Moses and Miriam's Song of the Sea
The Song of the Sea is a song of thanksgiving to God for delivering his people from Pharaoh's enslavement, and for allowing the Hebrews to cross the Red Sea. It is found in chapter 15 of the book of Exodus. Sung by Moses and the men of the people of Israel, this hymn of victory is also accompanied by the voices, dances and tambourines of the Jewish women, led by Miriam. This is the first mention of a song and dance in praise of God in the Bible. But the Old Testament goes on to include numerous manifestations of praise, sung and expressed collectively. The psalmsare a fine example!
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the L ord : I will sing to the L ord , for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea. My strength and my refuge is the Lord , and he has become my savior. This is my God, I praise him; the God of my father, I extol him. The Lord is a warrior, Lord is his name! Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea; the elite of his officers were drowned in the Red Sea. The flood waters covered them, they sank into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord , magnificent in power, your right hand, O Lord , shattered the enemy. In your great majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you loosed your wrath to consume them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the flowing waters stood like a mound, the flood waters foamed in the midst of the sea. The enemy boasted, “I will pursue and overtake them; I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them; I will draw my sword; my hand will despoil them!” When you blew with your breath, the sea covered them; like lead they sank in the mighty waters. Who is like you among the gods, O Lord ? Who is like you, magnificent among the holy ones? Awe-inspiring in deeds of renown, worker of wonders, when you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them! In your love you led the people you redeemed; in your strength you guided them to your holy dwelling. The peoples heard and quaked; anguish gripped the dwellers in Philistia. Then were the chieftains of Edom dismayed, the nobles of Moab seized by trembling; All the inhabitants of Canaan melted away; terror and dread fell upon them. By the might of your arm they became silent like stone, while your people, L ord , passed over, while the people whom you created passed over. You brought them in, you planted them on the mountain that is your own—The place you made the base of your throne, Lord , the sanctuary, Lord , your hands established. May the Lord reign forever and ever!
The sea symbolizes our fears, our unconscious and death, but God, by parting the sea and allowing the Hebrews to cross without fear, turns water into an element of salvation and renewal. We find this double symbolism of water in the ritual of baptism.
Entrust your trials to God with Hozana
With God, we are already victorious, as the Red Sea episode in the Bible reminds us: Entrust your distress and suffering to the Lord through this or this in the face of illness or addiction.
