Today's Reading: Exodus 14:10-15:1
Daily Lectionary: Exodus 17:1-16; Hebrews 11:1-29
"I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea." (Exodus 15:1b)
The Lord has triumphed gloriously! It must have been quite a sight to see: Moses standing on the shore of the Red Sea, the Israelites having crossed on dry land safely, and mountains of water rushing in on top of Pharaoh' s army! Once again, Yahweh had stretched out His almighty arms to save His people. Evil was literally dead in the water, and Israel rejoiced in their salvation.
The Lord has triumphed gloriously! Christ has died! Christ has risen! Yahweh has stretched out His almighty arms again, each arm nailed to the tree of the cross as the waves of human sin were heaped upon the Christ. Once again Yahweh poured out His full wrath on evil, and the Christ hung dead for your sins. Water poured from His spear-pierced side mingled with His holy precious blood into the font for you.
The Lord has triumphed gloriously! Yahweh has led you through the waters as He led Israel. He drowned you in the waters of the font drenched with His Word. He also raised you to salvation in Christ safely in His outstretched arms of salvation. Yes, the Lord's triumph, Christ's triumph, is your triumph. It is your sin that has been cast into the sea and destroyed, and you, the New Israel rejoice in your salvation.
Now hell, its prince, the devil, of all their pow' r are shorn; now I am safe from evil, and sin I laugh to scorn. Grim death with all its might cannon my soul affright; it is a pow' rless form, how e' er it rave and storm. (LSB 467:4)
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