The first recorded song upon the pages of inspiration is found in Exodus 15:1-21. It is "the song of Moses the servant of God." And it is glorious, triumphant song of redemption. I do not doubt that others before Moses sang the praises of God. I am sure they did. But no song is recorded until we see the children of Israel standing on the side of the Red Sea, singing the praises of God for his glorious work of redemption. God ordained that the first recorded hymn of praise offered to him must speak of his most glorious work. Therefore he let no man record a song until the song of redemption was offered to the church, when Babylon is fallen and antichrist is destroyed, when the saints of God have gotten the victory over the beast, the last song to be sung by God's saints on earth shall be the song of redemption. And that shall be the theme of our song forever. Standing before God upon the sea of Christ's blood atonement, accepted in the Beloved, John describes the people of God as men and women whose hearts are filled with praise to God, above all else, for his glorious work of redemption. "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou alone art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee: for thy judgments are made manifest."
Proposition:Redemption is God's most glorious work; and we praise him best when we praise him for the accomplishment of redemption by Christ.
Notice how carefully the Holy Spirit honors the distinct majesty and supremacy of Christ in the wording of our text. I do not think I have ever heard this verse correctly quoted. Usually, it is misquoted like this: "They sing the song of Moses and the Lamb." Such wording divides the honor, giving part to Moses and part to Christ. I even heard one preacher argue vehemently that this text shows that in heaven God's saints will praise God equally for the law and the gospel, and that we must therefore live by the rule of the law in this world! How men wrest the scriptures to their own ruin! The text reads, "They sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb." That clause, "the servant of God," was inserted by the Holy Spirit to show us that Moses' song was a song of praise to the Lamb of God, whose servant Moses was. That redemption which Moses experienced was typical of the redemption Christ has accomplished for us. The overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea foreshadowed the final overthrow of satan and his hosts by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tonight, I want to show you God's great and marvelous works of redeeming grace and stir up our hearts to render unto the Lord the praise he so richly deserves from his redeemed people.
Divisions:Now let's look at The Song of Redemption, which is here recorded for our learning and admonition. If you have not before learned the song, I pray that tonight, before you leave this building you will.
1. The Song of Moses And The Song of The Lamb Is A Song of Assured Redemption.
2. The Song of Redemption Is A Song of Praise Christ Alone.
3. The Song of Redemption Is Born In The Heart and Is Sung By Faith.
I. THE SONG OF MOSES AND THE SONG OF THE LAMB IS ONE SONG AND IT IS THE SONG OF ASSURED REDEMPTION.
Read Exodus 15 again. There is not a single word of doubt, fear or peradventure in the chapter. These people had just come out of Egypt, millions of them! They had just crossed the Red Sea as upon dry ground. They had just seen God drown their enemies. They had experienced redemption by the mighty hand of God. And they knew it.
It takes assurance in God to sing the praise of God. I have been in churches where assurance is looked upon us presumption, and doubts are thought to be sure evidences of faith. In such churches the songs are always morbid, introspective chants of despair, almost always sung in the minor key. It is hard work for doubting hearts to be full of praise. I know that many of the Lord's people, because of sin and unbelief, have a problem here. Some enjoy the full assurance of faith only occasionally. And some never attain it in this life. But unbelief, which is another word for doubt, is not the standard of spiritually. Faith is. Let us ever seek from God the "full assurance of faith," based upon his Word. Then we will sing God's praises with rapturous hearts. Assured redemption is something to sing about.
A. WE SING THE PRAISES OF GOD FOR REDEMPTION WHICH WE HAVE EXPERIENCED.
Redemption with us is not a theory, or a mere doctrine. We do alright in the doctrine of the atonement, particular, effectual, personal atonement. And we will defend it with our dying breath. But we have learned the doctrine by experience. We have experienced the power of the blood in our own seals. We have stood upon the brink of woe, helpless and defenseless. And we have seen the salvation of the Lord.
It is one thing to debate a theory of redemption. Anyone can debate a theory. But it is something else to testify of the power and grace of the Redeemer. Taking Israel as a type of God's elect, we can see a picture of every sinner's experience of redemption when he has been saved by God's almighty grace.
