SERIES: Exodus: Moses, God’s Man for the Hour
Genuine Worship
SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus
Introduction: The crossing of the Red Sea is certainly one of the great miracles in the Old Testament. Last Lord’s Day Brad helped us gain a better perspective on the amazing deliverance that God achieved for Israel by opening passage through the water and then allowing it to close once again upon the pursuing armies of the Egyptians.
I find it instructive that the first thing Moses does after the crossing of the Red Sea is to lead the Israelites in worship, not through a sermon or a sacrifice, but rather through the singing of a hymn. The author of that hymn, which is recorded for us in Exodus 15, is not specifically named, but whoever it was must have been uniquely gifted in song writing, or the Spirit of God must have given unusual inspiration, for the song was ready by the time the crossing of the sea was completed.
If we knew the tune we could sing it, but since we don’t, let’s read it as recorded in Exodus 15:1-21:
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
2 “The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord,
shattered the enemy.
7 “In the greatness of your majesty
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
it consumed them like stubble.
8 By the blast of your nostrils
the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood up like a wall;
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy boasted,
‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.
11 Who among the gods
is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
12 “You stretch out your right hand,
and the earth swallows your enemies.
13 In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.
14 The nations will hear and tremble;
anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people of Canaan will melt away;
16 terror and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, Lord,
until the people you bought pass by.
17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,
the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.
18 “The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.”
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.”
The notion that Moses stood up in front of the congregation and led them in the singing of this song is probably unrealistic. Remember that there were 600,000 men besides women and children, meaning the total number of Israelites was probably 2-3 million. Imagine trying to lead even 50,000 people at Busch Stadium in a song without a sound system! Moses could not even be seen by all the people, much less heard. I suppose scribes copied the song and sent the words throughout the camp, fathers taught it to their families, and people gathered by clans to sing it.
A study of this hymn reveals a great deal about the nature of genuine worship. It is my hope that as we examine it, we will come to differentiate genuine worship from much of the meaningless religious activity that goes under the same name. In the process, may we be freed up to offer God the kind of worship He desires and deserves.
Genuine worship is acknowledgment of the worth of our God.
Several centuries ago, the word “worship” was pronounced “worthship.” It can be defined as simply proclaiming, in the presence of God, what He is, and what He has done. It is the heart occupied with and delighting in God and in all His marvelous acts and ways. This is what Israel does in Exodus 15, for their song is a song about God. The word “LORD” or Yahweh occurs no less than twelve times. Pronouns referring to Him are found well over 30 times. He is the focus. Moses is not once mentioned.
The opening of the song in verse 1 is apparently a chorus. I suggest this because almost identical words are repeated in verse 21, where Miriam leads the women in song and dance. This chorus strikes the key concept of the whole song, namely that the Lord deserves worship “for He is highly exalted.” The immediate cause of praise is that the Egyptian horse and rider have been hurled into the sea, but the song reiterates six major aspects of God’s worthiness.
He delivers His people from hopelessness. (1-2) Look again at verse 2:
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
You will perhaps recall from chapter 13:17ff that when Pharaoh let the children of Israel go, God led them in circles for a while and then had them camp on the shores of the Red Sea to make Pharaoh think they were confused. This would entice him to change his mind and pursue the Israelites, in effect leading him into an ambush, and at the same time it would teach the Israelites to trust God in time of trial. And pursue them Pharaoh did, with his best chariots, horses, horsemen, and troops. The Israelites found themselves trapped between the Devil and the Deep Red Sea.
One of the things we learn from Scripture is that God specializes in hopeless conditions. That was true when Abraham fathered a child at the age of 100, when Joshua marched around the heavily fortified city of Jericho with only pitchers as weapons, when Gideon’s 300 men were hopelessly outnumbered by the Midianites, when Daniel was thrown into the den of lions, when his three friends were thrown into a fiery furnace, when Peter found himself chained to a soldier in a dungeon. The very word “salvation” in verse 2 implies a hopeless condition from which one is delivered. One doesn’t need salvation if just a little more time and a little more effort will extricate him from his difficulty. No such possibility loomed for the Israelites. But God became their salvation and delivered them by opening up the sea and allowing them to walk through on dry ground.
