Exodus 13-15 – Singing a New Song to God
Walking Through Exodus
Devotions - Week 7
Key Passages: Exodus 13-15
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.
Exodus 15:1
I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.
Exodus 15:1
In my sermon that I preached on these chapters, we journeyed through the scene of one of the greatest miracles in the Bible, God’s parting of the Red Sea, the rescue of the Israelites, and the start of their journey into the promised land. In this devotion however I want to focus on the last chapter; Exodus 15.
This chapter is key in so many ways. Firstly, it establishes worship as the heart response to the redemption story. When God told the Israelites in Exodus 13 to commemorate this day, they probably thought he meant just the day of Passover and their release from Egypt. But it’s the how He did it that led them to burst into spontaneous song. Standing on the other side of the Red Sea, their enemies vanquished, realising they were now free, it was little wonder that Moses sang the song you can read in Exodus 15. Take some time to really chew over this song of worship for yourselves this week.
I was fortunate enough to climb Mount Sinai a number of years ago, and as the sun rose over the mountains, a group of Korean Christians near us started singing worship to Jesus. It was such a beautiful, unscripted moment. There I was caught up in the beauty of the scene that I forgot that a proper heart response to God ought to include worshipping Him.
I sometimes wonder whether we have lost the art of spontaneous worship. I love the songs we sing at Everyday Church, but I also know in my life, I have seen God move in spectacular ways, but I often forget to play that back to Him in worship. I have more than enough material to write songs of my own! Don’t mishear me, I am very grateful for the gifted worship leaders that we have in and out of our church, and you’ll never hear one of my tunes on Spotify anytime soon! I wonder though, if one of the ways we can and should respond to Him, is by writing some redemption songs of our own.
As I said in my message, when you’ve been enslaved and then redeemed, you understand what it truly means to be free. The songs you then sing are sung with more gusto! So why don’t you take some time this week to write your song?
To help you, I offer a couple of suggestions that I have gleaned from Exodus 15:
Tell God what you think He is like
Listen to Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation.” Tell God what you think He is like, the qualities of His character you love about Him.
Say what God has done
We all have a testimony of what God has done in our lives. For the Israelites, it was captured in verse 4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.” Speak out loud your own salvation story.
Tell God the enemies of yours He defeated
For Moses and his people, the enemy was obvious, after 400 years of enslavement. Yours might be physical, or spiritual demons. Jesus has defeated them all. Name them, and know as you do they have no power over you anymore.
Tell God what His actions reveal about His character
I love verse 13: In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The Israelites recognise that It’s because God is so loving that He would do what He did. His character towards us shapes His actions. Let’s let ours be the same.
Remember Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Remember that its always about Him and what He has done. When was the last time you got to the end of yourself and said “all I can do is pray?” That’s the moment to sing about.
Remind God of what He has promised He will do
This is all about God’s ongoing promises and can be very much future tense. In verse 17 the Israelites sang “You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance - the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.” But at the time they hadn’t experienced that yet. They knew though that this is what the LORD has promised. What promises has God given you to hold on to?
I hope you find this exercise fun, and that it releases you into new streams of worship and praise. Go and write your own song today.
This chapter is key in so many ways. Firstly, it establishes worship as the heart response to the redemption story. When God told the Israelites in Exodus 13 to commemorate this day, they probably thought he meant just the day of Passover and their release from Egypt. But it’s the how He did it that led them to burst into spontaneous song. Standing on the other side of the Red Sea, their enemies vanquished, realising they were now free, it was little wonder that Moses sang the song you can read in Exodus 15. Take some time to really chew over this song of worship for yourselves this week.
I was fortunate enough to climb Mount Sinai a number of years ago, and as the sun rose over the mountains, a group of Korean Christians near us started singing worship to Jesus. It was such a beautiful, unscripted moment. There I was caught up in the beauty of the scene that I forgot that a proper heart response to God ought to include worshipping Him.
