Untitled Sermon
(No. 1867)
A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, OCTOBER 25, 1885,
BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord,
and spoke, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed
gloriously: the horse and his rider has He thrown into the sea. The
Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my
God, and I willprepare Him an habitation, my father's God, and I will
exaltHim." Exodus 15:1,2.
THIS is the first song unto the Lord which is recorded in Holy
Scripture. In Jacob's blessing of his children there are verses which
may be regarded as songs, but they are mere fragments and can scarcely
be said to be sung unto the Lord. There are other couplets in the Book
of Genesis, but this is the first connected song upon record. I should
think that Abraham often sang unto the Lord, but we have no record of
it. We can hardly doubt but that Isaac had his quiet Psalm, as Enoch
had–and Noah and others who called upon the name of the Lord. But none
of these hymns are left to us. This is the very first of those sacred
songs preserved in Scripture and, in some respects, it is first in
merit as well as in time. At any rate, its august occasion lifts it
into the highest place among patriotic hymns.
The Song of Moses appears to have been chanted by an exceedingly great
multitude. Miriam, the Prophetess, took her timbrel and led the
strain–all the daughters of Israel going forth with her with their
timbrels and dances–and the whole multitude of the people taking up
the strain. Never had the shores of the Red Sea, or any other sea,
heard such a song! There were at least 600,000 men, beside women and
children. What an assembly! Millions made up that choir! Though their
voices were little tuned to music, yet as they lifted them up, each one
throwing his whole strength into the strain, it must have sounded like
the noise of many waters, especially when they repeated the refrain,
"Sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously: the horse and his
rider has He thrown into the sea."
We saw just now, in our reading in the 15th Chapter of Revelation, that
the Song of Moses, the servant of God and of the Lamb, will be sung
toward the close of this dispensation when those who have gotten the
victory over the beast and his image shall stand on the sea of glass,
having the harps of God. Before the seven last plagues shall be poured
out upon the earth and God shall overthrow the hosts of Antichrist once
and for all, then shall this song be heard, sung, not by the Israelite
nation, but by that higher Israel who have escaped by the Grace of God
from the power of the spiritual Pharaoh and have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb! How sweetly will they
together take up the song, "Sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed
gloriously! Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty."
It is obvious, then, from the plentiful allusions to this song in Holy
Scripture, that it is full of deep spiritual significance. It teaches
us not only to praise God concerning the literal overthrow of Egypt,
but to praise Him concerning the overthrow of all the powers of evil
and the final deliverance of all the chosen. It is God's intent that
from the day of Moses, downward, even to the hour when flames of fire
shall lick up the works of men and the heavens, themselves, shall be
dissolved with fervent heat, that this shall be the song of the chosen
people everywhere, "Sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed
gloriously."
The first verse of this song was quoted by David. I think you will find
it in almost the same words three times in the Psalms, but especially
in the 118th Psalm you have the exact words, "The Lord is my strength
and song, and is become my salvation." As if the Holy Spirit, when He
furnished Isaiah with his noblest minstrelsy, could not excel the
earlier strains of Moses. Isaiah himself, in Chapter 12, has the same
words–"Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my
salvation." It is evident that this patriotic song was interwoven with
the life of Israel and that when good and gra-
cious men would express themselves in praise at their very best, they
fell back upon this Song of Moses and they sang unto the Lord who had
triumphed gloriously! So full of significance, then, as this song is,
there is something for us to learn from it this morning. May God the
Holy Spirit, who dictated this song to Moses, now write it afresh upon
His people's hearts! Breathe on us, Holy Spirit, that we, also, may be
filled with the praises of Jehovah!
First, I shall want you to notice the time for singing this song. The
text begins, "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song."
Secondly, I shall want you to observe the tone of this song–it is
worthy to be sung in Heaven itself–it is, indeed, high and lofty! And
thirdly, we will consider the first clauses of the song itself–"The
Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my
God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will
exalt Him."
I. It will be instructive to notice THE TIME OF THE SINGING OF THIS
SONG. To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose
under Heaven–there is a time of the singing of birds and there is a
time for the singing of saints. "Then sang Moses."
