Psalm 114 Sing & Spring to Life Like Stone-cold, Flint-hardened Creation
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Intro: What is the last verse of the Psalter? Each oof the five books ends with doxolgy… but last Psalms just about all doxology… While much to learn about Son as King, and on blessing of meditating on His word, goal of the book is to enter by that Son and His blessing intot he way of praise, which bleads to true happiness -blessedness! So the command at the end of it all is:
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
I’ve got to ask you are you? Everyting in creation is or will be praising God - why he created it all! But is some dumb rock, going to be raised up to take your place because you are not praising God with your breathe?
Belly laugh… same with tears ..things that are ultiamtely good - Once I saw a man who must have been in a rush ..pay good money for a decent clean camp ground … maybe sick, road weary … saddest thing to me though, foot fot he mountains in Alberta or Montana - climbed in slept, left.. Didn't see him soak in the beauty at all! Do you know that is what we all do with God - not just busy or forgetfull but a) glory thieves; add to his course b) like what happens when no laughter or no tears - robbing yourself of what is most satisfying… like Lewis said - just like a car is designed to run on gas, your person is designed to run on God!
Like true prayer: "True prayer senses the presence of the divine majesty and human dust-and-ashes cohabiting. This cohabitation causes the sinner to take his shoes from off his feet, for the place of true prayer is holy ground!" Beeke
Do you get that? Like Moses, whole creation is to have a sense, awareness, - and we are to respond … That's what this Psalm is calilng us too enter into - as we know remember, sense, and experience, and hope for - God working in salvation!
Elizabeth Barrett Browning “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes; the rest sit round and pluck blackberries.”
Since enlightenment - taken natural laws, naturalism - closed system, In this view only space, time, matter… cause effect, - laws talked about as if not just descritpion of the regularlity but the cause! But think even of your own life.. Didn't begin life on \your own, won't finish it on your own. Life not just cause/effect… but also by faith see that interplay of creation "natural" and salvation and supernatural! Both from God. Natrual laws can't be looked at as if they make things happen, actually God in providence sustains all - Miracles occur, not as interruptions of the laws, but expression f freeedom enjoyed by Children of a wise and exuberrant Father… Supernatural viewof the world
God is saying to you and I in - not only is He involved and in charge, but when you experience His slavtion and interaction - you better be delighting in his work, trembling before it - quivering with sense of His goodness and greatness - more than any part of his inannmiate creation! Tremble before the Presence of God, delight in His work with a quivering sense of His active goodness and greatness!
A mountain, or hills you see reaching out to BlueMountain from Hw 27 better not do a better job of existing in the glory of God than your soul! You better be as responsive as the Red Sdea or the Jordan! We had better look at our lives, our world whicis God's creation - with expectation and thankfulness for God's work in it! Realize that as Christ present among us as that Rock, flwoing stream of life to us - realize that we are His sanctuary, His dominion of grace - kingdom in which He is so at work, and we are so attentive and appreciative of Him!
Look at this Rock at Sinai 20' square and high, mass of granite - jutting out of earth…fissures could imagine water flowing from, river bed, drainage today… God turned it into over flowing fountain of living water - a living pool of water in a dry and thristy land for a needy, sin-stained, cold hearted, Israel. Surprising things happen in this world -beyond our control and over our heads - =
I want to do three things:
Recover a Biblical View of Creation as Responsive to God, (vs. Static Maipulated Nature)
first show the wrong view of creation and ourselves as part of Creation that -this Psalm stops… really operates in he background - for Israel pantheism… polytheism… MAGIC… Creation treated Enlightenment Sci - some try to treat God like that too…
Creation vitally important, interesting where is God named in this Psalm, not till end. What is the focus? See it in how pronouns used: his sanctuary, his dominon = Go's gracious rule - land, parcel of creation becomes the arena in which divine action is
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak!
At Peter's confession told to keep quiet - disastrous his speech turn into wrong type of revolution… like gossip, slander, or judgmental hate - at Cross though - silenced Jesus, discipes silenced… BUT stones call out don't they:
and the same on Resurrection morning 28:1
There is a time in all our worship to keep a holy silence, time in our lives when we feel the silence of God too… wait on him, in agonizing absence, Luther hidden God… But that is not all time … and just like the rocks at greatest time - view of Creation responding to God when he is working salvation … Exodus, Jordan
I have preached - Song of Ascent - New Exodus … BUT now listen in a sense I drained all the poetry out of it; one of the most skillful poems in whole Psalter… - and the effect of it whould be like Jesus with those children about to be silenced… rocks themselves so why not you… understand creations response to living God, help you understand what your loud and joyful resopnse ought to be - a miraculous thing happens to our stone-cold, flint-hardened hearts, more impossible than rocks calling out … King has come, Divine God on earth - working salvation - can't be that His creation willl be silent;
Why it is more impossible - because though by nature we tip our hat to God once in awhile - we are glory theives… live for our own glory, think we can have salvation, take care of ourselves, get prosperity, success independent from God!
played out! See world like that?
