The Lord hears the needy [ Psalm 69 ]. The elaborate praise psalm preceding this poem is now complemented by an equally elaborate psalm of lament. It unfolds as follows: a brief introductory cry to God (v. 1); description of the speaker’s situation of distress (vv. 1–12); petitions to God to act (vv. 13–18); a return to the narrative of the things that threaten the speaker (vv. 19–21); petition that the speaker’s oppressors receive what they have inflicted on the speaker (vv. 22–28); petition (v. 29); vow to praise (vv. 30–33); brief call to praise (v. 34); statement of confidence in God (vv. 35–36).

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.

The song of Moses and of Miriam [ 15:1–21 ]. The story of Israel’s salvation becomes a musical as first Moses and then Miriam lead the people in a song of triumph. After opening statements of praise (vv. 1–3), Moses uses vivid imagery to describe how Pharaoh’s horses and riders met their doom at the bottom of the sea (vv. 4–12). As the divine warrior, God is praised both for delivering his people the Israelites and for destroying his enemies the Egyptians. The last section of the poem looks ahead to Israel’s return to the Promised Land and eventual resettlement on God’s mountain (vv. 13–18). Miriam’s exuberant refrain is accompanied with tambourines and dancing. The song of Moses and of Miriam is neither an interlude nor an interruption. Rather, it is the very reason God saved his people: so that he would receive the glory of their praise. If we compare this poetic account of the Red Sea deliverance with the factual, prose narrative version of the same events, we see how *metaphoric, *hyperbolic, and nonliteral biblical poetry can be. Whereas chapter 14 presents a continuous flow of action, highlighted by the connectives then and and, the poetic version gives us a kaleidoscope of impressionistic snapshots.

15:1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,

19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:

Further complications [ chapter 5 ]. When the Jews restart the building project (vv. 1–2) and are again challenged by hostile forces (vv. 3–4), the governor has the good sense and fair-mindedness to let the Jews continue their work while his formal letter of inquiry is sent to King Darius (vv. 5–17). The suspense continues, as we are led to wonder how the opposition and inquiry will turn out.

5:1 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

3 At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?” 4 They 6 also asked them this: “What are the names of the men who are building this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it.

6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7 They sent him a report, in which was written as follows: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8 Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ 10 We also asked them their names, for your information, that we might write down the names of their leaders. 7 11 And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. 13 However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. 14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15 and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” 16 Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.’ 17 Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.”

The believer’s freedom from the dominion of sin [ chapter 6 ]. At this point the apostle turns from the doctrine of justification to its logical consequence: the doctrine of sanctification. He also begins to consider possible objections to his argument—a common rhetorical strategy in speeches and writings of the day. If God responds to our sin with grace, then should we keep on sinning in order to show how gracious God is (vv. 1, 15)? On the contrary, the very reason that God has saved us is to set us free from sin by putting our sin to death. Because we are united to Christ in his crucifixion and resurrection, his death is our death and his life is our life (vv. 2–7), and now we must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God forever (vv. 8–11). Practically speaking, this means that we must not continue to be enslaved to sin (vv. 12–14, 20–21) but must offer ourselves to God as slaves for righteousness (vv. 15–19, 22–23).

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self 8 was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free 9 from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, 10 you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.