Psalm 114: 1 -- Leaving the Land of Strange Shame

The Word of God is Limitless, Inexhaustible, and Enriching -- Like God Himself.

This year, 2014, is the year of Greater Glory, and the Psalm for this year, Psalm 114, can yield great treasures of God's grace for us to receive, reflect, and release to the world.

בצאת ישראל ממצרים בית יעקב מעם לעז׃

The first verse of Psalm 114 is presented above in its original Hebrew.

Here are the key translations from the previous post to bring out the full meaning of this verse for this banner year of greater glory:

King James Bible
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

International Standard Version
When Israel came out of Egypt— the household of Jacob from a people of foreign speech—

Young's Literal Translation
In the going out of Israel from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a strange people,

The Amplified Bible
¹ When Israel came forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,


The MessageAfter Israel left Egypt,
    the clan of Jacob left those barbarians behind;

The last translation brings out something more about the land which the Israelites were leaving.

Looking at the meanings behind the original Hebrew words, one finds more impressing things which we can learn about growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.

Turning from the first word of the verse, let us now look at the last word "laaz", which mean: "strange":

3937 [e]

lō-‘êz.

לֹעֵֽז׃

of strange

Verb

Notice that the word is a verb, not a noun or an adjective

One could call it a verbal, thus rendering the verse "from a people who spoke a strange language".

Yet the word gives off deeper meaning than just foreign.

The verb literally means:

laaz: to talk indistinctly or unintelligibly

Original Word: לָעַז
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: laaz
Phonetic Spelling: (law-az')
Short Definition: language

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to talk indistinctly or unintelligibly

Barbarians, or babbling, like the Tower of Babel, where the people of the earth attempted to overcome God's strength in their own, and thus God confused their language so that they could not work together.

Yet the word "laaz", if someone looks up the word in an English-Hebrew dictionary, also means "slander".

In other words, the Israelites left a land where they did not understand the language, where the people did not speak clearly or distinctly, but they left a land where slander and shame were spoken, too.

In Christ, we are no longer subject to shame or condemnation:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8: 1, NIV)

and also

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9: 14)

Then

"For by one offering he hath perfected[in their conscience] for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14)
When we grow in grace, when we leave our old selves, dead in trespasses, we enter into the righteousness and grace of God, in which we neither hear nor heed the hues of shame which the Satan, our flesh, and the world heap upon us:

"

14In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

 

15Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

 

16Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

 

17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54: 14-17)

 

Consider also Jesus' example during His earthly ministry:

 

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12: 2)

 

Wow!

 

This year, leave the strange shame of yesteryear, the ancient sins from which you have been purged through the blood of Jesus (2 Peter 1:8-10), and growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord! (2 Peter 3: 18)

 

 

   

Psalm 114: 1 -- Going out to Grow in Grace

The Word of God is Limitless, Inexhaustible, and Enriching -- Like God Himself.

This year, 2014, is the year of Greater Glory, and the Psalm for this year, Psalm 114, can yield great treasures of God's grace for us to receive, reflect, and release to the world.

בצאת ישראל ממצרים בית יעקב מעם לעז׃

The first verse of Psalm 114 is presented above in its original Hebrew.

Here are some key translations to bring out the full meaning of this verse for this banner year of greater glory:

King James Bible
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

International Standard Version
When Israel came out of Egypt— the household of Jacob from a people of foreign speech—

Young's Literal Translation
In the going out of Israel from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a strange people,

The Amplified Bible
¹ When Israel came forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

Interesting how the Amplified Bible does not bring out much  more from these verses.

The Message:
After Israel left Egypt,
    the clan of Jacob left those barbarians behind;

The last translation brings out something more about the land which the Israelites were leaving.

Looking at the meanings behind the original Hebrew words, one finds some impressing things which we can learn about growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.

The first word of the verse is actually "went out":

3318 [e]

bə-ṣêṯ

בְּצֵ֣את

went out

Verb

The original verb is yatsa, and its first  mention occurs in this verse:

"And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1: 12)
Going forth is about leaving the ground, or rising from the dead and bringing forth life.

