Tremble O Earth, At the Presence of the LORD
By Pastor Mitch
November 22, 2019
REMEMBERING THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD AND HIS POWER
One wonderful truth that we learn from the Scriptures is the greatness of the Lord’s power. The Psalmist took time to reflect on the awesome works of the Lord and the demonstration of His power with regards to the nation of Israel.
1. The Lord’s power in opening the Red Sea and the River Jordan
The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back….what ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back?…” Psalm 114: 3,5
The Red Sea and the River Jordan were personified. When they saw the Lord’s power, the Red Sea fled. The Psalmist was asking the Red Sea what was troubling him and that he was fleeing. When the River Jordan saw the power of God, it turned back. The Psalmist was mocking it for turning back. These were demonstration of God’s power in opening the Red Sea and the River Jordan.
2. The Presence of the Lord at Mount Sinai
The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs….what ails you…O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs?” Psalm 114:4,6
The scene is now changed to the mountains and hills at Mount Sinai. When the Lord’s presence came upon it, the mountains and hills surrounding it shook (Exo. 19:16-20). They were seen like rams and lambs skipping and jumping up and down. Again, the Psalmist taunted the mountains and hills. They were all fearful at the presence of the Lord.
3. The provision of water from the rock
Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of water.” Psalm 114:8
It was the Lord God who also did this great miracle of bringing water out of the rock. The Lord God asked Moses to strike the rock at Horeb and water came out of it and the people drank (Exo. 17:5-6). Again, we see the Lord’s great power in providing for the people.
A PROPER RESPONSE AT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.” Psalm 114:7
The challenge from the Psalmist is to seek to fear the Lord. The call is for the whole earth to tremble at His presence. When the people of Israel saw the power of God at Mount Sinai, they trembled (Exo. 19:16). We too are to also tremble and fear the Lord as we should in worship and in all that we do for Him. The Lord’s power is truly awesome. His power goes together with His presence. Let us all have that proper regard at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
