Notes from teaching on Psalm 114 by Jason Coghill of Ministry of Psalms
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| Jason Coghill |
SING READINGS:
Ps. 77:15-20 (“Amazing” key G) Ex. 14:26-end.
Josh.3:5 & 14-end
Ps. 114 (When I Survey key D) Mark 4:35-end
INTRO: sense of smell…triggers memory. Hearing too! Esp. songs
A Remembrance psalm – recounting awesome deliverance & entry…
NB: Form: (God as Artist). Not just profound content, but beautiful form/style:
Most beautifully constructed song in the Bible. Striking imagery in “Heb. Parallelism.”
THEIR SONG - The Israel Then:
Vs. 1&2 –
Set the scene. Ref to an historical fact… (we read it)
Slaves to a people of foreign/strange language. Evil slave drivers…Bricks without…
Language barriers - frustrating at best of times...
400 years about to end. God’s power, justice & mercy revealed…
His protection & dominion over His people, (Israel/Jacob).
“Sanctuary…dominion” – Ex. 19:5,6 – “…if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people…and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Such event must be recorded. Psalmist had to write a song!
Maybe too overwhelming for long detail… leaves room for imaginations
Vs. 3&4 –
From now, whole mood/emotion = awestruck/wonder. Culminating at v.7 –“Tremble...”
Red Sea is personified. A million people entering… (Ex.12- “600,000 men.”).
Great army of thousands: chariots & horseman in hot pursuit.
“The sea saw and fled…” Fled in awestruck obedience to the will of God. People passed...
“The Jordan turned back…” – 40 years in 2 verses. (Josh. 3)
Mountains become like frightened rams; little hills like lambs. Esp. at Mt. Sinai (Ex.19)
“Skipped…” – Not peaceful meadow scene… (See Ps.29 context)
Mood is that of trouble or anxiety…
so psalmist asks:
Vs.5&6 –
Why such reaction O creation?...
Rhetorical Q. – Requires no answer. Rhetorical = concerned with style/dramatic effect. Therefore not so much answer, but a statement:
Climactic statement! Psalm has built up to, to reveal who’s behind all this.
Vs.7&8 –
The sea fled…mountains skipped b/c of the presence of the LORD!
The LORD created them, & has absolute dominion over them. “Stormy wind fulfils” Ps148
Esp. when that Word is bringing salvation. If it means stopping the sea, it will happen!
Not just sea & mountains but whole earth! “The earth is the..”Ps.24
“Tremble O earth…” Why? He “turned the rock into pool…” Num.20:11
Not just a rock turning into water – but flint, hard rock into fountain of waters!
Similar theme in Phil. 2:12 “Tremble O earth….” Why? b/c of God’s work… .
What has God done in us? Their song becomes “Our Song”
OUR SONG – The Israel Now
We too come out of an Egypt…Slaves to sin…Rom.6
“But… (Rom 6:17)…thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
What doctrine? The Gospel! Jesus Christ, crucified. Sacrificed for our sins!
We put our faith in Him alone & His righteousness alone
How did we come to “obey doctrine from the heart…?”
“He turned the rock into pool…” He our hearts of rock into flesh, (Ezek. 36).
Jesus said, John 4:14- “Whoever drinks the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” 1 Cor.10 – “They, (O.T Israel) all drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.”
Text: “Judah became His sanctuary…
We – the new Israel, (people of God) are the sanctuary of God. He “does not dwell in temples made with hands” - (Acts 17)
So What?
The sea fled, mountains skipped… earth trembled… Serious stuff.
Serious God. Serious Christ.
Finish with Heb.13:28 – “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”
Are you a saved person today? Have you come out of Egypt? Has your thirst been quenched by the waters from the living Rock – Jesus Christ?
Only Christ can redeem you from your Egypt of sin & guilt.
Only Christ can give you the water of eternal life.
And He does so to all who come to Him in faith.
“But my sin’s too great…” “You don’t know my situation…”
Christ knows it better than you do. He stopped wind & sea to save His people!
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