Miracles of God – Psalm 114

“When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion.” Psalm 114:1-2

Psalms 114 reflects on the miracles of God. God teaches us in the Scriptures to keep the memories of His mighty miracles fresh in our minds. The devil’s goal is to get us to forget God’s miracles so that we lose confidence in God’s ability to help us.

God brought Israel out of slavery with great power. They did not escape secretly or flee in fear. They left Egypt openly and victoriously with dignity and honor. [1] Psalm 105:43 says that God brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with singing.

Although they lived among the Egyptians, the Israelites preserved their own language and identity. Thus, the language of their oppressors was strange to them. In a sense, they fulfilled what Jesus said about His sheep hearing His voice and not listening to the voice of a stranger.

After delivering Israel, God established them as His sanctuary—the people among whom He would dwell. In 1 Peter 2:9, God speaks of His people as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that they may proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light.

God’s Word to Pharoah King of Egypt was “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.” God delivered them so they could serve Him in holiness and righteousness all their days. [2]

God placed His sanctuary among His people, where He revealed His presence and received their worship. [3] Praise God! He is also revealing His presence and receiving our worship nowadays.

“The Sea saw it and fled. Jordan turned back.” Psalm 114:3

God opened the Red Sea and the Jordan River before His people. God rolled out the red carpet for them. God also opens heaven for us who believe in Him as our souls depart from these earthly bodies.

In Isaiah 51:10, it is written, “Are You not the One who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a road for the redeemed to cross over?”

“The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back? O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O, little hills, like lambs?” Psalm 114:4-6

When God descended on Mount Sinai to give His Law to Moses, the mountains shook, but in the verses above the mountains are skipping about as carefree lambs. The connotation here seems to be that even great mountains that are not apt to get up and move for anyone, skipped for joy when Israel walked with God in close communion.

“Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.” Psalm 114:7

In Exodus 15:15, we read that the chiefs Edom were dismayed, the mighty men of Moab trembled and all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away at the news of what God had done. The Red Sea and the Jordan could not stand in Israel’s way because God led them. [4]

When God decides to deliver His people, there is no sea too deep and no river too wide for Him to cross. There is no obstacle too great for God to overcome. He removes every barrier. [5]

Just as the sea gave way before Israel, darkness gives way before Christ. In Mark 1:34, demons fled from Him. [6] In Acts 19:19, pagans forsook their magic books and embraced Jesus. God drove out evil spirits from them and filled them with His Holy Spirit.

God’s saving work changes the human heart. Sinful desires lose their draw. Prejudice, pride, and unbelief melt away. [7] The Holy Spirit brings every thought into joyful service unto Christ.

“He turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.” Psalm 114:8

In 1 Corinthians 10:4, it is written that the rock which yielded water for Israel to drink “was Christ.” And as Israel received life-giving water from the rock, we believers and professors of Christ receive spiritual life from His Holy Spirit who dwells within us. He is the fountain of living water, supplying us with grace upon grace. [8]

Just as death gave way before Christ on His resurrection day, death shall not keep us from Christ when these earthly bodies die. In 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, God explains to us that at death “the body is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:49, God promises that “as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man,” that is, Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!

The same God who redeemed Israel from slavery, has made redemption from sin, death and devil available to us. In John 3:16, Jesus says to us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”


[1-8] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary