Exodus 15:1-2 (NRSV)
Read Exodus 15:1-2 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 15Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: "I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. Verse 2The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Devotion
No image of the Old Testament is more emblematic of God's work as savior than the Red Sea miracle. God saves the people of Israel by opening a path through the chaotic waters for them to pass and then closes the sea, drowning the pursuing Egyptians. Once more, water both kills and brings life.
We often respond to God's salvation by singing. This is precisely what Israel does. All the people sang the glorious Song of the Sea found in Exodus 15. To respond in song is no minor thing. To sing is to interpret, remember, proclaim, create community, praise and give thanks.
It's no wonder that Luther wrote hymns, that African-American hymns of strife grace today's Christianity, that we find our common faith in songs from every nation. When the people sing, we tell the world that God is active and alive, creating and redeeming. The stories of God's victories are kept alive in worship. Through song, the story becomes the living word for future generations.
Through our songs and hymns we proclaim that God is good. How can we keep from singing?
Prayer
Lord, give us this day a new song to sing, that we might remember you always and give you thanks. Amen.