Connect Exodus 15:16 with another scripture about God's sovereignty over nations. Setting the Scene Exodus 15 bursts forth right after the Red Sea miracle. Israel has just watched the Egyptian army drown, and Moses leads the people in a triumphant song that celebrates God’s direct, literal intervention in history. Key Verse: Exodus 15:16 “Terror and dread will fall upon them. By the greatness of Your arm they will be as still as a stone, until Your people pass through, LORD, until the people You bought pass by.” What the Song Affirms about God • He actively produces “terror and dread” in opposing nations. • His “greatness of … arm” shows literal, muscular power—no abstract concept. • He choreographs history so His redeemed people can “pass through” unhindered. • Those nations remain powerless “until” His purpose for Israel is complete, underscoring a timetable only He sets. Complementary Verse on Sovereignty: Daniel 4:17 “This matter is by decree of the watchers, and the command by the word of the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He wishes, and sets over it the lowliest of men.” Connecting the Dots • Same Lord, same authority—whether parting seas or toppling proud emperors. • Exodus shows God restraining nations; Daniel shows Him appointing their rulers. • In both texts, sovereignty is total: God does not merely influence, He determines. • The phrase “gives it to whom He wishes” aligns with “by the greatness of Your arm”—a single, unchallenged will shaping global affairs. Why This Matters Today • World headlines may shift, but ultimate control has never changed hands. • The deliverance of God’s people in any era relies on His unstoppable arm, not on political favor or human alliances (Psalm 33:10-11). • Nations, laws, and leaders rise and fall on the same timetable that once held the Canaanites “as still as a stone.” • Confidence grows when we read current events through the lens of a God who literally “rules over the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17) and still clears the path for those He has “bought” (Exodus 15:16; 1 Peter 1:18-19). |
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