time this evening to the passage we read in exodus exodus chapter 15 and we're looking at
these verses 1 to 21 and not looking at every detail but some of the main strands of teaching
in it if we take verse 11 to be equivalent to an unopened parcel who is like you oh lord among the
gods who is like you majestic in holiness awesome and glorious deeds doing wonders we can then see
the verses around that beginning from the beginning of the chapter through to where we finished as the
unpacking of that parcel contents if you like of what's stated in verse 11 the wonder of god majestic
in his holiness as he was seen in the various details that are described there throughout the
chapter the awesomeness of god in glorious deeds especially as he gave the people of israel to be
released from egypt to be redeemed from egypt and to come to the promised land ultimately as he would
take them into so there's the unpacking if you like of that parcel in verse 11 the rest of it there
just lies around it arranged in such a way that you can see content to some degree of what verse 11
actually contains and there are two things anyway in summary of that that we can look at with a number
of points under each of these first of all there's a celebration in looking back this is a song of moses
and the people of israel at this juncture so they're celebrating as they're looking back they're
celebrating their release their deliverance they're celebrating god's magnificent victory over their
enemies it's a celebration as they look back but also from verse 13 especially it's a certainty as they
look ahead there is a certainty in the language there's a certainty as they reflect on the past that
feeds into the future as it will unfold before them and there's a confidence in what they say in this
song to the lord that because god has done such great things in the redemption from egypt he will go on
providing for them until they are settled in the land that he has promised them so these are the two
main points that i want to just lay before you first of all a celebration in looking back and then
there's certainly a certainty in looking ahead and we can relate these to our own experience as christians
in the world and as we look back over what god has done as we've experienced god's deliverance from sin
deliverance from our own lost condition so that gives us encouragement to look forward to know that god
and be certain that god having done what he's done in our past is actually going to complete in our future
what he has promised to do for us now there's a principle here that's somewhat difficult to deal
with and that's the principle of actually singing this song at such a juncture and over such a specific
issue how could it be that the people of israel founded right in their hearts to sing this song
which contains so much emphasis about the destruction of their enemies the egyptians how could they actually
have over such a solemn thing as the destruction of the egyptians or the egyptian forces in the red sea
how could they then move immediately to sing such a song or to sing at all in the light of that solemn event
of destruction well you find some other parts of the bible where very similar things take place let me just
take your minds forward in the bible to the last book of the bible and you'll find revelation chapter 15
and verse 3 they sang there when they saw this great sign in heaven
where the for whom the wrath of god is finished this is the land the lord who had conquered the beast
and his image and the number of its name standing beside the sea of glass and he sang the song of
moses the servant of god and the song of the lamb saying great and amazing are your deeds o lord god
almighty just and true are your ways o king of the nations who will not fear o lord and glorify your name
for you alone are holy all nations will come and worship you for your righteous acts have been
revealed and then even further forward even more remarkable in chapter 19 of revelation from the
beginning of the chapter this is uh following on from the overthrow of babylon the great enemy
represented by babylon by the word and uh the the history of of babylon as as the main enemy of the
people of god through the old testament well babylon is overthrown and uh she's thrown into the sea it's a
picture of utter destruction of god's enemies but then you find this um where after this i heard what
seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying hallelujah salvation and glory and
power belong to our god for his judgments are true and just for he has judged the great prostitute
to corrupt the earth with her immorality and has avenged on her the blood of his servants once more
they cried out hallelujah the smoke from her goes up forever and ever now that's talking about eternal
destruction a most solemn thing to think about and yet it's there as something that's celebrated in song
just as here in this chapter in exodus the overthrow of the egyptians is celebrated in song well how can
that be well some theologians refer to this as intrusion ethics or intrusion teaching when what they mean by
that is that the final state after the judgment after god's people have been settled with them forever
in eternity then the minds of god's redeemed people will perfectly reflect the mind of god himself
and where god finds it just and proper and fitting to deal with his enemies and their enemies in the way
