Psalm 114

Psalm 114 reflects on God's mighty power in delivering Israel from Egypt and how creation itself responds to God's presence. This psalm emphasizes the majesty of God’s presence among His people, using imagery of the sea, rivers, and mountains reacting to God’s work of redemption.

Psalm 114:1-2 (NKJV)
1 When Israel went out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became His sanctuary,
And Israel His dominion.

The psalm begins by recalling the Exodus when God delivered Israel from Egypt. The mention of "a people of strange language" refers to the Egyptians, highlighting the cultural and linguistic difference. As they left Egypt, Judah is portrayed as God’s sanctuary, and Israel becomes the people under His rule, symbolizing God’s intimate presence and authority among them.

Psalm 114:3-4 (NKJV)
3 The sea saw it and fled;
Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams,
The little hills like lambs.

These verses poetically describe nature's response to God’s power during key moments in Israel's history. The Red Sea "fled" during the Exodus, and the Jordan River "turned back" when Israel crossed into the Promised Land. The mountains and hills, figuratively leaping, portray the joy or awe creation feels in God's presence.

Psalm 114:5-6 (NKJV)
5 What ails you, O sea, that you fled?
O Jordan, that you turned back?
6 O mountains, that you skipped like rams?
O little hills, like lambs?

The psalmist questions the sea, river, and mountains, emphasizing that their actions are extraordinary. These rhetorical questions highlight God's sovereignty, as even inanimate nature responds to His presence, suggesting that all creation submits to the Creator's will.

Psalm 114:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.

The psalm concludes by calling the earth to tremble before God. This reflects God’s overwhelming presence that brought water from a rock during Israel’s wilderness journey, providing life and sustenance. These miracles demonstrate that God’s power can transform even the hardest elements of nature for the benefit of His people. The psalm points to God's providence, reminding the reader of His faithfulness in the past and His continued care in the present.