Exodus 15 and the Practice of Praise

Maxwell Institute Podcast

Christianity, Education, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 809 Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2026

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What does it mean to praise God—and why does it matter? In this episode, Rosalynde Welch explores the powerful poetry of Exodus 15, the “Song of the Sea,” where Moses, Miriam, and the Israelites respond to deliverance with music, dance, and exultant praise. Drawing on scripture, poetry, and theology, she suggests that praise is more than a commandment or a ritual—it is a way of seeing the world. From the chaos of the sea to the quiet rhythms of modern worship, this reflection invites listeners to reconsider praise as the natural response to divine glory—something woven into creation itself and into our daily lives.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	From Brigham Young University's Maxwell Institute, this is the Maxwell Institute podcast, Faith, Illuminating Scholarship.
0:10.2	In 2026, we are releasing a series called Old Testament Reflections. Each week, a scholar offers a short reflection on the Come Follow Me reading.
0:19.5	Today's piece, Exodus chapter 15, and the practice
0:23.2	of praise, is written and read by Rosalind F. Welch. We asked the captain what course of action
0:32.1	he proposed to take toward a beast so large, terrifying, and unpredictable.
0:38.3	He hesitated to answer and then said judiciously,
0:42.3	I think I shall praise it.
0:45.3	Robert Hess, epigraph to praise.
0:49.3	Imagine a sea captain surveying the southern horizon
0:53.3	when a great monster of the deep appears
0:55.9	at the ship's starboard flank. The beast dwarfs his vessel, makes toys of his guns and his
1:02.4	instruments. The site eclipses comprehension. What to do? Before that which utterly exceeds human control, the ostrich captain decides one can only
1:15.1	sing its praise. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying,
1:22.1	I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
1:30.5	The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will prepare
1:37.8	him and habitation, my Father's God, and I will exalt him. Now imagine Moses and Miriam rejoicing on high ground at the
1:49.1	far side of the Red Sea, shouting to be heard above the gale that hurls mighty waves at the shore.
1:56.1	Women dance to the rhythm of drums. Their enemy drowns at sea, and their euphoria rises to match the flood.
2:04.8	The ocean, awesome and fearful to a landfaring people, has been mastered by a force still more
2:11.5	awesome and fearful, the God of Israel. They will praise him. In the face of staggering power, the sea captain
2:21.2	hesitates while Miriam and Moses celebrate. What they agree on, however, is this. Praise is the human
2:29.0	response to transcendence. The poem recorded in Exodus 15, known traditionally as the Song of the Sea,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Maxwell Institute Podcast, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Maxwell Institute Podcast and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.