Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:

Exodus 15:1: “They sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake saying, I will sing unto the Lord.”

Vs. 2: “The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.”

This is a very curious passage of Scripture.  First the verse says that Moses and the children of Israel sang a song, then it says they spoke (amar) the words.  What is it, did they sing or speak?  Well the answer is simple, they did not sing at all they spoke the words.  For whatever reason the translators felt the passage they should render the word “sing”  in a perfect (past) tense when we find the word is preceded by a Yod putting it in an imperfect (future) tense.  I mean you can do this in Hebrew.  Just because something is in a perfect (past) tense does not mean it has to be rendered that as a past as there are no tenses in Hebrew, tenses are merely implied.  Hence when King David praises God for his deliverance when clearly he is not delivered and the word “delivered” is found in a past tense, translators, of course, will say that it is ridiculous to render the passage as a past tense since he is not yet delivered so we will follow logic  and render it in a future tense and have David praising God that God will deliver him.  But maybe David had such faith that he knew he would be delivered and for him it was already a done deal so he put the word delivered in a past tense.

Then why is the Yod put before the word “sing.  in this passage? Did the writer intend for it to be rendered as a future tense.  Why did the writer write this as: “Then Moses and the children of Israel will sing this song, but they spoke it saying…?”  I believe this is a remez, a hint of some deeper meaning.  So journey with me to the land of Dresh, and search for the hidden meaning.

The word “sing” in Hebrew is “sur” which means “to sing.” Jewish tradition teaches that it is a song of praise. The word itself will tell you what type of song you sing when you “sur.”  The word is spelled Shin – the fiery passion of the love of God, Yod – a message of salvation from God, and Resh – repentance.  Sur is a song one sings when they repent of their sins (Resh) and receive the message of salvation (Yod) which fills one with the passionate love of God such that they will sing a song of praise.

So why did Israel speak the words and not sur (sing) them but said they would someday “sing” them?  Because verse two tells us that they will sing that God is their “salvation.”   Of course they were singing of their “salvation” from the Egyptians, but I think the word sur was put into a future tense to point to a future salvation when God’s son Jesus would die on the cross to bring us salvation.  We all know that the name Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua which is the word used in this verse for “salvation.”

One other thing about the Yod being used before the word “song, the Yod is the number 10, another way to read this is as the “tenth song of praise.”   There are nine songs of praise in the Old Testament.   Not until the New Testament could the tenth song be sung, the song of salvation.  Today we can sing that tenth song because our Salvation, our Jesus or Yeshua died and rose again to bring us salvation so we could Sur (sing) of the passionate love of God we receive through repentance.

Last night my study partner and I went to a movie about a middle aged couple where the romance had left their marriage.  In the end the couple found perfect love with each other and you viewed the final moments of the film as they experience the joy of the “perfect” love found in their renewed intimacy.  Of course the movie was fantasy.  There is joy, there is contentment in a love relationship between two people, but it is not perfect, that is found only in Jesus who is perfect in love.

We were sitting in the front of a practically sold out theater.  When the lights came on I stood up and turned around and saw many couples in the audience, young and old just sitting.  Perhaps they were waiting for the crowd to clear, but many seemed to be in deep thought.  Then I looked up toward the ceiling and in my mind’s eye I saw a beautiful, sparkling light hovering over them. The sparkles were like reaching down to those couples pleading with them to look up to sing the 10th Song.  I wanted to shout out: “Look, don’t you see Him, It is Jesus, that perfect love you are searching for He is reaching down to you, just repent, reach up and sing that 10th song.”   Of course to do that in a crowded theater, especially after recent events would have made Chaim Bentorah world famous on the 10:00 News.  Since I am not exactly looking for fame at this stage of my life, I kept my peace but walked out of that theater looking sadly at that light  knowing I was viewing that part of the heart of God that I so dread viewing, the wounded, broken heart pleading for people to notice Him, not to take him for granted, not just pay him lip service and give Him a peck on the check as portrayed by the actor on screen, but to embrace and share their passions with each other.

Well, this will go on my website which will not make me world famous, so I can express my heart’s desire here and not in a crowded theater. I have taken you from the Remez through the Dresh, now look up, the love you are seeking is there reaching down to you, longing for you to sing that 10th song.  Enter the next level of Sod and sing that 10th Song.

Your friends

Clyde and Laura