Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Ps 114:1 and following. Indeed, when”the servants of the Lord” have to praise “the name of the Lord” (verse 1). They once lay in the dust of death, yes, on the manure of sin (verse 7). But God lowered Himself to look to the earth (verse 6). Let us never forget him, however great He may be, He becomes acquainted with all that concerns each of His creatures. He saw their state of complete destitution. And, like the master of the parable, he pleased to invite these poor and wretched people to sit at the great supper of his grace (Matt. 22:2-14; 1 Samuel 2:7-8; and Luke 1:46-55).
Jehovah had seen the affliction of his people, heard his cry, known his sorrows. And He went down to deliver Him (Psalm 113:6; Exodus 3:7 ex 3:7-9). He brought him out of Egypt with power. At his command, the Red Sea fled to let God’s people pass through; “the Jordan went back” to give him passage; the rock made its waters flow to quench his thirst. God knows where and how to bring forth refreshment and life to meet the needs of His people. But He will do an even greater miracle on behalf of His people when He changes their hard heart into a source of water for the blessing of the whole earth.
This is the same subject we have again in this psalm where the Israel of the last day remembers the Exodus. Moses had commanded their fathers, in the days of their battles with their enemies, to keep the same memory in their hearts, so that they would have no fear in the face of their adversaries (see Deut. 7:18). The secret of every holy boldness is revealed in a very striking way, by recalling the power of the divine presence in its effects on the whole creation, as soon as this presence was associated with Israel, the chosen and redeemed people.
And creation will again experience an even more formidable manifestation of this presence, when the Lord rises for the second time in favor of Israel to exercise judgment. There will then be a great shake. The earth and the sky will be shaken, the sun and moon darkened, and the stars will withdraw their splendor (Heb. 12:25-26). Thus, the prophets announce the power of this day to come, when judgment will fall on the nations, and israel will once again become the sanctuary of Jehovah, and the place of his dominion.
When Israel came out of Egypt. This exodus is a remarkable commitment and symbol of God’s love for Abraham’s children, it is no wonder that it is often called to memory. At the beginning of the psalm, the prophet informs us that the people God bought at such a great price are no longer theirs. The opinion of some exhibitors that at that time the tribe of Judah was devoted to the service of God, according to what is said in Exodus 19:6, and 1 Peter 2:9, seems alien to the prophet’s plan. Judah being the most powerful and numerous of all the tribes, and occupying the first place among them, takes precedence here from the rest of the people. When we say that God is sanctified, we must understand that the prophet speaks in the manner of men, because in himself God is incapable of increasing or decreasing. Jud became its sanctuary, and Israel its domain, because his holy majesty, hitherto little known, ensured the veneration of all those who witnessed the displays of his incredible power.
The sea saw it and fled. He does not successively list all the miracles that were forged at that time, but briefly alludes to the sea, which, although lifeless and foolish, is still struck with terror by the power of God. Le Jourdan did the same and the mountains themselves shook. It is in a poetic impulse that the psalmist describes the retreat of the sea and the Jordan River. The description, however, does not go beyond the facts of the case. The sea, in rendering such obedience to its Creator, sanctified his name; and the Jordan, by his submission, has honored his power; and the mountains, by their trembling, proclaimed how impressed they were by the presence of his terrible majesty. By these examples, he is not intended to celebrate the power of God more than his paternal concern and desire for the preservation of the Church; and, as a result, Israel distinguishes itself very correctly from the sea, the Jordan And the mountains – there is a very marked difference between the chosen people and the foolish elements.
What have you done, O sea! The prophet questions the sea, the Jordan River and the mountains, in a familiar and poetic tension, for he has recently attributed to them a meaning and reverence for the power of God. And, by these similarities, he very strongly condemns the insensitivity of these people, who do not employ the intelligence that God has given them in the contemplation of his works. The appearance that he tells us the sea assumed, is more than enough to condemn their blindness. It could not be dried up, the Jordan could not set back its waters, if God, by his free will, had not compelled them to obey his command. The words are indeed directed towards the sea, the Jordan and the mountains, but they are addressed more immediately to us, so that each of us, thoughtful, can weigh this question carefully and carefully.
