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EXODUS 15 SING TO THE LORD

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June 10

EXODUS 15

19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”   – Exodus 15:19-21

EXODUS 15 SING TO THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Let us sing to the Lord to praise his wondrous deeds

The Lord rescued his own people from wickedness

He drew the waters out of the sea so they could pass

The waters were split in two and there was dry ground

When the enemy followed suit, they were covered in water

All of Pharaoh’s chariots, horses and horsemen were eradicated

Miriam led the women to worship God with tambourines and dancing

They declared God’s wondrous deeds at the sea when they were rescued.

The following verses in Colossians 3:16, Psalm 100:1-2, Ephesians 5:19, and Psalm 95:1-2 tell us the importance of singing to the Lord. It is not a performance kind of singing that the world does, but it is singing to praise the Lord and thank him for all that he has done for us. The focus is to give God glory and not the singer. Ephesians 5:19 specifically uses psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as a way of addressing one another and making melody to the Lord with our hearts. Sadly, many other Christian denominations have taken singing to the Lord to another level. They make songs that talk about their feelings to the Lord and focus much on how God makes them comfortable and how they feel good about what God did for them. It appears they are singing to the Lord, but are more focused on their own feelings and not what God’s character and power is. It does not edify God but it draws attention to themselves under the guise of using God’s name or word.

REFLECTION

·       What are the ways we can truly sing to the Lord and give him praise?

EXODUS 15 FEAR OF THE WORLD VERSUS FEAR OF THE LORD

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June 9

EXODUS 15


13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
    you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab;
    all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. 16 Terror and dread fall upon them;
    because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone,

   till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain,
    the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,
    the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.  – Exodus 15:13-18

EXODUS 15 FEAR OF THE WORLD VERSUS FEAR OF THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the news of the extermination of the Egyptians spread around

The people of Canaan, Philistia, Moab and Edom trembled

Because of the Lord’s punishment on Egypt, they were all afraid

They heard how the Israelites were rescued from the Egyptians

They were terrorized by the power of this God whom they do not know

And the people of God continued to praise the Lord for what he had done.

When terror grips a person, it makes him freeze, panic, run or immobilize. It is interesting how these ungodly people feared that they may be the next nation to be exterminated after the Egyptians. They didn’t know the power of the God of the Israelites. The gods they serve cannot do these things.  Only the One true God can do these wondrous deeds.  They are now trembling in fear of what might happen to them. There is so much confusion, chaos and unrest among the unbelieving nations.

On the other hand, the Israelites had a different fear. They saw how God faithfully delivered them from the Egyptians. The wondrous deeds of God must have added to the reverence and honor they ought to give their God.

REFLECTION

  • How was the fear of the unbelievers different from God’s people?

EXODUS 15 WHO IS LIKE THE LORD

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June 8

EXODUS 15

8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
    the floods stood up in a heap;

    the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake,
    I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
    I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them;

    they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?

      Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand;
    the earth swallowed them.  – Exodus 15:8-12

EXODUS 15 WHO IS LIKE THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Is there anyone else who is like the Lord?

Who can bring a strong wind and lift up the sea?

Who can put up the waters and make it into walls?

Can anyone blow the wind and annihilate an army of men?

No other gods can be majestic in holiness and power like the Lord

No one else’s right hand can have such an ability to destroy.

This account is a part of the song of Moses which he wrote so that the Israelites will always remember how they were delivered from the Egyptians at the Red Sea. It magnifies the Lord’s majestic powers and glory.

Moses lifts up and exalts the Lord so that the Israelites can continue to rejoice and be glad that they were rescued from slavery and death. What is great about this part of his song is how he points out that no one else can be like God. No one else can do such miracles and no one else can save them from the enemy like God can. Moses wants them to never forget what God has done for them.

REFLECTION

·       How has God manifested his glory and power in your life?

EXODUS 15 THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH & MY SONG

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June 7

EXODUS 15

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
    the horse and his riderhe has thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.

4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
    and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,

your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
    you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.

                                                                   – Exodus 15:1-7

EXODUS 15 THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH & MY SONG

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When I am faced with adversities and attacks from the foe

I will not fear for the Lord is my strength and my song

The Lord will fight for me and shatter those who hurt me

He will bring his fury and wrath to all those bring injustice

I will praise the Lord; he will save his people and bring down the foe

His right hand will consume all the tactics and plots of the evil one

I will sing and praise the Lord who is full of majesty and glory

He is the only source of strength and triumph over the enemy.

In this song of Moses, we hear how he praised, worshiped and sang to edify and glorify the Lord. Right after the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians and everything that God did for them was still very fresh in their hearts and minds, Moses composed this song so they could express their joy and thankfulness to God for all that he did for them to be freed from the enemy. They wanted to please the Lord for his wondrous deeds for them.

REFLECTION

  • Why was it important that Moses wrote this song after their deliverance?

EXODUS 14 EXTERMINATION OF THE EGYPTIANS

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June 6

EXODUS 14

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

                                                                   – Exodus 14:26-31

EXODUS 14 EXTERMINATION OF THE EGYPTIANS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As the people of God headed towards the Promised Land

The Egyptians pursued them to get retrieve them as slaves

But God asked Moses to stretch his hands once again

It was to let the walls of water return back to the dry land

As the Egyptians fled into the waters, they were all drowned

The water covered the chariots and not one Egyptian remained.

This scene is another dramatic display of God’s power. We learn of how much God hates sin and abusers and those who hurt his people. The Egyptians were given so much warning before the plagues were brought about but it did not bring them on their knees to worship the Lord. They now witness what the God of the Israelites was truly like. By the time they realized it, it was too late. God had brought about his judgment on them already and they were all exterminated at the same place that the Lord had led his people to cross towards the Promised Land. This is how God loves his people so much and what lengths he would go to protect and preserve them.

