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. The word spoke is simply ‘amar. These were not words from their heart.  If it were from the heart the writer would have used the word debar.   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 should render the word sing  in a perfect (past) tense when even though the word is preceded by a Yod clearly 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 as a past as there are no tenses in Hebrew, tenses are merely implied. I get it.  We have occasions when King David praises God for his deliverance when clearly he is not delivered. Yet the word delivered is found in a past tense, so 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 when grammatically you should say God has delivered.   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 making it will 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 there is a hint here of some deeper meaning.

The word sing in Hebrew is sur which means to sing. Jewish tradition teaches that sur 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?  Possibly verse two tells us that they will someday sing that God is their salvation after the Messiah comes.   Of course the context clearly shows that they were singing of their salvation from the Egyptians.  It is very possible 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.  I read something interesting in Jewish literature.  There is something called  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. Is it any coincidence that the word sur sing is built right into the middle of the word tenth.  Sur is spelled Shin Yod Resh.  Tenth is spelled Ayin Shin Yod Resh Yod Taw.  The Yod again representing a future event.  The Taw is the last letter of the Alphabet indicating that this is the last song of praise to be sung.  The Ayin at the beginning reminds us that only with spiritual eyes can you see the tenth song.

Some time ago I watched a faith based 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 their perfect love  which they 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.

I watched this faith based movie in a theater and it was practically sold out.  When the lights came on I stood up and turned around and saw many couples in the audience, young and old just sitting as if contemplating this love.  Usually everyone jumps up to leave and make a mad rush for the door, but not after this faith based movie.  I wondered what was keeping all these people in their seats, perhaps it was just the emotional experience they had watching this film.  Maybe it was something else. I looked up toward the ceiling and in my mind’s eye, in my spirit I don’t know,  I think I was seeing the Ayin, spiritual insight because I saw the most beautiful, sparkling light hovering over the audience. The sparkles were like reaching down to those couples pleading with them to look up to sing the 10^th Song. But perhaps like Israel they lacked the Ayin at that moment just when the spoke the words in Exodus 15.  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 10^th song.  Of course to do that in a crowded theater would put me in a different 10^th,  the 10:00 News and not in a flattering light.  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 His passions with each other.  To receive His salvation so they could sing that 10^th song and perhaps obtain that Ayin to see that beautiful light.

I wonder how many times in our worship services on Sunday morning do we enter that tenth song.  Remember I said the people ‘amar spoke the words.  I am haunted by the fact that the writer did not use the word debar which means words from the heart.  ‘Amar are simple words, spoken casually, from the mind but not the heart.   The people were delighted over their deliverance, but the real love of God had not yet penetrated their hearts.  I looked around church last Sunday during worship.  I felt many were praising God from their heart, they were really singing that 10^th song.  Others, well who am I to judge. I can speak for myself,  however.  There are many times I am just not into the worship service.  I can’t stand the music, the songs don’t speak to me at all, but I have to join in with up lifted hands and mutter the words.  When the leader says: “Let’s all say ‘praise the Lord.’”   I utter the words, not because I am speaking debar but because I wonder what people will think about me if I don’t so I just ‘amar. No sparking lights that Sunday.