Jesus spoke about the seed which dies and brings forth much fruit:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12: 24)

Jesus is the seed of Abraham (Hebrews 2: 16):

"For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." (Romans 4: 13)

and then

"That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9: 8)

We are all in the Seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ, and just as He died for us, so we died with Him, and as He rose from the dead, so have we:

"8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6: 8-11)

When we leave Egypt, the life of sin, the flesh, and the law, we are free to grow in grace. We begin to grow when we die to ourselves and let Christ Jesus live in us, for apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15: 5) and in ourselves we are dead, for our lives are hid in Christ (Colossians 3: 4)   

The Year of Greater Glory: 2014

Jesus in Center Place -- Graces you and me
With Greater Glory!
(Source: Richard Croft)

Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church spoke over the year 2013 a year of great provision and  victory. Citing unprecedented rain and snowfall in Israel, he declared a year of open doors for the Body of Christ.

In prior sermons, he shared that every Psalm speaks of a year, from Psalm One which corresponds to 1901.

Psalm 113 corresponds, then, with 2013.

In that Psalm, the singer speaks of the great graciousness and goodness of God, who takes the poor out of the dust, the needy out of the dunghill, to set them with princes, even the princes of His people.

This wonderful declaration speaks to every person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes us from dead in our trespasses to alive and seated in heavenly places.

To be seated with princes? We are seated with the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace!

The  last verse of Psalm  113 speaks of a barren woman keeping house, becoming a merry mother of children.

This wonderful miracle corresponds to these prophesied wonders:

"1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54: 1)

Paul references this wonderful promise to the Galatians:

"27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

"28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." (Galatians 4: 27-29)

 

When we realize the fullness of our new standing in Christ, that we receive His righteousness, that we receive His perfect standing before God the Father, we find that His grace can flow fully in our lives.

 

I submit that in my life, the year 2013 was the year of being established in righteousness, learning that my true identity is in Christ, with Christ, not with myself, and certainly having nothing to do with what I do or say or have. Everything that we have, we have because of Jesus.

 

When we know who we are, or rather whose we are, then we can look forward to Christ causing us to triumph in all things (2 Corinthians 2: 14), that in Christ we are more than conquerors in all things (Romans 8: 37), that concerning all things we can prosper and be in health (3 John 2).

 

We are Christ's, and Christ is God's (1 Corinthians 3: 23)

 

With this powerful revelation established for us, let us look to 2014, and the banner Psalm for this year of Greater Glory: Psalm 114!

1When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

2Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

4The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

5What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

8Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

Psalm 114: God's Great Outpouring

1When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

2Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

4The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

5What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

8Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

 

The Psalm for the year 2014 is Psalm 114, a song which recounts the glory of God our Father, who took everyone of us out of sin and death, and brought us into the Promised Land of His Son.

 

In this verse, the psalmist references the crossing of the Red Sea and the River Jordan, both of which speak of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and our death and resurrection with Him.

 

The verse repeats with boasting grandeur how the mountains and hills jumped away because of all that he LORD did. Every obstacle fled from the Israelites, and they will flee from us, too.

 

The last post focused on verse 7, the number of perfection, and the number of rest. God is a God of grace, blessing men and women because of His goodness, not theirs. He is the God of Jacob, who despite his lying, cheating, and fearful manipulations, received blessing upon blessing from the God of His Father Abraham and Isaac.

 

Now we look at the final verse, the eighth, and eight speaks of new beginnings.

 

This year will be one of new beginnings, in which we witness God take our hard, difficult, insurmountable troubles, and bring forth His Living Water.

 

The rock and the flint refer to the two accounts during the Israelites' wanderings.

 

About the rock, the first time that Moses struck the rock, a larger boulder on the ground, Moses followed the LORD's instructions perfectly.

 

"And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?" (Exodus 17: 5-7)

 

Pastor Joseph Prince shared a very power teaching in the accounts of Moses' striking a rock to bring forth fresh water. The first time that Moses hit a rock, he stood with the elders of Israel, and the LORD declared that he would stand and take the hit along with the rock.