REFLECTION

  • Share a time when God displayed his protection and power over your life.

EXODUS 14 PARTING OF THE RED SEA

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June 5

EXODUS 14

19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the nightwithout one coming near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 cloggingtheir chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”– Exodus 14:19-25

EXODUS 14 PARTING OF THE RED SEA

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As the Israelites headed towards the Red Sea

God’s angel moved behind them and stood there

He made sure that he was between the separation

It was to put a divide between the Israelites and Egyptians

Moses stretched out his hands and then strong winds came

The Lord parted the Red Sea so that they can cross

The water moved sideways to form two walls

So, the sea was parted and they walked on dry ground.

What a dramatic event it was for the Red Sea to be parted, giving them a dry ground to walk on between the two walls of waters on each side! It was an astounding miracle that the ground was dry enough instead of them walking on mud. It must have been such a sight for the Egyptians to watch this and at that moment, they realized that the God of the Israelites were not like any of their gods. He was powerful and mighty. As they followed them, they were thrown into panic by the pillar of clouds and wanted to retreat.

REFLECTION

  • What would you have thought as you were walking there as one of the Israelites?

EXODUS 14 THE ISRAELITES FEARED & GRUMBLED

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June 4

EXODUS 14

10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

                                                                   – Exodus 14:10-18

EXODUS 14 THE ISRAELITES FEARED & GRUMBLED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the Egyptians came to pursue the Israelites

God’s people were terribly afraid and grumbled to Moses

They feared that they were going to die in the wilderness

But Moses assured them that that will be the last they’ll see them.

When the Israelites saw that the Egyptians were out to get them, they regretted leaving Egypt. They thought their lives were better off when they were slaves to them because they feared that they would die in their hands. It is very easy for us humans to start grumbling when we feel danger around us just like these Israelites did. We panic when we don’t know what’s next to happen in the midst of danger. When we are in the midst of adversities, we try to think of times when we are comfortable and convenient. We go back to those times instead of moving forward and depending on where God takes us to.

REFLECTION

  • How can we avoid panicking and grumbling when we are in the midst of trials?

EXODUS 14 PHARAOH PURSUES THE ISRAELITES

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June 3

EXODUS 14

Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

                                                                   – Exodus 14:1-9

EXODUS 14 PHARAOH PURSUES THE ISRAELITES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As the Israelites left Egypt towards the wilderness

God hardens Pharaoh’s heart and he pursues them

The king had no idea that God was planning this all along

It was to make Egyptians know that he is the one true God

The Egyptians came after the Israelites with all their chariots

They have no clue what was about to happen to them all.

In this account, we are given a glimpse of the powerlessness of humans and God’s total sovereignty and power. It shows us that we have no control over anything. God has control over our mind, hearts, body and soul. God manifests his wondrous deeds in this event to ensure that the Egyptians and also the Israelites will know who the One true God is. It seems like a script where the only one who knows the ending is the playwright and the only one who can kill and bring to life any characters he desires.

REFLECTION

  • What can we learn from this account?

EXODUS 13 THE LONGER WAY TOWARDS THE WILDERNESS

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June 2

EXODUS 13

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 18 But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 20 And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.  – Exodus 13:17-22

EXODUS 13 THE LONGER WAY TOWARDS THE WILDERNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After the Egyptians released the Israelites, God led his people

He told them to take the long route towards the Red Sea

This will prevent them from witnessing the Philistines’ wars

God didn’t want them to get discouraged and go back to Egypt

The Lord provided them with the pillar of cloud during the day

And at night, a pillar of fire covered them so they can see in the dark

They also took Joseph’s bones with them as his sons swore to him

They moved from Succoth and encamped in the wilderness at Etham.

The Lord didn’t lead the Israelites towards the easy and faster way, but towards the wilderness. He didn’t want them to witness the terrible wars in the land of the Philistines for it might discourage them and lead them back to Egypt. Isn’t this very true to us humans? When we experience conflicts and adversities, we back out and look for an easier way out. In the long journey, God never left them. He provided pillars of cloud and fire to ensure they are provided and protected.

The Israelites also brought with them Joseph’s bone as a fulfilment of his request to be out of Egypt too when God visits them.

REFLECTION

  • Why isn’t the shorter way always the best option when following a direction?

EXODUS 13 REMEMBRANCE OF GOD’S DELIVERANCE

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June 1

EXODUS 13

11 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” – Exodus 13:11-16

EXODUS 13 REMEMBRANCE OF GOD’S DELIVERANCE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord brought the Israelites out of the land of slavery

He wants his people to never forget this day of deliverance

God wanted all the firstborn males both animals and man as sacrifice

They must all be offered to him so they won’t forget God’s goodness

This was a condition to recall how God rescued them out of Egypt

It was a reminder how he saved his people from their cruelty.

Why was it important for God to require the Israelites the offering of the firstborn? It was a reminder for them how the Egyptians idolized their firstborns. This was why God killed all their firstborns. He didn’t want his own people to follow the idolatry practiced by the Egyptians. The Lord separated his people from them and they are not to follow the ways of the wicked. When they offer the firstborns to God, they will be reminded of the wonderful deeds that God brought about so they can be freed from the slavery of sin.

It is essential for all believers to never forget the miracles and how he punished evil ways of the Egyptians. Even in our present lives, it is important for us to remember how God has freed us from our flesh and sins through the perfect sacrifice of the firstborn, Jesus.

REFLECTION

  • What happens when we don’t recall the wonderful deeds of God’s deliverance?