They're All Intimidated (Psalm 114)

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Psalm 114

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

1 When Israel came out of Egypt—

the house of Jacob from a people

who spoke a foreign language—

2 Judah became his sanctuary,

Israel, his dominion.

3 The sea looked and fled;

the Jordan turned back.

4 The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills, like lambs.

5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?

Jordan, that you turned back?

6 Mountains, that you skipped like rams?

Hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,

at the presence of the God of Jacob,

8 who turned the rock into a pool,

the flint into a spring.

The Weaklings Made Special

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"; that's the question asked by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:31. It demands no answer for the answer is obvious. If God is on our side, there is no power or force that can prevail against us. In fact, God employs all these to work in favor of those who love God and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Before Israel's birth as a nation, they were perceived as weaklings for they were just slaves in Egypt. But to the surprise of the ancient world, they scored a decisive victory over one of the superpowers of that time.

Psalm 114 begins by calling to mind that very event in their history. The psalmist views the Exodus as a turning point. Not only did the nation secured their liberation and independence, they also became YHWH's sanctuary and dominion (verse 2).

To be YHWH's sanctuary means being a sacred place which is set apart for God's presence and to be his dominion means being a nation ruled by God for Israel was supposed to be a theocracy (1 Samuel 8:5-7). God made Israel his “own possession out of all the peoples” although the whole earth is his. He set them apart as a special, a “kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6). He who is enthroned above chose to dwell among his people. The nation of weak slaves became special, not because of anything meritorious in them but because God has chosen them to be the object of his special love. It was sheer grace.

We do not belong to that nation. But you know what? In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter wrote something about the church that is so similar to this. And this should excite everyone who belongs to the church of the redeemed:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10 CSB)

The Stable Structures Moved!

In the next stanza (verses 3-6), the psalmist as a true poet employed personifications and imageries depicting how some of the most fixed of geographical features namely the sea, the river, and the mountains were all disturbed and moved during some of the events in Israel's history.

• The sea is told to have looked, and after seeing what he saw, it fled. This points back to how the Red Sea was divided into two to give way to God's people. (Exodus 14)
• The Jordan River is described as turning back. This is the event narrated in Joshua 3; the priest were carrying the ark of the covenant and as soon as their feet reached Jordan, the waters flowing downstream were cut off
• The mountains and hills also were pictured as skipping like animals. I don't know exactly what historical event is this but I know one mountain that was moved like this. In Exodus 19, Moses and the people met with God and Mt. Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke; there was thunder and lightning and the mountain shook violently. It was a frightening sight (Exodus 20:18-19)

God's Intimidating Presence

The last two verses of this stanza (5 & 6) asked what is the reason behind these? When the sea looked, what did he saw that he fled? What did Jordan saw that he turned back? What caused the mountains and hills to skip like rams? The answer seems to be so obvious for us now. But let us make it explicit, just as the psalmist had made it explicit even when it sounds obvious already. The reason is in verse 7: they trembled because of the presence of the God of Jacob.

There was nothing inherently intimidating in Israel as nation; they were just weak slaves remember? But with God on their side, who can be against them? Now it's not just the sea, rivers, and mountains that must tremble before the Lord. The whole earth and everything in it are commanded to tremble (see verse 7): the forces of nature, kings and kingdoms, politicians and criminals, things visible and invisible can't inflict harm on a people on whom God dwells. This people is loved by God that he turns even the driest of dry things into pools and springs if that is what is needed for their survival and nourishment. (see verse 8)

Just as the Moses-led struggle of Israel against Egypt was a turning point in their history, a new testament believer's inclusion in Christ by faith and repentance is also a turning point. Not many of us were of noble birth (1 Cor. 1:26). Most of us were less than ordinary. We don't belong to the high and mighty of the society. But by our inclusion in Christ, we were counted among God's blessed people. The same intimidating presence that moved the seas, the rivers, the mountains, and the earth is among us. He is Emmanuel, God is with us– so we could have an impact in the world (Acts 4:13; Acts 17:6).

We fear things in nature. We fear the powers that be. We fear the unseen spiritual forces of darkness. We fear natural calamities, stray bullets, diseases, the fragile economy and many other things. But in this song, the things we fear were all commanded to tremble before the Lord. With God on our side, it's not us who are supposed to be afraid, but the the things we fear.

The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom should I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

whom should I dread?

(Psalm 27:1 CSB)

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