Exodus 15
While believers in general readily admit all that the Lord has done for them, many find considerable difficulty in making a personal application of it. They are looking at themselves instead of at Christ in death and Christ in resurrection. They are occupied rather with their appropriation of Christ than with Christ Himself. They are thinking of their capacity rather than their title. Thus they are kept in a state of the most distressing uncertainty, and, as a consequence, they are never able to take the place of happy, intelligent worshippers. They are praying for salvation instead of rejoicing in the conscious possession of it. They are looking at their imperfect fruits instead of Christ’s perfect atonement.
Now, in looking through the various notes of the song in Exodus 15, we do not find a single note about self, its doings, its sayings, its feelings, or its fruits. It is all about Jehovah from beginning to end. It begins with, “I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.” This is a specimen of the entire song. It is a simple record of the attributes and actions of Jehovah. In Exodus 14 the hearts of the people had been pent up by the excessive pressure of their circumstances, but in Exodus 15 the pressure is removed, and their hearts find full vent in a sweet song of praise. Self is forgotten; circumstances are lost sight of. One object fills their vision — the Lord Himself in His character and ways. They were able to say, “Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work: I will triumph in the works of Thy hands” (Psa. 92:44For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. (Psalm 92:4)).
True Worship
This is true worship. It is when poor worthless self, with all its belongings, is lost sight of and Christ alone fills the heart that we present proper worship. There is no need for the efforts of a fleshly piety to awaken feelings of devotion in the soul. Nor is there any demand whatever for the adventitious appliances of religion, so called, to kindle in the soul the flame of acceptable worship. Only let the heart be occupied with the person of Christ, and “songs of praise” will be the natural result. It is impossible for the eye to rest on Him and the spirit not be bowed in holy worship. If we contemplate the worship of the hosts which surround the throne of God and the Lamb, we shall find that it is always evoked by the presentation of some special feature of divine excellence or divine acting. Thus should it be with the church on earth; when it is not so, it is because we allow things to intrude upon us which have no place in the regions of unclouded light and unalloyed blessedness. In all true worship, God Himself is at once the object of worship, the subject of worship, and the power of worship.
The Praise of Redemption
Hence Exodus 15 is a fine specimen of a song of praise. It is the language of a redeemed people celebrating the worthy praise of Him who had redeemed them. “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. The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is His name. ... Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: Thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. ... Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? ... Thou, in Thy mercy, hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation. ... The Lord shall reign forever and ever.” How comprehensive is the range of this song! It begins with redemption and ends with the glory. It begins with the cross and ends with the kingdom. It is like a beautiful rainbow, of which one end dips in “the sufferings” and the other in “the glory which should follow.” It is all about Jehovah. It is an outpouring of soul produced by a view of God and His gracious and glorious actions.
Moreover, it does not stop short of the actual accomplishment of the divine purpose, as we read, “Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation.” The people were able to say this, though they had but just planted their foot on the margin of the desert. There is not a cloud upon the prospect, when the believing soul looks up into the spacious vault of God’s infinite plans and purposes and dwells upon that glory which God has prepared for all those who trust Him.
Hymns of Elevated Character
This will account for the peculiarly brilliant and elevated character of all those bursts of praise which we find throughout Scripture. How different is this from some of the hymns which we hear sung in Christian assemblies — so full of our failings, our feebleness and our shortcomings. The fact is, we can never sing with real intelligence and power when we are looking at ourselves. Indeed, with many, it seems to be accounted a Christian grace to be in a continual state of doubt; as a consequence, their hymns are quite in character with their condition. They have not yet done with themselves. They have not passed through the sea and, as a spiritually baptized people, taken their stand on the shore, in the power of resurrection.
May the Holy Spirit lead all God’s people into fuller, clearer apprehensions of their place and privilege as those who, being washed from their sins in the blood of Christ, are presented before God in all that infinite and unclouded acceptance in which He stands, as the risen and glorified head of His church. Are there any doubts or fears in the holiest? That blessed one could not have left the tomb unless all ground of doubting and fearing had been perfectly removed on behalf of His people. Wherefore, it is the Christian’s sweet privilege to always triumph in a full salvation. The Lord Himself has become his salvation; he has only to enjoy the fruits of that which God has wrought for him and to walk to His praise while waiting for that time when “Jehovah shall reign forever and ever.”
C. H. Mackintosh (adapted)