Exodus 15:13-21

Miriam Took a Tambourine

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13With loving devotion You will lead the people You have redeemed; with Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling.

14The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the dwellers of Philistia.

15Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; those who dwell in Canaan will melt away,

16and terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of Your arm they will be as still as a stone until Your people pass by, O LORD, until the people You have bought pass by.

17You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance—the place, O LORD, You have prepared for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, Your hands have established.

18The LORD will reign forever and ever!”

19For when Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

20Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.

21And Miriam sang back to them: “Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; the horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.”

Berean Standard Bible

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The song looks beyond the sea to the journey ahead. With loving devotion, the LORD will lead the people He has redeemed. His strength will guide them to His holy dwelling. The God who brought Israel out will not leave them without a destination.

The nations will hear what happened. Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan are named as peoples who will tremble before God's power while Israel passes by. The song calls Israel the people God has bought. Their hope for the road ahead rests on belonging to Him.

Then the singers look toward the place God will establish for His dwelling. He will bring His people in and plant them there. Rescue means more than surviving Egypt's army; the LORD is leading a people into life with Him. The song ends its vision with His everlasting reign.

The account returns to the sea: Egypt's horses and chariots were covered by the waters, while Israel walked through on dry ground. Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, takes a tambourine, and the women follow her with tambourines and dancing. She calls them to sing because the LORD is highly exalted and has thrown horse and rider into the sea.

Miriam's answer joins the whole celebration to the One who saved them. Praise remembers the victory already given and trusts the loving guidance still to come. The people have a long journey ahead, but their King will reign forever.

Questions

1 What does the song say will guide the redeemed people?

AnswerThe LORD's loving devotion and strength. He will lead them toward His holy dwelling.

2 Where does the song say God will bring and plant them?

AnswerOn the mountain of His inheritance, the place He has prepared for His dwelling. The rescue leads toward life in His presence.

3 What does the song proclaim about the LORD's reign?

AnswerIt will last forever and ever. Israel's hope rests on a King whose rule will not end.

4 How do Miriam and the women join the praise?

AnswerWith tambourines, dancing, and a call to sing to the LORD for His victory. Their response gives public voice to the joy of deliverance.

What This Means for Us

The God Israel praises at the sea is also the God they must trust on the road. Thanksgiving can look backward and forward: we remember His mercy and ask Him to keep leading us. Name a past kindness in prayer, then bring Him a concern about what lies ahead.

Miriam and the women respond with their own voices and instruments. Make room for others to join your household's gratitude. A child may choose a song, someone else may read a verse, and another may offer a quiet prayer. The shared purpose is to praise the Lord who has shown mercy.

Prayer

We pray: God of victory, receive our songs and our quiet thanks. Teach us to celebrate Your mercy together, to honor the voices You have given others, and to remember that joy is also a gift. Amen.

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