As a child my imagination worked overtime trying to figure out how water could stand up like a wall. I wondered what would have happened if a little Jewish boy poked his finger in the wall of water. Would it be the reverse of the proverbial Dutch boy who held his finger in the dike? Would the wall of water spring a leak? I wondered if they could see fish swimming around, like in an aquarium. And what if a fish swam through the wall? Of course, miracles by their very nature cannot be “figured out,” but there is a hint in verse 8 in the word “congealed” that God turned the waters into a firm jello-like substance, then liquified once again when the Egyptians tried to use the same route.
He destroys those who oppress His people. (3-10). Nearly half of this song details the judgment of God upon the Egyptians. That’s seems a bit strange to us, for our hymns speak of the blessings of God or the victories he provides, but they do not dwell upon the destruction of our enemies. But the song of the Israelites does; in fact, there’s a certain excitement and exuberance about it. For example, in verse 10 they sing about the fact that the Egyptian soldiers “sank like lead in the mighty waters.” That’s probably not far from accurate because they would have been wearing full armor, making it impossible to swim.
Should Moses and the Israelites be rejoicing in the death of their enemies? In the Sermon on the Mount we are taught to love our enemies—not rejoice in their misfortune. Two things should be remembered: first, Moses’ song came 1500 years before the Sermon on the Mount and should not be judged by that standard. But secondly, I believe Jesus’ ethic is predominantly a personal ethic dealing with our attitudes toward personal enemies; Pharaoh and the Egyptians were corporate enemies of God’s people. Taking revenge on someone who has personally hurt us is forbidden in Scripture; but a church is allowed to discipline a sinning member and a government is allowed to execute a convicted murderer. And when God Himself brings judgment on those who oppress His people, I think that’s a cause for worship.
I suggest to you that God’s judgment on those who oppose His people is not restricted to OT times; I happen to believe He still operates that way, though perhaps not so immediately or dramatically as He did with Pharaoh. When evangelist Stephen Olford spoke at our church in Wichita about eight years ago, he told a very interesting story. When he accepted the pastorate of Calvary Baptist Church in New York City, he made it clear that one of his top priorities was to integrate the church. Like many Baptist churches in the early 60’s, its constitution contained a covenant that barred Blacks from membership. So, Olford immediately began to push for a change in the constitution. It was eventually approved, but not before three strong leaders in the church fought tooth and nail against him. The amazing thing is that within six months all three of those men were dead, though none was ill or particularly old. Olford said that put the fear of the Lord in the congregation and brought about a mini revival. When a person chooses to oppose the work of God, he’s playing with fire.
Our worship of God can legitimately celebrate both our deliverance from hopelessness and His destruction of those who oppress us.
He is incomparable in His greatness. (11) Verse 11 reads, “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” This is obviously a rhetorical question that assumes the answer, “No one!” Of course, the Bible teaches clearly that there are no other gods, period. But the point is, among those who claim to be gods, who is like our God? And the answer is “no one”.
It’s hard to beat the description of God in this verse: Majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders! His character, His essence, and His actions are all celebrated in these phrases. Then in verses 13-17 the song moves from the past to the future, as Israel reminds itself that redemption from Egypt is only half the problem. They still need to get to the Promised Land. So, the song recites for them the crucial fact that God is unfailing in His love.