he will then because the minds of his people are very much in tune with perfectly in tune with his will
with his purpose with his act of destruction in regard to the wicked they themselves follow in the same way
or similar way in which you find here in exodus 15 and in the book of revelation to sing praise to the lord
for the way that he has manifested his power towards them in their deliverance carrying with it the destruction
of their enemies of their enemies as well the ultimate purpose of our redemption is praise to god
the ultimate purpose of our redemption is praise to god and every aspect of our experiencing of redemption
should reflect the praise of god what we do and what we say and how we sing
and in this chapter that's what we find this this principle of celebrating of singing the praises of god
who in his wisdom and power and majesty and holiness and might has dealt with his enemies and set his people free
and that's going to be your experience and my experience fully and perfectly in the state of glory
we can't get it into our minds it seems inappropriate in our present state of thinking
it seems inappropriate because we are commanded to pray for our enemies to love those who despise us
and that is not in any way shifted from the emphasis jesus gives to it by anything that's projected
from what the future will be into consideration of it in the present
it's still the case though that this is how the final order will be
this when we are our minds are made perfect
and in tune with the mind of god
then what you find here will be brought to its own perfection and the celebrations
of heaven itself
and the god who is praised
and the god who is praised as described in various ways down through
the chapter verse 11 here
who is like you oh lord among the gods
who is like you majestic
in holiness now all the elements that god has revealed all the attributes all the ways in which
has revealed himself in delivering israel from egypt and all the way through from there into the present day
everything that god does is marked by holiness whether it's in the deliverance of his people
his love for his people his overthrow of their enemies
every aspect of his work is like his being glorious in holiness
is not just a holy god
is not just the holy god
he is the most magnificent holy god
magnificent in his holiness
splendid in his holiness
and that's why we always need to keep before our minds
that the god we worship is splendid as it says he is majestic
in holiness
perhaps one of the reasons
why things are sometimes with ourselves
personally speaking
as they are in our relationship with god
our relationship with the world
our view of the world
and all those things that are
that are involved in that
that we don't appreciate as we should
the majesty of god
and his holiness
the majestic holiness of god
and the way in which god in his majestic holiness
makes it clear to us in that itself
how worthy he is to be worshipped
how worthy he is to be served
how worthy he is to be praised
how worthy he is of everything that comes his way
from his redeemed church
tonight as we gather here in this meeting for prayer
for study of the bible
for the praise of god
this is what is before us
we are here to worship the majestic god
the god majestic in his holiness
we are here not to cringe before him
but we are here to fall before him
in love
and what the bible calls the fear of god
fear of god
being a respect and an awe
of the majestic holiness of god
or the majestic god
in his holiness
yes
but secondly you have
an emphasis here
in celebration of looking back
not just
the majestic holiness of god
but also the power of god
there it is in verse 11
awesome
in glorious deeds or actions
doing wonders
go back to verse 3
the lord is a man of war
the lord is his name
of course you've got to bear
in context
in mind the context for this
some of those who would
criticize us for believing the bible
and who would suggest that perhaps
a christian religion is responsible
for much of the damage that's in the world
would point to verses like that
and say
the lord is a man of war
isn't your god
one who delights in killing people
one who delights in doing things
which really cause pain and distress to people
well i hope we know how to answer that
first of all the context here
the lord is facing
those who are willingly
and uh
not just willingly
but violently
his enemies
and the enemies of his people
what is god going to do
well you might say god
could have converted all of us
really he could
but that's not his purpose
and you fall into line with his purpose
whatever that purpose
may be
and however difficult it may be
for us to follow it
he is god
he knows what's right
he knows
what he's doing at all times
and you notice here
the right hand of god is mentioned
you stretched out your right hand
the earth swallowed them
now
um
apparently it was the case that
representations of pagan idols
very often had
in the right hand
a symbol of their power
whether it be a sword
or a crown
or something like that
they were represented by
the images of them
as having this capacity
this power
this ability
this overriding
power and influence
over those who came to worship them
and over those
uh
that they were represented
to to protect
wrongly of course
but here is god
and here is the song of
of triumph to god
you stretched out
your right hand
