Your right hand, Lord,

    was majestic in power.

Your right hand, Lord,

    shattered the enemy.

7 ‘In the greatness of your majesty

    you threw down those who opposed you.

You unleashed your burning anger;

    it consumed them like stubble.

8 By the blast of your nostrils

    the waters piled up.

The surging waters stood up like a wall;

    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy boasted,

    “I will pursue, I will overtake them.

I will divide the spoils;

    I will gorge myself on them.

I will draw my sword

    and my hand will destroy them.”

10 But you blew with your breath,

    and the sea covered them.

They sank like lead

    in the mighty waters.

There are two sections of this song on the theme of the Lord’s “hand” (6-10/11-13).

‘The hand is the organ of personal intervention and action.’ Alec Motyer: ‘The message of Exodus’, p.166.

Note what Motyer refers to as the ‘enemy’s vainglorious confidence in his own hand’ (9). See the proud and boastful repetition of “I” (9), and contrast this with the “Your” and “you” throughout this section. This victory was God’s alone. His people got to experience and enjoy it and enter into its fruits, but it was God who did it. He gets all the glory.

Human leaders can say what they like in their boastful arrogance (9), and they do! “But” (10) God always has the last, and decisive, word.

Again, Motyer points out that in verse 7 “stubble” is used as a picture of ‘the speed and irresistibility of divine hostile action’, p.167. As with yesterday, we continue to note expressions of overwhelming power: e.g. “shattered” (6); “you threw down”, “unleashed” and “consumed” (7); “blast” (8).

May we again take encouragement from God’s Word, and pray that he will show His mighty hand. May His Name alone be glorified in all the earth.