It was, first of all, at the moment of realized salvation. "The Lord
saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw
the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore; and Israel saw that great work
which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord,
and believed the Lord, and His servant Moses. Then sang Moses and the
children of Israel this song unto the Lord." There was no singing in
Egypt. Sighing, crying, groaning lamentation abounded there, till the
Lord said, "I have surely heard the cry of My people." There was no
singing that I know of even at the celebration of the paschal supper on
that dreadful night when they ate the lamb in haste with their loins
girded and their staves in their hands. Its first observance was upon a
night almost too solemn for song. I do not read that they sang when
they came to Succoth, or reached their first encampment.
I doubt not that they sang snatches of songs when they found themselves
free from their daily tasks and from the Egyptian rod. No doubt there
were individual songs, but the masses did not unite in concerted
music–they were too hurried and too much in fear of pursuit. No poet,
as yet, had arisen to write a lyric in which all would join. The hour
of their complete deliverance had not yet fully come. They marched on
steadily, but they had hardly reached the time for timbrels. When they
had crossed the sea and the waters thereof rolled between them and the
house of their bondage, "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel
this song unto the Lord." Their previous lives had been one long-drawn
sigh, or one discord of anguish and fear and woe. But when their
slavery was altogether a thing of the past, then sang Moses. The depths
have covered the Egyptian host–there is not one of them left–"Then
sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord."
You will have noticed, perhaps, in reading the previous chapter, that
Moses had said to the people (14:14), "The Lord shall fight for you and
you shall hold your peace." But now that God had fought for them, they
are not commanded to hold their peace any longer! The battle is fought,
the victory is won and, "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel
this song unto the Lord." How could they help it? Surely, "if these
should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."
What does that teach us, Brothers and Sisters, but that we cannot sing
in the land of bondage while under the dominion of sin and Satan? How
shall we sing the Lord's song in that strange land? We do not even sing
in the first moments of our spiritual life, when our question is how to
escape destruction through the sprinkling of the blood! Nor do we,
perhaps, sing in those first hurried steps when we fly from the power
of sin and Satan, endeavoring to escape out of bondage. But, oh, when
we see that Christ has saved us! When we understand that he that
believes in Him has everlasting life–then we sing! When we learn that,
"He that believes is justified from all things from which he could not
be justified by the Law of Moses," and hear the Word of the Lord
declaring, "To as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name," then we sing
unto the Lord! Who could stop us? It would be unnatural for us to be
silent after sin is put away! When we are reconciled to God by the
death of His Son, the dumb devil is cast out of us. "Then sang Moses
and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord."
Our early days, when we first saw how complete was the redemption of
Christ, were days of constant praise, and I think, today, if we see
afresh how perfect is the righteousness of Christ, how fully accepted
is the great Atonement, how secure is our standing by virtue of our
union with the Son of God, we shall return to our music and make this
house resound with grateful Psalms! When we doubt our salvation, we
suspend our singing, but when we realize it–when we get
a grip of it, when we see clearly the great work that God has done for
us–then we sing unto the Lord who has for us, also, triumphed
gloriously! I say again, how can we help but sing? How can our joy of
heart any longer be pent up? It must pour itself forth in floods of
harmony, in tunes of realized salvation!
So is it, also, in times of distinct consecration. You may not see this
at first, but I would remind you that the Apostle assures us that all
Israel were "baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." When
Pharaoh and his hosts had been destroyed, Israel stood, for the first
time, as a nation separated from Egypt. The Red Sea was a most
effectual division. Israel became a distinct people, a race redeemed
from among men–they would never again feel the yoke of Mizraim– they
would not return to Egypt, nor would Pharaoh, again, pursue them. They
were now a distinct people consecrated unto Jehovah. To them God would
reveal Himself and among them He would dwell. That passage through the
Red Sea was the type of their death, their burial and their
resurrection to a new life. It was their national baptism unto God and,
therefore, they sang, as it were, a new song.
Do you wonder that they did so? It is the happiest thing that can ever
happen to a mortal man, to be dedicated to God! It is the grandest
posture in which a creature can stand, to be fully consecrated to his
Creator! It is the sweetest and happiest condition in which a heart can
be, when it feels that it is redeemed of the Lord and, therefore, is
not its own, but bought with a price. No song among sweet pastorals can
exceed in sweetness that heavenly Canticle, "I am my beloved's, and my
beloved is mine." There is no greater joy than to know that the Lord
has chosen us unto Himself to be His peculiar heritage! Conscious of
redemption by blood and separation unto Jehovah, their God, "Then sang
Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord."
