Shortly after my wife and I got married, we began keeping a notebook in which we would write down specific instances when the Lord provided for us. While we have slacked off on keeping that notebook up to date recently, you can still open it up today and read accounts of the Lord providing food, clothes, money, jobs, children and numerous other things. You can open it up and read of the Lord’s faithfulness. Why would we do that? Are we trying to somehow live in the past while refusing to live in the present? Of course not – we keep that notebook, and look back at it periodically, in order to remind ourselves of the Lord’s faithfulness to us in the past so that we might walk in faith in the present and look to the future with hope.
In many ways, the person who wrote Psalm 114 has that same sort of purpose in mind. As you read the Old Testament, and particularly the Psalms, you are struck with how often the writers bring up past events – particularly events relating to the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and everything that followed that. This reality is not an accident; it is extremely intentional. The Old Testament authors, the authors of the psalms, and the author of Psalm 114 wanted their readers (most likely Israelites) to remember that momentous deliverance that God worked for them in the past – with all of its intricate details – so that they would have faith in the present and look to the future with hope.
So with that in mind, we will look at this psalm through a series of three questions. We will begin by examining the Psalm itself. Then, we will look at the connection between us as the church today and the original readers of Psalm 114. And we will close by looking at the main way that we can apply this to ourselves.

What is the psalmist talking about?

Upon first glance, the initial subject of the Psalm is clear because the psalmist begins, “When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion” (v. 1-2). The subject is the Exodus – the historical event when Moses led God’s people away from the land of Egypt after they were set free by Pharaoh, ending 400 years of brutal slavery. But, beginning with verse 2, it becomes a bit more difficult to follow exactly what the psalmist is talking about because there seems to be a reference error: the word “his” has no object. To who is “his” referring? The answer is eventually given in verse 7 and it is “the Lord.” But, in verse 2, the lack of a specific reference is part of the device of the psalmist. In Psalm 114, it seems the mood of the psalmist is playful and almost taunting in a way. He is incredibly gleeful about what he is describing, and that becomes clearer as he seems to mock the very earth itself for its response to the arrival of Israel as they traveled away from Egypt. So, as we look at the details of the psalm, we will do so by briefly recounting the high points of Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Promised Land – using the psalmist’s words to guide us.
Having introduced his theme as the Exodus, the psalmist goes on to say, “The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs” (v. 3-4). As Israel fled from Egypt, the first obstacle they encountered was the Red Sea – made all the more imposing by the fast-approaching Egyptian army that had decided to pursue them. But, in the words of the Psalmist, “The sea looked and fled.” In the psalmist’s gleeful depiction, the waters of the Red Sea saw the people of Israel approaching and moved out of their way. And the psalmist gloats saying, “What ails you, O sea, that you flee?” (v. 5a). As we will see later on, it was not at the presence of the Israelites that the sea fled but at the presence of the God of Israel. It was that awesome presence that caused the sea to draw back as it did.
Once Israel passed through the sea, their next major destination was the mountains of Sinai. And it was at Mt. Sinai that the Lord gloriously revealed himself to the people. Moses described that scene this way,

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. [Exodus 19:16-20, emphasis added]

