Three Observations in Exodus 15
As we study this week’s Sabbath School lesson, which also covers Exodus 15:1-21, I found myself pondering three things that the lesson did not cover.
In Exodus 15:1-18, Moses and all the Israelites are singing a song of celebration about how the Egyptians were defeated. Even singing (celebrating?) how they were drowned in the sea. What would this look like today?
Years ago, a friend from church told me about a neighbor who had been molesting his daughters and beating his wife. He died of a sudden heart attack, and my friend told me that when she went to the funeral, the entire family was sitting there dry-eyed. Not a single tear was shed for this abuser. It wasn’t because they were all cried out either. The family never showed any sorrow over his demise. Should the family have been happy that they were delivered from their abuser, and that, because of his death, he will never abuse again? Should Israel have been singing songs of praise because the Egyptians drowned?
I believe this is why so many victories of good over evil have to be celebrated privately. Some think we should be “nicer than God” and judge those who are celebrating the victories God gives them over abusive situations because,
- Others don’t even have a clue about the abuse going on and may even sympathize with the abuser, and
- Some think we should never celebrate the death of anyone, no matter how wicked.
While it is true that we will not be celebrating the death of the wicked after the thousand years, but rather God will have to wipe the tears from our eyes, there is plenty of biblical support for celebrating the deliverance from evil persons. Let’s consider this passage for a moment.
O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us! Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock! Psalm 137:8-9 NKJV
Many find this passage disturbing. It is disturbing, but it has its place. What Babylon has done to Israel will finally come back on Babylon. Israel is not happy to see innocent children killed. However, their innocent women and children were raped and abused by the Babylonians, and God is showing His love by showing He has Israel’s back.
There is no need to create a theology where we are “nicer than God” to the point that we can’t celebrate justice and deliverance from evil. There is no need to create a “god” who does nothing to defend His people, but merely waits for “natural law” to work itself out. Psalm 137:8-9 is simply celebrating the justice of God. A God who takes an active role in defending His people and working out justice is a God of love. We need to know God has our back in order to feel secure in His love. Moses and all Israel could celebrate God’s justice and love when God showed that He had their back and drowned their relentless abusers in the Red Sea.
It is important for me to share this because too many abuse victims have been made to feel guilty for celebrating their deliverance from narcissistic abuse. Too many abuse victims have had to hold their peace, instead of praising God for His miraculous deliverances from evil, because others would not understand. I know Moses would much rather have seen Pharaoh repent and be converted rather than drowned in the sea. Still, Moses had to celebrate the goodness of God by delivering His people and destroying their cruel abusers once and for all.
My second observation deals with the song of Moses. In Revelation 15 we find the song of Moses, but this time it is also the song of the Lamb. Let’s take a look.
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and [a]over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the [b]saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.” Revelation 15:2-4 NKJV
Here we see another celebration after the victory over spiritual Babylon. God gave Israel victory over Egypt through Moses, and God gave Spiritual Israel victory over the beast through the Lamb. These songs are about experiences, and while Moses and the Lamb both experience victory, they both share another experience. Both were willing to say goodbye to life forever if that is what it took to honor God and save others. Moses did this in Exodus 32:32 when he asked God to blot His name out of the book of life if He could not forgive them. The Lamb, Jesus, experienced this at the cross when He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?“ Matthew 27:46. Jesus had always called God His Father. In My Father’s House are many mansions. I always do those things that please My Father. I and My Father are One. But when Jesus was on the cross being treated the way you and I deserve, so you and I can be treated the way He deserves, Jesus could not call God His Father, so He cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me.“ Jesus was not asking why God had forsaken Him until Sunday morning. You don’t forsake someone when you leave them for half the weekend. You forsake them when you leave them forever. Obadiah 1:16 says the wicked will be as though they had never been. Jesus was not dying the death of the righteous. We die that first death ourselves. Jesus was tasting the death of the wicked, which meant experiencing being utterly forsaken by God – forever..
Amazingly, the entire 144,000 sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. That means they also have the same attitude as Moses and the Lamb. They also would rather die an eternal death than dishonor their heavenly Father.
My last observation has to do with Miriam.
Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. Exodus 15:20 KJV
There is a notion that God does not have women prophets. Yet Miriam was a prophet, and we know there were others in Scripture as well. Yet with Miriam, there is another observation that needs to be made. I have heard it said that the only reason God picked Ellen White as a prophet was because there were no men available. After all, God called two men who had refused before He chose Ellen. But those were not the only two men left in the world. There were countless other men God could have called before He called young Ellen Harmon. Now I also believe the Bible teaches that the man is the priest of the family, and that there is a grave spiritual responsibility that God has placed upon the man that many men seem to be ignore today. At the same time, God does not call women only when there are no men available. After all, God was already using Moses and Aaron as prophets, and He still used Miriam at the same time. God uses men and women together. After all, concerning the day of the Lord, does the prophet Joel not tell us,
And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28-29 NKJV
While the man is the priest of the family, God uses women just as much. A grave and solemn responsibility rests upon men that many need to wake up to. Meanwhile, God is using women, not as second-class citizens, but right along with men.
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