 

This reading is fully established by Scripture:

 

"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10: 4)

 

Christ our Rock was hit for us, that we would not suffer the punishment of the Law, for He fulfilled and annulled those ordinances against us (Colossians 2: 13-15). Jesus promised that all of us who believe on Him would receive rivers of living water flowing out of our bellies, a miracle of cleansing and power:

 

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" (John 7: 38-39)

 

About the flint, this rock is actually a high cliff, which speaks of the risen Christ. Instead of the elders, Moses brought with him Aaron, the picture of Jesus as our serving High Priest. Because Jesus was already struck once, our ministry, our lives, and our faith as we approach God's throne of grace should never be with an attitude of hitting Christ again, as though He did not finish the job, nor should we minister to the Body of Christ with law or reproach or condemnation, but the grace of God, which teaches us to reject ungodliness and live holy lives (Titus 2: 11-14)

 

Moses disobeyed God because of his wrath, a demonstration that the law works wrath, when only grace produces obedience:

 

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also." (Numbers 20: 7-11)

 

Instead of fighting and hitting against our troubles, let us speak forth our faith in Christ and all that He has done, proclaiming that because Jesus gave us Himself, we can also trust that He will freely give us all things, too (Romans 8 32). And that verse in Romans, "freely", means "give graciously".

 

As we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord and all His goodness, let us cease from our efforts to coax or cajole God to bless us, but rather let us give forth the sacrifice of praise for all that He has done and continues to do for us.

 

While Moses was punished for striking the flint in Numbers, Psalm 114 does not record the wrongdoing which Moses perpetrated, but only the water which God freely gave from the flint. Furthermore, when Jesus was transfigured above Moses and Elijah, we find that Moses finally has crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land, to see the Promised Man, Jesus!

 

In 2014, expect to receive more of God's outpouring in your live. Pray in the spirit, keep yourself in the love of God, and watch as Christ in you, your hope of glory, breaks forth life in your midst to bless you and many others!

Psalm 114: Tremble at His Goodness Everywhere

1When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

2Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

4The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

5What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

8Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

 

In the Bible, seven is the number of perfection, or of rest (as in the work is completed).

 

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." (Genesis 2: 2-3)

 

The writer of Hebrews then mentions this rest to his Hebrew brethren, who were struggling to break out of the Old Covenant to enter into the New:

 

"3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:" (Hebrews 4: 3-6)

 

Now, what revelation can the Holy Spirit share with us about trembling?

 

The first mention of this word appears in this verse:

 

"And he stayed [trembled] yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;" (Genesis 8: 10)

 

We can infer from this passage that Noah was waiting with some trepidation, after he and his family and all kinds of animals were waiting in the ark floating over the global flood.

 

Here are the verses which follow:

 

"11And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. 12And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more." (Genesis 8: 11-12)

Just as Noah waited for the dove to return, then sent the dove again to rest, so too we allow the Holy Spirit to return to us
 

God wants us to wait and receive great revelation of how great He is. In this year, more people will be sitting still and seeing how great God is, how awesome he is over all circumstances, no matter what they world may throw.

I want to add a further comment to "The God of Jacob". When we see this phrase, we need to understand that Jacob, by his name and his actions, was hardly a godly man. He took advantage of his weakened brother Esau to take his birthright. Jacob, whose name  means "supplanter, grabber, cheat" took advantage of many to get his way, yet often his cheating ways caused him more trouble, especially when God wanted to bless him freely and liberally.

We need to tremble, indeed, and with great joy, before this good and wonderful God, who is so good, that He wants to bless us, in spite of ourselves.

Tremble at this good everywhere you go! Believe on Him, and let Him move in mighty ways in your life!

Psalm 114: Challenge Your Fleeing Enemies

"What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

"Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?" (Psalm 114: 5-6)

Five is the number of grace, and grace is the answer for why the sea fled and the Jordan was driven back.

These verses repeat what the Salvation of the Lord did for the Israelites, and phrases the events as questions which rail against the very hindrances which seemed, at least at the moment, to hold the Israelites in bondage to impossible, impassible circumstances.

So too everyone of us will look at the challenges which we had faced, and we laugh, even deride the very forces of the enemy which attempted to block our way into God's promises.

Your victory in Christ will be consummate and joyous, and many Scriptures speak to this relief:

"Hope in the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it." (Psalm 37: 34)

"The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:" (Psalm 52: 6)

"The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying," (Job 22: 19)

The same grace of God which takes us from dead in our trespasses to alive and seated in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2: 4-8), this same grace gives us the power to speak to every sea, every mountain, every hardship in our lives:

"Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it." (Zechariah 4: 7)

Remind yourself, too, when your troubles flee from before you. They do not run because of your strength, or your prestige, but because of Christ your righteousness (1 Corinthians 1: 30) and your hope of glory (Colossians 1: 27)

Psalm 114: Their Flight Will Make You Rejoice

"The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs." (Psalm 114: 4)


The word "skipped" is beautiful, and interesting, and deserves more attention.