2. Creation Responds to God’s Work in Creation for Salvation! How?
Remarkable description of Exodus not in narrative story - but poetry in motion -story is Moses struck the waters with his staff, waters parted, God provided a way of escape… ; Story is after 40 years of deseert wandering, Jordan river in overflow flood season of the year blocked their paths, this time no wind, divine fiat the waters piled up as Joshua struck the waters with his staff, as priest with ark -500m ahead - riversparted and way of victory for conquest of promiseed land oepn… = Exodus as one event, and our salvation, in our lives like that too - celebrated one, but 40 years wandering, the salvation not complete for you and I yet, following our Joshua… goal is in v.1 taking us out of land of slavery, people of streagne tongue - dominated by sin and death! Has he for you?
Not story - but poetry - not to exaggerate divine action on our turrf but to shows its extravagance…
Do you feel it - at the recounting of our salvation - death couldn't keep its rpey - jesus my Saviour , wating the comiong day - like Jordan river parting - earthwauek from heaven unseals that tomb, stone rolled away - who strides through LORD of Life - like Priests in the lead, Joshua - as all his people united to Him raised too - stepping into eternal life -already … promisd land ; feel it Passover Lamb sacrficed, temple veil parted so now - Fire of holy Spirit - not over the tabernacle in building, but individually and collectively upon and into believeres! -
Why? Freed us, so we can become the santuary of God on earth, His dominion!
Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
we have become his dominion - kingdom that Jesus told parable won't come immediately, until the Son Return , but is still here among us in power! Praying this week -for beyond what I expected… friend far away called and said You can't do it, no hope, can't heal what's broken, but God can; texted, who has been at lows in his life more than most of us put together … he texted: God is so good, eh!
1867 Sir John A. MacDonald - with Nova Scotia, and the Canadas (Quebec and Ontario) gathered into a larger political unit by the BNA Act, MacDonald proclaimed Canada a dominion among the possessions of God Almighty, under protection of the British Commonwealth and he alluded to as his guiding metaphor. God ruled, Elngland explored and protected, and Canada stretched out as dominion!
1926 became "atonomous communities… just uhnited with common allegiance to the Crown. And by 1982 Cadan became only one among several other idependdent distant Commonwealth relative - LOST idea of Cadna as a relam of great importance, called into being by even higher power, a terioty wehere we are partiicpatingh in some great unfolding grander global rule!
Approach to life says: Glory to man in the highest and on earth a hgiher standeard of living for all. Earth is ours to use not for our care! Subdue means put to use for my purposes, and Dominion means I am in charge = autonomy!
= torn out of the context of divinely purposed creation, human willfulness makes its own decisions without submitting decisions to the higher court
We have become his dominion - kingdom that Jesus told parable won't come immediately, until the Son Return , but is still here among us in power! Praying this week -for beyond what I expected… friend far away called and said You can't do it, no hope, can't heal what's broken, but God can; texted, who has been at lows in his life more than most of us put together … he texted: God is so good, eh!
As we see his power in our lives, power of his gospel of forgiveness, as we wait on it in aguished lack of hope in our selves and in oothers… - you believe it Christ's people become the Israel of God… our lives arena of grace in which he is working in all the messiness -even like israel now split into Judah and N Israel…
But what is the third God-event captured here and how does the creation respond?
The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
1926 became "atonomous communities… just uhnited with common allegiance to the Crown. And by 1982 Cadan became only one among several other idependdent distant Commonwealth relative - LOST idea of Cadna as a relam of great importance, called into being by even higher power, a terioty wehere we are partiicpatingh in some great unfolding grander global rule!
V.5 have all three events together, the Sea, the Jordan River are ailing - pain of child birth
Approach to life says: Glory to man in the highest and on earth a hgiher standeard of living for all. Earth is ours to use not for our care! Subdue means put to use for my purposes, and Dominion means I am in charge = autonomy!
= torn out of the context of divinely purposed creation, human willfulness makes its own decisions without submitting decisions to the higher court
But what is the third God-event captured here and how does the creation respond? V. 5 have all three events together, the Sea, the Jordan River are ailing - pain of child birth
The mountains, the you skip like rams? O hill like lambs?
Picture the children of Israel waiting in awe at the base of Mount Sinaai - Volcanic rumblings and earthquake shaking the moutnain - hear his voice, but now Moses gone up -receiving what LAW
If that is how creation marked the entrance of the Law ..what of when He speaks through His Son, speaks what answer the law - compeltes it, fulfills it - The Gospel - How do you mark the comong of God's word?
3. Creation (especially us) responds to God’s NT Salvation in Christ! How it responded in Christ's salvation to us - and therefore how we must be found responding…
But the foundation of all this is in
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
God has just taken the whole OT event of salvation - saying as you see creation responding like this, what about you o earth… Easy to see that the Exodus event, is fulfillled in the Christ event …
God has just taken the whole OT event of salvation - saying as you see creation responding like this, what about you o earth… Easy to see that the Exodus event, is fulfillled in the Christ event …
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak!
