Psalm 114: A Picture of the Christian Experience
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. Psalm 114:1-8 (KJV) emphasis mine
Psalm 114 points to aspects of the Christian experience.
Israel means Prince with God, showing that God will rule in our circumstances and we rule with Him.
Egypt is house of bondage.
Judah means praise, or the Lord be praised.
Sea symbolizes extremely difficult problems, a situating of people and nations that we encounter on our journey.
Jordan represents a crossing over.
Israel
We are spiritual Israel, and of course, there is natural Israel, the nation. Jacob wrestled with God and prevailed. God then changed his name to Israel. As we prevail with God, He also changes us to rule with Him. When we are born again, we change identities, and then we begin the process of transformation into the rulers God wants us to be.
Egypt
In this life, we will encounter the world, which tries to bring us into bondage. We must remember that we’ve been delivered from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4). There are parallel societies at play: the world and the kingdom of God. The world speaks a different language than God’s kingdom, thus we’ve come out of Egypt, or the world, a people of strange language. We’ve been translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Colossians 1:13). We must speak the language of the kingdom of God in order to operate in that kingdom and operate above the system of the world.
Judah
Judah means praise. Jesus is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). As we praise Jesus, He roars and comes on the scene to make us victorious in our Christian walk. Judah is God’s sanctuary. Praise gives God a place to dwell. God inhabits, or is enthroned in, our praises (Psalm 22:3). Thus, we rule with God in this life and are overcomers (Romans 5:17). Praising God gives us the victory in every area of life.
Sea
Although we are born again, we still encounter difficult problems and people. We can take a page from Moses’ playbook and stretch forth our rod over the sea of difficulty. The rod is the Word of God. Speak forth God’s Word and see miracles. That which stood in our way will divide and we will walk through it to our deliverance. Remember that God did not remove the Red Sea. He parted it and the people walked through it. Although we would like all problems and obstacles to be removed, usually we end up walking through difficult times to come out victorious on the other side. And we have the assurance that God is with us to make the way for us to walk through it.
Jordan
Jordan was the crossing over into the Promised Land (Joshua 3). We face resistance and challenges that try to keep us out of our Promised Land, or out of what God has promised us. Israel had to take steps to see God make the way for them to cross. We, too, must take steps (Hebrews 6:12). As we keep taking steps and following the Ark of the Covenant, which represents God’s presence, we will cross over and receive the promises of God.
Conclusion
God’s presence and Spirit are with us, leading us into the realization of God’s promises and everything that He has for us. We have left bondage behind and are free to cross over into the fulfillment of our destinies in God. We will drink of fountains and rivers of living waters. Praise the Lord, and watch Him make the way for you to enter into your Promised Land!