their right hand
whatever they had
on their right hand
was pretty useless
when it came
to the matter of
facing you oh lord
because you stretched out
your right hand
the right hand of your might
and there's also
uh
an emphasis here
to to floods
um
the earth swallowed them
but uh
all the way through
you've got
emphasis on
on on floods
uh
here through the red sea
of course being
itself
uh
a volume of water
look back to verse 5
uh
the floods covered them
they went down into the depth
like a stone
now this is
a really interesting thing
for you yourselves
to to pursue through
i'm just going to
lay it out
you can follow this out
yourselves
especially if you've got
a concordance
just look up the word
floods
and look at the number
of times that the word
floods is used
in a similar way to this
because floods
especially in the old
testament
represent
the powers of enmity
against god
the powers of
those who
gather together
against the lord's
people
and against god himself
and who gather in
all the might that
they can muster
in order to try and
prevent the lord
from carrying out
his purpose
and again you find
that same thing
uh
through the bible
but you find it
very frequently
and interestingly
significantly
in the book of psalms
book of psalms
that we
of course use
in our worship
psalm 29
verse 3
the voice of the lord
is over the waters
the glory of god
thunders
the lord
over many waters
the voice of the lord
is powerful
the voice of the lord
is full
of majesty
go to psalm 77
and there again
you find
in psalm 77
a similar emphasis
in verses
16
in verse 16
there you find
when the water
saw you
oh god
when the water
saw you
they were afraid
indeed
the deep
trembled
you'll find for
yourselves
other
i'll read one more
than that
in the book of psalms
there are many more
that you can find out
for yourselves
it's a very useful
interesting exercise
to do that
and to follow out
the teaching there
of the waters
and what they represent
and how the lord
overcame them
on behalf of his people
well psalm 124
one of the
all-time favourite psalms
of the covenanters
in scotland
well i'm sure
know what that
terrible situation
was like
for the covenanters
having to meet
sometimes in secret
of the moors
on the moors
pursued by
red coat soldiers
and so on
this was one of
their favourite psalms
and it's for good reason
you can see
why it was one of
the favourite psalms
if it had not been
the lord
who was on our side
let israel now say
if it had not been
the lord
who was on our side
then when people
rose up against us
then they would have
swallowed us alive
when their anger
was kindled against us
then the flood
would have swept us away
the torrent
would have gone over us
then over us
would have gone
the raging waters
see three references
there to the power
of the waters
the power of the floods
and all the time
there's an emphasis
god has not given us
to that
god has overcome that
god has delivered
his people
and of course
you find the same
in the red sea
this was what stood
in the face
of the people
moving forward
and the lord
showed his might
that these great waters
that were sometimes
used to represent
this body
of enmity
against god
he just
cut it in two
and let his people
pass through
now all of that
follows through
into your experience
as well
as the people
of god
because you can see
it in your own
personal experience
how waters
so very readily
represent
the various
aspects
of the difficulties
and the trials
and the challenges
that face you
in the christian life
and how so often
they seem to be
just ready to
overthrow you
overwhelm you
and come and just
swallow you up
well there's
the emphasis
all the way
through scripture
your trust in the lord
unites you to someone
who stands over the waters
who presides over them
in such a way
that they will not
swallow you up
even though sometimes
they may seem to come
very far up
in your experience
and then of course
he refers to
his love
and his fury
and they're both
together here
interesting in verse 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
and he mentions
the fury of the lord
elsewhere
and the anger
with which god
dealt with his enemies
well verse 13
the steadfast love
of the lord
is his loving kindness
to his people
so often
we come across
this word
in the old testament
but there's one thing
that it carries
with it as well
and it's important
because alongside
of god's steadfast love
for his people
and these words
are important
as a translation
loving kindness
or steadfast love
it really means
the absolute
commitment of god
to his people
and to his own purpose
in them
and through them
and for them
but his own absolute
commitment to that
means
that his enemies
are bound
to be overthrown
the loving kindness
of god for his people
the steadfast love
of god for his people
carries with it
inevitably
the destruction
of all those
who themselves
choose willingly
to stand against him
and against his people
and all of that
is brought before us
by way
of a song
for worship
love is committed
to god's people
and the love
in which he's committed
to his people
also carries with it
the way in which he
engages with his enemies
who steadfastly refuse
to bow to him
you see there in verse 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 the sword
my hand shall destroy them
there's a reflection
of the society
in which you and i live
just as these waters
of the red sea
represented us
the floods of waters
