# Exodus Chapter 15
---
## Summarrium
Moses and the people of Israel sing a song to the Lord that praises him for his great act of salvation and deliverance from Egypt. There is acknowledgement of the mercy and grace of God as well as his power and sufficiency to overcome those who oppose him. The sovereignty of God is emphasised with the song ending that the Lord will reign for ever and ever. We are told this outburst of praise is because the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon the Egyptians whilst the Israelites walked on dry land. 

Miriam also leads the women in a song of praise to God acknowledging his glorious triumph. Later in the wilderness of shur three days without water the people find a bitter point and the people grumble against Moses and he cries out to the Lord who commands him to throw in a log and the water miraculously becomes sweet. The Lord then outlines a statute that the people of God will not suffer the same fate as the Egyptians as long as they keep his commandments.

## Meditatio
Exodus 15 includes one of the first recorded songs in scripture[^1]. We observe that following a great miracle (the deliverance of Israel) the initial response of his people is one of praise. The Israelites faithfully worship the Lord pointing out his past and present faithfulness, preserved now in song and even handed down to us to this very day.

Yet the Israelites are relatable humans. Even at the high point of deliverance and a great act of God, trial and difficultly quickly results in the Israelites forgetting God's power. How often do we tend to praise God when we experience blessing, and quickly move to doubt him in hardship? The incident at Marah is a foreshadowing of what the Lords relationship with his people will be like. Characterised by future complaints and unbelief.

The Lords mercy to transform the bitter water into sweet water seems symbolic of cleansing or healing. The explicit reference to '*I am the lord your healer*' in verse 26 points out that the Lord will take care of the physical needs of his people. These are clear assurances of his intent to provide.

There is a clear contrast here between Marah and Elim. The former being a place of challenge and testing and the latter being an oasis in the desert. Our relationship with the living God does not change the reality we will experience hardship and difficulty, nor that others will fail to experience any good simply because they lack such a relationship[^2]. Our relationship with God then should determine *how* we face oaisis and trial; with a confident obedient faith in he who has moved.

[^1]: A song interestingly also echoed in [Revelation 15:3](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2015&version=ESV)
[^2]: See [Matthew 5:45](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A45&version=ESV)