Oh you that hope that you are Christians but have never yet taken the
distinct step to declare yourselves to be wholly the Lord's! Oh you
that have never come clean away from Egypt and made the waters to roll
between you and a guilty world–you have delayed a joy which, I trust,
you may not longer miss, lest that dreadful text is fulfilled in you,
"Whoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and
sinful generation; of him, also, shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when
He comes in the Glory of His Father with the holy angels." "Then"–in
the day of realized salvation. "Then"–in the day of distinct
consecration they sang this song unto the Lord!
Brethren, it was also a day of the manifest display of God's power. Our
hearts are heavy. At least mine is so, when God seems to put His right
hand into His bosom and not to vindicate His own cause. I am most sad
because I see error prevalent everywhere! Falsehood reigns and Jannes
and Jambres withstand Moses–and the Prince of this world disdainfully
demands, "Who is Jehovah?" Many plagues are upon us–the earth swarms
with errors as if the dust were turned into lice throughout all the
land. Heresies, like frogs, are croaking everywhere! They have come up
into the King's chambers. The Lord has sent a thick darkness over all
the land, even darkness that may be felt. The people loathe to drink of
the waters of our sanctuaries, for a curse is upon them in many a
place. Our heart feels bowed down and we go mourning and say, "Why have
You made us to drink the wine of astonishment?"
But when we hear of conversions! When we see God blessing the work of
the Sunday school! When we hear of sinners turning to Christ and
seeking mercy! When we notice the children of God diligent in service!
When we see the work of the Lord worked with vigor–then is our heart
exceedingly glad, and then, like Moses and the children of Israel–we
sing unto the Lord! How can we be silent when God's arm is made bare? A
revival is our joyous holiday! If we had our choice of all the
benedictions that God can give us on earth, it would be to see the
Church revive, His truth prevail and His Kingdom come! It is not, with
some of us, a matter of indifference whether the Truth of God is
preached or error is proclaimed! No, it is our life to see the Gospel
conquer! We live if you stand fast in the faith, but our spirit
distinctly sickens in proportion as the Church of God decays. When the
Church is strong and God is with her, then is our heart revived and our
song bursts forth, "The Lord is my strength and my song, and He is
become my salvation."
But this song may be sung at all times throughout the life of faith.
I want to put it to the people of God here whether it is good to save
up our songs for special occasions of great joy, or for times when we
have something visible to sing about. Should not the Believer sing by
faith as well as live by faith? Do you not think that the Song of Moses
and the children of Israel at the Red Sea was, after all, a poor affair
as far as faith is concerned? The bulk of the Israelites had very
little faith, indeed, and loud as was the song, there was more noise
than faith in it–for within a day or two they began to murmur against
God! Sing in fine weather! Any bird can do that. Praising God when all
goes well is commonplace work. Everybody marks the nightingale above
all other birds because
she sings when the other minstrels of the woods are silent and
asleep–and thus does faith praise God under the cloud. Songs in the
day are from man, but God Himself gives songs in the night!
O come, let us sing unto the Lord under the clouds! Let us pour forth
His praises in the fires! Let us praise Him under depressions–let us
magnify Him when our heart is heavy. Faith believes in God when there
is nothing to support her but the bare promise. That man was highly
commended who did not despair of the Roman Republic–let us never
despair of the Redeemer's Kingdom! That is the true Christian who can
say when everything grieves him, "Nevertheless, with joy will I draw
water out of the wells of salvation; for I will sing unto the Lord as
long as I live." "Therefore will we not fear, though the earth is
removed, and though the mountains are carried into the midst of the
sea." I ask, today, from every heavy heart and every downcast spirit,
from every man that contends earnestly for the faith once delivered to
the saints, and trembles for the Ark of the Lord, that in the midst of
his trembling and grief, he should burst into song! Rob not God of His
Glory, but let it be said, this day, "Then sang Moses and the children
of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spoke, saying, I will sing unto
the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider has
He thrown into the sea."
Thus we have spoken upon the time for singing. I think that time is
NOW. Let your hearts begin to ring all their bells and let not their
sweet chimes cease forevermore!
II. Notice, secondly, THE TONE OF THIS SONG. "Then sang Moses and the
children of Israel this song unto the
Lord."
Note, first, that the tone is enthusiastic. There is not a dull line,
there is not a dreary sentence all through! It is full of force, life,
power–it is Luther's Old Hundredth Psalm and more! It rises to a
height of intense enthusiasm which cannot be excelled. The words are,
"I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously," and the
singers endeavor to sing gloriously, too!
