# 42 2024 Dev. Ex.15. We Trust God! Read all of chapter fifteen first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Ex.15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my defense [a] he has become my salvation.”
Ex.15 Here “ Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:” A song of praise, and describing what God has done and how He saved them from the Egyptians now intent on destroying them instead of enslaving them. Satan knew what would happen but after empowering the Egyptians he had no way to stop them. Here also they run into their second big problem, 1st the water of the sea, now, no water to drink, for 3 million people. God also brings them to a place of Refuge.
Vs.1-11 is a psalm. v.1 “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”
This is the introduction and the conclusion of the song. V.2 gives us the result of God’s actions and the reason for praising Him. “The Lord is my strength and my defense [a]he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him,my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” The rest of the Psalm continues in that same manner, what God has done interspersed with praise.
Vs.12-17 is still the song but as a positive story of their upcoming journey, culminating in verse 17 “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” picking up on God’s promise to the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
It ends in verse 18 with what we know and confess; “The Lord reigns for ever and ever.”
Vs. 19-21. tells us Miriam, Aaron’s sister and the all the women lead the singing.
“The Waters of Marah and Elim”
Vs. 22-27. Some commentators indicate Moses had a hard time to get the people to move on. That is possible, it was a great victory for them. Like us they may have been reluctant to move on to the wilderness of life, move into the unknown. “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur,” meaning “wall”. They travelled for three days to Marah, meaning bitter. They had traveled 50 Kl. with no water and here it was undrinkable. “ So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” It seems to be a simple question but it is intensified with, “they grumbled against Moses.” This bordered on rebellion, especially after they had been saved by the mighty hand of God. “Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.” God, of course, is faithful.
“There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”’
This is also for us, we do our best to adhere to what God tells us. Not in order to be saved but because we are already saved, we live in obedience because we are thankful to God for His love and grace to us.
“Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.” After Marah, God gives them a place to recover, to rest in comfort. God does that for us as well, places to recover in the wilderness of life. Thanks be to God!
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