Ex. 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Ex. 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Israelites were so filled with relief, awe, fear, wonder etc. that they sang a song of praise. In the very first line, they identify the LORD as the object of their praise and the source of their salvation. This truth is echoed by the psalmist and the prophet Isaiah.
Psalm 118:14 “The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”
This term for the LORD is I AM THAT I AM, YHWH (self-existent, creator) or Jehovah, and is the most reverent name of God used by the Jews. They are praising Him for protecting them by destroying the Egyptians in the sea. They know that it was His strength alone that provided their salvation.
In verse 2b God is made personal—“my God.” The NIV and KJV differ in their translations. The NIV says, “I will praise Him.” The KJV says, “I will prepare Him an habitation.” I think the idea that both have in common is the idea that God deserves special honor and consideration. Of course, the best honor we believers today can give Him is to prepare our lives and bodies as vessels of honor since we are the “temple” (habitation/dwelling place) of His Spirit. To exalt Him is to emphasize His position of honor.
Courson: “Because the Father seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23), when I feel distanced from the Lord, when I don’t sense the presence of the Lord, when I lack intimacy with the Lord, the best thing for me to do is to sing to the Lord because then He seeks me. And it’s a whole lot easier for Him to find me than it is for me to find Him.”
Guzik: “One great principle of worship is that it is unto the LORD, not unto man. When we worship God in song, our audience is the LORD Himself and not the people around us.”
Ex. 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
Ex. 15:4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
Ex. 15:5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
Ex. 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Ex. 15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
Ex. 15:8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
Ex. 15:9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
Ex. 15:10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
The LORD is a warrior on behalf of His children. The Pharaoh, who represented great power on earth, was no match for the LORD. The right hand is a reference to God’s power which is described as “majestic” in the NIV (kingly) and “glorious” in the KJV (of great renown; magnificence). Many verses in scripture use this analogy.
Psalm 20:6 “Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Isaiah 62:8 “The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength….”
Luke 22:67–69 “Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
The enemy is no match for Him. It was the power of His breath (the wind) that separated the waters. The pride of the enemy caused them to pursue the Israelites with confidence of overtaking—but they were no match for the God who had but to breathe on the waters to cause them to fall into place again and drown the enemy in the process.
Ex. 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Ex. 15:12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
Ex. 15:13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
Ex. 15:14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
Ex. 15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
Ex. 15:16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
Verse 11 begins with a question: “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?” The LORD answers this question Himself through the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 45:5 “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me….”
The Israelites acknowledge the “gods” of the other nations. They realize, however, that none of them compare in any way to the LORD, who is holy, awesome and a worker of wonders. Even the forces of nature are under His control.
In verse 13 the NIV and KJV differ again. He is recognized as having redeemed (freed from bondage) His people. The KJV says because of His “mercy” and the NIV because of His “unfailing love.” Mercy brings to mind the position of “need” on the part of the recipient. For God to “love” us indicates our worth to Him, and the fact that it is unfailing indicates that it is not dependent on our response to Him. That love requires our chastisement and correction but never changes our “worth” or value to Him. In the last part of verse 13, I think they are walking confidently in His leadership to the “promised land.” (Oh, how fickle they prove to be.) They go on to declare their confidence that the people living in the lands they will pass through and conquer will be terrified because of the power of the God of Israel. (What happened to this confidence at Kadesh-Barnea?)
Rahab verified this assumption to the spies that went to Jericho.
Joshua 2:9–11 “And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”
Ex. 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
Ex. 15:18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
In verses 17 and 18 the people appear to recognize where they are headed. They identify “the mountain of thine inheritance” and His sanctuary. Their expectation is to be established in this place forever. In verse 18, they exclaim that YHWH will be their ruler forever. That remains true whether they acknowledge Him or not, but the day is coming when all Israel will serve God as LORD.
Zechariah 8:7–8 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”
Jeremiah 23:5–6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
I think they knew the destination of “the mountain of thine inheritance” was according to God’s plan in the land of Canaan, but I don’t think they identified it specifically with Jerusalem at this time.
Ex. 15:19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
Ex. 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Ex. 15:21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
In the next few verses we are reminded again what prompted this song of praise—their deliverance from the Egyptians at the Red Sea by the hand of God. Then Miriam, a prophetess and the sister of Aaron and Moses, took a tambourine and led the women in singing and dancing this song of praise.
