The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 5 – Section 8
SECT. V.
THe Iſraelites being thus Miraculouſly delivered from the Egyptians, Moſes (n)See Rev. 15.3.compos'd a Song of Praiſe and Thanksgiving to God for this wonderful and tranſcendent Mercy, and He and the Children of Iſrael ſang it before the Lord. This Song is the firſt of that kind*Canticum, foreign. we find any where in the Scripture. 'Tis partly Hiſtorical ſetting forth a triumphant Narration of Gods admirable Mercy in deſtroying his and their Enemies; partly Prophetical, containing Propheſies of future Beſſings aſſured to Iſrael, ſet down not only in the Future, but often in the Preter-tenſe, for the greater Certainty.
Firſt, 'Tis Hiſtorical; It begins, I will ſing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriouſly; the Horſes of the Egyptians, and their Riders hath he thrown into the Sea. The Lord is my ſtrength, and my Song; that is, we being weak in our ſelves He fought for us, and ſubdued our Enemies; 'Tis the Lord, therefore of whom we will ſing, and whoſe Praiſe we will ſet forth in our Song. 'Tis by him that we are ſaved and delivered out of the hands of our Enemies. He is our God, and we being his people. He hath by the Spirit of Propheſie fore-ſhewed us, that we ſhall build a Tabernacle for his Worſhip and Service. He is our God, and the God of our Fathers, therefore we will lift up his high Praiſes, and exalt him. He is a mighty, and all-powerful, Warrior indeed, Jehovah (o)See Annotations on Ch. 3.14, 15.is his Name. Pharaoh's Chariots, and his Hoſt hath he caſt into the Sea, his choſen Captains alſo are drowned in the Red-Sea: The Depths have covered them, they ſank into the bottom as a ſtone. Thy right Hand, O Lord, is become Glorious in Power, Thy right Hand hath broken and deſtroyed the Enemy, and by thy glorious and excellent Power thou haſt overthrown the Egyptians, who in riſing up againſt thy people, did riſe up againſt thee. Thou didſt ſend forth thy Wrath, which conſumed them utterly and ſpeedily, even as ſtubble is conſumed by the fire. With the blaſt of thy Noſtrils the Waters were gathered together; that is, by a mighty Wind raiſed by thine Almighty Power, accompanied with a great Noiſe,(p)To this the Prophet ſeems to have reference, Hab. 3.—10. the Sea was divided, and the Waters were heaped up on either ſide, and ſtood like congealed or compacted Walls in the heart of the Sea. The Enemy ſaid, I will purſue, overtake, and divide the Spoil; my luſt ſhall be ſatisfied upon them, I will draw my Sword, my Hand ſhall deſtroy them. But thou, O Lord, didſt ſoon confound their vain Imaginations. For thou didſt blow with a mighty Wind, and immediately the Waters came together again, and the Sea covered them, they ſank as lead in the deep Waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the Gods? who among all the falſe Gods of the Heathen, or the mightieſt men on the Earth is in any degree worthy to be compared to Thee? who art glorious in holineſs, fearful in praiſes, (that is, to be praiſed with a great meaſure of filial fear and awfulneſs) doing Wonders. Thou ſtretchedſt out thy Hand, and the Earth ſwallowed them, that is, thoſe of them whoſe bodies were caſt up by the Waves upon the ſhore, were thrown into Pits by us, and there buried. Thou in thy great Mercy haſt brought forth thy people, whom thou haſt redeemed out of the Land of Egypt, and haſt thus far led them by thine Almighty Power and Strength towards the Land of Canaan, where thou haſt determined to ſet up thy holy Temple, thy reſting Place, [Pſal. 132.14.] The Place which thou haſt choſen where thy holy Worſhip ſhall be ſet up and eſtabliſhed, and where thou haſt promiſed to dwell; that is, to afford thy ſpecial Preſence. See 1 Kings 9. verſ. 3.
