observed, (Ps. 106. 12.) Then believed they his words, they sang his praise: if with the heart man believes, thus confession must be made.
Here is,
I. The song itself: and it is, 1. An ancient song, the most ancient that we know of. 2. A most admirable composition, the style lofty and magnificent, the images lively and proper, and the whole very moving. 3. It is a holy song, consecrated to the honour of God, and intended to exalt his name, and celebrate his praise, and his only, not in the least to magnify any man: holiness to the Lord is engraven on it, and to him they made melody in the singing of it. 4. It is a typical song. The triumphs of the gospel-church, in the downfall of its enemies, are expressed in the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb put together, which songs are said to be sung upon a sea of glass, as this was upon the Red-sea, Rev. 15. 2, 3.
Let us observe what Moses chiefly aims at in this song.
(1.) He gives glory to God, and triumphs in him; this is first in his intention; (v. 1.) I will sing unto the Lord. Note, All our joy must terminate in God, and all our praises be offered up to him, the Father of lights, and Father of mercies, for he hath triumphed. Note, All that love God, triumph in his triumphs; what is his honour, should be our joy. Israelites rejoice in God, v. 2. [1.] As their own God, and therefore their strength, song, and salvation: happy therefore the people whose God is the Lord, they need no more to make them happy; they have work to do, temptations to grapple with, and afflictions to bear, and are weak in themselves; but he strengthens them, his grace is their strength. They are often in sorrow, upon many accounts, but in him they have comfort; he is their song; sin, and death, and hell, threaten them, but he is, and will be, their salvation; see Isa. 12. 2. [2.] As their fathers' God. This they take notice of, because, being conscious to themselves of their own unworthiness and provocations, they had reason to think that what God had now done for them was for their fathers' sake, Deut. 4. 37. Note, The children of the covenant ought to improve their fathers' relation to God as their God, for comfort, for caution, and for quickening. [3.] As a God of infinite power; (v. 3.) The Lord is a man of war, that is, well able to deal with all those that strive with their Maker, and will certainly be too hard for them. [4.] As a God of matchless and incomparable perfection; (v. 11.) Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the Gods? This is pure praise, and a high expression of humble adoration. It is, First, a challenge to all other gods to compare with him: "Let them stand forth, and pretend their utmost; none of them dare make the comparison." Egypt was notorious for the multitude of its gods, but the God of the Hebrews was too hard for them, and baffled them all, Numb. 33. 4. Deut. 32. 23..39. The princes and potentates of the world are called gods, but they are feeble and mortal, none of them all comparable to Jehovah the almighty and eternal God. Secondly, It is a confession of his infinite perfection, as transcendent and unparalleled. Note, God is to be worshipped and adored as a Being of such infinite perfection, that there is none like him, nor any to be compared with him; as one that in all things has, and must have, the pre-eminence, Ps. 89. 6. More particularly, 1. He is glorious in holiness: his holiness is his glory. It is that attribute which angels adore, Isa. 6. 3. His holiness appeared in the destruction of Pharaoh, his hatred of sin, and his wrath against obstinate sinners. It appeared in the deliverance of Israel, his delight in the holy seed, and his faithfulness to his own promise, God is rich in mercy, that is his treasure, glorious in holiness, that is his honour. Let us always give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 2. He is fearful in praises; that which is the matter of our praise, though it is joyful to the servants of God, is dreadful and very terrible to his enemies, Ps. 66. 1..3. Or, it directs us in the manner of our praising God; we should praise him with a humble holy awe, and serve the Lord with fear; even our spiritual joy and triumph must be balanced with a religious fear. 3. He is doing wonders, wondrous to all, being above the power, and out of the common course, of nature; especially wondrous to us, in whose favour they are wrought, who are so unworthy, that we had little reason to expect them. They were wonders of power, and wonders of grace; in both God was to be humbly adored.
(2.) He describes the deliverance they were now triumphing in; because the song was intended, not only to express and excite their thankfulness for the present, but to preserve and perpetuate the remembrance of this work of wonder to after-ages. Two things were to be taken notice of:
[1.] The destruction of the enemy; the waters were divided, v. 8, The floods stood upright as a heap, Pharaoh and all his hosts-were buried in the waters. The horse and his rider could not escape, (v. 1.) the chariots, and the chosen captains; (v. 4.) they themselves went into the sea, and there they were overwhelmed, v. 19. The depths, the sea, covered them, and the proud waters went over the proud sinners, they sank like a stone, like lead, (v. 5, 10.) under the weight of their own guilt and God's wrath. Their sin had made them hard like a stone, and now they justly sink like a stone. Nay, the earth itself swallowed them; (v. 12.) their dead bodies sank into the sands upon which they were thrown up, which sucked them in. Those whom the Creator fights against, the whole creation is at war with. All this was the Lord's doing, and his only. It was an act of his power; Thy right hand, O Lord, not our's, has dashed in pieces the enemy, v. 6. It was with the blast of thy nostrils, (v. 8.) and thy wind, (v. 10.) and the stretching out of thy right hand, v. 12. It was an instance of his transcendent power, (v. 7.) in the greatness of thine excellency: and it was the execution of his justice, Thou sentest forth thy wrath, v. 7. This destruction of the Egyptions was made the more remarkable by their pride and insolence, and their strange assurance of success; (v. 9.) The enemy said, I will pursue. Here is, First, Great confidence; when they pursue, they do not question but they shall overtake, and when they overtake, they do not question but they shall overcome, and obtain so decisive a victory, as to divide the spoil. Note, It is common for men to be most elated with the hopes of success, when they are upon the brink of ruin, which makes their ruin so much the sorer. See Isa. 37. 24, 25. Secondly, Great cruelty; nothing but killing, and slaying, and destroying, and this will satisfy his lust; and a barbarous lust that is, which so much blood must be the satisfaction of. Note, It is a cruel hatred with which the church is hated; its enemies are bloody men. This is taken notice of here, to show, 1. That God resists the proud, and delights to humble those who lift up themselves; he that says, "I will, and I will, whether God will or no," shall be made to know, that, wherein he deals proudly, God is above him. 2. That those who thirst for blood shall have enough of it. They who love to be destroying, shall be destroyed, for we know who has said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay.
[2.] The protection and guidance of Israel; (v. 13.) Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people; led them forth out of the bondage of Egypt, led them forth out of the perils of the Red-sea, v. 19.
