The People Whom God Purchased

Several classic hymns of the church include lyrics that refer to future events. For instance, “How Great Thou Art” includes the line “when Christ shall come with shout of acclamation.” Similarly, the ancient Song of Moses also refers to things yet to come in the day it was composed, as it looks forward to Israel’s settlement of the land, which would not truly begin until decades after the song’s composition (Ex. 15:13–15). Today’s passage features more references to that event, which was still future in Moses’ day.

Exodus 15:16–17 repeats much of what has already been said in the Song of Moses regarding the fear of the nations and Israel’s establishment in the promised land. One important addition to that material in today’s passage, however, is the reference to Israel as the people whom the Lord has “purchased” (v. 16). Notably, some commentators prefer to translate the Hebrew word there as “created,” since its root has that sense in other texts such as Deuteronomy 32:6, where the ESV does render it with the English word “created.” But we do not have to choose between these options. Scripture does view God’s bringing of the Israelites out of Egypt as a new creation of sorts. Adam, the first man, is called God’s son in Scripture (Luke 3:38), and the first son that the Lord speaks of after Adam is actually Israel, whom God refers to as His “firstborn son” (Ex. 4:22–23). The rescue of the Israelites from bondage and constitution of them as a nation is such a momentous event in the Lord’s plan of salvation that it really was a new creation, a new start for the world. After all, through Israel the Lord would provide salvation to the whole world by raising up the Messiah from Abraham’s family (see Matt. 1:1–17).

This new creation of Israel was also a purchase, as we see in how the ESV translates Exodus 15:16. Scripture often speaks of salvation as a redemption, as a price paid to secure the freedom of another. It may seem odd to speak of God’s paying a cost to attain the freedom of His people, for the Lord does not answer to anyone greater than Himself. Yet recall that the Passover lamb was a sacrifice that propitiated God’s anger, turning it away from the Israelites even as it was poured out on the firstborn of Egypt to secure Israel’s release (Ex. 12). In that case, the price paid was paid to the Lord, for He sent the angel to put the firstborn to death. That, of course, foreshadowed the final Passover, Jesus Christ. The death of God’s only begotten Son was the price He paid to Himself to save us from sin and death (Gal. 3:13).