1. The Jews had been in bondage to the Egyptians all their lives. These men and women had never known freedom.
2. God sent a prophet to these poor slaves in Egypt with a word of grace and salvation (Ex. 6:1-8).
3. Believing Moses' message, Israel fled from Egypt and began to seek the land of promise.
4. Then God brought them down to the very jaws of death at the Red Sea.
5. When they were at the brink of death, helpless and without hope, the Lord intervened to save them (Ex. 14:13).
6. Once they crossed the Red Sea and saw Pharaoh vanquished in the sea, they began to sing the song of redemption.
7. This is the first thing to be settled: Have you experienced redemption?
B. WE SING THE PRAISES OF GOD FOR HIS EFFECTUALLY ACOMPLISHED REDEMPTION TOO.
Israel learned the meaning of that Passover lamb after they crossed the Red Sea. And sinners learn the meaning of Christ's atonement after they experience the atonement. We learn the gospel by experiencing the gospel.
I know that no one will ever come to Christ in faith apart from the preaching of the gospel. But I know this too: No one will ever understand the gospel or see the glory of God in the gospel until he comes to Christ in faith. We do not arrive at Christ through doctrine. We arrive at doctrine through Christ. A man only knows what he has experienced.
Yet, our redemption was effectually accomplished for us long before we experienced it (Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12). Our faith in Christ adds nothing to Christ. Our faith in the blood adds nothing to the blood. We do not redeem ourselves by faith. Faith simply receives the atonement which Christ has accomplished and all the benefits of it (Rom. 5:11).
1. Christ died for a particular people as their Substitute.
2. Christ's blood fully satisfied the law and justice of God for his people.
3. Christ effectually put away the sins of his people and secured their eternal salvation.
4. We praise Christ alone for redemption because Christ alone has accomplished eternal redemption for us.
Half of Moses' song of praise was taken up with the redemption Israel had just experienced. The other half of the song was taken up with the redemption which was anticipated. (vv. 11-19). And that which was anticipated was just as much a matter of assurance as that which had been experienced. Because it was a hope based upon the word of God who had redeemed them out of Egypt.
We have experienced redemption by the power of God's grace in regeneration and conversion. We have received redemption accomplished for us by the precious blood of Christ. And we anticipate that redemption yet to come which is promised to us in the Word of God.
1. God promises to redeem us from all our troubles and deliver us from all our enemies. (Mic. 4:10; Rom. 16:20).
2. The Lord will yet redeem us from the power of the grave in the resurrection (Ps. 49:15; Rom. 8:24).
II. But, secondly, I want to show you that This Song of Redemption Is A Song of Praise To Christ Alone.
God has so arranged the whole scheme of redemption that all the praise of his people for redemption should go to Christ our Redeemer; The Father has given the Son the place of highest honor, pre-eminence and glory, so that he is honored by us honoring the Son. And the Holy Spirit's office work and delight is to point us to the Son. The Holy Spirit never directs men to seek him, speak to him or honor him. He directs us to seek the Son, speak to the Son and honor the Son. So when we honor the Lord Jesus Christ and ascribe all praise to him, then we truly worship the triune God in Spirit and in truth.
Now, let's look at the lines of this hymn. Church musicians, hymn writers, and song leaders would be wise to make this hymn the pattern for all hymns used in the worship of God. There is not a word in it about self, the works of man, personal feelings, or sentimentalism. It is all about Christ. Someone said, "The songs we sing reflect our truest, innermost thoughts." If that is the case, judging by the religious songs of this age, even those most popularly sung in our churches, our churches are in a most deplorable condition. In this song of redemption, everything is about Christ, because in redemption, in the believer's experience, and in his heart, Christ is All.
You cannot help noticing, as you read through the Book of Revelation that Christ is constantly referred to and represented as "The Lamb." There is a reason for that, This Book is The Revelation of Jesus Christ," and Christ our God and Savior is most clearly revealed and known in his sacrificial character as "The Lamb." Indeed, we cannot know Christ at all, we cannot know or approach the living God, until we know Christ as the Lamb of God, by whom our sins have been put away.
In this short song, hear the saints of God ascribing praise to Christ of six distinct things:
A. Above all else, WE PRAISE OUR SAVIOR BECAUSE OF HIS GLORIOUS PERSON.
We rejoice in what he does. But our hearts delight in him primarily because of who he is. This One, Who humbled himself to die as A Lamb under the penalty of our sins, is himself the "Lord God Almighty." Isaiah said, "His name shall be called The Mighty God." And that he is. Our Redeemer is God and we praise him, worship him, and honor him as our God. He was made like unto sinful flesh. But he is yet the eternal God.
