The Song of Moses - Part 1 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bratley, Jr., pastor of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, Thou the grace of my God and King, the triumph of his grace. This is LeSaire Bratley, Jr., inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Hallelujah, praise Jehovah, from the heavens praise his name. Praise Jehovah in the highest, all his angels praise proclaim. All his hosts together praise him, sun and moon and stars on high. Praise him, all ye heaven of heaven, and he floods above the sky. Let them praise his gift, Jehovah, for his name alone is high. And his glory is exalted, and his glory is exalted, and his glory is exalted far above the earth and sky. Let the praises give Jehovah, they were made at his command.

Then forever he established, his degree shall never stand. From the earth, all praise Jehovah, all ye founty dragons all, fire and hail and snow and vapors stormy winds that hear him call. Let them praise his gift, Jehovah, for his name alone is high. And his glory is exalted, and his glory is exalted, and his glory is exalted far above the earth and sky. All ye fruitful trees and cedars, all ye hills and mountains high, creeping things and beasts and cattle, birds that in the heavens fly.

Kings of earth and only people, princes, great elves, judges all. Praise his name, young men and maid elves, aged men and children small. Let them praise his gift, Jehovah, for his name alone is high.

And his glory is exalted, and his glory is exalted, and his glory is exalted far above the earth and sky. Over 20 years ago, I preached a series of messages on the Christian home. It was a part of our verse-by-verse study in the book of Colossians. It's a theme that is greatly needed in this day as well.

In fact, it's alarming to think about what changes have occurred from the standpoint of the law of the land since that series of messages was delivered. But God's law remains the same, and the teaching of Scripture is much needed by families today. I encourage you to go to our website at BaptistBibleHour.org.

You'll be able to purchase that series for a special price at the present time. And I encourage you to write and let us know that you've listened to the program. Our address is the Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Singing is a wonderful blessing. It can bring comfort and joy to the one who sings, and it brings glory and honor to God. We sing unto the Lord.

So we allocate a good bit of time in our services for that purpose, to sing, sing with joy, sing of the greatness of God, the glory of God, the grace of God. Today, I want us to look at the first recorded song in the scriptures, the song of Moses. We read Exodus chapter 15, verse one. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. Then sang Moses.

Let's think about what goes before then at this given time. But what was it that preceded it? What was it that brought about this song?

I think we can appreciate the fervency with which the people must have been singing, the joy that they felt if we go back and see something of their experience prior to this great day of deliverance. It said that there arose a Pharaoh that knew not Joseph. So the number of the Israelites was increasing, and the king feared. He was concerned that if they were invaded by an outside force, that these slaves, these that he would make slaves, he was concerned that these Israelites might join with the enemy and fight against them. So in Exodus chapter one, verse 11, it says, Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor. Verse 14, And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and in brick and in all manner of service in the field. All their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor, which means with severity, with cruelty. They wanted to enslave these people to maintain control over them, be sure that they would not join with an invading force, but they were determined to make their life miserable.

They made them serve with cruelty. Now the king then ordered that all of the midwives should kill the male children when they were born, but they feared God and refused to do so. Their excuse was that these Israelite women just move along more rapidly than the Egyptians. And by the time we get there, the babies already arrived.

So we weren't able to carry out your command to kill the male children. Well in all of this, of course, you know the beautiful story of how Moses was providentially spared when his mother prepared a little ark and put him down at the edge of the river. And Pharaoh's daughter comes out to bathe and discovers this little ark. And rather than having the child put to death, she decides to adopt him. And then Moses' sister Miriam says, it looks like to me you might need a babysitter. She said, I do. So she goes and gets Moses' mother.

And she gets to come care for her own child. Well when Moses was grown and he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He went out one day and there was an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite and Moses killed that Egyptian. He thought nobody saw him, but obviously somebody did.

And they pointed it out to him shortly thereafter. And so Moses then fled to the desert where he remained for the next 40 years. But finally one day as Moses is walking along, he saw a bush that appeared to be on fire, but it wasn't consumed and he was intrigued by it. So he goes over and the Lord speaks to him and says, the place where you stand is holy ground.

Take your shoes from off your feet. Exodus chapter 3 verse 7. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of the tax masters. For I know their sorrow and I have come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians.

