Worship In The Covenant Community

Genesis 12:1-9

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Call of Abram

12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[a]

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot and all the possessions that they had gathered and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran, and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak[b] of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

Moses And Miriam Lead The People In Praise

Exodus 3:7-12

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Exodus 15:1-3

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Song of Moses

15 Then 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.
2 The Lord is my strength and my might,[a]
    and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him;
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.

Exodus 15:11-13

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

11 Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in splendor, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand;
    the earth swallowed them.

13 In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed;
    you guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

Exodus 15:17-18

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

17 You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession,
    the place, O Lord, that you made your abode,
    the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

Exodus 15:20-21

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Song of Miriam

20 Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Key Terms

Zealot – A person who demands strict obeying of principles or teachings.

Bondage – Enslavement of any kind (physical, economic, social). Indomitable – Cannot be controlled or defeated.

Stratification – Putting people in social classes.

Transcends – To rise above normal limits.

Introduction

In all eras, artists use music, songs, and poetry to pull people emotionally into events that the people did not witness.

One of the criticisms of modern music is that too often people place excessive emphasis on the artificial effects of studio engineering. And so, songs that are poor on lyrics can still be “hits,” because the music is “great.” In previous eras, it was the lyrics, the story, and the emotions the story stirred that captured our hearts. This certainly was the case with classics like “Unchained Melody” and “I Will Always Love You” (Whitney Houston), two classics.

See the songs in the text in this light. Assess them in terms of how well they tell the story of God’s great deliverance of Israel and the people’s gratitude. Try to capture the emotions in the singing, music, and dancing, which expressed the people’s joy and gratitude to God. Incidentally, the text reminds us that singing and dancing as acts of worship are “as old as the hills” and perfectly acceptable.

Telling the Bible Story

The “Song at the Sea” (Exodus 15:1-18) celebrates Yahweh’s victory over the Egyptians at the Red Sea and looks to the future establishment of God’s sanctuary on the earth. Please do not gloss over this song. Carefully note the effects the amazing deliverance will have on Israel’s Gentile enemies. (Phillistian, Edom, Moab, Canaan)  Also, mark the confidence it stirred in Israel. At that point, the people were sure God would take them safely to the promised destination. 

Exodus 15:1-3

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Song of Moses

15 Then 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.
2 The Lord is my strength and my might,[a]
    and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him;
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.

Exodus 15:11-13

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

11 Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in splendor, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand;
    the earth swallowed them.

13 In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed;
    you guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

The song, although centered on the then-current events, was prophetic as well. Israel’s victory over the named enemies occurred centuries later. God keeps the promises God makes and fulfills the hope awakened.

Verses 8-10 reflect an ancient myth we see in various parts of the Hebrew scriptures.

Exodus 15:8-10

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
    the floods stood up in a heap;
    the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue; I will overtake;
    I will divide the spoil; my desire shall have its fill of them.
    I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them;
    they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

The Hebrews regarded water, especially the sea, as a hostile power. The victory in the water therefore revealed Israel’s God’s superior power. Related references on this matter are Psalms 77:16-19, 107:25-27, and 114:3-6, and Habakkuk 3:8.

Psalm 77:16-19

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

16 When the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
    the skies thundered;
    your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    your lightnings lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
    your path through the mighty waters,
    yet your footprints were unseen.

Miriam And The Importance Of Female Leadership

This text and a related reference at Micah 6:4 create a huge challenge for persons who proffer that God has a problem with female leadership.

Micah 6:4

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
    and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses,
    Aaron, and Miriam.

We see Miriam as the first woman in the Old Testament called a prophet. She is a spiritual and political leader for the children of Israel.

This observation clearly shows God will not sit comfortably in the social and religious boxes zealots construct to protect their biases.

 Historical reports suggest that the refrain, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously” was sung in some form during Israel’s years of bondage in Egypt. This may or may not be true. And frankly speaking, it does not matter. Liberation theology teaches that songs of faith sung during slavery reach new heights of purpose and praise to God when sung by free people. The singing during bondages expresses hope. Singing during freedom expresses gratitude. Either way, they glorified God.

