Browse Bible Study Resources

Daily Devotions

Psalms

Psalms 
Day 
Day 247

Psalm 114:1a "When Israel went out of Egypt..."

Day 247 – Psalm 114

“When Israel went out of Egypt…” Psalm 114:1a

REMEMBERING THE EXODUS

Psalm 114 was a short psalm written by an anonymous psalmist. The focus of the psalm was to remember the time when Israel came out of Egypt. That was an historic moment that must not be forgotten easily nor taken for granted.

“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

1. The use of synonyms

a) Israel
b) Jacob

2. The clever use of phrases

a) Egypt was simply the name of the country that had made Israel slaves.
b) Egypt was symbolically described as “a people of strange language”.
i) It certainly was a different language of Israel which was Hebrew.
ii) This may intimate that Israel did not have an easy time learning Egyptian.
iii) Israel’s memory of their sojourn in Egypt was painful and bitter.

3. God was among His people

a) This was a comforting thought for the psalmist.
b) God was a shelter… a sanctuary… for His people.

4. “Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion”

a) God manifested Himself to His people, called “His dominion”.
b) One of those ways was through the tribes.
i) Judah is mentioned here in particular (Psalm 114:2).
ii) Benjamin was mentioned elsewhere (Psalm 68:27).