The tone is also congregational, being intended for every Israelite to
join in. Though Moses began by saying, "I will sing unto the Lord," yet
Miriam concluded with, "Sing you to the Lord, for He has triumphed
gloriously." This is a hymn for every child of God–for all that have
come out of Egypt. Should not there be praise from every one of you?
You in the back settlements, you that bear the mark of Egypt's lash and
smart from wounds still unhealed. You that remember well the taskmaster
and the iron furnace, yet sing you unto the Lord! From Egypt lately
come, sing you unto the Lord! There should be sent up unto God by His
Church a perfectly unanimous harmony of praise! "Oh that men would
praise the Lord for His goodness!" Let all the redeemed of the Lord say
so! "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to
the Rock of our salvation." Let the song be enthusiastic and unanimous!
Yet please notice how very distinctly personal it is. It is strikingly
so. "I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously. The
Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation; He is my
God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will
exalt Him." Do not lose yourself in the throng. It is not egotism to
resolve that if nobody else will sing, you will say with David, "I will
sing unto the Lord as long as I live." The fact is that unanimity
cannot become fact if each mind is not active in praise. We cannot have
a perfect accord unless each child of God feels that he must make his
own distinct music melodious in the ears of the Most High. I tell you,
Brothers and Sisters, if you will not praise the Lord this day, I will!
Do you not say the same? Does not each Brother and Sister here say, "If
no others feel bound to gratitude, yet I have such reason for
thanksgiving that I will praise the Lord while I have any being"? In my
case the Lord has "triumphed gloriously" and if others will not take
Him to be their God, yet this God is my God forever and ever! He shall
be my Guide even unto death! I like the personality of this song and
would urge you to follow it.
Some of you cannot sing unto God because you have no personal enjoyment
of Grace from Him and do not know God for yourselves. Oh, if this is
your case, do not let the sun go down until you know this God and so
can offer your own peculiar song to Him!
Note, again, the tone of this song is exceedingly confident. There is
not a shadow of doubt in it–it is all the way through most positive in
its ascriptions of praise. The lips do not quiver, the mind does not
waver. It begins, "I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed
gloriously." It declares a fact about which there can be no doubt–"The
horse and his rider has He thrown into the sea"–and it goes on to make
statements which are not qualified with hopes, desires and "ifs," or,
"buts," but are bold assertions which cannot be challenged! "The Lord
is my strength and my song, and He is
become my salvation." That is the kind of singing! I do not mind,
occasionally, singing with Cowper when he is down in the dumps, for
some of his dreary hymns admirably express the experience of the weaker
members of the family. But I would not always keep to the minor key. Oh
no! Let us sing songs of joy and victory! Doubts and fears ill become
the children of God. The full assurance of understanding is our
privilege and our duty–why should we not have it? When we come before
God, why should we bring Him such broken-legged worship? No, let us
bring Him perfect praises, the firstlings of our bullocks, even as
David says, "Then shall they offer bullocks upon Your altar." God
should be worshipped with the best we have! His mercy is so sure, so
true, that He ought to have our fullest faith. Where is room for doubt?
Let us sing with confidence unto the Lord!
And this song is exceedingly comprehensive. It sings of what God has
done and then of what God will do in bringing His people into the
Promised Land. Nor does it finish till it rises to that loftiest strain
of all–"The Lord shall reign forever and ever." I think I hear them
repeating that verse again and again–"The Lord shall reign forever and
ever. Hallelujah." Sing to the Lord, not only of the past, but of the
present and the future! Sing of the Second Coming! Sing of the Glory to
be revealed! Sing of high Heaven and the City that needs no candle,
neither light of the sun! Sing of the victories of Christ when the
armies of Heaven shall ride forth on their white horses and He shall
lead them whose name is written on His vesture and on His thigh–King
of kings, and Lord of lords. There is matter enough for eternal music
if our hearts are right with God!
Note, too, all through, that this song is immeasurably joyous. The
Israelites were slaves enjoying new liberty– children let out to play!