I think music is the language of the soul. It is a shame that a pure expression of joy has been degraded to some of the forms current today. When I think of how I danced as a teen and see how much worse it has gotten today, it shames me. I love music and to respond naturally to its rhythm. But because I have been a part of the misuse of this expression, it was hard for me to feel the freedom of that expression in church. I’m still “thawing out” in that regard. I think it is obvious throughout the scripture that any response to the LORD in praise and worship is blessed in His sight and a sweet fragrance before Him. I’m thankful to know I have the freedom of pure expression and am blessed to see that expression from others. If others saw more pure expression of joy and praise in the lives of believers in their everyday lives, I am sure we would have great revival because everyone would want what we have.
Ex. 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Ex. 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
Ex. 15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
Ex. 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
After this, Moses led Israel from the Red Sea to the Desert of Shur. They traveled for three days without finding water. When they finally found water at Marah, it was bitter and not fit to drink. So 72 hours later, we find the people grumbling again. Moses cried out to the LORD, and He showed him a piece of wood to throw in the water to make it sweet.
Courson: “Why did the Lord choose Marah as Stop Number Four for His people?…life is a mixture of sweetness and bitterness—for were it only sweet, we would have no desire for heaven.”
Ex. 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Then we are told that the LORD issues another law for the people to test them. (The LORD never tempts us, but He knows that testing is necessary for growth and improvement. Be thankful for testings.) He says basically, “If you will listen carefully (not in one ear and out the other; listening with understanding and intent to obey) to the voice of the LORD thy God (your Creator, Deliverer, Strength, Provider, etc.), and will do what is right in His sight (WWJD, “What Would Jesus Do?,” have to separate from self to discern), and will listen to His commandments (hear with understanding), and obey Him (ALL of His laws, commands and instructions), I will not allow any of the diseases that afflicted the Egyptians affect you. This is a strong statement that leaves no doubt as to the One that controls all the forces of nature and uses them as He deems necessary for judgment or testing. How can He promise this? Because He is the LORD (the one and only, all-powerful). He is the One with the power to heal; He is the source of everything that is good in our life—including our health.
Ex. 15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
Then they came to Elim, a place with 12 wells of water and 70 palm trees, and they camped near the waters.
Ex. 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
Ex. 16:2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
Ex. 16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
When they left Elim, they headed to the Desert of Sin and got there one month after leaving Egypt Again, the people grumbled; they didn’t have enough food and thought they were going to starve. They would rather have died in the land of Egypt with full stomachs. To hear them tell it, there was always more than enough food in Egypt. (Frankly, I think their memory was beginning to play a few tricks on them.)
Ex. 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Ex. 16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
Again the LORD decides to test the people as to their obedience. He tells Moses that He will rain down bread from heaven for them. They are to gather each day enough for that day only. On the sixth day they are to gather twice as much in preparation for the seventh day, the Sabbath.
Ex. 16:6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
Ex. 16:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
Ex. 16:8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what arewe? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
So Moses and Aaron go out to tell the people God’s message, emphasizing once again that this will be another affirmation that it is the LORD who has delivered them from Egypt. They also remind them that when they grumble, it is against the LORD because He is the One in control. It doesn’t do any good to grumble against him and Aaron; they are just God’s servants. God has heard their grumbling and is going to send His glory for them to see the next morning. I think this is another visual reminder of Who is in charge. Moses also tells them that they will also be given flesh to eat in the evening along with the bread in the morning. They will have plenty to eat.
Ex. 16:9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
Ex. 16:10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
So Moses tells Aaron to gather the people to come before the LORD. He did and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud as they looked toward the desert.
Ex. 16:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Ex. 16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
So the LORD speaks to Moses in response to the complaining of the Israelites—He’s heard all of it. (Just like He hears us, even when we aren’t speaking or complaining out loud. He knows our thoughts!)
Ezekiel 11:5 “And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.”
He tells Moses to tell the “children” of Israel (because in light of all they have witnessed, they are still acting like children) that they will eat meat in the evening and be filled with bread in the morning. It will be provided in such a way that they will have to recognize it as provision from the “LORD your God.”
