(Exodus 15) The Substance of Praise

Exodus   •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  36:49
0 ratings
· 655 views
Files
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
INTRODUCTION:
Can you think of the time when worship was deeply encouraging and convicting?
Why was it encouraging and convicting?
What songs or hymns encourage and convict you?
Why was it encouraging and convicting?
I can remember sitting in church, and hearing the song – What a friend we have in Jesus.
And being deeply encouraged and convicted.
Why?
Because it confesses’s one of God’s amazing perfections -
he hear’s our prayers and cares for our needs.
The more modern song, A Mercies Anew, is another one that is deeply encouraging and convicting.
Why?
Because it confesses’s one of God’s amazing perfections -
Because it reminds us, of Lamentations 3 22 – 23, every morning God’s grace and mercy shines on believers in Christ.
And that begs the question -
What should our worship look like?
Whether we are talking about
Sunday morning worship,
or our personal devotions.
What should our worship look like?
And may I add,
What makes a good worship song, is often what makes a good prayer.
Are the Psalms the prayers of David or the songs of David?
Why do we put so many of David’s prayers into song?
Because,
What makes a good worship song, is often what makes a good prayer.
This morning, we will consider the Song of Moses.
Exodus 15
And how it should inspire our worship and prayer life.
A.W. Pink once said,
"Exodus 15 contains the first song recorded in Scripture. Well has it been said, “It is presumably the oldest poem in the world, and in sublimity of conception and grandeur of expression, it is unsurpassed by anything that has been written since. … This first song of Scripture has been rightly designated the the Song of Redemption, for it proceeded from the hearts of the redeemed people.” (A. W. Pink, Gleanings in Exodus, Pg. 113)
Exodus 15 is wonderful example of worship and prayer.
Exodus 15 ESV
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 rider he has thrown into the sea. 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. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. 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. 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.’ You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes 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, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. 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. The Lord will reign forever and ever.” 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. 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. 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.” Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
What might surprise us -
is how there is nothing new in Exodus 15,
that Moses had not already wrote to us in Exodus 13 - 14.
Exodus 15 recounts how God delivered to Israel through the Red Sea crossing.
But isn’t that what actually 13 – 14 is all about.
There is only really one major difference between Exodus 13 – 14 and Exodus 15.
Exodus 15 is a recount of the same event, but in the form of song.
This song was likely written by Moses sometime shortly after the Red Sea crossing.
It was repeated over and over – until Moses inserted it into the book of Exodus.
And now it stands as a memorial song of God’s amazing work through the test of time.
The song of Moses is literally,
the response to God’s amazing work in the Exodus.
And as such,
it models for what worship and prayer life should look like.

What should our personal and corporate worship and prayers look like?

That is the question at hand, and may we examine Exodus 15 to understand 3 aspects of good worship and prayer.
*************** PRAY ***************************
What should our personal and corporate worship and prayer look like?
First, ,

(1) Worship and prayer should be praise expressed to the LORD. (Exodus 15:1)

