Triumphant Beginnings (vv. 7-12). The reference here is to Israel’s fear and unbelief at the exodus, when they were caught between the Egyptian army behind them and the Red Sea before them (Ex. 14:10-31). They had witnessed the mighty power of God as He had devastated Egypt with plagues, but Israel did not believe that the Lord could successfully deliver them from the Egyptians. They were looking back instead of looking up and were walking by sight and not by faith. They preferred the security of slavery to the challenges of liberty. “Let us go back to Egypt!” was frequently their response when they found themselves in a situation that demanded faith. In that desperate hour, they did not remember God’s kindness or His promises, and they panicked. But God led them through the sea on dry land and utterly destroyed the enemy army that tried to follow them. “Then they believed His words; they sang His praise” (v. 12 nasb; see Ex. 15). This one miracle should have assured them for all the trials to come, but they did not take it to heart or understand God’s ways (78:42-51; 95:10; 103:7). For Moses, this was an experience of faith that glorified God, but for the people, it was just another spectacular event. They were spectators at a performance, not participants in a miracle. But are God’s people any different today?