Wednesday, April 17, 2019

God is Over Us, and God is Before us (Ps. 114:2b-8)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/17/2012 9:44:57 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Psalm 114 PT-3

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Psalm 114:2b-8

 

            Message of the verses:  In Today’s SD we will try and finish this short, but very meaningful psalm by looking at the last two sections, God Is over Us, and God Is before Us.

 

            God Is over Us (v. 2b):  “2 Judah became His sanctuary, Israel, His dominion.”

 

            We must remember what Dr. Wiersbe writes about the names Judah and Israel in this psalm: “’Judah’ and ‘Israel’ refer to the whole nation and not to the two kingdoms that formed after the death of Solomon.”

            When we talk about God being over us we are talking about the covenant that He had with King David, for this covenant between God and David assured that the descendants of David would rule over Israel, and eventually over the entire world from Jerusalem through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Even though Judah went into exile the descendants of David continued all the way to when the Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem for both Joseph and Mary were descended from David and we can see Joseph’s line in the book of Matthew and Mary’s line in the book of Luke.

            Israel did not do a great job in being a witness to the Gentile nations around her but actually began to worship the gods of the Gentile nations and thus the Lord had to punish all of Israel because of the idols that they worshiped.

 

            God Is before Us (vv. 3-8):  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 larger section of Psalm 114 speaks of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt as the psalmist writes about how both the Red Sea and the Jordan River were dried up so that Israel could pass through on dry land.  God provided water from the rock and manna from heaven for food and water as Israel marched for forty years in the wilderness.  In doing all of this we can see that God went before His people in order to care for them and provide for them.  Dr. Wiersbe writes that there are two different words for rock (KJV) in verse eight, in the NASB one is translated rock and one flint.  He writes, “The first refers to Exodus 17:1-7 and the second (flint cliff) refers to Numbers 20:1-13, one at the beginning of their journey and the other near the end.”  He goes on to write, “It is likely that the mountains and hills mentioned in verses 4 and 6 were in Canaan, and the picture is that of God removing all obstacles from before Joshua and the victorious Jewish army.”

            “If God be for us—and with us—and over us—and before us—who can be against us?”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  There are times in my life when I think that there are things that are against me, but after being reminded in this psalm that “who can be against us” it has renewed my faith.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to abide (remain) in the Vine so that I can receive my marching orders from the Lord as I go through life living for the Lord.

 

Memory verses for the week:  2Peter 1:8-10

 

            8  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9  For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10  Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

 

8/17/2012 10:35:49 AM

             

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