“I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. 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” (Exodus 15:1-2).
These words are the first notes of a triumph song.
It was sung long ago by Moses and his sister Miriam along with the rest of the Israelites beside the once-parted waters of the Red Sea. Somewhere in the depths below were Pharaoh’s great armies—those who thought they could overtake God’s people and sweep them away were themselves swept away by the Lord’s almighty hand.
Before bursting into joyful song, the people of Israel had been filled with fear. They thought Moses had led them into the desert to die. They thought Pharaoh and his armies would slaughter them.
But the Lord of hosts, the God of their fathers, was with his people. He delivered them from their enemies. He saved them just as he promised he would, and his people burst into song.
Centuries later, God’s people were still filled with fear. They were subjected to Roman rule—but that wasn’t the bondage that held them fast. No, those were the ever-present, ever-tightening chains of sin and death.
God had promised to deliver them from those fearsome enemies too. Through his prophet Hosea, he said, “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death” (Hosea 13:14).
More centuries passed, and God sent his Son to be born, to live a perfect life, to die a shameful death on a cross, and to rise again—all so that God’s people, including you and me, would have a new triumph song to sing:
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
This triumph song is not because of anything we have done. It’s because of our Savior Jesus and everything he has done for us. He has crushed Satan underfoot and hurled sin and death into the abyss.
The Lord is our strength and our defense. He is our salvation. Because he is, sin holds no power over us, and death has become the door through which we walk to enter eternal life.
Dear Christian, we get to live in the joy of Easter every day. We get to sing the triumph song of our victorious King. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb.
Christ is risen, he is risen indeed. Alleluia!
These words are the first notes of a triumph song.
From Egypt to Sinai: A Devotional Commentary on Exodus will show you the incredible story of God leading Old Testament believers to the promised Messiah and will guide you on your personal journey from trusting self to trusting God alone.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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