How merrily did they disport themselves! They did not know how to be
glad enough! Let us give to God our unlimited joy. David said, "God is
my exceeding joy." I know of no greater word than that word,
"exceeding," because, however far you go, if your joy is, "exceeding,"
it is above the highest–and however brave the description, if your joy
is, "exceeding," it surpasses all language! Believers ought to be
unutterably happy. Men redeemed with the precious blood of Christ ought
always to be almost too happy to live! Men that are children of God and
heirs of the Covenant–and are soon to be where Jesus is in the
ineffable splendor of Jehovah's light–ought to feel their soul
overflowing with delight! The pulse of the Believer should beat
hallelujahs, every heaving of the lungs should raise a Te Deum! Oh, if
our minds could but rise into the heavenlies, where we ought to be, we
should not only be happy as the days are long, but we should enjoy the
days of Heaven upon the earth!
Yet I must say, however enthusiastic that song was and however full of
joy it was, it was only such a song as was due unto the Lord. If those
people on that day had sung to the Lord some dull, heavy tune, I think
if I had been there I would have said, "Change that note! Awaken
yourselves to ardor! Awake, awake, put on strength!" The new tunes of
the present age are constructed upon the principle of, "Let us sing and
rattle through the words as hard as we can go." I like weightier music
moving swiftly, but yet grandly. Such was the Song of Moses, full of
solemnity, but full of heart–a tune into which everyone could throw
the full volume of his voice without fear of spoiling the delicacy of
tone. But, Brothers and Sisters, the tribes of Israel did not even,
then, praise the Lord half as He should be praised. If all the angels
in Heaven had left their seats and descended to the Red Sea shore–and
if cherubim and seraphim had joined the lofty song–it had not been
more than meet for the occasion!
So today, if we could awaken all on earth and all in Heaven, as well as
all that is within us, to bless and magnify the Lord, the song would
not be equal to the majesty of the Divine goodness! It would be but a
faint expression of what God deserves from each one of us. Therefore,
let us sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously!–
"Sound the loud timbrel o'er Egypt's dark sea!
Jeho vah has triumphed, His people are free!
Sing–for the pride of the tyrant is broken,
His chariots, his horsemen, all splendid and brave,
How vain was their boasting. The Lord has but spoken,
And chariots and horsemen are sunk in the wave!" III. We are to dwell
for a few minutes upon THE FIRST CLAUSES OF THIS SONG. "The Lord is my
strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I
will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him."
Notice the song is all of God. There is not a word about Moses. Read
this song through and neither Moses, nor Aaron, nor Miriam are in
it–God is All in All–"I will sing unto Jehovah." That is blessed
praise when self lies with
the Egyptians at the bottom of the sea–when everything that is in us
that is commendable is traced to the Grace of God and the Lord is
magnified for it! All for the glorification of Jesus and none but
Jesus! Brothers and Sisters, we spoil our music by diverting our
thoughts to man. Let us forget men, forget earth, forget time, forget
self, forget this mortal life and only think of our God! The song shall
be all for You, O Lord, for You are All in All and if we have one note
that is determined to go astray, we will this day bind it with cords,
even with cords to the horns of Your Altar, O Jehovah!
Observe, the song dwells upon what God has done–"The horse and his
rider has He thrown into the sea." There is nothing concerning the
deeds of Moses and Aaron, or the pride of Pharaoh, or the craft of
Jannes and Jambres. No, the whole is consecrated to the doings of the
Lord. Let us trace all the mercies we get to our God, for He has worked
all our works in us. He has chosen us, He has redeemed us, He has
called us, He has quickened us, He has preserved us, He has sanctified
us and He will perfect us in Christ Jesus! The Glory is all the Lord's.
Let us sing of what the Lord has done. When you read human history,
read it to see the finger of God in it–trace all along through human
story the silver line of Covenant working–observe how the Lord casts
the horse and his rider into the sea when they come out against Him or
His people.
The song also declares what the Lord will yet do. It is not about what
evil men are doing, or what we are afraid will happen through their
malice, but of what the Lord, alone, will do. He says, "You will surely
bring them in." He pictures the whole affair finished and Israel
settled in the Promised Land–and this is His song. Come, Brothers and
Sisters, let us sing the music of the future, the music of what God
will do! Do you believe that the Lord will be defeated in the long run?
Do you fear that at the end, Jehovah's everlasting purpose will
fail–that Christ will have died in vain? Do you think the eternal
Truths of God promulgated in this Bible will be driven out of the earth
by modern thought? Or that our old Christianity, for which our fathers
bled, will become extinct? By no means! We shall yet conquer in the
great name of Jehovah! Therefore let us take heart of hope to ourselves
and sing of what the Lord has done so often, for, again and again, "The
horse and his rider has He thrown into the sea."
