Moses Songs, Part 1: The First Redemption
As the world celebrates the first coming of Yeshua (Jesus), the Anointed one, the Messiah, the Deliverer, Redeemer, the living Torah made flesh, the Savior of the world, we want to continue looking to the second coming of Yeshua. We see in the book of Revelation chapter 15:2-4 that right before the seven last judgements of God take place, we see a scene from heaven: those who were victorious over the beast, holding harps, began to sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. It is interesting that the redeemed will sing two songs: first, the song of Moses who was the first Deliverer of Israel at the first Passover, the first anointed one, priest, prophet and even king, the receiver of the Torah, and the one who erected the tabernacle in the wilderness; and the second song, the Song of the Lamb, the Passover Lamb, the Anointed One, Priest, Prophet, and King, the living Torah, our Tabernacle. We also see other songs sung in heaven. In Revelation 5:9, we see that the elders, having harps, sing a new song. Revelation 14:3 tells us that the one hundred and forty?four thousand sang a new song before the throne. Throughout the Bible there are many songs. The Psalms, the writings of David, were David’s songs to the Lord, especially Psalm 18. Also recorded in 2 Samuel 22, it was David’s victory song over his enemies and also over King Saul. Deborah had her victory song. There is the song of Solomon known as the Song of Songs. Music was, and still is, a very important part of worship. We want to take a closer look at the song of Moses to see why the redeemed in Revelation would sing this particular song. But which song of Moses did they sing, for Scripture records two different songs? Let’s look at both of them.
God’s Redemption
Before we can look at the first song of Moses, we must get some background information. Now, you may say that we know the story of the Exodus, but let’s go through the story to see why the redeemed would sing this song. God had just brought about 10 plagues on Egypt. One by one, He showed His power over their idol gods. His final act was the death of the firstborn. The people of Israel were told to slaughter a lamb without blemish and place the blood on their doorposts. They were told to roast the lamb and eat it with their loins girded. This was the Lord’s passover, for that very night the death angel went throughout Egypt killing every firstborn, from the beasts to Pharaoh’s own son, but not harming any of the Israelites who had the blood on their doorposts. At this, Pharaoh tells Moses to take the people and to get out of Egypt. So the people gathered their belongings and fled the land. When Pharaoh comes to his senses, he calls for his charioteers and army to pursue the Israelites. As Pharaoh drew near and the people saw him pursuing them, they became frightened. Moses says to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again, forever . . . The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” So that night, God placed an angel between Israel and Pharaoh and his army. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord swept back the sea by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land. In the morning, the people quickly crossed on dry ground and Pharaoh’s chariots and army followed. When the people reached the other side, Moses again stretched out his hand and the sea returned to normal and Pharaoh’s army and chariots all drowned. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians. This was a great military victory. This was a great act of salvation. God saved Israel that day from their enemies.
Let’s now look at what has just taken place that would cause those who have come out of the great tribulation to sing this song. Israel, who had been slaves in Egypt for over 400 years, had been redeemed by the mighty hand of God. This was an act of grace on God’s part for Israel had not done anything to merit His redemption. Remember, to redeem means that one takes ownership after paying a price. God redeemed Israel from the Egyptians by defeating them, and now they belonged to Him. They were no longer slaves in the kingdom of darkness, but now slaves in the kingdom of Light (for Egypt is symbolic of darkness). This is what we celebrate as believers on Passover. Yeshua, our Passover Lamb, shed His blood for us and He conquered the devil (Pharaoh) and took us out of the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13, 1 Peter 2:9). He redeemed us, He paid the price so that we are no longer slaves to our sin (leaven), but now slaves to our King Yeshua. We too did nothing to merit His redemption, for while we were still sinners, Yeshua died for us (Romans 5:8).
Exodus 15:1-4 tells us that Moses and the congregation of Israel all sang, “I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and the rider He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will extol Him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; and the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.” Exodus 15:17-20 continues, “Thou will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance; the place, O Lord, which Thou hast made for Thy dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established . . . The Lord shall reign forever and ever . . . For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.” And with that Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women sang and danced. A mighty victory required a song of jubilation and praise that I am sure they sang over and over again.
We are to remember the Passover and in so doing, we remember our Passover Lamb (Yeshua). We too can say, “The Lord is a mighty warrior and the horse and the rider have been thrown into the sea.” Is this the white horse on which the false Messiah rides when the first seal is opened (Revelation 6:2)? Is this the song that the redeemed will sing who victoriously overcome the beast? Or maybe there is another song?
A History Lesson To Be Learned
Before Moses’s death, God tells Him to write another song for the people to learn. In Deuteronomy 31 starting in verse 16, God tells Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with strange gods of the land into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they shall be consumed, and many evils and troubles shall come upon them.” So God tells Moses to write a song for the people to learn to be a witness for God against them when they fall away.
Deuteronomy 32 is the second song of Moses. It begins, “Give ear, O heaven, and let me speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb. For I proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” The first four verses are just that, a witness of God’s faithfulness, everything that caused them to sing the first song. But verse five begins the sad reality of what was to come: “They are a perverse and crooked generation . . . Foolish and unwise people.” God tells the people to, “Ask their fathers, their elders, and they will tell you, when the Most High gave the nations their inheritance . . . Like an eagle that stirs up its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. The Lord alone guided them, and there was no foreign god with them. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, and he ate the produce of the field; and he made him suck honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock, curds of cows, and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs, and rams, the breed of Bashan and goats, with the finest of the wheat and of the blood of grapes you drank wine.” Again, a powerful witness of God’s faithfulness.
Unfortunately, the people did not heed Moses’s words and they went astray. How true is this today! We see in the land of Israel many people do not even believe in God; and how true this is today in our churches, where many pastors don’t even believe in what they preach. They have no need for repentance or even the blood to wash them clean, and many do not feel the Ten Commandments and the Scriptures are relevant for today. But God has always preserved for Himself a remnant. He states in verses 28-31, “For they are a nation lacking in counsel, and there is no understanding in them. Would that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would discern their future! How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up? Indeed their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies themselves judge this.” Verse 36 goes on to say, “For the Lord will vindicate His people, and will have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free.”
Now God gives witness to Himself and He says in verse 39, “See now that I, I am He, and there is no other god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heals; and there is no one who can deliver from My hand. Indeed I lift up My hand to heaven and say, as I live forever. If I sharpen My flashing sword, and My hand takes hold on justice, I will render vengeance on My adversaries, and I will repay those who hate Me.” Verse 43: “Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people.” God will always be faithful to Israel. He will always be faithful to those who have attached themselves to Israel. Moses’s song was indeed a great warning that needed to be heard and heeded, but God will redeem those who stay faithful and true to Him.
So is this the song that those who are victorious over the beast, his image, and the number of his name will sing? After all, the song is about falling to false gods. One would naturally want to sing about how God, their Rock, was faithful in delivering them. But is this the song that the redeemed will sing? In our next newsletter, we will look at yet another song of Moses to see whether or not this is the song.
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