Ex. 16:13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
Ex. 16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
Ex. 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Ex. 16:16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
That evening the camp was covered with quails for meat and in the morning after the dew melted, they found small round things that looked like frost left on the ground. They called it manna, which means “a whatness, what is it”; they didn’t know what it was. Then Moses tells them that this is the bread the LORD promised to give them. He told them that the LORD had commanded that they gather an omer (6 pints to 4 quarts) for every person. This would be a plenty for every person’s appetite.
According to the psalmist, manna is the food of the angels.
Psalm 78:23–25 “Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.”
Ex. 16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
Ex. 16:18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
As usual, there were some who followed instructions and some who didn’t, but whether they had gathered too little or too much, there was enough for each person to have plenty to eat.
Ex. 16:19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
Ex. 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
Then the people were instructed not to save any of it until the next morning. Again, some obeyed and some didn’t. The ones who disobeyed got up the next morning to stinking leftovers full of worms. This made Moses angry.
Wiersbe: “There’s a personal warning here for God’s people today: We can’t hoard His Word and try to live on yesterday’s spiritual nourishment. It’s good to hear the Bible preached and taught on the Lord’s Day, but we need fresh manna each day if we want to be healthy Christians.”
Ex. 16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
Ex. 16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
Ex. 16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
So each morning the people gathered what was needed and then the sun melted away the rest. I think God was teaching them (and us) that He is sufficient day to day. When we choose to disobey, we end up making a stinking mess. We should learn to be satisfied with His provision in His timing.
On the sixth day, they were to gather two omers per person. It seems they did this on their own initiative since the leaders felt the need to come and report to Moses. Moses confirmed that this was correct in preparation for the Sabbath, the day of rest. They were to bake or boil whatever was needed and save as needed to the next day. The LORD would preserve it since there would be no manna provided on the morning of the Sabbath.
I thought it was interesting that these people who seem so immature in many ways showed some maturity, forethought and common sense in this instance. They understood God’s commandment regarding the Sabbath and decided to make preparation before actually being instructed. The wording indicates that only Moses had been instructed concerning this previously. God likes for us to exercise our minds and make decisions based on the life principles He has established for us. The key is acting within His established parameters.
Wiersbe: “There’s a lesson here for believers today: We must start the day with the Lord, gathering spiritual food from the Word, because if we wait too long to meet God, the day will become cluttered, we’ll get distracted, and we’ll suffer from spiritual malnutrition.”
Ex. 16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
Ex. 16:25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Ex. 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
So the people who were obedient did as they were instructed, and the bread was good the next morning. Moses told them to eat the leftovers since they would not find any food to gather in the fields because the seventh day is a Sabbath (a rest) unto the LORD.
Ex. 16:27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
Ex. 16:28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
Again, as usual, there are some who just don’t listen; and when they went out the next morning to get their bread, there was none. Like any parent, the LORD wonders how many times He is going to have to say something before all His children listen!
Ex. 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Ex. 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
The LORD had given them the Sabbath. It was a gift, a day of rest, a day to meditate on their God and their blessings. God provided enough bread for two days on the sixth day because this Sabbath was pleasing to Him and good for the people. So the people rested on the Sabbath.
Ex. 16:31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
Ex. 16:32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
Ex. 16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
Ex. 16:34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
Here we are told that the manna was like white coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Then the LORD told Moses who told Aaron to take a pot and gather an omer of manna to save for future generations as a reminder of God’s provision for His people in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. Aaron gathered it and put it with the Testimony.
I first assumed this to mean the Ark of the Covenant and the ten commandments, but the ark hasn’t been made and they haven’t been given yet. As I think back over through the Genesis account and Exodus to this point, it is clear to me that there were already established laws and principles that were accepted as from the LORD. This would even affect my thoughts earlier regarding the Sabbath. Probably most of what we call the “ten commandments” were already identified as guiding principles for right living. The fact that God purposed to summarize the law into the ten commands written by His own finger is just another example of His great love for and understanding of our humanity; we function more successfully when directions are clear, simple and to the point. He does everything in His power to help us be successful short of making us robots. Maybe the Testimony referred to here is a compilation of the writings of Moses to this point, which includes the guidelines for Passover, etc.
The key is that they obeyed, and the people recognized the Testimony as a significant identifier.
Ex. 16:35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
Ex. 16:36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
Then we are told that the people ate manna for forty years, until they came to the “promised land,” Canaan.
Jesus called the manna bread from heaven that pointed to Him as the true bread from heaven.
John 6:32–35 “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”