Take up the first note–"The Lord is my strength." What a noble
utterance! Poor Israel had no strength! She had cried out by reason of
her sore bondage, making bricks without straw. Poor Israel was weakness
itself! but Jehovah drew near in power. The Lord is my strength when I
have no strength of my own! By the strength of the Lord, Israel came
forth with a high hand and an outstretched arm. Egypt was glad when
they departed and the Egyptians gave them jewels of silver and jewels
of gold that they might wish them well in departing–for God had given
them honor in the sight of the people. Thus the Lord is our strength
when we are at the extremity of weakness.
The Lord was also Israel's strength against strength. Pharaoh was
exceedingly mighty. The kings of the earth trembled at the neighing of
his warhorses! The rattling of his chariots made the very heavens to
resound! But God was more than a match for him. When strength comes out
against God's people, God meets it with His Omnipotence! What is
Pharaoh's strength when matched against Jehovah's might? A paper pellet
thrown against a wall of brass! The enemy said, "I will pursue; I will
overtake; I will divide the spoil" and so on–but Jehovah had only to
blow with His wind and the sea covered them! Thus will the Lord be our
strength when the mighty are against us.
It is well to say, "The Lord is my strength" when we are weak and the
enemy is strong, but we must mind that we say the same when we are
strong and our enemies are routed. Suppose Israel had stood on the
shore and cried, "The Egyptian power is broken by the sons of Jacob.
Israel has cut Rahab and wounded the dragon." Suppose the nation had
boasted itself–it would have been guilty of a treasonable attempt upon
God's Glory! Lo, Israel is strong enough to make the dukes of Edom
tremble and the mighty men of Moab to be afraid–but she must not sing
unto her own honor! "Give unto the Lord, O you mighty, give unto the
Lord, Glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto His
name." Let this, then, be our song when we are weak and our song when
we are strong–"The Lord is my strength."
Note, the word is not, "The Lord gives me strength," but, "The Lord is
my strength"! How strong is a Believer? I say it with reverence, he is
as strong as God–"The Lord is my strength." God, the infinite Jehovah,
in the infinity of His Nature, is our strength.
The next is, "The Lord is my song," that is to say, the Lord is the
giver of our songs. He breathes the music into the hearts of His
people. He is the Creator of their joy! The Lord is also the Subject of
their songs–they sing of Him and of all that He does on their behalf.
The Lord is, moreover, the Object of their song–they sing unto the
Lord. Their praise is meant for Him alone. They do not make melody for
human ears, but unto the Lord. "The Lord is my song." Then I
ought always to sing! And if I sing my loudest, I can never reach the
height of this great argument, nor come to the end of it. This song
never changes. If I live by faith, my song is always the same, for "the
Lord is my song." Our song unto God is God Himself! He alone can
express our most intense joy. O God, You are my exceeding joy! Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, You are my hymn of everlasting delight!
"The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation." The
Father, in His eternal purpose, is my salvation. The Son, in His
complete redemption, is my salvation. No, not in His redemption, only,
but in His life, His death, His Resurrection, His intercession, His
Second Coming He has become my salvation. And the Holy Spirit
indwelling in me, quickening me, instructing me, illuminating me,
perfecting me, keeping me–He is become my salvation! Triune God, it is
not alone that You save me, but You are my salvation. I look for
nothing but what is in You and if You give Yourself to me, You have
given me a perfect salvation–salvation from bondage, salvation from
worldliness, salvation from death and Hell, salvation into light,
liberty, love and joy–salvation that shall culminate in eternal Glory!
A full salvation is God to His people.
Next "He is my God." Perhaps this is the most joyous note of all. "He
is become my salvation"–this is very sweet. "He is my God"–this is
the sweetest of all! "He is my God," I choose Him to be my God, but I
choose Him of necessity. I can do no other. Who else can be my God? In
the Revised Version it is, "This is my God," and a very proper
translation, too–as if Israel saw what God did at the Red Sea and then
exclaimed, "This is my God." This God of justice, this God of vengeance
and power is my God. Beloved, choose Jehovah to be your God–whom else
can you choose? Let your hearts cling to Him!