The key to this description – and the part this seems to be referenced by the author of Psalm 114 – is Moses’ declaration that the whole mountain trembled. This idea is echoed in Psalm 68:7-8: “O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.” Also, Hebrews 12:26 – in speaking about the scene at Sinai – says, “At that time his voice shook the earth.” It seems that in the transmission of the Sinai account down through Israel’s history, this idea of the mountains quaking at the presence of the Lord is a central piece. And it is this piece that the writer of Psalm 114 seems to have in mind when he writes, “The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs….What ails you…O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?” (v. 4, 5a, 6). Again, the psalmist is delighting in the fact that even the mountains shake and skip as Israel draws near to them. And, as we saw with the sea and in the references in Psalm 68 and Hebrews 12, that which shook the mountains was not actually the nation of Israel but the presence of their God.
As the Israelites eventually leave Sinai after a lengthy stay, they eventually make it to the border of the Promised Land. In a story with which we are all familiar, the nation of Israel fails to enter the land and is forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. The writer of Psalm 114 does not address Israel’s failures because that is not his goal; he desires to hold up the greatness of Israel’s God and the effects of that on the creation. So, the only reference to this time of wilderness wandering is the psalmist’s declaration that the earth should tremble before the Lord “who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water” (v. 8). Recorded in Numbers 20:10-13, the psalmist picks up on the main instance during the 40 years of wilderness wandering in which the Lord’s greatness drastically affects the created order. The psalmist makes clear that it was on account of the Lord that water came forth from the rock. Again, the goal is to hold up the reality of the Lord’s presence and the effect that it had on the creation order itself.
After wandering in the wilderness, the people of Israel (albeit an entirely different generation of them) came back to the edge of the Promised Land. As they prepared to cross into the land, the Jordan River stood in their way. But, as recorded in Joshua 3, the Jordan River itself was parted – much like the Red Sea – and the Israelites were able to cross through on dry ground. Again, this is why the Psalmist writes, “Jordan turned back…What ails you…O Jordan, that you turn back?” (v. 3b, 5). Again, the psalmist holds up the reaction of the physical world to the presence of the Lord.
So, in light of these references interspersed throughout the psalm, verse 7 becomes the lynchpin verse for the entire psalm. The obscure “reference error” in verse 2 becomes clear in light of verse 7. In verse 2, the psalmist is declaring that Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was not simply the deliverance of a people. Rather, it was the moment when “Judah became [God’s] sanctuary, Israel his dominion” (v. 2). When Israel left Egypt to travel to Canaan, they did not travel alone. God traveled with them, and it was his presence that led them to their destination. It was His presence that caused the numerous miraculous deliverances that the writer of Psalm 114 references. The Israelites understood this, and that is the reason Moses pleaded so diligently for the Lord not to remove his presence from the people in Exodus 33:14-16, “And [you – God] said ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And he [Moses] said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” Moses understood that what set Israel apart was God’s presence with them.
That is the psalmist’s point as well, and so he writes, “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob” (v. 7). The psalmist answers his own riddle and makes clear that the reason the sea fled and the Jordan turned back and the mountains skipped was because of the Lord’s awesome presence. In verse 7, the psalmist is indeed speaking to the earth but it is fairly obvious that he is speaking to the earth in hopes that the hearts of his human readers will be moved. If the inanimate, soulless earth trembles in such a way at the presence of the Lord, should not the people of God – who were made in his image and, even more, chosen as his personal possession and dwelling place – tremble at his presence as well? This is the psalmist’s goal in writing this psalm.

What does this have to do with us?

As we look at Psalm 114, it might seem like nothing more than an interesting account of Israel’s journey from Egypt to Canaan. Hopefully, we recognize it as more than that because – at the very least – the God of Israel’s history (and of Psalm 114) is the same God we deal with today. If the earth trembled at his presence then, surely it will do the same now. And if God’s people were to fear him and tremble before him then, surely we are to do the same now.
On top of the fact that the God of Psalm 114 is the same God as today, we should also readily recognize that the power of the God of Psalm 114 is the power of today. As we have talked about over the last few weeks looking at various psalms, Israel’s deliverance was but a shadow of the ultimate deliverance that we have experienced through our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The same power that parted the Red Sea and the Jordan and caused the mountains to shake and brought water from the rock is the power that has raised us from the dead and made us alive together with Christ. There is no law of diminishing returns with the Lord – his power never faints or grows weak. His power remains forever.
But, on top of those things, there seems to be a more central issue in this psalm that is easier to miss. The main point of Psalm 114 is the presence of the Lord and the response that it does (and should) induce. It is this concept of presence that I think it would be easy for us to miss. But it is this very concept of presence that permeates the whole Bible. The progression (and progressive revelation) of this concept is not difficult to follow.
One of the key differences between pre-fall Eden and post-fall Eden was the intimate presence of the Lord. In Eden, the Lord was in close relationship with Adam and Eve, but after the fall and the ejection from Eden, that presence ended. In time – at God’s initiative – a nation was chosen and God declared that his presence would be among them. This nation was Israel, and in Exodus 29:45-46, God says, “I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them.” We saw earlier Moses’ understanding of this critical reality. As a result of sin, this intimate presence of the Lord was only possible through the tabernacle and, later on, the temple. It was through those structures that the Lord dwelt with his people. And God told them “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them…I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people” (Lev. 26:3, 12). On the other hand, if they disobeyed, God promised to scatter them among the nations and remove his presence from them.
As most of us know, Israel indeed failed to obey the Lord and follow him. In time, Israel as a nation ceased to be because they were destroyed and taken into exile. The reality of God’s presence no longer being among them caused great despair. And yet, in the prophets, we see some promises that God’s presence among his people might come again. Jeremiah 32:37-38 says, “Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel also writes, “Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel….And they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Eze. 11:17, 20b). This allusion to the fact that the Lord will be their God and they will be his people seems to point to the fact that God’s presence will be among them once again. He will rule over them. Zechariah makes this even more explicit, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord” (Zech. 2:10). So, despite the failings of the nation of Israel, God’s presence is not forever lost. In fact, he promises a future day when it will be a reality once again.
This hope for the future is what makes the introduction to John’s gospel so compelling because he writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth….No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:14,18). One of the most glorious aspects of Jesus’ earthly presence on this earth is that it represents the reestablishing of God’s presence with his people. From Jesus’ life forward, the presence of God with his people exists again. So when Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to his disciples and tells them “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Math. 28:20b), a grand statement is being made. God’s is once again dwelling among his people.
And the glorious reality of us as the church is that the Word of God declares that the church – those who have repented of their sins and placed their faith in Christ and follow him as their Lord and King – is even now being built up into a dwelling place for God. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 writes, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” He also tells the believers in Ephesus, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19-22). The church is being built into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
And you might say, “Is that it? Is this earthly church the most we have to look forward to?” The answer is a resounding “no!” We look forward to that glorious day when sin is fully and finally defeated and we hear, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).
So, in light of this lengthy walk through the Scriptures, it becomes clear that the concept of God’s presence – which is the main theme of Psalm 114 – is a major theme throughout the Bible and one that it would do us much good to meditate upon even more.

