Not Yet
Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and said,
“I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.” Exodus 15:1 NASB
Sang – Sanhedrin 91b, one of the rabbinic tractates, notices that the verb used to describe Moses’ singing after the Israelites crossed the Sea of Reeds is not in the past tense. The verb employs a prefixed yod, changing it from a completed tense verb to an incomplete tense (the tense is called yiqtol)[1]. Therefore, the proper translation of the verse is not “Moses sang” but rather “Moses and the sons of Israel will sing.” But this seems absurd. How can the text tell us that Moses will sing the song of praise to the Lord when the event happened thousands of years ago? This textual anomaly requires some explanation.
The rabbis use this oddity as support for the resurrection of the dead. Moses died, yet the text says that he will sing the song of praise for God’s miraculous deliverance. The only way that can be true is if Moses rises from the dead to sing again. If this text is God’s revealed word, then this verbal anomaly is not a mistake. It implies that the day is coming when Moses will once again lift his voice to God. And that means he will have to be raised. Moses’ role in the purposes of God is not finished. Neither is yours.
You and I might think that dying is the end of our purpose here on earth, but this verse implies that there is still more after death. There is the role to play after the resurrection from the dead. Moses has a song to sing, a song that began when the children crossed the sea but will not end until his voice is heard once again in the land of the living. Just as Moses will sing his song, so we willcomplete the tasks of God’s plans after we have died and been resurrected. It isn’t over when it’s over. There are still things to do that we just started in this lifetime.
Consider how the addition of this smallest of the Hebrew letters changes your conception of the roles you play and the tasks God gives. You are just beginning, even after 80 or 90 years of service. What you start continues. As I have often said, “God always starts what He finishes.” He knows where all of this is going. He knows how you are supposed to fit into the divine purpose. So He starts you off with the end in mind. What you will sing is already in play when you open your mouth here. You have the rest of eternity to finish your song.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can take an eighty-year vacation and wait until the door opens on the other side. It starts now. It starts here. So get started, but recognize that it might take more than your present lifetime to finish.
Topical Index: sang, yasir, waw-consecutive, narrative tense, imperfect, Exodus 15:1
[1] This is a case of the waw-consecutive plus imperfect verbal sequence. According to most Christian scholars, this forms what is called the “narrative tense,” a classification that covers anything related to an historical sequence. But the rabbis don’t always reason in the same way that Christian scholars do, and here they notice the technical fact that the verb is an imperfect, that is, a yet to be completed action.
Does this connect to Rev. 15:3 “They were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God and the song of the Lamb.” ? Is this the song of Ex. 15 or of Deut. 32? And Moses is singing along 🙂 !
I was also thinking of the connection to Rev 15:3.
Agreed.
In this lifetime we’re just getting started.
John was given a visionary gift to see into the next
lifetime. In Rev 15:3, mentioned by Darnell, he notes
the song Moses WILL sing, and he envisioned another
new song which God’s people will sing praising the work
of Christ and His future work FOR US as reigning with Him
over all the earth. (See Lk 22:29-30)
Rev 5:9-10 captures John’s vision.
“And they sang a new song, saying:
You are worthy to take the scroll, and to
open it’s seals;
For you were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”
Better times ahead!!!
One day if we are faithful we will be part of the redeemed with whom: “will sing the song of Mosheh the servant of Elohim, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvellous are Your works, YAHUAH El Shaddai! Righteous and true are Your ways O Sovereign of the set-apart ones!” Rev. 15:3 When does this happen?
…”until Your people pass over, O YAH, until the people, whom You have bought pass over. You bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O YAH, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the set-apart place, O YAH, which Your hands have prepared. YAH reigns forever and ever. Ex. 15:16-18 A future pass over – the ultimate pass over.
