There are several distinct passages in Scripture that are sometimes referred to as the “Song of Moses,” including
Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 90, and Revelation 15. The earliest of these to appear is the Israelites’ song of triumph over
the Egyptians in Exodus 15, also known in Hebrew poetry as the “Song at the Sea.” We’ll be learning a new setting of
this Scriptural song all through the month of October. This setting alternates between a single leader and the
congregation, intending to resemble the back-and-forth pattern of the text itself, in which Moses and Miriam alternate
in a refrain of “Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea.”
(Exodus 15:1, 21). On the musical score, the leader’s portions are printed in a smaller type, while the congregations’
parts are larger. After verses 1, 3, and 5, an asterisk indicates a return to the refrain, which is sung first by the leader,
then the congregation. Though this setting (to the tune MIDNIGHT SUN) is a bit more complicated than our usual fare,
I hope you’ll find it a rewarding journey through a less familiar passage of Scripture—particularly this month as we
study Hebrews 2 and 3, which mentions how “Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses.”
—Henry C. Haffner