He is unfailing in His love. (13) “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” The Hebrew word translated “unfailing love” is a word generally rendered “mercy” in the KJV. An even better translation might be “loyal love.” The point is that God didn’t just redeem them from Egypt to fend for themselves or to die in the wilderness. His loyal love would keep them in His heart and cause Him to provide daily guidance. The principal instruments of this guidance, as we have already seen and will see again in the future, are the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
God’s unfailing love is a characteristic we can count on today as well. He does not save us from our sin and then abandon us into a corrupt world to try to eke out a survival on our own. Through His Holy Spirit He provides direction all along the difficult path we face. Can we trust Him to do so? Sure, because He not only loves us; He’s also powerful. “In your strength,” the verse goes on, “you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” And this brings us to the fifth aspect of God’s worth:
He is completely faithful to His promises. (13-17) God is not satisfied with their deliverance from Egypt; He will take them all the way to the Holy Land. Some six centuries earlier, in the time of Abraham, God had promised to give the Israelites the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. Was this promise still good, even after 400 years of slavery in Egypt? Listen again beginning in verse 14:
The nations will hear and tremble;
anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people of Canaan will melt away;
terror and dread will fall upon them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, O Lord,
until the people you bought pass by.
You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, O Lord, you made for your dwelling,
the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.”
The nations on the way to Canaan, as well as those in the land, would be seized by terror and fear—not because of either the number of the weapons of the Israelites, but because of their God. It was He who would defeat them and plant Israel in the land. He is completely faithful to His promises. The final truth focused upon in Moses’ song is that …
He is eternally Lord. (18) “The Lord will reign for ever and ever.” There are times when we all forget that God is still reigning. When the opposition seems particularly strong and we seem particularly weak, we begin to wonder if anyone is in control. How desperately we need to be reminded that our God reigns, now and forever! Any signs to the contrary are not glitches in His power but rather glitches in our perception.
Genuine worship is acknowledgment that may be legitimately expressed in many ways.
One of those ways is singing (and dancing). Christians who are in love with the Lord love to sing. Over my years as a pastor, I have had opportunity to observe several thousand people in their worship habits over an extended time. To me there’s an amazing correlation between enthusiastic singing and a person’s walk with Christ. People who just sit and look around when hymns and worship songs are being sung or who mouth the words with little feeling are almost invariably people who demonstrate little intimacy with Christ and little productivity in ministry. On the other hand, those who sing zealously from their hearts, allowing the music to touch their emotions as well as their minds, are generally people whose spiritual lives are vibrant and genuine.
Please be aware that I’m not addressing at all here the issue of musical ability. Some people who sing with gusto can’t read music for love or money. But I’d rather hear a congregation that was off key but enthusiastic in their singing than to listen to a beautiful choir whose members know nothing of a walk in the Spirit. Better yet to have quality with enthusiasm.
When Jewish people sing, they often put their bodies as well as their voices into it. Here in verse 20 we are told that the Israelite women danced as they sang the chorus to Moses’ song. I guess I will never understand the intensity with which some evangelicals react against all dancing, swaying, foot-tapping, or even handclapping in worship. Some of us would do well to visit a Messianic Jewish congregation sometime, or a solid evangelical Black congregation to dispel some of these cultural inhibitions that are in no way biblical. Our God desires to be worshiped with music, and it’s not wrong to sing with one’s body as well as voice.
By the way, it’s important to note that music is not inherently worshipful. It can be either an aid to worship or a hindrance, and one of the key determinants is content. Notice please how much solid historical and theological content there is in Moses’ song. These people were not mouthing pious platitudes; they weren’t just repeating mindless phrases; they were reciting the character and actions of God. We need to carefully evaluate the hymns and songs we sing for content. Some of them are woefully lacking. Consider a song found in many Christian hymnals, thankfully not ours: “Work, for the Night Is Coming.” I almost picked it one Labor Day but fortunately I read it first. This hymn does not mention God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, or anything else of any biblical significance. It has absolutely no message whatever except that people should work. Now that’s not a bad message, and some people need it, but it lends nothing to worship. That’s an unusual example, granted, but not unique.
Notice something else. The song of Moses is more about God than it is about the Israelites. A great many of the hymns in our hymnbook—both old and new—focus almost exclusively on the Christian’s experience rather than on God. There’s an appropriate place for singing about our spiritual walk, but it’s overdone. Someone has put it this way: “Worship is the occupation of the heart, not with its needs, or even with its blessings, but with God Himself.”