The use of the tambourines, singing, and dancing highlighted a gigantic truth we must not miss. Despite the horrible decades of bondage and oppression, the people of Israel never lost their creativity, culture, or religious anchor. Physical bondage cannot strip people of the liberation they see and live spiritually through the hope they draw from God. Oppressors can break the bodies of people they hold in bondage. But even in those broken bodies, the spirit of freedom remains intact.

Sankofa

For Caribbean people, when thinking of songs that reflect freedom from oppression, and the indomitable spirit to survive, “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley springs to mind.

In the Introduction, we talked about the strong emotions that songs evoke. For people who understand the horrors of slavery, and what it took to survive, “Redemption Song” hit reverberating soul chords. In the usual catalogs of music, “Redemption Song” is not Gospel or religious. Yet it notes that, “My hand was made strong, by the hand of the Almighty.” The author invited us to sing with him the songs of freedom, because that was “all I ever have.” When oppressors strip us down to nothing, we can still hold on to a song of freedom.

In the second stanza, Bob raises a truth that is so profound, it transcends political affiliations, religious denominations, and social stratifications.

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.” Anytime a people embrace that truth, they stop looking for political saviors, and ‘White Knights’ to lift them out of their social and economic mire. It is worth repeating: “None but ourselves can free our minds.” Moses had his “Song at the Sea.” We have our “Redemption Song.”

Case Study

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Today in the USA it has become commonplace to question the results of elections and be suspicious of the motives of leaders. In this age of free speech and social media platforms, we do such things without great thought. Yet the history behind “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” screams at us to be mindful of what such suspicion can lead to: a split nation with bloody consequences. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the elected president of the USA. Despite his declared objection to slavery, President Lincoln gave an understanding that he would leave alone the slavery system in the southern states. But apparently, this promise was not good enough for the leaders in those states. They could not accept Lincoln’s election. Further, and more importantly, they suspected the president would take steps to end slavery and control the southern states. So, these states broke away from the Republic to form the Confederate States of America. President Lincoln could not allow such a secession. He saw a duty to keep the “United States” together. His resolve to hold the “Union” intact met with an equally fierce resolve for southern states’ independence. As a result, in April 1861 the Civil War broke out. For the next four years, Americans killed one another for the right to rule the USA. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was the victory song for the Union (the North). They hailed it as a vindication of the noble dreams of Lincoln and his generals. Not surprisingly, for the Confederates, the hymn became “a musical slap at their honor and pride” as one writer put it. We are, therefore, not surprised that a song of liberation for one people can also be a song of oppression for other people groups.

Life Application

The declarations of Moses and Miriam were songs of joy and celebration. Bring this home to your experiences. Think of a time when you came out of a great challenge or distressing situation. Recall your emotions and reactions. How did you celebrate the relief, the triumph over the adversity? Now here is your challenge.

Jot down short notes about your feelings of relief. Then arrange the notes in order and use them as the basis to draft a poem or song. Depending on your level of confidence about the work, share it with trusted friends. Even if you do not make it to national fame, you will have a strong reminder of a triumph in your life. This will do for you what the songs in the text did for the people of Israel. The lyrics reminded them of God’s great delivering power and spurred them on to more victories later.

Make a list of the good fortunes you have experienced in life. The list can include special people you met who contributed to your life. Put on the list exceptional favors you received at home, church, or work, and special places you traveled to on holiday or business. For each of these blessings note the points where you saw the hands of God intervene. These would be the emotional bridges you knew you could not have crossed without the special favor of God. End this reflection by thanking God for God’s favor on your life.

Now let us get crazy. Think of a song you love, whether modern pop, hymn, or contemporary Gospel. Play this song and claim it as your song of praise. Keep copies (recordings) of this song where you have easy access to them: on your phone, car system, YouTube playlist, or home entertainment devices. Whenever you are feeling down for any reason, play this song which you have consecrated to the Lord. Let it be your reminder of God’s love and goodness in the past. This should rekindle your hope for brighter things in the future

Questions

1. How does music contribute to corporate praise and worship?

2. What should we listen for when we sing hymns of praise?

3. What are the benefits of reminding ourselves of God’s goodness in past years?

Closing Devotions

Closing Hymn: “To God Be the Glory (Praise the Lord),” AMECH #21

Closing Prayer: Dear Father, thanks for the crucial times you rose to save me. I recognize that without you I would have drowned in the sea of life. Thank you, Savior, thank you, Lord. Amen.