1那時，摩西和以色列人向耶和華唱歌說：「我要向耶和華歌唱，因他大大戰勝，將馬和騎馬的投在海中。 2 耶和華是我的力量、我的詩歌，也成了我的拯救。這是我的神，我要讚美他；是我父親的神，我要尊崇他。11 耶和華啊，眾神之中誰能像你？誰能像你至聖至榮，可頌可畏，施行奇事？ 12 你伸出右手，地便吞滅他們。 13 你憑慈愛領了你所贖的百姓，你憑能力引他們到了你的聖所。17 你要將他們領進去，栽於你產業的山上。耶和華啊，就是你為自己所造的住處；主啊，就是你手所建立的聖所。 18 耶和華必做王，直到永永遠遠。」
讚美在很大程度上是一個比較 －－ 這種說法聽起來可能比較陌生，但是從摩西的問句：“耶和華啊，眾神之中誰能像你？” 中我們就可以看到這個比較。我們之所以在讚美上缺乏；我們之所以在讚美上減退；我們之所以不能規律地榮耀神，正是因為在與別神的對比中我們沒有發現耶和華 神是多麼的獨特。然而，摩西在這裡通過對神的屬性和能力的描述回答了他自己修辭性的提問， 神之所以如此配得我們的讚美是因為祂榮耀的聖潔、祂奇妙的作為、祂對祂百姓的救贖、祂憑能力引導祂的百姓、以及祂的慈愛。
这慈愛是如此的奇妙，因為 它是 神永久的、信實的、堅定的、盟約的愛，因為這愛，神救贖祂的百姓脫離法老和為奴之地。假神被投在海中， 耶和華 神勝過了他們，並且得勝有餘！難道因著 神消滅了仇敵而讚美祂聽起來很奇怪嗎？親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們是否應該為著 神因愛我們而差遣祂的兒子來為世上的罪而死來讚美 神呢？我們是否應該為著 神治死我們裡面的、使我們與 神為敵的狂暴來讚美 神呢？
何等恩典！何等慈愛！何等救恩！即使是我們還和 神為仇敵的時候，神也沒有像消滅馬和騎馬的人那樣來消滅我們。相反，祂除去了我們的罪，將我們的罪埋葬在在基督的寶血中，並且在 神永遠掌權的國度中賜給我們新生命。神已經並且也在持續地除去我們生命中那些使我們與 神隔絕的假神。對於這樣一位 神，我們該發出何等的讚美啊！
神已經按著祂的應許彰顯了自己的榮耀。我們這些 神的百姓能讚美 神的救恩是 神賜給我們的特權。
Exodus 15:1-2, 11-13, 17-18
1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:
“I will sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!
2 The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
11 “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand;
The earth swallowed them.
13 You in Your mercy have led forth
The people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided them in Your strength
To Your holy habitation.
17 You will bring them in and plant them
In the mountain of Your inheritance,
In the place, O Lord, which You have made
For Your own dwelling,
The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”
As strange as it might sound, in many ways praise is a comparison. We see this as Moses asks Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Our lack of praise, our diminished praise or irregular glory to God simply means in the comparison we haven’t found God that special among the other gods in our life. Moses though here answers his rhetorical question with a presentation of God’s nature and power - He is so worthy of our praise because of his glorious holiness, wondrous works, redemption of his people, guidance in strength, and hesed mercy.
It’s this mercy which is so amazing as it is God’s abiding, devoted, steadfast, and covenant love to His people which has rescued them from Pharaoh and slavery. The false gods have been thrown into the sea, overcome as God triumphs victoriously! Sound odd to praise God for killing off enemies? Brothers and sisters, shall we not praise God for the hesed love which sent the Son to die for the sins of the world, killing off the evil raging inside which had made us enemies to God?
What grace! What mercy! What salvation! Though enemies of God, He did not destroy us like the horse and its rider, but instead overcame our sin, drowning it in the blood of Christ and giving us new life in the kingdom where the Lord shall reign forever and ever. What praise today then we can give to our God who has already and continues to overcome the false gods in our lives which separate us from Him.
The Lord has shown His glory as He promised, and it is the privilege of His people to praise the God of their salvation.
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