In many ways,
American Christianity has forgotten the focus of true worship.
CAVEAT:
I’m not talking about a particular music style,
because what I am describing today can be true of both contemporary and traditional music.
When I gather with my local church, and I sing.
What should that focus be?
Some want to get that feeling of awe … and so the goal is to give me that spiritual experience.
Some make Sunday morning all about getting people saved, and thus songs are chosen to lead people to salvation.
Yet others, see worship as meant to be an encouragement to Christians.
And our prayers are the same way -
What is the focus of most Christians prayers?
What I need from God!
A long laundry list of I want’s.
There is some warrant, for those ideas.
Within balance, these ideas are good.
I hope that worship will bring us in awe of God is.
I hope that as we sing to Christ, people would see their need for Christ.
And I hope that as we sing of Christ, Christians would be encouraged.
After all, isn’t that exactly what Colossians 3:16-17 teaches us.
Colossians 3:16–17 ESV
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
And we are also encouraged to take our needs to God.
1 John 5:14 ESV
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
So I’m not critiquing those ideas,
I am critiquing the balance of those ideas.
It is true that we ought to be an awe of God.
It is true that our singing can point people to Christ.
It is true that Christians encourage one another as they worship.
And it is true that God answers our prayers.
The problem is when anyone of those become the main focus of our worship and prayer life.
What I think that we forget in American Christianity - is that worship and prayer is not exclusively about us.
Who is the Song of Moses directed towards?
Exodus 15:1 ESV
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 rider he has thrown into the sea.
Twice, our text makes it clear the song is directed as praise to the Lord.
[לַֽיהוָ֔ה]
“sang this song to the LORD”
“I will sing to the LORD”
The Lord and not ourselves is the object of worship.
Praise is all about God, and not us.
Do we benefit from worship?
Absolutely.
But should - We focus on what we get out of worship.
No,
Worship is by definition directed as praise of the Lord, to the LORD.
It is by definition,
a focus on the LORD.
And prayer is the same way.
Do we benefit from prayer?
Absolutely.
But should I treat God like my magic genie, who get me whatever I want.
No. Prayer is about God and he ought to be the focus.
I would challenge us,
worship and prayer is most encouraging, we are most satisfied …
when our worship and prayer is directed at God and God alone.
The Second aspect of worship and prayer -

(2) Worship and prayer should praise the perfections of God.

Van Gogh’s painting, the Starry night, is an inspiring picture of the night sky.
Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel, is a master piece of theology and art.
The Empire State building is an amazing example of human architecture.
But how do these compare to God’s creation?
They look like toddlers scribble.
Whether were talking about the ocean the Pacific,
were talking about the mountains of the Teton Range,
or an elk herd running.
God’s master pieces, makes man’s master pieces almost laughable.
A key element of our prayers should be relating God’s work in our life, with God’s perfections.
The more you relate your situation to God’s perfections,
the more encouraging and convicting your worship and prayer will be.
Consider how often the first song in our Bibles described the character of God.
Strength (Ex 15:2)
True God. (Ex 15:2)
Deliver. (Ex 15:2)
Man of war/Mighty Warrior. (Ex 15:2)
Name is LORD (Self Existent One) (Ex 15:2)
Glorious. (Ex 15:6, 7)
Powerful (Ex 15:6)
Judge (Ex 15:7)
Protector (Ex 15:8-10)
Incomparable (Ex 15:11)
Awesome. (Ex 15:11)
Steadfast in love. (Ex 15:13)
A person to be dreaded. (Ex 15:14-16)
Reigns forever. (Ex 15:18)
Moses listed 14 qualities of God in 18 verses.
> Let me make a side note here,
After having gone through the 10 plagues and the Parting of the Red Sea,
Is there anything that is impossible with God?
I challenge you - if you are facing a challenge in your life,
take it to God.
Exodus teaches us that God is more than powerful enough to deliver us from any trial we are facing.
Now,
The Red Sea crossing is amazing, but let me be honest.
Do we as Christians not have greater reasons to praise God, then even the Israelites?
Peter said this about the prophets.
1 Peter 1:10–11 ESV
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
Jesus said this about the Old Testament believers.
Matthew 13:17 ESV
For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
What are they talking about?
We are the adopted children of God.
We possess forgiveness and salvation.
We will one day experience the resurrection.
And while we wait, we know that God is working all things for our Good.
Do we not have many reasons to praise God?
Could we not call God many wonderful names?
In terms of worship,
Our songs should be filled with praise for the perfections of God.
Our personal and corporate songs should proclaim who God is.
And what about our prayers?
To often, our prayers spend more time asking God for what I want,
then ever exalting the name of God.
The average Christians prayer life - is a laundry list of I wants.
But what is missing?
An honest, heart of praise for the wonderful works of God.
Our Worship and Prayers should be filled with the perfections of our amazing God.
And finally, our

(3) Worship and prayer should be filled with confessions of belief. (Exodus 15:2, 17)