But then comes the added word, "He is my Father's God," that is to say,
the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob–a God by Covenant, the God
who has given Himself to us by His own purpose and promise and,
therefore, is our God–not by any right or merit on our behalf, but
solely by the gift of His free, rich, Covenant Grace! Let us praise the
Triune God of Free Grace, for He belongs to each one of us! There is
nothing in God that is not mine; there is no high and lofty attribute
that is not mine; there is no deep and dark decree that is not mine.
You have neither Cross nor crown, O Jesus, which is not mine. He has
given Himself over to us to be our God forever and ever. Come, let us
exult in His name! Have you lost your goods? You have not lost your
God! Have you nothing on earth? Yet you can say, "Whom have I in Heaven
but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire but You." This is a
holy portion, a happy portion, a heavenly portion, a sure portion, an
endless portion, a portion which makes us feel rich to all the intents
of bliss! This God is our God forever and ever. Let us praise and bless
His name!
Note, once more, that as Moses said, "He is my strength, my song, my
salvation, my God," now He adds, "He is my praise." The text in the Old
Version is, "I will prepare Him as an habitation." This jars a little
on my ear–it rather sinks the majesty of the majesty for Israel to
think so soon of Jehovah as One for whom she could prepare a
habitation. Building a habitation was rather the idea of David in his
hour of decline, than of Israel in the day of her astonishment and
victory. The Revised Version of the Old Testament, which is infinitely
superior to the Revised Version of the New Testament, renders it–"This
is my God: I will praise Him." The fact is, there are two words so
nearly alike that it is hard to tell which is correct–"habitation," or
"praise." Some of the oldest versions of all have it, "He is my
praise." I never like meddling with the Old Version, however, so we
will take them both and make sure that we do not miss the meaning.
Does not the Lord inhabit the praises of Israel? We will prepare Him a
habitation of praise. As soon as Israel had got clear of the Red Sea,
clear of Egypt, clear of Pharaoh by the power of Jehovah, then she
said, "I will praise Him." O God, it shall be the business of Your
people from now on to praise You! We have no bricks to make, but we
will praise You! we have no whips to fear, but we will praise You
freely! We are not slaves, now, but we are bound to You forever and we
will praise You! Then the people seem to say, "We will praise the Lord
by regular and abiding worship." Inasmuch as in order to worship, a
place is needed, the thought comes up, "We will prepare Him an
habitation." We will habitually praise our God for this great
deliverance. Let us build our God a house of praises! Let us lay the
deep foundations in love, set up the pillars with gratitude and roof in
the whole with joyous hallelujahs!
The thought of care comes before me in the Authorized Version–"I will
prepare Him an habitation," as if Israel said, "I will take pains to
praise God. I will do it intelligently and with my best powers. He
shall have the best I can give Him. My best is poor compared with His
deserts, but the preparation of my heart shall be His. I will lay
myself out that everything shall be done decently and in order for the
praise of this most High God. I will prepare Him an habitation of
praise. Does it not look as if Israel said, "The Lord has come here to
this Red Sea to fight my enemies and I pray that He may abide with me.
I will prepare an habitation that He may remain. Lord, be not as a
wayfaring man that tarries but for a night–let Your Presence be always
with me and I will praise You always." To have abiding fellowship with
God is the natural desire of every redeemed soul. O Brothers and
Sisters, let us import our own desires into Israel's words. Let us
say–
"Come, dearest Lord, descend and dwell By faith and love in every
breast! Then shall we know, and taste, and feel The joys that cannot be
expressed." Never leave us, nor even hide Your face from us, O Lord,
our God! Dwell in us that we may dwell in You! Reside in these bodies
and make them your Temples. Abide with us! Manifest Yourself to us as
You do not to the world!
The verse closes with, "He is my father's God, and I will exalt Him.''"
How can we exalt Him who is already high above all thought? We cannot
really make God any greater, but we can make Him greater in the
estimation of our fellow men. Let it be the business of our lives to
magnify Him. Let us tell our friends that which will make the Lord
appear more glorious in their estimation. Let us lay ourselves out, by
pen, tongue and life, to make our Lord Jesus Christ more honorable
among those who surround us. Say, "I must and will exalt Him. Perhaps I
have groaned too much over my trials. Perhaps I have been too depressed
and heavy in spirit. But from this day on I will exalt my Lord and
sound forth His praises! If He will permit me, I will make the Glory of
the Lord the one objective of my being."
Come, you young men and maidens, you old men and fathers, let us praise
the Lord on the high-sounding cymbals, and spend the rest of our days
in crying, "Sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously." Amen.
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