In the context of ANE culture, a song of victory holds immense significance. It was a tradition that when news of a battle victory reached the people, they would express their joy and praise through a new song. In this case, Moses and the Israelites sang a hymn of praise, the music of salvation, the Song of the Sea, to celebrate YHWH’s deliverance of Israel and His defeat of the Egyptian army through using Yam Suph. Moses’ song praises YHWH as the mighty warrior king (YHWH-nissi), who used His creation, the mighty waters, as a weapon against Egypt (Gen. 15:1-18). It was not Pharaoh who was the great warrior king, but Israel’s God, YHWH! The song captures the magnitude of wonder Israel experienced from YHWH’s display of power over His creation, a true reflection of Genesis 1’s triumph. 

Like any memorial, the Song of the Sea looks back and forward, linking its words to past (vv. 1b-12) and future events (vv. 13-18). YHWH’s dividing Yam Suph into two parts is the same language as Genesis 15:10, 17 when Abraham cut the sacrificial animals in two parts, between which a pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire passed¹ (Psa. 136:13). The great horror and darkness that fell upon Abraham foreshadowed the blackness of night and terror Israel knew at Passover midnight and in fleeing through the sea of death in the dark on the seventh day of Unleavened Bread. The death angel passed over Israel’s firstborn, and Israel passed over Yam Suph. Ultimately, these foretastings sampled Yeshua’s breathing His last, experiencing the power of darkness on the cross, turning us from Satan’s blackness to God’s light.

YHWH separated the dark from the light, the Egyptians from the Israelites, and their fate of death from His gift of life. YHWH led Israel through the walls of water and into the walls of the wilderness using His covenant pillars as walls. When the Egyptians attempted to pass between the waters, they sank like lead, and all those who opposed God’s purpose became silent like stones. Israel was YHWH’s redeemed (ga `al) nation who crossed over (pass over, ya`abor). Whom YHWH purchased (qanita) He will guide through the sea of death to His holy dwelling (vv. 13, 16), and plant them on the mountain of His inheritance that He made for His dwelling (שָבָּת, the same word as the Sabbath, v. 17).

The Song of the Sea is a historical account and a prophetic poem that foretells the future. It speaks of Israel’s Davidic King and the sure rule of His Kingdom by projecting YHWH’s Sea crossing victory into the future². He conquers Israel’s enemies and shepherds His people. By the strength of His right hand, YHWH establishes Jerusalem as His holy habitation (v. 13), where He will put His name and build His sabbath temple (vv. 17-18). The Song was sung in the sight of the nations that “Then you will know I am God, YHWH,” a phrase used ten times in Exodus, five to Israel and five to Egypt, a purview to the redemption of all Israel and the salvation of the Gentiles when YHWH utterly destroys the spirit entities behind Babel’s system. In the final exodus and victory of the Lamb of God, the earth will again open its mouth to swallow Satan’s army as they sink like a stone (Exo. 15:12; Jer. 51:63, 64; Rev. 12:16), and God’s people will again sing the Song of Moses (Exo. 15:1, Rev. 15:1).

In addition to being a mighty warrior king, YHWH is depicted as a judge, defending and delivering the oppressed by defeating the oppressor³. In the morning watch, when YHWH looked down from the pillars of cloud and fire at the Egyptian army, He threw it into confusion, just as He had come down to Babel and confused their language. His judgment involved “shaking off” or overthrowing (wayena`er) His enemies in His wrath⁴, whereas by YHWH’s covenant love, the God-fearing Israelites, righteous in Him, were not shaken (Exo. 14:27; Neh. 5:13; Psa. 112:6). The shaking out of disobedient oppressors will happen once again when YHWH shakes the wicked out of the earth in His merciful justice (Job 38:13; Hag. 2:6-7). Standing before the Judge of the Earth, Moses’ Song describes the wicked seven-fold before YHWH cuts them off: quaking, in anguish, dismayed, trembling in fear, melting, full of terror and dread (Exo. 15:13-16). Just as Egypt cast (shalak) Israel’s infant boys into the river, YHWH hurled (taharos) the Egyptians into the sea. Israel stood before the Judge, the Door of Life, taking refuge in His protection and rule.

Moses’ Song of the Sea has a far-reaching message for believers today. The biblical examples are meant to belong to each of us individually⁵. In retelling the story to their children, each generation of parents explained why they ate unleavened bread and passed over their firstborn sons to YHWH; they do these things because of what YHWH did for me when He brought us out of Egypt (Exo. 13: 8, 14). Psalm 66:6 says that at Yam Suph, “we will rejoice in Him.” When Jacob left Canaan for Haran, God found him at Bethel, “and there He spoke to us” (Hos. 12:4). Crossing Yam Suph belongs to each of us, crossing over from death to life while God destroys our enemies, the last one being death. “One who crosses over” defines a Hebrew, the one whom YHWH is with.

Takeaway:
Moses’ Song of the Sea praises Israel’s warrior covenant King for His glorious triumph over the subversive enemies who wanted to destroy His plans. In the greatness of His Majesty, YHWH’s wrath rose up like a wave of the sea and crushed Egypt’s arm with confusion, terror, and death. The song is a memorial that looks back at the past event and looks forward to its fulfillment in the land and the eschatological future while ominously foreshadowing Babylon’s end-time demise. The exodus event and song belong to every believer in Yeshua, the covenant God who is with us and fights our battles, walled in on the journey to His holy mountain dwelling of His Sabbath.

Fun Factors:
Moses’ Song of the Sea (Exo. 15:1b-18) has 690 letters and 168 words, totaling 38220. What is fascinating about these three numbers is that the digit sum of each equals 15 (6 + 9 = 15; 1 + 6 + 8 = 15; 3 + 8 + 2 + 2 = 15). In Blog 17, I talked about the number 15 as a mark of restoration along with the 7^th prime number, 17.

Exodus 15:21b, Miriam’s song, has 31 letters and 9 words, which total 1277 and have a digit sum of 17 (1 + 2 + 7 + 7 = 17). The total 1277 is the 206^th prime number and the 102^nd Pythagorean prime, the sum of two squares, 34² + 11², 34 is 2 × 17. Numerically, it indicates Light’s (11²) double exodus victory (2 × 17)².