“And I, John, saw the set-apart city renewed Yerushalayim, coming down out of the heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, ” See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim.” … “And I saw no Dwelling Place in it, for YAHUAH El Shaddai is its Dwelling Place and the Lamb. And the city had no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it, for the esteem of Elohim lightened it and the Lamb is its lamp. Rev. 21:2-3, 22-23. Could this be the place that Yahshua has prepared for us? John 14:1-3
“It is He who is going to build the hekal of YAH. It is He who is going to bear the splendour. And He shall sit on His throne, and shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.” Zec. 6:13
What a glorious future belongs to the redeemed! His Word says it, and it is as good as done! (Skip had a word for this ??)
Shalom
Fast Forward (to Now)
~ And they are singing the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O LORD God, (El Elyon) – the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! “Who will not fear, O LORD, and glorify Your Name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.”… ~ (Revelation 15.3,4)
Have been revealed? Has God revealed Himself (sufficiently) to mankind?
Pharaoh’s question was (IMHO) the second greatest question in the word of God, (our Bible), ever asked by man: ~ Who is the LORD that I should obey Him? ~ (Exodus 5.2). This was one (either) hard-headed or hard-hearted man.. (we report- you decide).
Just how many miracles are needed, Mr. Pharaoh? One time? Two times? Three times, Four? Again and again (and again)- What a maroon! It is certainly NOT that Pharaoh “could not” believe,- it is the stubborn fact, he “would not” believe.
Pharaoh (Himself) is among those who (still) remain, (after all these years), “willingly (hard-heartedly, stubbornly) ignorant.” They have made the decision, the (wrong) choice, the unforgivable sin,- “I refuse to believe.” ~ The fool has said in his heart, “no God!” ~ Pharaoh? – Do you “qualify?”
And the end of THAT man was? Deliverance? or Death? (we report-you decide).
A Lamb was sacrificed during that first Passover. Remember the instructions of YHWH?
What’s that you say, Paul? The Jews require a sign? Well then.. let’s give them one, or two, or three or four- just how many does it take? (And who is hard-hearted/hard-headed) now?
~ The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt ~ (Exodus 12.13) The blood? The blood of a Lamb? A Lamb without blemish or spot? – Hello.
When Abraham went up on the mountain to sacrifice the son of promise, what “offering” was provided as a substitute? -Here’s your sign. And when Abraham raised his knife.. Whooah! He did what? What was the purpose of a knife? Was the blood of his own son to be?..No, -no way. God would not require blood, would He?
“ and without the shedding of (what?) blood, – there is no remission for sin ”
~ And Moses took the blood (He did what?) and threw it on the people and said, ~ “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” The what? The blood of the covenant. Real, red blood. ~ The life of the flesh is in the blood ~
Right now.. – I’m seeing red. Blood red. And I’m seeing the empty tomb. Here’s your sign..- (again).
There was a “forerunner” to the advent or appearance of the Messiah. His name was John, and his message was the very heart of the same “good news,” announced by the angel: ~For unto you is born this day in the city of David, – a Savior, who is Christ the LORD ~ The message of John is also the heart and soul of the entire Book of God! Could John have said this any plainer? or simpler?m(or maybe) louder?
~ Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world ~ (John 1.29)
Is it too clear? Too plain? Too simple? Maybe we might ask this.. – Who did we nail to the Tree?
And “the Owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send My beloved Son; perhaps they will respect Him…”
Did we? (then). – Do we now? ~ He is (still) despised and (still) rejected of men; (Why? – what evil has He done?) (Still) a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we (still) hide as it were our faces from Him; He was (and is still) despised, and we esteemed Him not- (not then, nor now.)
Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ~ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; (to crush Him!) He has put Him to grief: when You shall make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see His offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand ~
This is our response.
And His? – “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing..”
Amazing Love.
How can it be?
That Thou, my God
should die for me.
Amazing pity,
Grace unknown
and Love
beyond degree.
Skip — you can’t know what I have asking God, but this brings me such shalom. Thank you for being faithful to write what He puts on your heart.
Wow… This is absolutely amazing and beautiful. It is very exciting to be part of God’s plan for ALL of eternity. God’s word is infinitely deeper than we can ever imagine. It fills my heart with singing just to think about it… Moses probably felt the same way I feel today.