At Peter's confession told to keep quiet - disastrous his speech turn into wrong type of revolution… like gossip, slander, or judgmental hate - at Cross though - silenced Jesus, discipes silenced… BUT stones call out don't they:
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
and the same on Resurrection morning 28:1
and the same on Resurrection morning
And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
There is a time in all our worship to keep a holy silence, time in our lives when we feel the silence of God too… wait on him, in agonizing absence, Luther hidden God… But that is not all time … and just like the rocks at greatest time - view of Creation responding to God when he is working salvation … Exodus, Jordan
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
There is a time in all our worship to keep a holy silence, time in our lives when we feel the silence of God too… wait on him, in agonizing absence, Luther hidden God… But that is not all time … and just like the rocks at greatest time - view of Creation responding to God when he is working salvation … Exodus, Jordan
- Song of Ascent sung for the festival ultimately points to X, - New Exodus … BUT now listen in a sense I drained all the poetry out of it; one of the most skillful poems in whole Psalter… - and the effect of it would be like Jesus with those children about to be silenced…
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
rocks themselves so why not you… understand creations response to living God, help you understand what your loud and joyful resopnse ought to be - a miraculous thing happens to our stone-cold, flint-hardened hearts, more impossible than rocks calling out … King has come, Divine God on earth - working salvation - can't be that His creation willl be silent;
Rocks, will so why not you… understand creations response to living God, help you understand what your loud and joyful resopnse ought to be - a miraculous thing happens to our stone-cold, flint-hardened hearts, more impossible than rocks calling out … King has come, Divine God on earth - working salvation - can't be that His creation willl be silent;
The kingdom of the Messiah brings on a spiritual spring, Christ is that Rock .—Lifeless creatures testify against the blindness and unthankfulness of men.
Why it is more impossible - because though by nature we tip our hat to God once in awhile - we are glory theives… live for our own glory, think we can have salvation, take care of ourselves, get prosperity, success independent from God!
Do you tremble at the presence of God in your life? Not tingling sentimental look at nature -get you into the feeling of God. But His presence in salvation really worked among us?
Jesus’ reply as a straightforward metaphor, similar to OT texts that speak of creation responding with joy to the coming of God (;
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
).
“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
The moment of X having entered as King of Creation and Redemption is of such importance that it must find a response—if not a human one, then another”
Jesus’ reply as a straightforward metaphor, similar to OT texts that speak of creation responding with joy to the coming of God (; ). These scholars suggest that the responses of Jesus’ disciples and the response of the stones are equivalent: “This moment is of such importance that it must find a response—if not a human one, then another”
Creation trembles at the salvation of God, do you?
When we grow silent in praising God, and very especially, when a dark despotism, a besetting sin or a depression, imposes silence on the better-minded, when the gospel is suppressed, then the stones begin to cry out: they proclaim the judgments of the Lord, whose glory can have no end.” Lane.
5-7 If rocks and water respond like this - how should people like you and me?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
Let us tremble with a holy fear, at the presence of God, in the world by his providence, and by his Spirit in our consciences ; so that we may have hope and courage in the day when he shall arise to shake terribly the earth ; when '' every island shall l!y away, and the mountains shall be no more found." .
Let us tremble with a holy fear, at the presence of God, in the world by his providence, and by his Spirit in our consciences ; so that we may have hope and courage in the day when he shall arise to shake terribly the earth ; when '' every island shall l!y away, and the mountains shall be no more found." .
And here is the big application in realizing that we are to tremble and rejoice with more attention and responsiveness than the rest of creation to God's works! The application is living prayer that connects our everyd ay world of creation, to God's great acts of salvation! Our prayer isn't an emotional sidelines activity; it is not a little beauty for a backdrop; this kind of prayer conects the large beauty of God's plan, salvation, miracles to our world and problems and workdaday world -
I have just read frist 6 books of the bible - underlining in yellow every time the Presence of God is described - Divine presence accompanies His people - and that is the beauty of this Psalm - it doesn't falt out name God until the last verse, His presence is assumed and understaned - God is not named to keep us guessing - why does nature tremble like t6his, why River recoil back like a snake, why hills dancing … why do mountains leap? This kind of prayer and praise - all of a sudden launches into the truth that God in His majesty is active in our world, and lives, and He is active to bnring us salvation!
Think on the works of Savaltion, think on God’s own activity in your life, world in the chruch - reflect at the end of the day - are you in a dry season - as many of God’s people go through - don’t take it lying down, kick at he darkness and knock down the prison doors with the praises of God!
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Medieval Church Learning through Dryness and Abandonment
Many holy and devout souls have been proved by dryness, and seemed for a long while as if it were abandoned by God, that they might thereby learn patience and compassion for others, by the sense of their own sorrow and need, and not to presume too much on themselves in the moment of fervor, and in the season of spiritual jubilation.
THOMAS À KEMPIS
Learn not to to trust your emotoinal states so much as the presence of God and His promises!
We ought to go through our days, with a yellow highlights - here is how I sensed God in creation, in providence, in his Word, among His people working today - here is what I am waiting for with God, Here is what I am praying -attentive to His Plan, His Ways, His Goodness!
No matter what emotional staet you are in , no matter how far or near God may seem to you… come knowning that Christ - is the spiritual rock in your wilderness that God causes living water to flow from coinntuaously into our lives!
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.
Psalm
and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.