Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20060531.htm

EXODUS: FUNCTIONING WELL IN A HOPELESS GROUP ASSIGNMENT
Part II: God's Sustainment Of Israel In The Wilderness Amid Humanly Helpless Trials
A. Drawing Hope For The Future From God's Recent Great Deliverance
(Exodus 15:1-21)
  1. Introduction
    1. God's deliverances and leading of the past in our walk of faith with Him are not to be forgotten; they are to be used for future guidance and encouragement to trust Him in the experiences of life that await us.
    2. When Moses witnessed God's great deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea, he led Israel in a song of praise that not only exalted the Lord, but gave direction and hope for Israel's FUTURE needs.
    3. We view that Song of Moses for application in our own lives (as follows):
  2. Drawing Hope For The Future From God's Recent Great Deliverance, Exodus 15:1-21.
    1. Moses' song in response to God's deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea began with a refrain that was antiphonally repeated by his sister, Miriam. She in turn led the women of Israel in her refrain (Exodus 15:1 with 15:20-21), calling Israel to praise the Lord for having gloriously triumphed over the Egyptians!
    2. In the body of that song, Moses first exalted the Lord, then recalled the details of His deliverance of Israel from Pharaoh's hosts and finally applied this information to give Israel great hope for her future:
      1. In a grand description, Moses called the Lord (a) his Strength, (b) Song, (c) Salvation, (d) Creator [Elohim], (e) One Moses would praise, (f) his father's Creator [Elohim] Moses would exalt for keeping His promise to the forefathers to save Israel from Egypt (Ex. 2:24), (g) a Great Nobleman of War ('ish = "man" as a "great and mighty" versus "poor and lowly") in having delivering Israel from the Egyptian forces and (h) the Eternal "I AM" [Jahweh] Who called Moses at the Burning Bush effectively [where Moses had failed to be able to do this before!] to lead Israel out of Egypt (Ex. 3:13-15), Ex. 15:2-3 NIV, ESV; Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 101; R. B. Girdlestone, Syn. of the O. T., p. 49!
      2. To explain this grand description, Moses detailed God's salvation at the Red Sea, Exodus 15:4-10:
        1. God had overwhelmingly drowned the terrifying military force of Pharaoh in the Red Sea, 15:4-5.
        2. The might of God is detailed in this feat in Exodus 15:6-8 where the lusts and arrogance of the Egyptian warriors against Israel were dashed in the depths of the sea, Ex. 15:9-10! [Incidentally, the word "congealed" (KJV, NIV and ESV) is from qafar, meaning "condense, congeal, thicken" and describes how the sea "became firm walls" on either side of Israel, Exodus 14:22, 29; cf. B. D. B., Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, p. 891.]
      3. Thus, Moses returned to exalt the Lord as unique among all beings, One Who was glorious in holiness, to be revered and praised in His mighty works, and Who used that great power in mercy to lead His people out of Egypt to His holy place of habitation (temple) yet to be established in Canaan, 15:11-13.
      4. Based on this praise, Moses drew a marvelous application for Israel's FUTURE, Exodus 15:14-18:
        1. Moses concluded the other Gentile nations Israel was yet to conquer in the Land of Promise would fear Israel's God so that Israel would be aided in conquering and possessing the land, Ex. 15:14-16.
        2. Indeed, God Himself would bring Israel into the Land of Promise, and plant her in the mountain of His inheritance, the place of God's future temple sanctuary that God Himself would establish, 15:17.
        3. Accordingly, if God was able to do this, Moses concluded He would reign there forever, Ex. 15:18. [This hope will be realized in the coming eternal reign of Jesus Christ, cf. Luke 1:30-33!]
      5. Moses' trust in this glorious future hope was based on what God had accomplished at the Red Sea, so he returned to end his song by recalling that evidence of God's might and will for the future, cf. 15:19!
      6. Thus, even distant future Revelation 15:2-4 Great Tribulation saints will sing this Song of Moses to the glory of God Who shall defeat antichrist as He once did Pharaoh and reign forever over the nations!
Lesson: Based on the great salvation God wrought for Israel over Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea, Moses realized God was Israel's All-Sufficient Source of giving her a safe, successful passage from the Red Sea to the entering, possessing and eternal kingdom of God in the Land of Promise. This HOPE will SUSTAIN saints until that kingdom is FINALLY realized in its FULLEST form after the coming Great Tribulation era has come and gone, and God has defeated the antichrist as he once did Pharaoh!

Application: May we EVER draw HOPE from God's PAST deliverances for ALL our FUTURE needs!