Our Lord God loves to take impossible situations and show that all things are possible with Him. The ancient Israelites watched as He delivered them from Egypt while crushing their enemies under the sea. The Hebrews had no weapons or army, but they trusted in the call of the Lord to come out of Egypt and followed Moses by faith.
Even today, He is more than able to help us in our time of need. But the bigger picture is that He is more than able to conquer the power of death and sin in our lives. We too are enslaved to an evil master called sin. And when we hear His calling, we can trust the call of the Lord to come out of sin and follow Jesus by faith.
Christ went before us to the cross. He bore the weight of our sin and punishment from God the Father. He absorbed the penalty and conquered it as He rose from the grave! For the Christian, our old master called sin has been crushed just like Egypt’s army by the waves of the Red Sea. And for the follower of Christ, he leads us on dry land through the pressures and challenges of life.
If you trust in Christ Jesus by faith, He will bring you to the other side—safe and sound! Jesus is a Better Moses because only He can bring you straight to the Promised Land. (Hebrews 3)
So, even though this passage of Scripture was written long before the Easter events, when we sing with Moses the following song, we see how it really is an ancient Easter song.
Exodus 15:1-18
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.
“The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord,
shattered the enemy.
“In the greatness of your majesty
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
it consumed them like stubble.
By the blast of your nostrils
the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood up like a wall;
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy boasted,
‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.’
But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.
Who among the gods
is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
“You stretch out your right hand,
and the earth swallows your enemies.
In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.
The nations will hear and tremble;
anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people of Canaan will melt away;
terror and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, Lord,
until the people you bought pass by.
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.
“The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.”
About the Author
Troy Lamberth is the executive producer of HAVEN Today. On the side, he teaches film at Providence Christian College, produces documentaries, and often teaches at his church. He enjoys discovering how Jesus is involved in all aspects of our lives—from faith to film to family—and how our relationship with him shapes the way we live. He and his wife Melissa have three young children.