That's a wonderful thought. And the Lord says, I know their sorrow. I may be speaking to people today who have some very deep sorrows, some burdens that you carry that sometimes seem to be overbearing. Let me tell you this, though you may feel nobody else could possibly understand, God knows your sorrow. And just as he cared for his people in this terrible state of bondage, he cares for you. Wherever you may be, whatever your circumstances are, no matter how heavy your burden is, he knows your sorrow.

And he's the one who can give you relief. Well, Moses then carried out the direction of the Lord to appear before Pharaoh to demand that the slaves be let go. Then King Pharaoh increased their burdens. He said, we'll no longer provide the straw that they use in the making of bricks. They'll have to do that on their own.

Exodus chapter 5 verse 14 of the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's tax masters had set over them, were beaten and demanded. Wherefore, have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today as heretofore? In other words, because now they're having to get their own straw, they're falling behind. They're not meeting their quota. They're not keeping up with what they've been doing.

So rather than recognizing that, they are imposing every burden possible, and now they beat them because of their failure to be able to keep up. Well, then Moses comes to Pharaoh again, demanding that the Israelites be let go. Now, after 400 years in bondage, they began their journey to the promised land. Think of it. People in slavery, working hard, working in the hot sun, being beaten by their tax masters.

What a miserable existence. And these people had known nothing but this bondage. The nation had been in slavery for 400 years, and now they're ready to march out as free men. Exodus 14, 6 lets us know that King Pharaoh, although he changed his mind numerous times, says, and he made ready his chariot and took his people with him, and he took 600 chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them. Pharaoh was determined, I'm going to bring these people back. I made a mistake to tell them they can go.

I'm going to bring them back. So he prepares his army, 600 chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt. His leaders, his best soldiers are in command, and they're going after the people. Obviously, when the people saw that Pharaoh's army was in hot pursuit after them, they were stricken with fear, but Moses assures them in Exodus 14, 14, the Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

How reassuring is that promise? Yes, from the human vantage point, they were in grave danger. Didn't seem there was any possibility that they could stand against the army that was pursuing them.

The Red Sea is in front of them. The army's coming behind. But the Lord says he will fight for them. And sometimes you can feel that you're in a difficult place, where wherever you turn, there's problem after problem that invades your life.

But what is your hope? The Lord will fight for you. The battle is the Lord's, as David said when he went out to meet Goliath. So the Lord rolls back to the waters of the Red Sea, and the Israelites pass safely and come across.

Isn't that an amazing thing? This is about two million people, and God makes a path for them in the sea, and they're safe on the other side. But verse 30 of that 14th chapter says, Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. God brought his people safely across, and the waters rolled together, and the Egyptians were dead on the seashore. Now with that background, let's go ahead and read the rest of this psalm. And maybe you can read it with greater appreciation to understand what their condition has been, how difficult, how painful, but God is now delivering them. So in Exodus chapter 15 verse 1, Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously.

The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation. My father is God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war. The Lord is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea. His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them.

They sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O Lord, hath become glorious in power. Thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency, thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee. Thou sendest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thine nostrils, the waters were gathered together.

The flood stood upright as in heat, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 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. Thou didst blow with thy wind. The sea covered them.

They sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretches out thy right hand.

The earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed. Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. Now the men first were singing that on the direction of Moses. And then Miriam comes on and leads the women until they're all singing.

Two million people. I've been in meetings where there are over 10,000 people singing the praises of God and how uplifting it is. Can you imagine two million people singing this song of people who had been in bondage, of people who had felt the whip of the taskmaster on their back, and now they're free and they're singing and giving God the glory for this wonderful deliverance. As we look at this song, we observe proclamation of deliverance. Punishment for the proud.

Protection from danger. Praise for salvation and promise for the future. First, they were proclaiming God's greatness. Singing his praises. Nothing in that song but glory to God.

Nobody trying to take any credit for it. It was obvious to them they would have been destroyed had it not been for God's intervention. And so they rejoiced to give him all the praise and glory. Singing praises to God ought to be an integral part of our life. We love to come together and sing in the assembly of saints.

And so we allocate a special time for that and we look forward to it and how beautiful it is. But in our own hearts from day to day, in our own homes, and wherever opportunity avails itself, we ought to be singing praises to God. Psalm 47 verse 6, sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises unto our king. Sing praises for God is the king of all the earth. Sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen. God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

You see, if you're just singing a song because you like the tune, but you don't sing with understanding, that doesn't mean anything. But when you understand and you're singing praises to God, because you know he reigns, that's what the text says. God reigneth over the heathen. Are you not thankful today to know that with all of the chaos there seems to be in this world in which we're living, that God is on the throne?

