During Spring Quilt Retreat season, several Camp staff members gave short devotionals during meals. The theme was “A New Song,” and Scarlett Sutton, Camp’s registrar, spoke to quilters about her thoughts on God’s character and truths portrayed about Him in the book of Revelation. Be blessed today and read what she had to say below!
“I was thinking of this theme of a ‘New Song’ and how often a new song becomes my favorite very quickly, and I can’t get it out of my head. Spotify, the streaming platform, has a playlist just made up of songs that I listen to on repeat. When I was looking at these songs, there were two reasons that these songs have been stuck in my head. First, the song will tell the story of WHO someone is. And second, they speak TRUTH in a way that is understandable and compelling. I want us to look at Revelation chapter 15 through this lens. WHO is present here in the song, and what TRUTH is being communicated that we can respond to?
This is John speaking about the vision he received from an angel while in exile on the island of Patmos:
Revelation 15:2-4
‘I also saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, its image, and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God. They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb:
Great and awe-inspiring are Your works,
Lord God, the Almighty;
Just and true are Your ways,
King of the Nations.
Lord, who will not fear
and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before You
because Your righteous acts
have been revealed.’
We’re going to briefly break down this song. This is sung by ‘those who had won the victory over the beast, its image, and the number of its name.’ John is referring here to future martyrs who do not bow to Satan during his reign with the antichrist.
These people singing have given ALL OF THEIR LIFE for the Lord. They have acknowledged WHO He is and that their response to persecution would be to say that “He is worthy.”
This Revelation song is said to be the song of God’s servant, Moses and the song of the Lamb. The “Song of Moses” refers specifically to a victory song in Exodus 15 when the Lord brought the Israelites out from under the oppressive Egyptian regime. The plagues were finished, and God had brought them through the harrowing Red Sea splitting. They were ready to head off to their next journey. Two verses hone in WHO is being talked about and the compelling TRUTH of why they’re singing with joy as a whole nation.
Exodus 15:2 ‘The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.’
The LORD is who we are talking about here. His identity is one who is strong and is a source of joy to the singers. The TRUTH is that He offers salvation to all people and has a plan for His people. And He has the power to enact this plan of salvation. The Israelites in Exodus 15 had just experienced God’s plan for their redemption from slavery. They were FREE and headed to the promised land, by the power of their God alone.
Exodus 15:3 states it even more clearly, ‘This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.’
The WHO of this verse is a God who is faithful through generations. Starting in Genesis with God’s mercy on display to the Exodus times with the Israelites, to us today in the church age, and with future end-times martyrs, God is always faithful!
Now, I had never heard of the term ‘Song of the Lamb’ before, but it is a new name for the ‘Song of Moses’ in Exodus 15. But by calling this song the ‘Song of the Lamb,’ John is referencing the New Covenant instituted by Jesus. The God of the Bible is not just the God of the Israelites anymore. In the Old Covenant, God had declared to the Israelites, ‘I will be your God, and you will be my people.’ The covenant made with their people was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. But God had a wonderful plan of expansion to bring ALL people into this New Covenant through Jesus Christ. Christ was the sacrificed perfect lamb for ALL people, as well as the Messiah for Israel. Hebrews talks about how this new covenant has Jesus acting as our High Priest, interceding for us forever! That’s a song worth singing about, a SAVIOR whose identity is HIGH PRIEST. And the TRUTH that He is interceding for us forever should reverberate through our lives. This is the TRUTH that we are commanded to share with others. What a joy!
Let’s look closer at the descriptions of God’s character in Revelation 15:3-4. We see a God who is GREAT and AWE-INSPIRING. He does works on this earth. He is ALMIGHTY, which means “having complete power.” He is an active SOVEREIGN. He is the source of TRUTH and JUSTICE. He is in charge of all the nations. What a relief to hear that He is in charge of our past, current, and future political and economic systems!
Then in the beginning of verse 4, the martyred saints ask a rhetorical question, ‘Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name?’
Let’s remember that this Revelation song is being sung while God’s wrath is being poured out completely on what’s remaining of a rebellious humanity. The saints are speaking to what they know is TRUE. ALL nations will worship God for WHO He is and the righteous acts He has done.
So, what is our response to WHO God is and the TRUTH of what He has done? We are to renew our minds with this song. To put it in a cheesy way, God’s character should be the birdsong that wakes us up in the morning. Our brains should constantly be referencing His character of being just, holy, and righteous. Imagine if we could make a playlist about what thoughts run through our brains all day long, and what or who we dwell on. Imagine downloading the record of your daily thoughts in your brain and scanning them to see who or what has been playing over and over. Mine would usually be titled ‘Scarlett’s Snarky-ness’ or ‘Grumpy Attitudes of the day.’ Would your thoughts playlist show themes of pride, selfishness, and hatred? Or would they show thoughts about WHO God is and WHO He says you are as a Christian? Do you repeat to yourself the TRUTH that you can approach a just and merciful God at any time? And then do you actually approach Him with your concerns, gratefulness, and worship?
Do you continually dwell on WHO God is, WHAT He has done, and HOW you’re responding?”