that which stood
against god
and his people
so you're finding
that in verse 9
the emphasis there
very much fits in
with the attitude
that faces you today
as a christian
where the world
and where
in many aspects
of political life itself
and many other aspects
of our society
sadly
they will say
i will pursue
i will overtake
i'll follow my own
inclinations
i'll pull through
with this
i will actually
be determined
against what
is represented
as god
and the gospel
and the church
i'll stand against that
i'll overthrow that
i'll deal with that
and sadly
throughout the world
that of course
is the case
you've only got to
look to
ukraine
and see someone
like putin
who is determined
that his own will
will carry
as far as the future
of the ukrainian people
is concerned
well god
may very well
have other ideas
and we hope
that it will turn out
eventually
to be
a defeat
for a dictator
like putin
but there is the
emphasis there
in verse 9
and here is god
saying
here are my people
and they are
celebrating the victory
that i have given them
because here's
their song
over the destruction
of their enemies
here's their celebration
of the majestic holiness
the power
the love
and the fury
of god
this is our god
as we sang
one of the songs
and psalms tonight
this is our god
the god we worship
the god we love
the god we pray to
the god we seek
to show his power again
now there's a certainty
of looking ahead
the time is going
certainty
in looking ahead
from verse 13
there's a certain hope
involved in this
you have led
in your steadfast love
the people
whom you have redeemed
you have guided them
by your strength
to your holy abode
it's as if the people
are there already
in the promised land
the peoples have heard
they tremble
you see that certain hope
how is it that they can be
so sure
about the future
as they reflect
on the past
well because of
arguing this way
i think
they're saying really
god has already
done this for us
so
we are right
in thinking
and believing
that he's going
to continue
to bless us
and to carry us
through
until he has
actually settled us
in the promised land
it's really
an argument
from the most
difficult if you like
though nothing is
difficult with god
but in human terms
an argument
from the greatest
to the least
or an argument
from the most
difficult to the
more easy
the most difficult
being to deliver
the people
from their thralldom
and bondage
in egypt
and to carry
them safely
through
having been
pursued by
the egyptians
that you might
say is the way
the song here
reflects on the
most difficult
aspect of their
deliverance
and what it's
really saying
is when god
has already
done this
we can be
certain
that he will
do the lesser
for us
and carrying
us through
the wilderness
into the
promised land
that's of course
speaking
relatively
because as i
said nothing
is difficult
with god
anything
nothing is
more difficult
than anything
else for him
but you carry
that through
into the new
testament as
well and in
your own
experience
when you can
argue that
well when god
has already
delivered me
from my sin
from the guilt
of my sin
when he's brought
me out from
the darkness
in which i once
lived when he's
done that
when he's shattered
the power of sin
in my own life
that's something
from which i can
argue that god
is bound to be
true to his promise
that he will bring
me safely home
he's already done
the most difficult
if you like
using that language
and he's going
to actually be
be sure to bring
us home
and in fact you
find in the new
testament a very
similar argument
used by paul
in romans
chapter eight
and again it's a
chapter we saw
recently some of
it that's set
out there for the
encouragement and
for the assurance
of god's people
who trust in
christ
verse 32
of romans
chapter 8
you read as
follows
well he's
verse 31
what shall we
say to these
things if god
is for us who
can be against
us he who did
not spare his
own son but
gave him up for
us all how will
he not also with
him graciously give
us all things you
see there's the
same principle
paul is saying
look at this
god has already
done this amazing
thing he did not
spare his own
son but he
delivered him up
for us all
now when he's
done that paul
is saying how
shall he not
with him in
union with him
also freely
graciously give
us all things
there's paul's
argument so that
these christians
in rom are
encouraged by
what he has to
say he's saying
to them look at
what god has
already done
look at the
cross look at
what the cross
is look at the
fact of the
cross not the
liberal theology
version of the
cross but the
new testament
pauline version
of the cross
the lord's own
presentation of
his cross and
of his death
when you see
what that entails
what that has
done what has
been included in
that what that
involved well
how is he going
to not fulfill
what remains of
your own christian
journey to heaven
and entrance to
glory that's why
he's saying here
he has taken
out the people
he has redeemed
them you have
guided them by
your strength to
your holy abode in
other words from
what already has
happened in their
deliverance he's
now saying you've
taken us out
you're now looking
after us and you
will take us home
that's exactly where
you are in your
christian thinking
isn't it tonight
you're saying to
god lord you've
done the great
thing of delivering
me from sin and
from the guilt of
my sin you've
done such a great
thing in the cross
to provide salvation
for me you're
