Intro. In our chapter today, we find a song. Exodus is a book of deliverance, REDEMPTION. It is therefor appropriate that this book has the first record of the saints of God breaking forth into song. It is the song of the redeemed, sung by those who have just been brought out of bondage. Now they are standing on the redemption side of the Red Sea. The enemy has been defeated. And they sing.
Text. (Read vs. 1-2) Here we see:
I. The Praise of the Delivered Ex 14:31-15:2
We find the first song, and the first song leader mentioned in the Bible! Moses.
A. The Foundation of the Song -
1. The Experience of Deliverance - Chap 14:31 - Col 1:13 "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" 1 Thessalonians 1:10 "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
2. The Expression of Victory - vs. 1, 21 “Triumphed gloriously”
Jesus defeated death, hell, and Satan himself on our behalf! Col 2:15 "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."
B. The Focus of the Song - vs. 1
1. Unto the Lord
2. About the Lord - Lord 12 times in 18 verses, 33 personal pronouns. There was no doubt left of who was the focus of the song.
3. Because of the Lord - vs. 1 For he hath - Has done
* He has become my salvation
* He has fought on my behalf (man of war) Rev 19:1-3- Was doing
* He proved Himself to be Supreme (vs. 4-12 - notice vs. 11)
* His presence was satisfying - vs. 13 - Shall do
* He would defeat the Enemies - vs. 14-16
* He would give them their Inheritance of the Land -vs. 17
The Foundation of all we do is the deliverance by our God. Every sermon & song!
II. The Problem of the Desert - vs. 22-23 The song was filled with joy and expectation. But they lost their song because of:
A. The Place of Dryness - First a lack of Water
- They were looking for the wrong thing - they sought water instead of the God that had delivered them. (A problem of all humanity)
David did the opposite - A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Psalms 63:1 "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;"
B. The Place of Discouragement - Marah - bitter - Can you imagine their excitement when they saw the water! But then they found it bitter.
- Many times, After great moments and high triumphs in life comes Marah.
- They looked the wrong way - toward Marah (bitterness) instead of Heaven
As I said recently, we seem to enjoy being bitter, and it makes no sense:
Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"
1. This was a Trial of their Sincerity - Did they believe their song!
2. This was a Test of their Security - YOU SANG IT, WILL YOU LIVE IT?
They lost their song because they had their eyes on self!
Sometimes we will face trials, and they are hard, but will we keep our eyes on the God that delivered us? God was still God, but they did not immediately enjoy His provision. But it got worse!
III. The Protest of the Deficient - vs. 24 their character was tested, they failed, but let’s not be too judgmental. We come to this place often ourselves!
A. Their Short Memories - They forget His works in their life
Psalms 78:11 "And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them."
Psalms 106:13 "They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:"
Psalms 106:21 "They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;"
1. Trial dimmmed their expectation. I didn’t think it would be like this!
They had just sang a beautiful song of praise, but now thought that the future didn’t look so bright after all.
2. The Test decreased them to desire Bondage more than freedom
(How I wish we could understand that living for the Lord is more freedom than chasing the senseless pleasures of the world)
B. Their Skeptical Murmuring - God had used Moses to bring them out of Egypt, see the sea parted, and all of the sudden - THEY TURNED ON HIM!
It is amazing they did not look up for help, or at themselves in conviction - THEY HAD TO BLAME SOMEONE ELSE! They were guilty of what God said in Isaiah 29:13 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me,"
C. Their Sinful Mistake - Ps 78:40 "How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! 41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. 42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy."
We never lose our position in our God because of the Blood, and they would not lose the fact that they had been delivered - BUT THEY LOST THEIR SONG! And it did not only hurt them!
1. They Displeased God Painfully
Vs. 40 - “grieve” - to cause pain!
Vs. 41 - “limited” - to wound and cause pain.
2. They Despised God’s Promises - vs. 41
God never stopped loving them, and was never bitter toward them, but they HURT GOD! That is what the Bible says. When you have been delivered by Him, His love for you is so great, you can disobey Him and grieve Him!
Eph 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
IV. The Prayer of the Dependent
A. A Man of Praise, he led the song
B. A Man of Prayer - Moses cried to the Lord.
The best speech was not of the complaint, but of the petition to God!
Some attribute Psalm 91 to Moses. It matters not, for the Word of God is perfect. But Moses knew the truth of Psalm 91:15 "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him."
V. The Provision that Brought Delight - When Moses cried out to the Lord, God showed him a tree that would bring bitterness to sweetness.
It is here that we can find the Truth that will Preserve our singing!
A. A Tree that was Provision - it would make the bitter sweet.
B. A Tree that was a Picture - The Tree of Christ - the Cross.
1. A Picture of Salvation from the Bitterness of Sin - God showed him a tree. I Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." The cross is not only the place of surrender. As we yield our will to his will, we find earth’s bitter things become sweet. There is always a better view of the cross at Marah. After you learn to put the cross in the midst of your trouble, Calvary becomes a well of water in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." For Moses, God pointed ahead to a provision that was established before time began -
2. A Picture of Satisfaction from the Bitterness of Life
These were already delivered! But they still needed the tree. The answer to whatever is bitter to you is to remember what Jesus has done for you. When a child of God loses their song, they must turn back to the tree, the cross.
Concl. What changes bitter to sweet for us?—the Cross, the remembrance of Christ’s death. Heb 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
If you do not want to faint in your walk with Christ, if you do not want that bitterness, LOOK TO THE CROSS!
If you are lost, and need to be delivered from hell and enter the family of God - Just LOOK TO THE CROSS!
The Cross is the true tree which will make the bitter waters of life, sweet again!
Disclaimer: A man once told me that if it is true, it is not new. If it is new, it is not true. We all know there is nothing new under the sun. With that said, I glean ideas for my sermons from God’s Word, my own thoughts and work, and many other sources. Any similarity to my sermons and others, where credit is not given, is either coincidental, or an unintentional mistake on my part. As none of us have a corner on the wisdom and teaching of God’s Word, it is my desire that any of my outlines be an encouragement, a help, and hopefully a motivation for others to preach God’s Word clearly. Please feel free to use any portion of my sermons if they can be of help to you and your ministry. It is all for His Glory.
