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Tremble at the Presence of the Lord
114 When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
The sea looked and fled;
Jordan turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.
(ESV)
Psalm 114 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Persecution. Power. Provision.
This is the pattern of Psalm 114. Note that none of these are within our power to change. We put ourselves under the persecution of sin. We lack the power sufficient to align our holiness to God’s standard. We are incapable of manufacturing the spiritual blessings that come so freely from God. Meditating on these thoughts should bring us to tremble just like creation.
Tremble, 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 spring of water.
Psalms 114:7-8 HCSB
Persecution. Power. Provision.
We find an abundance of grace in each one of these. Even though it was our choices that resulting in persecution and suffering, God is gracious in allowing it to be used for our good.
He led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty land where there was no water. He brought water out of the flint-like rock for you. 16 He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.
Deuteronomy 8:15-16 HCSB
The grace of God can be found in the flex of His muscles. He didn’t have to rescue Israel, but He made good on His promise. He didn’t have to send us a Messiah, but He loves us. The grace of God to show us His power and use it for our Salvation doesn’t make much sense given our human condition. But… He loves us.
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3 HCSB
His grace is felt tangibly through His provision. He not only saves His people, but He cares for them. He takes everything – good, bad and ugly – and molds it together to produce a strong, resilient, God-fearing follower. Although He allows consequences, the spiritual significance of His provision is a blessing we often take for granted. People naturally become resilient by going through stress, but the resiliency produced by God’s care includes the desires of our heart we never dreamed possible. He brings blessings like joy, peace, and faith which permeate our being even in the most horrific circumstances.