Blessed new work week everyone. I pray you are doing well. As I read this song of praise daily, more insights come my way. We noted Moses’ prophetic comment regarding God’s redeemed, and there’s more to the prophecy. Moses also spoke about their Exodus journey. Is it that God gave Moses a direct prophetic word? I can’t say for sure. However, once again, it holds lessons for us all. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Exodus 15:13-14 AFV
[13] You in Your mercy have led forth the people which You have redeemed. You have guided them in Your strength unto Your holy habitation.
[14] The people shall hear; they shall tremble. Pangs of sorrow shall take hold on the people of Philistia.
The People shall Hear
For some of us, it is easy to see that verses 13 and 14 are inextricably linked. Otherwise, we will be left wondering what it is that the people heard that caused them to tremble. As this is still within the prophetic stanza of the praise hymn, it follows that the ideas are connected. For Moses, God’s accompaniment (read coverage, protection, and direction) and power were formidable for the enemies to handle.
Self-Check
How about us, do we find that God’s enemies should find God’s power formidable?
Application
Now I’ll be the first to say YHWH is slow to anger. That’s one critical aspect of God’s character that I look forward to. But what Moses tells us indicates that we should not take God’s checed for granted. Because there are consequences. Even for us, God’s children.
Interestingly, Moses asserted that the Philistines would be exceedingly terrified by God’s protection of God’s children. The Children of Israel might not have been aware of the identity of the Philistines, but Moses implied that they would fear the Children of Israel’s God. I wonder whether Moses was consciously prophesying, or if it was wishful thinking. Later we learn that YHWH opted against the route through Philistine territory, opting instead for the winding route through the desert.
Whereas the Philistines did not immediately demonstrate fear of God, we note that they learned of God’s indomitable might firsthand after the Children of Israel settled into their Land of God’s Promise during Saul’s reign. They had pangs of sorrow for failing to take heed of God’s might and of God’s stance regarding harming God’s children.
However
Rahab understood and respected God’s might. She trembled and opted to act positively. Not only did she make provision for the two Hebrew spies, but she also extracted a promise for her and her family to be saved. The result: Rahab is included in Y’shua’s genealogy.
If that’s all we got from the Nougat, it’s not a bad insight. But, I wish to suggest that there’s more. For if we revert to the Philistines’ apparent disregard for God and God’s awesome power, we recognize that even today, our Philistines seem not to care about God’s greatness. Their hardness of heart is not unnoticed by God. The day of reckoning will come. And we, as God’s redeemed, also need to ensure that we don’t walk afoul of God’s will.
Might we find comfort in Moses’ prophetic assurance of God’s grace through Y’shua. Let us also be reminded that when prophecies don’t seem to be realized in ‘good time’, it doesn’t mean that God has forsaken us. Let’s keep the praise flowing despite whatever else is going on.
Prayer Point
Let’s keep the praise going using the past victories God’s done on our behalf to set the tone for the battles we presently face.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
