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 Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-20). Spiritual singing flows from a heart filled with the Spirit, reflecting the joy of a life lived in God.

The song of Moses in Exodus 15 exemplifies such Spirit-filled worship. It is not a celebration of human effort or ingenuity but a declaration of God’s greatness. The Israelites sing of what God has done—their past deliverance—and of His promises for the future. Their song exalts God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from Pharaoh and his mighty army.

“Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea .The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone…Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.”

This victory song extols God’s majesty and holiness. “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” The gods of Egypt were powerless to prevent the plagues or save their land. In stark contrast to them stands the one true God, whose sovereignty over nature and nations reveals Him as the unparalleled Redeemer.

The song also highlights the response of other nations to the mighty works of God. “The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.” This deliverance serves as both a warning and a testimony to the nations that Israel’s God is mighty to save.

Central to the Israelites’ song is the theme of redemption. The nation is described as “the people whom you have purchased.” (Exodus 15:16). Redemption implies a cost—a price paid to secure freedom. For Israel, it was the blood of the Passover lamb that marked their homes and ensured that their firstborn were spared. For us, it is the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. Peter reminds us, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The song of Moses also reminded the people of their glorious future. It anticipates the Israelites’ arrival in the Promised Land, described here not in terms of its physical attributes but as the place where God Himself dwells. “You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.” (Exodus 15:17). The ultimate beauty of the Promised Land is not its milk and honey but the presence of God.

This imagery finds its ultimate fulfillment in the heavenly sanctuary. Revelation echoes this truth: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3). Heaven’s glory is not in its streets of gold or gates of pearl but in the eternal presence of God Almighty.

The song of the grateful nation reminds us that our worship should come from our remembrance of who God is and what He has done. Singing is not merely an act of tradition or emotion; it is an expression of heartfelt gratitude and declaration. When we sing of our Redeemer, we praise the wondrous love that set us free from sin, the power that defeated death, and the unshakable hope of eternal life in His presence.

Yet let us also examine our hearts as we sing. Do our songs align with the reality of our lives? To sing of freedom we must truly live in the freedom Christ purchased for us. To praise God as our God, we must be joyful in our submission to him and sincere in our trust. Singing without sincerity is empty; true worship flows from a heart that experiences and understands God’s grace.

Let us sing a song of redemption with our hearts as well as our lips. Like Philip Bliss, who penned lyrics that have inspired countless believers, and like the Israelites, who burst into song after witnessing God’s mighty hand, let our words be constantly full of gratitude and devotion in response to His redeeming love. May our days be marked by the melody of grace, and let us ensure that our worship echoes into eternity by its truth. God bless you.