Exodus 15

Notes

Ver. 1. Several of the verbs in this song, relating to their past deliverance, are of the future tense in the original Hebrew, to intimate that it was but an earnest of many similar ones to the Jewish nation, and especially to the gospel-church and her true members, Jos. vi.-xxi.; Ju. 3. 10, 30; 4. 16; vii. viii.; 11. 33; 1 Sa. 7. 10-13; 11. 11; 14. 13-23; 17. 51, 52; 2 Sa. v. viii. x.; 2 Ch. xiv. xx.; Ezr. i. ii.; Es. viii. ix.; Ac. ii.-xix.; Re. 6. 13-17; xv.-xix.

Ver. 2. God is, and gives to his people, strength, and matter of joy and praise.—Moses foresaw that God would have a peculiar dwelling among the Jews in his tabernacle or temple.

Ver. 3. God is a man of war, as he powerfully protects his people, and executes judgment upon their enemies.

Ver. 7. By manifold, glorious, and marvellous works, God manifested his own infinite perfections.—He consumed the Egyptians as stubble, easily, suddenly, utterly.

Ver. 8. The strong wind which God raised made the waters to stand as still, on either side of the passage, as if they had been mountains of ice.

Ver. 11. Holiness is, as it were, the beauty, comeliness, and glory of the Godhead, and every particular excellency of it; and the very perfections and works for which God is to be praised are awful, and to be revered.

Ver. 13, 17. Canaan was a mountainous country, and is called God's inheritance, sanctuary, and holy habitation; because, for one thousand five hundred years of the typical dispensation God chose it for the special residence of his worship and service.

Ver. 14-16. All the nations about heard of God's delivering his people, and destroying the Egyptians; and then, but especially afterwards, when the Israelites approached their territories, they were filled with terror and dread.

Ver. 20, 21. Perhaps Miriam is here called the sister of Aaron, rather than of Moses, because she lived mostly with Aaron. She and her companions seem to have repeated the whole song after Moses and his brethren.

Ver. 24. To murmur against God is to conceive unworthy and hard thoughts of his nature, word, or works; or to utter them with our tongue.

Ver. 25. God there proved their faith and obedience, and published his statutes, promising them future favours on condition of their obedience.—[The waters were made sweet. The bitter well of Hawàra is said to answer geographically to the position of Marah. And were we certain of their identity of themselves, and were we acquainted with the composition of the water, we might be enabled to judge whether the infusion of any wood might chemically effect a precipitation of the bitter ingredients. But if the 'sweetening' of the waters were purely a chemical result, the miracle was not lessened; for God showed Moses the tree in answer to earnest prayer. From comparing, however, the passage with 2 Ki. 2. 20, where a similar permanent 'healing of the waters' was miraculously effected by the infusion of a little salt, we must rather consider the 'sweetening' at Marah to be wholly miraculous, and the infusion of the wood a mere sign that the miracle was wrought in compliance with divine direction.—Note, Israel was proved by thirst and bitter water—they murmured against Moses, but cried not, as Moses did, to God. In some such way God still proves his people; but let them not murmur against the world, but appeal to him who is able to help and relieve. The bitterest water of affliction is made sweet to him who commingles with it the knowledge of Christ, 'the power of his resurrection,' and the 'fellowship of his sufferings.' C.]

Ver. 26. God heals, and helps, in every case respecting either soul or body, and delivers from all evils, felt or feared, whether spiritual, temporal, or eternal.

Reflections.—Admire, my soul, the displayed perfections, the transacted works, the fulfilled promises, the endearing relations of the Most High! How his feeble followers are encouraged and helped! How his proud opposers fall under him! Awake, awake, and utter this song of Moses and of the Lamb! Since the Lord hath brought me through fire and water to a goodly heritage, since he hath brought me out of a fearful pit, and out of the miry clay, let me believe his mighty works, and sing his praise. Let there be a new song in my heart, and in my mouth, even praises to our God. Let my meditation of him be sweet: and let my soul, which he hath redeemed, rejoice in God, my only Lord. With sweet astonishment, with heart-burning affection, and with enrapturing joy, let me sing what JEHOVAH, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, have done, and will do for me; what they have given, and will give to MEN—to ME;—what they are, and for ever will be to men—to ME! And while I go up, through this wilderness-world, to my Canaan above, let me kindly accept the mixture of crosses and comforts which God allots to me. If parching thirst, if bitter gall, succeed my noted deliverances, let me never once doubt of his love; never once fear that all things are against me. If I am dear to God, it is proper that he make me smart for my sin. If he love me, let him not spare his rod of correction, which drives folly from my heart. If Jesus' presence sweeten my bitter draughts, it is enough. The cup which my Father giveth me, shall I not drink it? If JEHOVAH be my God that healeth me, let him make me wounds all over, that I may feel his word, his blood, his Spirit applied, and his hands binding up and making me whole. If I get Elim refreshments here, let me adore his sovereign kindness. But let my last march be to the river of life, clear as crystal; to the living fountains of waters, where God himself shall wipe all tears from mine eyes. Meanwhile, let me not be unaffected with the great deliverances which God hath wrought, and shall work, for his gospel-church; with his destruction of her heathenish and antichristian enemies; while exercised herself with a vicissitude of embarrassing troubles and joyful deliverances.