Have you ever had God answer your prayer so clearly, so powerfully, that your heart just burst open in praise? In Exodus 15, Israel responds to divine deliverance with spontaneous, spirit-filled song. But suffering is never far away. As you read verse 1 through 21, you note that the first thing Israel does after crossing the Red Sea isn't eat or sleep or strategize, it is sing. This is the Bible's first recorded hymn. It doesn't arise from a temple or a tabernacle. It springs from the hearts of the Israelites on the shore of the Red Sea and in the presence of the angel of the Lord. The language in verse 1 is vivid. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord. The Hebrew verb here implies a repeated action. It could be translated kept singing. This wasn't a brief song. This was worship that was sustained and to be forever remembered. And what's the theme? The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. Now in Egyptian military culture chariots were the ultimate symbol of power. The Hebrew word for thrown pictures of violent action. God not only defeated Pharaoh, he publicly humbled the nation of Egypt. Then verse 2 makes it personal. The Lord is my strength and song and he has become my salvation. This is no small statement. God didn't just save them generically. He became their salvation. He didn't hand them a plan. He was the plan. And when you come to verse 3, we read, The Lord is a man of war. This phrase may unsettle modern ears, but to a people fresh from years of oppression, this is a point to celebrate. God doesn't observe injustice indefinitely. At some point, He will respond in offense against those who harm His people. From verses 4 to 10, the poetry is rich in descriptions of God's power over creation as he leads his people to redemption. Years later, the world will witness the same when Christ exercises power over creation on his way to redeeming his people. Then comes the climax in verse 11. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? This is not a question of speculation, it is exaltation. All the gods Egypt trusted had failed. No one compares to the God of the Hebrews. And notice the language, glorious in holiness. God's holiness isn't just his moral purity, it's his majestic distinctiveness, his set-apartness, if you like. He is unlike anything and anyone. The rest of the song in verses 12 through 18 anticipates the future. Israel hasn't yet reached Canaan, but they sing like it's already theirs. Notice, thou shalt bring them in and plant them. They believe what God begins, he will finish. Then in verses 19 through 21, Miriam echoes the refrain. She leads the women with timbrels and dancing and possibly in what's known as an antiphonal praise where there is a call and response. In verses 22 through 27, the music fades and we're told, So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea and they went out into the wilderness of Shur. Three days in, and we discover that there's no water. And when they find some, we're told it's bitter. Now the water may have been clear, but perhaps it was the presence of mineral salts which would render it undrinkable. And so they call the place Mara. And what we learn is that three days, in three days, they go from rejoicing to murmuring. And so they say, what shall we drink? And it's not a question of curiosity, it's a complaint. And it's also accusatory. And so Moses cries unto the Lord and God shows him a tree to cast into the waters. There's nothing medicinal here, this is supernatural. The God who turned the river to blood can make bitter waters sweet. Then God makes him a promise. If thou wilt diligently hearken. He goes on to say I will put none of these diseases upon thee for I am the Lord that healeth thee. That name Jehovah Rapha means the Lord thy healer and only appears here. So finally they come to Elam a place of 12 wells and God has led his people from bitterness to abundance, from a time of testing to a time of rest. And so we come to application. 1. God's redemptive work is the best reason for singing. I think an argument could be made that God gave man the ability to sing for the purpose of praising Him. There's no record of Israel singing in Egypt and so we see how deliverance fuels doxology. The reason some Christians don't sing with joy is simple. They have lost sight of their emancipation. They've forgotten the chains. Oh Christian, do not forget what God has done for you. Sing about it all of the time. Two, God's judgments are worthy of praise. This song doesn't hide God's judgment upon the Egyptians. And the Psalms also dwell on such truths and their absence from corporate worship is why modern Christians often struggle with such themes as we have here. But a God who saves must also judge. And while we ought to be careful not to assume we rightly read God's judgment at the same time, Never apologize when God displays such power. 3. Seasons of trial often follow moments of triumph. The same God who parted the sea led his people into a desert. Why? Because faith must be tested. Anyone can celebrate a victory, but not everyone will trust God when tested. When the Israelites tasted the bitter waters, they became blind to the visible presence of God in their very midst. This is always true of those with a mere temporary faith, which is what Christ warns of in the parable of the sower. Remember, bitter experiences do not mean divine judgment. God may have signed you up for a class that is intended to strengthen your faith. And finally, the cross of Christ neutralizes the bitterness man deserves. There is nothing good in man that deserves any good from God. In a real sense, we deserve the bitterness of God's wrath for our sin. And yet, like the tree at Marah, the tree of Calvary, where the Son of God died just for the unjust, becomes the means to turn the bitterness of judgment into the sweetness of mercy. When you die, will you taste the bitterness of hell? Or will you enter the sweetness of heaven? Are your sins forgiven? Have you believed in the power of the cross? You see, the cross of Christ is the healing instrument for sinners. It is through the cross Christ is the Lord, thy healer. And he takes away the disease of the curse, the consequences of sin, and Christ becomes your Elim. where you drink of a well that never runs dry and you experience the life more abundant that he promises. Come to him this very day.