 is the first recorded song in Scripture.
MAIN IDEA: Celebrating Who God is and What He has done is the heart of group worship.
I. MOSES, the Song Leader & Composer (1-18)
A. The COMPOSITION of the Song
1. Hebrew poetry
Biblical poetry includes meter (in the original language; this does not translate into English), parallelism of thought (synonymous, contrasting [anithetic], or completing the previous thought[synthetic] parallelism), figurative/picturesque language ("the breath of the Lord"), and words with similar sounds (alliteration, etc., but they are lost in translation).
2. Refrains
The pattern of this Song is that each stanza ends with a similar phrase, "like a stone" (5b), "like lead" (10b), and "as a stone" (16a). Some other lyrical elements include the repetition of "Your right hand, O Lord" (twice in vs. 6) and "who is like You?" twice in verse 16.
3. Written in all 3 persons
• "I" --worship is personal and volitional
• "You" -- it is directed toward God
• "He" - it is corporate; when we sing or talk about God to others, this is part of worship…
B. The CONTENT of the Song
1. Praise God for What He HAS done (1-12)
• He is our strength (2)
o Salvation is OT usually means physical deliverance, rescue from danger
o Salvation in NT usually means spiritual rescue
o Christians should thank God in both realms…
• God is a warrior (3)
• In worship, we celebrate the true God, not our versions of God
• People are confused if they think the Bible advocates Pacifism
• Loving God, harsh God, and balanced God churches
• Vs. 11 is the conclusion reached based upon what God has done…
Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory, working wonders?
• God redeems us from our past bondage, not to leave us, but to take us someplace
• This truth separates useful Christians from place-holding Christians…
2. Praise God for What He WILL do (13-18)
• the various people groups in and around Canaan would be awestruck
• God would establish His sanctuary on His holy hill (Zion)
o what He will do is as certain as what He has done
• Conclusion reached in vs. 18
Celebrating Who God is and What He has done is the heart of group worship.
II. MIRIAM, the Rhythm Dance Leader (19-21)
A. Her TAMBOURINE
The Targum of Jonathan reads, " And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aharon, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women came out after her, dancing with tambourines and playing on instruments…"
B. The group DANCE
Dancing is one of many art forms and is as natural as singing…Here, the women danced together as an act of worship…this was not social dancing, which also has its place…
C. Her role: LEADER of the women
Women need some leaders of their own gender because men and women – while more alike than different – still are different down to their very souls…
Celebrating Who God is and What He has done is the heart of group worship.
III. Lessons About Worship
A. Real worship is SIMPLE and not contrived
• Music or dancing can get very complicated and take years of development, but worship is a matter of the heart….we prefer to worship with good music and honing ones musical skills for God is a good thing, but it is possible to have great music and not worship…true worship is very generic and makes do…a matter of the heart
• I don’t like it when song leaders try to manipulate people and create some emotional aura that is forced and contrived…there is a difference between the spiritual and the emotional…
B. Real worship is THEOLOGICALLY driven
• Some Christians are like the Samaritans. Jesus told the woman at the well very bluntly, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know…” (John 4:22); understand Trinity, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit (He, not “it”)
• It is just as wrong to divorce theology from worship as it is to divorce worship from theology; learning about God and His ways should lead us to worship Him.
C. Real worship is VARIED and INCLUSIVE
• Everyone was able to worship in some way
• By song, by dancing, by instrument
D. Public worship is both VERTICAL and HORIZONTAL
"Speak to one another" [horizontal] "with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord" [vertical]... Ephesians 5:19
E. Do not confuse DOING CHURCH with WORSHIP
• The church gathers for edification, of which worship is a subset.
• I Corinthians 14:26b, “Let all things be done for edification.”
F. The best times of worship are often UNANTICIPATED
• We provide opportunities for worship, but a lot depends upon where you are at
• Sometimes, you are just singing a song; sometimes, God is in the center of your mind…
Celebrating Who God is and What He has done is the heart of group worship.
