The words “thank you, God” should be the essence of our response to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I. Attributes (vv. 1-15)
We must thank God for his attributes, because they relieve us from intimidation.
Knowing: Moses indicates the end of each stanza with the repetition of God’s most holy name, YHWH, translated “O Lord” and repeated twice in each final couplet (6, 11, 17). That name was special to Moses because it is the name by which God introduced himself to Moses in the burning bush when he called him to be Israel’s liberator. That name also conveys one of God’s noncommunicable attributes (that is, an attribute humans can never imitate)—his eternality.
Being: This refrain tells us when you remember God’s attributes, it produces gratitude. When you fix your eyes on who God is first, it always puts life in proper perspective. The reason the people were afraid on the other side of the Red Sea is they were only looking at the Egyptian charioteers behind them and that deep, vast sea ahead of them. When they looked down, their problems looked big and God looked small. But when they looked up, God looked big and their opponents were defeated.
Doing: Have your eyes been set on your circumstances more than on God lately? In what practical way(s) can you set your eyes back on God, specifically his attributes?
II. Vengeance (vv. 7-11, 14-16)
We must thank God for his vengeance, because it assures us he will fight for us.
Knowing: To be falsely accused is to stand in need of a champion. To be wounded by someone with malice aforethought is to stand in need of a judge. To be robbed of a loved one by a disease ultimately introduced into this world through the devil’s deceit of our first parents is to long for the day when Jesus will bring a sword of judgment, when the Lamb will turn wrathful, when Christ will cast death, the devil and hell itself into the lake of fire (Dt. 1:30; Jg. 4:14; 2 Sa. 5:24; 2 Ch. 20:17-18).
Being: It may seem offensive at first to think of God as a God of vengeance, but when you have been wronged by someone, you do not want a nice champion, you want a champion who can get vengeance. God is described as that champion in this passage - a “man of war” (v. 3).
Doing: Are there any enemies or wrongs in your life right now? How can you entrust these to God rather than dwelling on them and becoming anxious or depressed?
III. Redeemer (vv. 13-17)
We must thank God, because he is our redeemer, which proves his steadfast love for us.
Knowing: Finally, we see two of the most beautiful words in the Bible translated “steadfast love” and “redemption.” The first word (hesed) is one we have discussed often and will be especially highlighted when we get to Exodus 33 and 34. There God revealed to Moses, even after the golden calf incident, that his essential nature is hesed. The whole story of redemption, everything concerning the gospel, is implicit in that one word hesed.
Being: You can describe the gospel this way, “God loves sinners.” This is implied when Moses sings, “You have led in your steadfast love the people you have redeemed.” God could not have led and endured with the people of Israel had his Son not been slain in his eternal decrees from the foundation of the world. Because Jesus has been slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), his redemption applies equally to the Israelites before the cross and to us after the cross.
Doing: Have your current circumstances caused you to question God’s love for you? How does this passage prove his love remains even when circumstances speak to the contrary?