1. Christ is the rightful sovereign Lord over all things.
2. He is the omnipotent, almighty God, who does all things according to his own will.
This is who he is Our Savior is God over all and blessed forever. We praise him for it!
B. WE ASCRIBE ALL PRAISE TO CHRIST FOR HIS GREAT AND MARVELLOUS WORKS OF GRACE.
All of his works are great and marvelous. And all of his works are works of grace toward his elect. Even when he overthrows the wicked in judgment, our Savior is performing works of grace for us, which are past finding out. But particularly, we give praise to Christ for those works of grace, which we have experienced in redemption. And they are all great and marvelous in our eyes.
C. Next to out Savior's works of grace and personal glory, NOTHING IS MORE GREAT OR MARVELLOUS IN OUR EYES THAN HIS WAYS OF PROVIDENCE.
Daily, we behold his acts of providence and lift our hearts to heaven saying, "just and true are thy ways." Divine providence is a mystery indeed.
1. God our Savior sovereignly accomplishes his will in all things; and his will is good toward his elect (Rom. 8:28; 11:36).
2. Whatever our Lord does in mercy and grace for men, he does according to strict justice and truth.
3. And whatever he does by way of wrath and judgment, he does in strict justice and truth.
Our God is a good God and all that he does is good. He always acts according to goodness, according to justice and truth. For that we praise him. We can trust a just and true God.
D. Next, WE ASCRIBE ALL PRAISE TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, BECAUSE OF HIS EVERLASTING DOMINION.
Because of his work of redemption as our Substitute, Christ Jesus has won the right to rule the world forever as a man. As God, he possesses this right of dominion by virtue of his Godhood. But as a man, he earned the right to rule the world (John 17:2). And we praise him for his everlasting, Mediatorial dominion, as the "King of saints." This word "saints" might be translated "nations" or "ages." (Margin). You see, Christ is King everywhere, at all times, Over all things forever.
Our hearts rejoice to confess Christ as King. We bow to worship and praise him in his royal, Kingly character. But there is more.
E. WE DECLARE THAT CHRIST ALONE IS WORTHY OF REVERENCE AND WORSHIP FROM ALL MEN, BECAUSE OF HIS HOLY CHARACTER.
"Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy." No one deserves reverence and worship from men except one who is perfectly holy. That is Christ Alone!
F. AND WE GIVE PRAISE TO CHRIST ALONE BECAUSE THE FATHER HAS ORDAINED THAT HE HAVE ALL PRAISE IN HIS ULTIMATE GLORY.
"For all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.' God has given his Son a name that is above every name, before whose feet all people must bow. His judgments are clearly manifest. And they will continue until at last God has made all his foes his footstool (Phil. 2:9-11; Ps. 2:1-12; Isa. 45:22-25).
We give all praise to Christ alone for all things, because God has ordained that all men must give praise to Christ alone. And our hearts delight in praising him.
III. Now, let me briefly tell you that THIS SONG OF REDEMPTIONIS BORN IN THE HEART AND MUST BE SUNG BY FAITH.
I love to hear men and women sing the praises of Christ. And I love to sing his praises. But this song is learned by personal experience. It is born in the heart. And it is sung by faith, not by sounds. It is sung to God. These harp strings are upon "the harps of God."
If you will take the time to read again Exodus 15, you will find the Song of Moses, which was the Song of the Lamb, is full of instruction in this matter.
A. THE SONG BEGAN TO BE SUNG AS SOON AS REDEMPTION WAS REALIZED.
B. THIS SONG OF REDEMPTION WAS INTENSELY PERSONAL. C. YET IT WAS A SONG SUNG BY THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE REDEEMED. D. IT WAS A SONG OF ENTHUSIASTIC JOY. E. IT WAS A SONG OF CONFIDENT ASSURANCE. F. IT WAS A SONG OF DEEP GRATITUDE. G. IT WAS A SONG FOR GOD ALONE. H. IT WAS A SONG OF HOPE AND ANTICIPATION. Application: Ps. 118:14-16Can you, do you, from your heart, by faith in Christ sing this "song of Moses the servant of God and of the Lamb?"
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