O ISRAEL, WHAT WILL WE BE? (BALLADS OF THE EXODUS)
On the third new moon when we arrived
Together at the base of the Mountain of Sinai
We were forged as a nation, bound for Canaan
There on the mountain, we were bound in covenant
Saved from the violence of Egypt, and Pharaoh's hand
We were safe and sound in Midian land
I left the people and ascended on high
To Horeb's peaks stretching to the sky
For forty holy days, and forty holy nights
Those were the best days, and the best days of my life
Until the golden calf was forged
And the people stirred the anger of the Lord
Oh Israel what will we be?
What will we be now that we're free
This is a ballad of fire and glory
A beautiful but a tragic story
About the place were it all began
And the place where it almost ended in
The Lord killing everyone
And starting over with only one
I prayed and begged Him not to and
In His mercy He stayed His holy hand
That prayer, that cry, that grief, those tears
Then gave way to forty years
From when the Lord fulfilled His vows
And people bowed before a golden cow
Israel what will we be
What will we be now that we're free
For forty holy days, and forty holy nights
Those were the best days, the worst days of my life
As I was receiving, the Law from the Lord
The people worshiped an idol made of gold
For we were free, but not yet free indeed
Still slaves to sin and blind idolatry
The Law He gave, He gave knowing well
We could never fulfill it, we could never dwell
In the Land He gave unconditionally
To Abraham's seed and Jacob's family
In that everlasting oath, that covenant of old
His sons now bowing to a cow covered in gold
Its not enough to possess the Land
Or to obey all of His commands
The problem you see, with you and with me
Is that the Law could never and will never set us free
From the sin that's within
The sin that defiles
Every man, woman, and child
From the days of the Garden, and every day in between
The Law could never ever set us free
We need Savior
Or we'll never be free
Israel what will we be
What will we be now that we're free
We need a Savior
We need a King
We need a Savior
To be free
We need a Savior
We need a King
But it won't be me