So what should be our response?

To the original readers, the point of Psalm 114 would have been to fear the Lord – trembling at his presence much like the earth did when Israel left Egypt. This concept of fear would have been one of reverence and respect that issued forth in obedience. In much the same way, the exhortation to us as readers of Psalm 114 today is the same: fear the Lord. It is striking to notice the repetition of this command to fear the Lord throughout the various epochs of the Bible. Joshua 24:14 says, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.” Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” In the New Testament, Jesus says, in Luke 12:4-5, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” And in 1 Peter 2:17, Peter says – among other things, “Fear God.” The command to fear God is a common one.
And this fear should issue forth in a number of ways in the church. First, we should cultivate a healthy reverence and respect for God and the things that pertain to him. I do not think this means that there is no time for fun or relaxation or lightheartedness, but I do think the church should understand the weightiness of saying that the perfectly holy and righteous God who knows no sin is making his dwelling among us. It should affect the way we sing. It should affect the way we pray. It should affect the way we spend our time. It should affect every area of life.
Second, we should struggle with sin to the utmost of our strength because we are the dwelling place of God and “holiness befits the house of the Lord” (Ps. 93:5). The whole point of Paul’s declaration that we are the dwelling place of God in 1 Corinthians 6 is that we would flee from sin. We are to be holy because the God who has made his dwelling among us as the church is holy. Fight sin.
Third, trust in the Lord’s ability to deliver. Just as none of Israel’s enemies could stand before her, none of the church’s enemies will be able to stand before her. Is it because of the might of Israel and the church? Of course not. It is because of the might and faithfulness of our God. Do not despair when the cause of Christ seems to falter because it will succeed. Speak the gospel boldly and encourage one another often to persevere in faithfulness. Our cause will not fail; it will succeed.
Finally, to those who are not believers, I would exhort you to repent of your sins and follow Christ. Submit to the Lord, because you will never be able to stand before his wrath. Even the seas and the rivers and the mountains melt away before him. Do you think you can stand before such a great God? Swallow your pride and submit to him. You can never overpower him. Do you fear that he would never accept you? God accepts all who come to him with a humble and repentant heart. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and he desires that all men be saved. Repent and believe and God will dwell in you and make you holy as he is holy.
As we come to the table, we remember the sacrifice which made possible God’s dwelling with his people. It was Jesus Christ who revealed to us what no person has ever seen – the living God. His death, burial and resurrection is the means through which what was lost in Eden will be regained and surpassed. The tearing of the temple curtain upon Jesus’ death was a symbol that the dwelling place of God was now with men. There was no separation between those who would worship the Lord in spirit and truth. As we remember the sacrifice of Christ, may we be faithful to fear the Lord and to walk in holiness, realizing that the sacrifice we remember opened up the way for God to dwell among us and for us to come into his presence with joy. Amen.

FEARING THE ONE WHO HAS DELIVERED US