Exodus 15a
07 May 2026 - Theology
The Song of Salvation
This chapter contains two songs: one sung by Moses and the children of Israel, and the other by Miriam (the sister of Moses and Aaron) and the women.
In the Midrash, the Rabbis noted that many people in the Bible had been rescued before, but this was the first time those rescued sang a song of praise to God. When God heard the Israelites singing, God said, “I have been waiting for them.”
Exodus 15:2 - “The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
The people of Israel finally recognized the Lord as their Savior, the source of their salvation. This was immediately after the Passover and the Red Sea miracle, where the people were saved by God and were born again.
Exodus 14:31 - “And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.”
This song of victory was later quoted by many who had heard of what the Lord had done for his people. Every time someone in the Bible quotes Exodus 15, they are essentially saying that God is performing another salvation.
| Person | Reference | Verse/s Quoted |
|---|---|---|
| Asaph (Psalm Writer) | Psalm 106:12 | 1 |
| Isaiah | Isaiah 12:2 | 2 |
| King David | Psalm 118:14 and 2 Samuel 22:47 | 2 |
| Heavenly Overcomers | Revelation 15:2-4 | 1-3,11 |
| Jonah | Jonah 2:3,5,9 | 4-5,22,2 |
| Micah | Micah 7:18-19 | 11 & 5,10 |
| Nehemiah | Nehemiah 9:11 | 5,10 |
| Rahab | Joshua 2:9-11 | 15-16 |
| Paul | Titus 2:14 | 13,16 |
Biblical writers use Exodus language to show that justification (the first step of salvation) always follows a specific pattern:
- Redemption from Slavery: Just as Israel was saved from physical slavery in Egypt, later writers use this language to describe salvation from Sin [noun], exile, or death.
- The Divine Warrior: The phrase “The Lord is a warrior” from Exodus 15:3 is echoed throughout the Bible to show that God fights for His people when they are helpless. It is the Lord who is our Savior, as we can not save ourselves.
Exodus 15:2 - “The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
This verse is the only verse quoted verbatim in three distinct sections of the Hebrew Bible: the Torah (Exodus), the Prophets (Isaiah), and the Writings (Psalms).
- The Exodus (Exodus 15:2) - Birth of a nation
- The Monarchy (Psalm 118:14) - Stability of the kingdom under David
- The Prophetic Hope (Isaiah 12:2) - Future hope of a “New Exodus” after the exile.
In Revelation 15, the “Heavenly Overcomers” sing this song because they have experienced the final Exodus - deliverance from the entire system of sin, both the noun and the verb.
- Sin the noun: The state or kingdom of Sin (represented by Egypt)
- Sin the verb: Physical sin (represented as slavery to Egypt)
This is the future glorification promised to those who are justified by faith: freedom from the kingdom of Sin and from the practice of sin.
References:
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The BEMA Podcast, Episode 20: With All Your Heart
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)