I sometimes wonder whether we have lost the art of spontaneous worship. I love the songs we sing at Everyday Church, but I also know in my life, I have seen God move in spectacular ways, but I often forget to play that back to Him in worship. I have more than enough material to write songs of my own! Don’t mishear me, I am very grateful for the gifted worship leaders that we have in and out of our church, and you’ll never hear one of my tunes on Spotify anytime soon! I wonder though, if one of the ways we can and should respond to Him, is by writing some redemption songs of our own.
As I said in my message, when you’ve been enslaved and then redeemed, you understand what it truly means to be free. The songs you then sing are sung with more gusto! So why don’t you take some time this week to write your song?
To help you, I offer a couple of suggestions that I have gleaned from Exodus 15:
Tell God what you think He is like
Listen to Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation.” Tell God what you think He is like, the qualities of His character you love about Him.
Say what God has done
We all have a testimony of what God has done in our lives. For the Israelites, it was captured in verse 4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.” Speak out loud your own salvation story.
Tell God the enemies of yours He defeated
For Moses and his people, the enemy was obvious, after 400 years of enslavement. Yours might be physical, or spiritual demons. Jesus has defeated them all. Name them, and know as you do they have no power over you anymore.
Tell God what His actions reveal about His character
I love verse 13: In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The Israelites recognise that It’s because God is so loving that He would do what He did. His character towards us shapes His actions. Let’s let ours be the same.
Remember Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Remember that its always about Him and what He has done. When was the last time you got to the end of yourself and said “all I can do is pray?” That’s the moment to sing about.
Remind God of what He has promised He will do
This is all about God’s ongoing promises and can be very much future tense. In verse 17 the Israelites sang “You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance - the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.” But at the time they hadn’t experienced that yet. They knew though that this is what the LORD has promised. What promises has God given you to hold on to?
I hope you find this exercise fun, and that it releases you into new streams of worship and praise. Go and write your own song today.
Apply
- Think about your favourite worship song. What do you love about it, and why? Spend some time this week playing it, reflecting on what it tells you about Jesus, and why it speaks powerfully to you.
- I’ve mentioned in this devotion the idea of writing your own song of worship to God. It doesn’t have to be a song, it could be a poem, a prayer or even a testimony speaking truth about what He has done in your life. Write your song today.
- I also talked in my sermon about consecrating yourself. This means getting right with God, and recognising He has saved and redeemed you for a purpose. So, if there is something in your life that you know is getting in the way of your relationship with Him, bring it to the cross, know Jesus’ forgiveness, and let it be dealt with.
- Finally, worship is more than just the songs we sing, but the way we live our lives. Find new ways this week to live in the freedom you’ve been released into. It might be as simple as an act of kindness to a colleague, an act of service, or as dramatic as changing the structure of your week to make more time for what God wants you in your life.
Prayer
Father God,
Thank you for parting the Red Sea of sin and shame in my life and making a way for me to walk on dry land back to You. Help me to sing my own song of freedom, and to walk in the goodness of all that you have set me free from and the new story you have led me into. Help me to find new ways to worship you this week.
Amen.
Thank you for parting the Red Sea of sin and shame in my life and making a way for me to walk on dry land back to You. Help me to sing my own song of freedom, and to walk in the goodness of all that you have set me free from and the new story you have led me into. Help me to find new ways to worship you this week.
Amen.
This Everyday Devotions was written by Sean Hammond, an Elder in our Wimbledon Venue.
If you would like to listen to the whole of this week’s sermon on Exodus 13-15 – Crossing the Sea why not download the Everyday Church App or visit our website, YouTube Channel and at our Online Church Services.
This Everyday Devotions is accompanied by a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube Channel.
Join us as we walk through the book of Exodus by following our daily Exodus Bible Reading Plan.
Follow our Everyday Devotions Playlist for some songs to help you worship God in Spirit and truth this week.
If you would like to listen to the whole of this week’s sermon on Exodus 13-15 – Crossing the Sea why not download the Everyday Church App or visit our website, YouTube Channel and at our Online Church Services.
This Everyday Devotions is accompanied by a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube Channel.
Join us as we walk through the book of Exodus by following our daily Exodus Bible Reading Plan.
Follow our Everyday Devotions Playlist for some songs to help you worship God in Spirit and truth this week.