Sermon Tone Analysis
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God has continually reassured us that He is with us and always will be all throughout His Word.
He has also promised to use His strength to help and protect us.
Still, we may have a particular need for assurance of God's presence and even a specific display of His power when we are experiencing fear, doubt, insecurity, hurt, or a significant loss.
After the Babylonian captivity, the Jews who had been exiled to Jerusalem had battled to reconstruct their city and culture.
They faced numerous opponents and challenges as they rebuilt.
They required a new encounter with God and a new experience of His might because they were worn out and frustrated.
They were able to overcome their complex challenges by reflecting on God's previous commitment to their country.
The greatest occasion in Israel's history, the Exodus, is remembered in Psalm 114.
In terms of beauty and majesty, this psalm stands head and shoulders above all other psalms that commemorate God's deliverance of His people from Egypt.
Commentator Alexander Kirkpatrick contends that “for perfection of form and dramatic vividness it is almost if not quite unrivaled in the Psalter.”
Great preacher Charles Spurgeon describes it as sublime, asserting that “no human mind has ever been able to equal, much less to excel, the grandeur of the Psalm.”
Derek Kidner, a commentator, calls it a masterpiece.
The strength of God's presence among His people is the song's theme.
The unidentified author shows precisely how far God will go for His own.
God will use all of His might for our benefit.
To save us, He will move heaven and earth.
Even His creation will be changed in order to protect us.
In this magnificent poetry, the history of Israel is a reflection of what believers go through today.
Since the time we accept Christ as our Savior, God dwells in Christians by His Holy Spirit.
He is constantly with us, and we have access to all of His power.
We are able to overcome every challenge and win in every trial because of the Lord's mighty presence in our life.
I. Remember His Deliverance
(114:1)
There is little doubt that the Exodus was the most significant event in Israel's history.
As a result, several of the psalms commemorate God's exodus of His people from Egypt.
The Israelites grew stronger during difficult times by recalling God's faithfulness and power during their ancestors' captivity to Egypt.
Egypt is a symbol of the world in Scripture.
In light of this, God's deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt is a picture of our deliverance from this evil world.
Christ frees us from the bonds of this world and our slavery to sin when we turn to Him and receive Him through faith.
We are set out on a trip to the promised land—heaven, the home of God and our eternal home—much like the ancient Israelites journeyed to their promised land.
When we have a special need for God’s presence and power, we ought to remember the day of our salvation.
The day we are reborn is unquestionably the best day of our lives.
Commentator Alexander Kirkpatrick remarks that “the Exodus from Egypt was the birthday of Israel as the people of Jehovah.”
The day of our salvation serves as both our spiritual birthday and the day we enter the family of God.
The greatest event in our life will be God's work in delivering us from the bonds of sin.
We will be encouraged during our current struggles if we remember what God did for us when He set us free from sin—its penalty (eternal death) and its power over us.
When we need to feel close to God, we should go back in our minds to the moment we were saved, remembering how we felt when the Lord...
spoke personally to our hearts about our need of salvation
reached out to us with His love, mercy, and grace
assured us that He heard our cry for forgiveness
graciously forgave our sin, rolling its unbearable burden off our backs
cleansed us with the blood of Christ
released us from the guilt of our sin
came to live within out hearts by His Holy Spirit
Vividly reliving when we were saved can draw us into God’s presence in a fresh and powerful way.
Recalling God’s progressive work of conforming us to the image of His Son can give us an explosive burst of God’s power for our present challenges.
We must never forget nor get over God’s miraculous work of saving us and delivering us from sin!
II.
Dedicate Yourself as a Sanctuary
(114:2)
We sing the song, “Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.”
God dwelled among the people of Israel and was their king.
He was their God, and they were His special people
God’s sanctuary, the holy place where He dwelled with His people in an unusual way, was in Jerusalem, which was in Judah.
Israel was God’s dominion—the place over which He ruled, the realm where He exercised His authority, the nation where He was king.
God no longer dwells with His people in a tent or a temple.
Rather, He actually dwells within His people by His Holy Spirit.
Our bodies are His temple; He lives in us.
In light of this truth, how should we live?
First, we should present our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord.
This is our reasonable service (Ro.
12:1).
Second, we should not be conformed to this world but transformed into vessels through whom God can accomplish His will (Ro.
12:2).
Third, we should keep our bodies holy, resisting temptation and refusing to defile God’s dwelling-place (1 Co. 3:16–17).
Fourth, we should glorify God through our bodies as well as in our spirits (1 Co. 6:19–20).
Fifth, we should live separated lives.
This means that we should not be yoked together or enter into partnerships with unbelievers.
In addition, we should reject unrighteousness and refuse to participate in the filthy, sinful things of this world.
III.
Grasp God’s Presence and Power
(114:3–6)
As His people escaped Egypt and made their way to the promised land, God was with them.
He worked miracles for them over and over again via His great might.
He supernaturally altered His creation to fulfill His goal for His chosen people by intervening in nature.
Nothing could prevent Israel from entering the promised land as long as God was with them.
He removed barriers that came before them.
(V3)
The Lord divided the waters that prevented His people from moving forward on two distinct occasions.
In order for the Israelites to leave Egypt, He first miraculously split the Red Sea (Ex.
14:21–22).
Secondly, God used His power to roll back the Jordan River's waters forty years later, so His people were able to march into Canaan (Josh.
3:16–17).
The psalmist poetically depicts these miracles as though they were living things.
The Red Sea spotted God’s people coming and fled out of their way.
Similarly, the Jordan River turned back for the throng to cross on its dried-up bed.
The Jordan was “a swiftly flowing river, pouring itself down a steep decline, and it was not merely divided, but its current was driven back so that the rapid torrent, contrary to nature, flowed uphill.”
He led His people over mountains and hills into the promised land, conquering all their enemies
(vv.
4–6).
The Lord guided His people through the Canaanite mountains and hills after they had passed the Jordan River.
He gave them the ability to defeat their enemies as they traveled.
The mountains and hills, according to the psalmist, skipped like sheep.
The meaning of this image is unclear.
Two opinions are prominent among commentators:
First, the mountains and hills leapt for joy at the powerful presence of Jehovah amongst His people.
This idea is supported by the fact that the Old Testament frequently uses the Hebrew word for skipped, raqad, to indicate to dance joyfully.
Second, when God strongly revealed His presence, particularly when presenting the law on Mount Sinai, the mountains and hills trembled (Ex.
19:18; Ps. 68:8; Is. 64:3).
This perception is more accurate given the chapter's context or setting for the statement.
The context stresses that nature trembles rather than rejoices at God’s mighty presence (v. 7).
His awesome presence and power turned back the Red Sea and the Jordan (v. 5).
The immovable mountains shook like frightened animals at the powerful presence of the Lord (v. 6).
Unlimited power is yours because of God’s presence in your life (Ep.
3:20).
Each of us has access to the same power that made the universe, split the Red Sea, and raised Christ from the grave.
God created us with a purpose in mind.
His power will operate in us to bring it about as we submit to Him.
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