63_The song of the redeemed Ex 15:1-3 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, 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 man of war; the Lord is his name. Philip Bliss was one of the most gifted hymn writers of the 19th century. His legacy, is one of triumph through tragedy. On December 29, 1876, at the age of 38, Bliss and his wife Lucy were aboard the Pacific Express train, traveling to Chicago for a ministry engagement. As the train attempted to cross a trestle bridge, the structure collapsed, and all seven carriages plunged into the icy ravine below. Bliss survived the fall but returned to the burning carriages to rescue his wife. Despite warnings to stay away, he resolved, “If I cannot save her, I will perish with her.” Tragically, neither survived, and no trace of their bodies was ever found. The disaster claimed the lives of 92 of the 159 passengers. Amid the debris, a poignant discovery was made. Bliss’s trunk was recovered, still intact. It contained the words of a song he had written recently but not yet set to music. This was done by his friend James McGranahan. Titled "My Redeemer," this hymn became a cherished anthem of faith. The lyrics echo the themes of redemption and eternal hope: I will sing of my Redeemer, And His wondrous love to me; On the cruel cross He suffered, From the curse to set me free. This song aligns with the first song recorded in scripture, in Exodus 15. This song was sung by the Israelites as they rejoiced over their miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea. Songs hold a unique place in worship and human expression. James writes, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” (James 5:13). Singing is the language of emotion, and joyful songs help us exalt the Creator who rescues and restores. Songs shape thoughts and influence cultures, and can carry spiritual truths deep within the hearer. Andrew Fletcher, an 18th-century Scottish writer, observed, “Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.” Gordon Wenham, author of The Psalter Reclaimed, notes, “The words hymn writers and liturgists put on our lips in worship affect us profoundly: they teach us what to think and feel, the more effectively as they are put to music so we can hum them to ourselves whenever we are inclined.” But this makes it all the more necessary that we do not sing without understanding, or allow familiarity to make the words empty of meaning. We must not sing of what we do not experience in our lives. Paul exhorts the Ephesians: “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the