In the presence of the Lord. Having awakened the senses of men through interrogations, he provides an answer that many consider a personification of the earth. The meaning is the same, – The earth must tremble in the presence of its king. He then immediately introduced the name of the God of Jacob, with the aim of banishing from men any notion of false gods. Their minds being prone to deception, they are always in great danger of allowing idols to usurp the place of the true God. Another miracle is mentioned, in which God, after the passage of the people across the Red Sea, gave a splendid additional manifestation of his power in the desert. How absurd, then, is it for the Sophists to claim that transubstantiation takes place in every case where Scripture claims that a change has occurred? The substance of the stone was not converted into water, but God miraculously created the water, which springs from the dry rock.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
When Israel came out of Egypt:
- Deliverance from Israel
Ex 14:30 And the people rested on the seventh day. 1 Sam 14:15 Terror spread to the camp, to the land and among all the people; the post and those who ravaged were also seized with fear; the country was in terror. It was like a terror of God. 2 Ch 14:11 (14:10) Asa invoked Jehovah, his God, and said: Eternal, you alone can help the weak as well as the strong: come to our aid, Jehovah, our God! for it is on you that we rely, and we have come in your name against this multitude. Eternal, you are our God: let it not be man who prevails over you! 2 Ch 20:22 Just as the songs and praises were beginning, Jehovah ambushed the sons of Ammon and Moab and those of the mountain of Seir, who had come against Judah. And they were beaten.
- Power of God, general references
1 Ch 29:12 Wealth and glory come from you, you dominate over everything, strength and power are in your hand, and your hand has the power to enlarge and strengthen all things. Ps 62:12 God spoke once; Twice I heard this: It is that the strength is God’s. Ps 65:7 He strengthens the mountains by His strength, He is surrounded by power; Rom 16:25 but manifested now by the writings of the prophets, according to the command of the eternal God, and brought to the knowledge of all nations, that they may obey the faith,
- Path traced through the difficulties of life’s journey
Ex 14:16 You raise your rod, stretch out your hand over the sea, and split it; and the children of Israel will enter the middle of the dry sea. Josh 3:17 The priests who carried the ark of jehovah’s covenant stopped firmly on the dry, in the middle of the Jordan River, while all of Israel passed dry, until the whole nation had finished passing the Jordan. Pr 15:19 The path of the sloth is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of straight men is flattened. Isa 30:21 Your ears will hear behind you the voice that will say, This is the way, walk in it! Because you would go to the right, or you would go to the left. Isa 42:16 I will make the blind walk on a path they do not know, I will lead them by paths they do not know; I will change before them the darkness into light, and the tortuous places on the plain: This is what I will do, and I will not abandon them.
- Majesty of God
Ps 29:4 The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is majestic. Ps 45:4 Valiant warrior, gird your sword, -Your adornment and glory, Isa 2:10 Enter the rocks, And hide in the dust, To avoid the terror of the Lord and the brilliance of his majesty. Isaiah 57:15 For thus speaks the Most High, whose abode is eternal and whose name is holy: I dwell in high places and in holiness; But I am with the contrite and humiliated man, In order to revive the humiliated minds, In order to revive the contrite hearts.
From the above, we note that theworld will be surprised by the Second Coming, as in the past the hills and seas by the presence of the Lord, as depicted in this psalm. The thoughts expressed here are expressed in a style of great poetic richness. What varied beauties in the oracles of God, what elevation and depth in these wonders, what infinite and ineffable moral glories! Ps. 114 is written in the highest poetic style. It is important to us, in that it directly links Israel’s ancient deliverance from the bondage of Egypt to the present deliverance of the people, and makes us see that in both it is the same Lord who calls the earth to tremble because of his presence. Upon Jacob’s deliverance, the sea fled and the Jordan river turned back. Why is that? It was certainly not out of fear at the presence of man. The earth must tremble, now too, before the One who then appeared for the deliverance of his people and who, for his sake, changed the sea into a dry land and the hard stone into a source of water! Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “the faithful invite all peoples to praise the Lord.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.