Psalms 114
Psalm 114 consists of eight short verses, and it commemorates the event in which the people of Israel experienced God’s guidance when they came out of Egypt. In particular, this chapter poetically describes a supernatural history during the Exodus—where the sea and the Jordan River split, and the mountains and hills move. The psalmist expresses that when Israel leaves Egypt and enters the land of the covenant, the natural world seems to fear in the presence of God, thereby emphasizing God’s majesty and omnipotence.
1verseWhen Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign language,
2verseJudah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
3verseThe sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back.
4verseThe mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.
5verseWhat was it, you sea, that you fled? You Jordan, that you turned back?
6verseYou mountains, that you skipped like rams? You little hills, like lambs?
7verseTremble, you earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8versewho turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of waters.
The Main Meaning of the Passage
Psalm 114 praises the salvation and guidance God has worked for His people. In phrases such as, “when the house of Jacob comes from a people of a strange language” (verse 1) and “Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion” (verse 2), it becomes clear that God is Israel’s sovereign guide. The sea and the Jordan holding back (verse 3), and the description of the mountains and little hills leaping (verse 4), show that even nature cannot do otherwise in the presence of God. In the final verse, the psalmist cries out, “O earth, tremble at the presence of the LORD,” emphasizing the need for an attitude of reverence before God.
Points for Reflection
- We can remember that God works even in situations where life’s great barriers seem insurmountable or impossible to cross.
- We should not forget that before God’s presence, all creation has no choice but to bow its head, even in our own lives.
- Let us reflect on the fact that God’s saving work does not remain only in the past—we can experience it even in this moment today.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- Even amid the problems and difficulties I face, I resolve to entrust them to God’s omnipotent hand and trust Him.
- As I reflect on the small miracles God has accomplished in my life, I commit myself to rejoice in His presence, live with reverence, and fear Him.
