Sermon on

The Song of Moses and the Lamb

By Brian Pepper

Everyone loves singing the hymns written by Sir Isaac Watts. "When I survey the Wondrous Cross", "O God, our help in ages past", "There is a land of Pure Delight", and many others. If you look through our new Church Hymnal you will be surprised to find how many of our Songs of Zion were penned by Isaac watts. Besides these wonderful hymns, there are those written by Charles Wesley, by Fanny Crosby and many, many others.   A special song in the Book of Revelation In the Book of Revelation we read of a very special song, one that will be sung by every person assembled before the throne of God. I would like you to turn with me to Revelation 15:2-3, "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten victory over the beast, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the Song of Moses the servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb, saying, great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." St John the Revelator tells us that some day soon the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb is going to be sung by God’s redeemed people right up there in Glory Land. Yes, when we get to the Glory Land that will be the song that we will be singing. You will notice that the people who sing this song are those who have gotten the victory over the beast. There is one thing that is sure, you will never gain the victory over the 'beast' and his 'mark' unless you know what the beast and his mark is. That is why it is important that we should study the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.   Character of Moses There is one thing that is sure, this song will not be easy to sing, because Moses stands for principle, for the Law of God. Please turn with me to Hebrews 11:24-25, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;" What a wonderful character! Choosing to stand with God’s people rather than the life of a palace.   Birth of Moses Moses was born at the worst time in Israel’s history, for Israel was a slave in Egypt. You know the story of Moses, how his mother could no longer hide her little child so she made a tiny ark or waterproof basket and placed it in the water of the Nile. His mother left the basket in the care of the daughter Miram. And there was the little girl sitting on the riverbank, and suddenly she heard a noise. She looked up to see what it might be and she saw Miss Pharaoh coming. She began to pray, "Oh please God, do not let Miss Pharaoh see this child." But God does not always answer our prayers just as we anticipate. As Miss Pharaoh picked up the little baby and looked into its face, something happened to her. The mother instinct spoke to her heart. Little Miram, who was standing by, noticed the tender look on Miss Pharaoh’s face, so she came over and suggested, ‘Would you like a nurse?" With the answer the child went for her life to get her mother and you know what mothers are like. Decision of Moses Moses early training prepared him to lead God’s people. As he grew up Moses was educated in the leading University of Egypt, he was trained to be a leader. Josephus, the great historian, says that he was probably the greatest general that Egypt had ever had. Ambassadors were there to do his bidding. He was just about to step on the throne of Egypt. One day his mother said, ‘Moses I want you to come for a walk." She led him down to the slums, to the poverty area, and showed him a dirty, smelly people. She said, "Moses, those people are my people, they are your people. You will have to make your choice. Will you lead this people away from their slavery? You will have to decide what you will do! Or, will you take up the throne of Egypt?" Moses had to make his decision. The only way that Moses knew how to lead people was to run them through with a sword. You see his ideas were those of Egypt. He killed a man one day and had to flee right up into Libya. You just think of it! Moses had to unlearn all the things he had ever learned. God had to teach him some very important lessons such as meekness, humility and love.   How was Moses received by Israel? And how did Moses own people receive him? Despite all that he did for Israel, I have not read in the Bible that he ever received any bouquets or baskets of flowers. Neither did any of the leaders come and thank him for all that he had done, despite the fact that he gave up all to help his people. Exodus 17:4 says, "And Moses cried unto the Lord saying, what shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to stone me." He could not ring the police. Have you ever been stoned by your own church members? I hope not, but it can happen. Criticism can be a deadly thing. God said to Moses, "You come apart from them and I will destroy them." Notice what God has to say in Deuteronomy 9:14, "Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they." You just think of it! Moses could have said to himself, " What, a whole nation like myself." Pride could have filled his whole being to think that God would destroy this present Israel and raise up a nation of Moses, a perfect people, upstanding men and women just like Moses himself. But Moses did not do anything like that. He was just like Jesus. He prayed and did his best to save his people. Moses supplicates for Israel In Deuteronomy 9:25 we read, "Thus I fell down before the Lord forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at first because the Lord had said he would destroy you." I have met no end of people who could criticise for 40 days and 40 nights, but never a person who has prayed for God's people for 40 days and 40 nights. But Moses did, and in verse 18 we are told, "And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger." Israel had committed many sins. Instead of worshipping the God of heaven, they made images of wood, of brass, and even gold. Morally they had sunken very low: adultery, fornication and many other sins were prevalent at that time. And yet Moses was willing to be blotted out of the Book of Life rather than have this people destroyed. Moses was like that, he was just like Jesus. He had such a love for the people that he would not let them go. In face of all the criticism Moses put up with this people for 40 years, at last they reached the border of the Promised Land and the people were moaning and complaining every step of the way. Moses was so angry that he struck the rock twice. God said to Moses, "I am sorry Moses, you will have to die." You can imagine how Moses felt. Yes, how would you feel if you had been Moses? Do you know what he did? He began to pray. God told him not to pray anymore. God said, "I will tell you what I will do, I am going to give you a special privilege before you die. I will show you the Promised Land." Moses was a giant of a man. He was very special to God, and that is why we will be singing the Song of Moses when we reach the Heavenly Land.   Song of the Lamb We will also be singing the Song of the Lamb. As God looked down from Heaven he saw a people that were hardly worth saving. Yet Jesus, with the great love He had for humanity, was willing to give His life for a rebellious, critical and stubborn people. The worst thing that both men had to stand was ingratitude. When those two men up in heaven came down to talk with our Lord, you read about it in Luke 9:30,31, "And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias. Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." They said, "Lord, up in heaven, there is only one thing that the angels can talk about and that is your death for the people." The marvel of it is how ungrateful human beings can be. It reminds me of a lifesaver who was living on the shores of a lake. He awoke one morning to see a ship wrecked. As he hurried to the scene of the tragedy he could hear the cries of distress. One after the other he brought safely to the shore until finally out of exhaustion he could go out no more, he gasped, "I have done my best." Later on he was at a meeting being conducted by the evangelist Dr Torrey and was called up on the platform. Dr Torrey asked him about his experience, he answered and said, "Dr Torrey, not one of the 13 people that I saved came back to thank me." Jesus had the same experience with the ten lepers. The greatest curse of humanity is ingratitude, and yet we have so much to be thankful for.   Song of Moses the Servant of God Now I want you to notice that the redeemed sing the Song of Moses the servant of God. Exodus 15:1, "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." The first song of Moses was a song of Triumph. To cross the Red Sea was an impossibility, that is humanly speaking. But God changed the impossible by opening up the sea. Yes, they were able to sing a song of triumph. God’s people have a greater experience before them: when the time of testing begins, when the fateful decree goes forth, "That as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." It will seem as though we are once again facing the Red Sea experience, but God will give us the Victory.