God is ruling and reigning according to his sovereign pleasure. And so he says sing praises to God. Psalm 89 verse 1, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.

This isn't going to be a temporary thing. I'm not just going to sing a song today and forget about it. I'm going to keep singing. I'm going to sing to God on a daily basis.

I have the hope and anticipation of singing forever, for someday I expect to be with him. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever with my mouth, while I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. So one of the reasons we sing is to honor God, praise him, express the joy and thanksgiving of our heart, but also to declare the truth, to declare the truth to others, to declare his faithfulness to all generations. We want the young people to know what God has taught us.

We want to share the good news with those around us. Psalm 104 verse 33, I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

As long as I live, the road may get rough. I'm weakened in time of old age, but as long as I live, I'm going to be singing praises to God. All of these references are in the Old Testament. Let's look at one in the New Testament. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15, by him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. What kind of a sacrifice can we bring?

We certainly don't bring the blood sacrifices like they did in Old Testament times because Jesus Christ, our Passover lamb, is slain for us. There's no need for that sacrifice, but we can offer this sacrifice, the sacrifice of praise, the praise that is the fruit of our lips. We ought to praise God in our heart, but we ought to praise God aloud. We ought to let others know that we're thankful for what God has done for us, giving thanks to his name. And then you think about the various songs that are recorded in Scripture, the times when God's servants were praising him.

Think of the subjects of those songs. Psalm 81, 9 speaks of the mercies of the Lord, or the love of God. Psalm 89, 8, the faithfulness of God. Psalm 105 verse 2, his wondrous works. Psalm 59, 16, the power of God.

And then we can come to the New Testament and find this language in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 5, having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace. So we're talking about praising God, praising God for his mercies, praising God for his faithfulness, praising God for his wondrous works, thanking God and praising God for his power, praising God for his grace, according to the riches of his grace. And then as we think of these songs of praise and adoration and joy, we think of the songs of deliverance that are found.

Certainly this song of Moses was a song of deliverance. We're being delivered from bondage. But along the way, there are dark valleys through which we pass. There are places of difficulty that we encounter. And how wonderful to be able to see the delivering hand of God and to have a song of praise to sing when he has rescued us. Psalm 40 verse 1, I waited patiently for the Lord.

And there we see an area where most of us have a little difficulty. I waited patiently for the Lord. The psalmist frequently talks about being in the dark place. Jeremiah said, I cried, shout, and he shuts out my prayer. One of those times when we've tried to pray and we feel that there is no answer. We feel that the Lord has hidden himself for a time. We have to continue seeking his face.

We have to continue in prayer, waiting patiently. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me and hurt me. So ultimately, though it might have seemed to be a delay, he did hear me.

He was inclined to me. He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. Somebody might say, well, I've had some troubles in my life, but I don't think I've ever been in a horrible pit. Well, that's good.

We're not suggesting that you try to find one. But in a pinch you've been there, this can be good news for you that it's not a permanent situation, that when you get into a horrible pit and you feel that life is totally disrupted and nothing is going right and you are just troubled and deeply stressed within, there is yet hope. So as the psalmist waited patiently for the Lord and cried diligently unto him, he brought him out of that horrible pit, out of the miry clay. The miry clay, you think of one taking a step, but the foot sinks deeper into the mire, and it's difficult to be recovered.

But he brought me out, and he put a new song in my mouth. So when he brought me out of this horrible pit, out of the miry clay, he put a song in my mouth, what is it, even praise to our God, and many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord. So the Lord hears in the most difficult places where we may sometimes find ourselves.

And then we see punishment for the proud. Pride of Pharaoh, it's so vividly displayed. Moses comes before him saying, let the people go, and here's his response. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Who is the Lord?

I don't know him. I have no obligation to him, and I will not, but Israel go. It's evident from the study of scripture that those who are lifted up in pride shall ultimately be brought down. Oh, how full of pride is the human heart, and how many feel that they can recommend themselves to God on the basis of their conduct and therefore be assured of going to heaven.

Let me tell you, there is only one way, and that's through Jesus Christ. He comes to those who humbly seek his mercy, and I trust that you look to him today for your salvation. Until next week at the same time, may the Lord richly bless you all.

Deny thyself and take thy cross. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley Jr., pastor of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. If she would gain this heavenly land, Lord, let not all my hopes be made, Create my heart entirely new.