Furthermore, the song of the Israelites is not just about God; much of it is sung to God. One of the things I like about the new worship music that has come into the church since the Jesus movement is that much of it is addressed to God. Many of our great hymns of the past several centuries extol the love of God and the need to worship Him, but only recently have we been comfortable to express such thoughts in the first person: “I love you Lord and I lift my voice, to worship you, oh my soul, rejoice.” Any man can tell someone else he loves his wife, but many can hardly bring themselves to say the same words to their wives. I believe God desires for us to express our worship to Him.
But while content is a necessary criterion for worship, it is not a sufficient criterion. For a song to be an aid to worship it must have both truth and beauty. It must lift the worshiper’s thoughts toward God. There are some songs on the contemporary Christian scene that have fine words, but I strongly question their worship value because the style of the music allows only the emotions to be touched, not the spirit. Perhaps that’s enough on music. Quickly let me just mention a few other key ways to worship God.
Praying is one, though I’m afraid many of our prayers are not worshipful at all. When a Christian strings together a list of “gimmes” and tacks on a few intercessions for those who are sick, that’s not worship. But a prayer that begins with adoration, moves on to thanksgiving and confession, and ends with petition and intercession is one that can exalt God.
Giving is also an act of worship, unless, of course, it is done grudgingly or stingily. The very first occurrence of the word “worship” in the NT is in Matt. 2:11, where it says of the magi, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”
Celebrating the Lord’s Supper is another marvelous way to worship. As we give thanks for the bread and cup, we are acknowledging to the Father the worth of the Son. In the early church communion was one of four pillars upon which the church was built. It says in Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” I believe the Lord’s Table provides a unique opportunity for nurturing a close and intimate relationship with Christ; I trust it will be that for you in a few moments.
Dedicating one’s life is another act of worship. So important is it, in fact, that all the other means are probably worthless without it. In Rom. 12:1,2 we read, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Genuine worship is reserved for those who are redeemed.
Exodus 15:1 begins with a very important transitional word: “then.” “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord.” But back ack up to verse 30 of chapter 14 for the context: “That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord.” It is only a redeemed person, conscious of his deliverance, who can really praise God in song.
When those who don’t know God try to “worship,” the result is worthless religious ritual. Genuine worship is impossible for those who are dead in trespasses and sin. If one has no knowledge of God, and no faith in His Son, the rituals are dead and worthless. Listen as the prophet Isaiah rails against the religious unbelievers in his day:
“Hear the Word of the Lord….
The multitude of your sacrifices—w hat are they to me? says the Lord….
Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me….
I cannot bear your evil assemblies….
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers I will not listen.” (Isaiah 1:10-15)
Think for a moment about the thousands of churches open this very hour, with an aggregate of millions of parishioners going through activities they call worship, where neither God’s written Word, the Bible, nor His Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, are honored. The result is worthless religious ritual. God is not honored and those in attendance are not profited. They’d get as much or more value watching Meet the Press on Sunday morning.
When those who know God worship Him mindlessly, the result is not only worthless religious ritual, but discipline from God as well. There are countless places in Scripture where God’s people are warned about the seriousness of worship. Still, we so often come carelessly and with attitudes that are completely inappropriate to the occasion. By the way we act, speak, sing, listen, and even dress, we seem to be saying that coming to worship is on the same level as going to a ball game, maybe a cut below. Rarely do people doze off at a ball game.
Friends, God alone is worthy of our worship. Whatever else we are tempted to worship—ambition, money, appetite, beauty, friends, family, career—all are temporary and ephemeral. But God remains. Jesus Christ remains. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Give Him first place in your life. Worship God. Worship Him exclusively. Worship Him supremely. Worship Him humbly. Worship Him gratefully. Worship Him consistently. He alone is worthy.
DATE: July 7, 1991
Tags:
Worship
God’s attributes
Singing
Dancing