looking after me
now you're
providing for me
every day you've
given me your
holy spirit how
shall you not
also with christ
freely give me
all things your
future is secure
and you can argue
that from the
certainty the
factuality of your
redemption in the
past and of
course he mentions
here cringing
enemies as well
as well as the
certain hope
terror and dread
the chiefs of
edom the peoples
have heard they
tremble the chiefs
of edom are
dismayed trembling
ceases the leaders
of moab all the
inhabitants of
canaan have
melted away terror
and dread fall upon
them because of the
greatness of your
arm they are still
as a stone till
your people oh
lord pass by until
the people pass by
whom you have
purchased you will
bring them in and
plant them on your
own mountain
well don't you wish
that that was more
the case in our
own experience in
the day in which we
live that the
reputation of god
not just of his
church the reputation
of god and
delivering his
people the power
and the might and
the presence of
god as was
mentioned in both
prayers tonight
that is something
we would pray and
earnestly plead for
more of in our
experience in the
church and along
with the gospel
today friends we
stand and instead
of the church
actually causing
by the power of
god in our midst
to cause his
enemies to cringe
and to fall into a
state of dread
what we're finding
sadly all too often
is that it's the
church that's
cringing against
the power of
the world
why is that
what's the reason
for that well
whatever the cause
of it is is
because we lack
the immense power
of god shown
through the gospel
that we would
like to see
we pray for that
we pray that the
days will come
when these people
in the streets
around us who
presently stand
against god and
stand against his
gospel that they
would actually come
to think and
hear of god at
work in his
people and that
what they hear of
god at work in
his people would
actually cause them
to reflect on
their own situation
on issues of
eternity well you
know there's it's a
very solemn thing
that it doesn't
really appear that
throughout our own
locality and
throughout the
nation that the
covid pandemic
has really had
much effect on
people's thinking
of eternity
and that's a very
solemn thing
that god in his
purpose should have
brought such
devastation
through this
pandemic
and yet people
have not really
given consideration
to god himself
through it all
well that
demonstrates for us
that not even
the most grievous
providence by
itself can change
people's hearts
for that we need
the power of god
the presence of god
the blessing of god
of his gospel
to his people first
of all to you
and to me
to make ourselves
come more alive
to bring his power
to bear upon our
own thoughts and
upon our own
actions and upon
our own daily
doings
and from there
to spread out
into the community
around us
not that we
should wait
until we feel
or know
or expect
and experience
that god is now
in our midst
to a great extent
beyond what we
have presently
before we start
doing outreach
and trying to
bring the gospel
out into a
community
I'm not saying
that at all
what I'm saying
is that we have
to be doing
that
but at the same
time recognize
that it's the lord
and his presence
and his power
that alone
can change
the hearts
of people
and that can
alone bring
that that sense
of eternity
that sense of
what the what
this passage
calls this sense
of terror and
dread that falls
upon these those
who stand against
the lord and
tremble in the
presence of god
that's what we
have seen in the
past
when god came
in reviving
power
when god came
and blessed
his word
and empowered
his people
and quickened
them
that was part
of the effect
of it
it registered
in the community
it registered
in people's
minds
people actually
said there's
something going
on here
it's unusual
what is it
what's happening
in our town
what's happening
in our village
what's happening
in our streets
well what was
happening was
that god was
at work
that god was
busy changing
people's lives
for the good
there is where
we really need
to bring this
passage into
our own personal
experience and
prayer
that the arrogant
defiance against
god that we
find sadly
marking so much
of our society
would actually
come to be
dispelled
by the working
of the holy
spirit
and to that
end
that we would
pray
and work
and pray
till the lord
establishes his
people
and makes us
cause a praise
in our midst
may bless these
thoughts
on his word
lord of god
we thank you
that in your word
you bring us
so many things
that both
challenge and
encourage us
to live the
lives that we
ought to live
before you
we thank you
for the relevance
of all of
these issues
from so long
ago
relevance that
they have for
our own day
we pray lord
that you would
bless us to us
as a congregation
your own truth
amongst us
bless the gospel
so that we may
come more and
more to be
brought vibrantly
into your service
and forgive us
we pray lord
for our lack
of zeal
forgive us
for when we
ourselves fall
short of what
we should be
yet we give
thanks lord
for all that
you enable us
to do
and we give
thanks for
those especially
who so give
of their time
and of their
talents to the
work of the
gospel in our
midst as a
people
may that
continue lord
to be blessed
blessed by you
and continue
now to bless
us and watch
over us
hear our prayer
accept our
worship and
cleanse us
from all our
sins
for jesus
sake
amen
well final
singing this
evening is
psalm 71