Psalm 114: magnalia dei (Great works of God)

Key Verse
2 Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
 
Meditation
God’s wonderful work forms a people to worship Him.
 
In today’s reading, God’s great work of redeeming Israel from Egypt and leading them into the promised land (vv. 1-4) is the foundation for all creation to “tremble at the presence of the Lord” (vv. 5-8). Judah became God’s “sanctuary” (v. 2) and the “presence of the God of Jacob” (v. 7) should wake-up the world to worship the Lord. 
 
God’s astounding authority is pictured through turning rock into water (v. 8), something He accomplished in Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Exodus 17:1–6; Numbers 20:1–12) and personifies in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As “the rock” symbolizes the strength of death and “water” symbolizes abundant life, so through Jesus alone is the strength of death defeated and abundant life offered to all who believe. 
 
God’s wonderful work of redeeming Israel from Egypt points to His greater work of redeeming His people from sin so His people can dwell with Him. The work Jesus accomplished through His representative life and substitutionary death was so God can be present with His people and restore us through His word. In Jesus, believers become God’s sanctuary (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20), the already reality of God’s redemptive purpose to one day be fully present with His people (2 Corinthians 6:16; Revelation 21:3). This work should be a witness to the world (1 Peter 2:12) that leads to worship, people trembling before a God whose love makes His enemies into family. 
 


 
Today’s Reading
When Israel went out 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;
    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, at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turns the rock into a pool of water,
    the flint into a spring of water.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the wonderful work of redemption that leads to God’s presence with His people and worship in the world?
 
-Do you respond to God’s wonderful work through worship? Why or why not?
 
-How does the finished work of Jesus and the promise of God’s presence with His people give you security to live a life of gratitude for God’s presence and worship in the world? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
2 Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.