Daily Lectionary | Exodus 15 & Matthew 17:1-23

Exodus 15

Summary

Moses and the people respond to God’s great act of redemption in the exodus with a song of praise. This song celebrates Yaweh as the one who has “triumphed gloriously; the horse and the ride he has thrown into the sea.” 

The song’s theme is victory in warfare, and it’s the Lord who has fought victoriously on Israel’s behalf: “The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is his name” (Ex. 15:3). The song also concentrates on water: the Egyptians have been cast “into the sea,” “sunk in the Red Sea” (v. 4), “they went down into the depths like a stone” (v. 5), “the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea” (v. 8), “the sea covered them” (v. 10), “they sank like lead in the mighty waters (v. 10), “the earth swallowed them” (v. 12).

The song may be in three stanzas (v. 1-5, 6-10, 7-16). Each of these stanzas ends with a mention of a stone. Verse 17-18 are an epilogue celebrating what will happen as a result of the victory: God will lead his people to the promised land. 

If Moses leads the singing, his sister Miriam, who is a prophetess, leads the dancing.

Israel comes to water in he wilderness that is bitter. This causes grumbling again against Moses. The Lord shows Moses a “tree” (some translations say “log”). Moses takes the tree and throws it in the water and the water is healed. God’s trees bring healing and life. The Tree of God here combined with the water evoke imagery of the Garden. Moses just sang that God will bring them and plant them on his mountain...the sanctuary…” Here they have a small taste of paradise in the wilderness. 

And they come to another pleasant place: Elim, “where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they were encamped there by the water” (Ex. 15:27). Twelve is the number of Israel and 70 is the number for the nations. Israel is meant to be a people out of whom “springs of water” will flow to the nations. Jesus, the true Israelite, will be the one out of whom water comes to the 70, the nations. 

Reflection

Here and in other places in Scripture songs celebrate God’s victory over enemies. How might we understand worship as warfare? What place should songs like Exodus 15 have in our own worship?

Matthew 17:1-23

Summary

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a mountain “after 6 days.” This calls forth the theme of creation. Matthew is telling a Genesis story from the opening: “The genesis of Jesus Christ…” On the sixth day of creation, God creates humanity, the pinnacle and glory of the created order. God creates man in the image and likeness of God. Jesus Christ is the true Adam. Jesus now is “transfigured,” glorified before the disciples. Jesus is what humanity is meant to be in its full, mature, and glorified state. 

Moses and Elijah, the two great prophets of the Old Testament, and perhaps representing the entirety of the Old Covenant appear then go away. The point is clear: Moses and Elijah give way to Jesus, who is preeminent among them. 

The disciples hear a voice from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Moses and Elijah are important, but Jesus voice is the one we must heed. Listening to Jesus, obeying him--that’s the lesson of the transfiguration. 

Jesus comes off the mountain and casts out a demon from a man’s son. The disciples were not able to cast out this demon but Jesus was. Jesus draws a lesson on faith, that if you have faith as tiny as mustard seed you can move mountains. 

Off the mountain, Jesus tells them to tell no one about what they have seen until his resurrection. A question comes up about Elijah. Jesus answers that Elijah has come, referring to John the Baptist, but they did not recognize him (cf. Matt. 14:1-12). After Elijah, comes one greater, a new Elisha with a double-portion of his spirit: Jesus. 

Reflection

If Jesus’ resurrection is a preview of our resurrection, how might his transfiguration likewise tell us something about our destiny?