A Mocking Psalm

Psalm 114

1 When Israel went forth from Egypt,

The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

2 Judah became His sanctuary,

Israel, His dominion.

3 The sea looked and fled;

The Jordan turned back.

4 The mountains skipped like rams,

The hills, like lambs.

5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee?

O Jordan, that you turn back?

6 O mountains, that you skip like rams?

O hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord,

Before the God of Jacob,

8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water,

The flint into a fountain of water.

This psalm reminds us of a few moments in the Exodus and the journey toward Canaan, including the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21), the stopping of the Jordan (Josh. 3:13), the quaking of Mt. Sinai at the Lord’s presence (Ex. 19:18), and the water God provided from the rock (Ex. 17:6). These are moments that ought to retain their place in our memories forever.

But even more than the moments themselves, this psalm shows that God’s power makes a mockery of even the mightiest earthly juggernauts. Mountains, seas, rivers, and even hard, dry rocks cannot help but bend to His will and tremble in His presence. God’s people do not need to be shy concerning His absolute authority. Instead, this psalm encourages us to take a proud stance, fully and firmly proclaiming God’s unrivaled capabilities. As it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31).