Several times here in this song,
Moses confesses his belief in God.
Exodus 15:2 ESV
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.
God is my strength. (Ex 15:2)
God is the source of Israel’s strength.
It is not their might, but God’s that they trust in.
God is my song (the joy and meaning of life). (Ex 15:2)
The idea of song gives us the idea of joy and purpose.
The LORD gives them their meaning in life.
Personal Savior. (Ex 15:2)
God is their savior.
God saved them from Slavery in Egypt.
Personal God. (Ex 15:2)
They personally appropriate the LORD as their God.
He might or might not be your God, but he is my God.
He is the God that they trust in.
And then Moses in his song ends with this confession,
Exodus 15:17 ESV
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.
God will keep his promises. (Ex 15:17)
“Moses’ triumphal song includes the assurance (Ex. 15:17) that God would bring His people into the Promised Land and to Jerusalem, the mountain of God’s inheritance, where His presence would be evident in the sanctuary
John D. Hannah, “Exodus,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 133.
What this song confesses’s is that -
They know God has promised them a promised land.
And to dwell with them in the promised land.
And they are confessing that they believe it.
This song affirms, 4 different confessions of belief.
Why is that important?
I am going to use an overused cliché this morning
- but I think you will understand why confession is so important.
ILLUSTRATION:
There once was a distraught wife, who felt her husband didn’t lover her.
In 30 years of marriage, her husband had never told her that he loved her.
And so she thought he didn’t.
So, frustrated and hurt -
She asked him, why don’t you tell me you love me?
He said –
I told you the day I married you that I loved you, and that hasn’t changed.
When it changes, I will tell you.
I think most of us realize that a husband who loves his wife will reaffirm that he loves her.
Good marriages are built on regular affirmations of love.
And that is of true marriage, but I would suggest that is also true of our relationship with God.
If you are saved,
there is a time and a place in which you confessed to God that you believed.
A day in which you said, I need Christ to forgive me of my sins.
A moment where you said, I need Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
But have you said it since.
How often have you said it?
Many evangelical authors have noted the importance of daily confessing the Gospel in your prayers.
Tim Challies
Milton Vincent
C. J. Mahaney
Jerry Bridges.
Paul Tripp
And I am sure there are others, I just don’t know of them.
We can’t just confess our belief in the Gospel once,
It needs to be a regular part of you life.
When you worship and when you pray,
confessing belief in God should be a daily habit.
What does it mean to abide in Grace?
To depend on the Holy Spirit?
To trust Christ and the Father to care for your needs?
It means -
You are regularly expressing and confessing your belief in God.
Your soul gains grace and strength, as you confess and remind yourself of the wonderful truths of the Gospel.
A major part of the first song in Scripture,
a song repeated among the Israelites.
was to repeatedly confess their belief in God.
That should challenge us in our worship and prayers.
CONCLUSION:
So from Exodus 15,
What should our personal and corporate worship and prayers look like?
What is the substance of praise?
There are probably a number of things that we could say.
This is certainly not the only passage that should direct our worship.
But I do believe this passage gives 3 important aspects of healthy worship and prayer life.
Whether we are talking about the church,
or our personal devotions.
(1) Worship and prayer should be praise expressed to the LORD. (Exodus 15:1)
(2) Worship and prayer should praise the perfections of God.
(3) Worship and prayer should be filled with confessions of belief. (Exodus 15:2, 17)
CAVEAT:
I want to be cautious and clarify - I am not saying our worship and praise needs to be filled with lofty and exuberant talk.
God doesn’t answer the average Joe's prayers any differently then the greatest poets.
But I am challenging us - to have hearts of praise and worship.
That out of genuine faith, we express genuine praise and prayer.
I challenge you -
What does your worship and prayers look like?
Are they a shallow and self-absorbed?
Is worship just another self-help program?
Or even worse - they are non-existent.
Or does your worship and prayers have the true substance of praise?
Is your worship and prayers a walk with God?
Is your worship and prayers praising what God has done in your life?
Is your worship and prayers a confession that you are believe in one true God?
From the model of Exodus 15 -
I challenge us to worship and pray with the substance of praise.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more