The Second Part of this Song is Prophetical, beginning at v. 14. The people ſhall hear, and be afraid, ſorrow ſhall take hold on the Inhabitants of Paleſtina; That is, the report of this dreadful overthrow of Pharaoh ſhall ſo amaze and aſtoniſh the Inhabitants of Paleſtina, the Dukes of Edom, and the mighty men of Moab, (q)See this Propheſie fulfilled Numb. 22.3. Joſh. 2.9. & 5.1.and the Inhabitants of Canaan, that their very hearts ſhall faint, and melt with fear as wax does before the fire, inſomuch that they ſhall be as ſtill as a ſtone, and Iſrael ſhall paſs over Jordan into Canaan without oppoſition. Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them in the Mountain of thine Inheritance; that is, in Canaan a mountanous Country, Deut. 11.11. and particularly thou wilt bring them to Mount Moriah, which thou haſt choſen as thine Inheritance, and where by thy own Hands and Power thou intendeſt to eſtabliſh thy Sanctuary, and where thou haſt promiſed to dwell, and to afford thy gracious Preſence. The Lord will Reign for ever and ever in ſpight of all his Enemies.
Miriam (r)She was the Siſter of Moſes alſo, but her reference to Aaron was beſt known, by reaſon of Moſes's abſence. She is ſaid to be the wife of Hur by the Hebrews.the Siſter of Aaron (who had the Spirit of Propheſie, Numb. 12.2. and was one of the three Principal Guides which God gave his people, Mich. 6.4.) took a Timbrel in her hand, and the Women followed her, playing on their Timbrels alſo (according to the Cuſtom in publick Rejoycings, Judg. 11.34.) and they expreſſed their exultation and rapture of Mind by lively motions, and tripudiations of their Bodies; and when the Men had ſang a Verſe of this Song, then She with the Women ſung it over again, at leaſt they repeated the firſt Verſe of it. Sing to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriouſly, the Horſe and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea. And poſſibly they added, For his Mercy endureth for ever, as 'tis Pſal. 136. 2 Chron. 5.13.
With this Song of Moſes, for Victory over the Egyptian-Pharaoh, the Holy Ghoſt compares the Song of them, that ſhall be Victorious over the Spiritual Pharaoh, viz. the Beaſt and Antichriſt, Rev. 15. from 1. to 5.
Exod. 15. from 1. to 22.
SECT. VI.
THe Iſraelites being now come on the other ſide of the Red-Sea, they marched three whole days thorow the Wilderneſs of Shur, (s)Called alſo the Wilderneſs of Etham, Numb. 33.8. one might be the general name of the whole Wilderneſs, and the other of ſome part of it. It ſeems the Wilderneſs on both ſides of the Red-Sea was called the Wilderneſs of Etham.but found no water all the way. As for Food 'tis probable they were ſuſtained with that unleavened Bread, and other proviſions they had brought with them out of Egypt. At laſt they came to Marah, their fifth Encamping, where they found water indeed, but it was ſo bitter they could not drink it; hereupon they murmur againſt Moſes, asking him in a diſcontented mood, What they ſhould drink? Moſes upon this Cries unto the Lord, who ſhewed him a Tree, which when he had caſt into the waters, the waters were made ſweet. But the changing of the nature and taſt of the waters was to be attributed to the Power of God, and not to any vertue in that Tree. After God had thus tried them, and proved them, not only by their want of water, but by his preſent favourable dealing with them, in not puniſhing them for their murmuring, as he might juſtly have done; He then admoniſhes them by Moſes to take heed of this ſin of murmuring againſt Him, or diſtruſting of Him, and to carry themſelves more obediently towards Him for the future. And ſo he made this a Statute and an Ordinance, That if they would do that, which was right in his ſight, and would obey his Commandments, and keep all his Statutes, he would bring none of thoſe Diſeaſes and Plagues upon them, which he had brought on the Egyptians. For He was their Healer, (t)V. 26. Medicus, quia ex omnibus periculis, & malis tam animarum quam corporum (quae morbis, & morti ſaepe comparantur) homines ſibi confiſos liberat, Pſal. 103. v. 3. Glaſius.and could heal not only their Bodies, but their Souls alſo, by forgiving their ſins, and ſanctifying their natures.
Exod. 15. from 22. to 27.
SECT. VII.
FRom Marah they removed to Elim their ſixth Station, famous for twelve Wells of water and 70 Palm-Trees. And here it ſeems they ſtayed many days, becauſe the Place was ſo pleaſant, and convenient by reaſon of the waters, and the ſhade.
Exod. 15. verſ. 27.
SECT. VIII.
FRom Elim they turned back again to the Red-Sea (which was their ſeventh Station) as appears from Numb. 33.10. the Lord ſo ordering it (as 'tis probable) that he might try them again, and might make them take a ſecond View of that Sea, that ſo their Deliverance thereat might make the deeper impreſſion on them.