When God Moves, We Sing
Exodus 15:1–21
By Pastor Kevin
“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. 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. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. “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. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. 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. 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.’ You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. 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. Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. 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. The Lord will reign forever and ever.” For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.””
- Exodus 15:1-21 ESV
THEN We Sing
“Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord…”
That little word “then” is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It’s the hinge between history and response. Something happened that demanded more than silence. It demanded a song. Israel had just walked through the Red Sea. Walls of water, dry ground beneath their feet, and the enemy behind them swept away. The miracle was fresh. The fear had just lifted. Their freedom was about to get a soundtrack.
Then they sang.
There are moments in life where God moves so powerfully that the only fitting response is worship. The kind of worship that erupts from your soul like a spring after a long drought. Words won’t do. Strategy can wait. Planning can pause. Then… you sing.
A Song Born from Testimony
“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him…”
Worship begins with remembering.
The Israelites had just witnessed God’s faithfulness in a way that would be passed down for generations. The first song recorded in Scripture is not abstract praise. It’s not poetic musings about the divine. It’s gritty, specific, personal.
They sang what they knew. They sang what they saw. They sang who they knew God to be.
Worship that moves heaven starts as a testimony.
We sing best when our worship is rooted in what God has done for us. It’s not just about singing other people’s lyrics, it’s about bringing your own story to the table. Your deliverance. Your breakthrough. Your healing. When you sing with your own story burning in your chest, the words carry a different weight.
A Song of Power and Majesty
“The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name… Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.”
Let’s not skip this: God is a warrior. He doesn’t sit on the sidelines watching His people suffer. He steps into the fight. He splits seas. He scatters armies. He destroys oppression. And He still does today.
When Israel sang this, they weren’t romanticizing war. They were proclaiming: our God fights for us.
In a world where power often goes unchecked and injustice seems to win, this song reminds us: God’s power is greater.
No one can stand against Him. Not Pharaoh. Not your fear. Not the weight of addiction, grief, or oppression. Not even the enemy of your soul. When God moves, everything else has to bow.
A Song of Trust and Future Hope
“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed… You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance.”
The song doesn’t end with what God did; it proclaims what He will do.
God didn’t just bring the Israelites out of Egypt. He was taking them somewhere. He was leading them into rest, into belonging, into His presence. That’s why our series is called Delivered to Dwell. Because God isn’t just into breaking chains. He’s into planting people. He leads us into places of flourishing, of legacy, of deep communion with Him.
Worship looks back in remembrance and forward in faith.
It sings about promises not yet fulfilled as if they already are, because God’s character guarantees their completion.
Why Singing?
Of all the things Israel could’ve done: pray, march, even rest, they sang.
Why?
Because singing engages the whole person: body, heart, spirit. It moves us when nothing else can. When words fall short, melody steps in. And when the whole community lifts its voice, something shifts. Worship unites us. It calls our whole being into the moment.
In verse 20, Miriam and the women join in with tambourines and dancing. It’s a reminder that praise isn’t passive. It’s embodied. It’s expressive. It involves joy that moves your feet, hands lifted in surrender, voices raised with abandon.
We may feel uncomfortable with expressive worship, but we miss out if we let fear or self-consciousness mute us. God is worthy of more than just our thoughts; He’s worthy of our whole selves.
Singing as Theology and Proclamation
Every lyric in this song is packed with truth:
- He is Strength.
- He is Salvation.
- He is a Warrior.
- He is Holy.
- He is Faithful.
- He Reigns Forever.
When we sing, we’re not just performing. We’re teaching. We’re proclaiming truth to our souls, our neighbors, our children, and a watching world. Worship is not secondary to the Christian life; it’s central. It shapes us. It reminds us. It points us back to God’s eternal reign.
“The Lord reigns forever and ever.” (v. 18)
Not Pharaoh. Not fear. Not your circumstances. Not the culture. God reigns. And that is the song of the redeemed.
The Enemy Hates a Singing Church
Let’s not forget: the enemy wants to silence your song.
He uses:
- Disunity (dividing churches over style, politics, race).
- Fear of judgment (“What if I sound bad?”).
- Distraction (endless noise and busyness).
- Passivity (treating worship like a concert instead of a call to action).
But a singing church is a united church. A singing church is dangerous to the gates of hell. Because when we worship, we declare war. And when we sing with one voice, we become a testimony of the unstoppable power of God.
So, church: sing.
Sing with your whole heart. Sing with your story. Sing for your breakthrough. Sing in the waiting. Sing with your brothers and sisters. Sing because you’ve seen enough to say: “The Lord is my strength, my song, and my salvation.”
Reflection Questions
- What’s your “then” moment? When did you see God move in a way that changed everything?
- What song (literal or metaphorical) rises in your spirit when you remember what God has done?
- Have you let your worship become passive? How can you engage more fully – heart, soul, mind, and body?
- What promise of God are you still waiting to see fulfilled? How can worship help you trust while you wait?
- How can your personal story of God’s faithfulness encourage the broader church community?
Final Invitation
If you’ve seen God move, if you’ve experienced His rescue, then sing.
And if you’re still waiting? Sing anyway.
Let your praise be both testimony and prophecy. Remember the God who split seas, who brought justice, who walks beside you. And declare with boldness: He is my God, and I will exalt Him.
Put on your song today. Turn it up. Let it stir your heart. Raise your hands, kneel if you can, and respond.
And if you don’t have a song right now, we invite you to worship with one from our team. Let the words become your prayer. Let it draw you back into the presence of the God who fights for you.
Because when God moves, we sing.