This word does not merely imply running away, but dancing, too.

The first mention of the word occurs in First Chronicles:

"And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart." (1 Chronicles 15: 29)

David danced, and his wife despised him. Such will be the case for all who rejoice in God's grace, in the face of those who still live by the law, who think that they can earn the respect of God and man through their efforts as opposed to resting in faith.

"28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." (Galatian 4:28-29)

Yet instead of fighting of defending ourselves, let us dance with joy, that in Christ all our sins are forever put away, and not let anyone put back on us a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5: 1)

Consider also this beautiful prophecy in Isaiah:

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12)

Can you imagine every hindrance in your life not only fleeing from your path, but also applauding and singing for you, too?

The Proverbs share this promise for every believer:

"When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16: 7)

And our ways please God because of Jesus!

Also, when our enemies flee before us this year, we can rest assured that not only will these massive barriers be taken away completely, but their flight will be entertaining, a cause of great joy in our lives.

Moreover, we will dance with great joy, because we will revel in God's goodness toward us because of His Son, that only through His death and resurrection do we enjoy this unrelenting, consummate victory in all things.

For the record, I can comment already that these victories have been taking place in my life. Thank you, Jesus for all the good that you are doing in my life, and in the lives of many of your children throughout the world!

Psalm 114: His Sacrifice Moves Mountains and Heaves Hills

"The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs." (Psalm 114: 4)

Rams and lambs (literally, sons of the flock) speak of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1: 29)

The first mention of "ram" features in the Covenant which God cut with Abraham through His Son Jesus (Genesis 15: 8-11)

As for sons of the flock, the first mention of flock appears in connection Abel, who kept flocks, and who brought the sacrifice which God respected.

Jesus is the once, for all, forever sacrifice which God accepts, that we may be accepted before God in the Beloved (Ephesians 1: 6)

Because of the blood of Jesus, we overcome the condemnation of the devil, and when this root is removed completely, we find that all the mountains in our lives, and the hills in our way, flees as well.

Everything in the Bible, every victory promised to us in the Scriptures, begins and ends with all that Jesus has done for us at the Cross.

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11: 23)

The context of this verse, often quoted in the Word of Faith circles, connects with "Have God's faith" in Mark 11: 22.

We do not get God's faith through our efforts, but as a gift from God through His Son (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

We need Jesus, who through His body and blood took away our sins and was crucified in the flesh for us, that we may live by His faith in our lives:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2: 20)

The greatest barrier in our lives to God's goodness is sin in our flesh, the condemnation which afflicts every person born a child of Adam.

With the perfect, precious blood of Jesus, we are set free from this body of death, that we may walk in the Spirit of God:

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7: 24)

Then Paul declares:

"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7: 25)

Followed by:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Romans 8: 1, NIV)

Because we are set free from sin, from death, and brought into the blessed standing of our Jesus Christ (1 John 4: 17), we will see mountains depart and hills removed from us, that nothing can stop the blessed work which Christ Jesus is working in our lives:

"Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." (Colossians 1: 29)

and

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)

and

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15: 10)

His life moves us, and also moves the mountains and heaves the hills away from us.

This year, grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, that He has put away your sins forever, and in this grace watch the mountains in your path pass out of your way, in a dance (the full meaning of "skipped") which will entertain you.

Psalm 114: Watch Your Troubles Flee, Part II

3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

I want to focus on the word "fled" this time.

In the original Hebrew, "fled" is " nus", which means "flee, escape".

Imagine that. The Red Sea, or whatever bondage or frustration in your life will flee before you this year!

The first mention of "nus" occurs when Abraham pursed the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah:

"And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain." (Genesis 14: 10)

At the time, the father of faith was still Abram, yet God was already blessing him with riches, livestock, a large household, and strength and respect to take down major enemies in his life.

In Christ, we are all the seed of Abraham by faith:

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3: 29)

In Christ, you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8: 37), and He causes you always to triumph (2 Corinthians 2: 14) We do not achieve this victory in our strength, but instead we receive this powerful, overcoming life in Christ Jesus, our Salvation who separated the Red Sea and the River Jordan for the Israelites:

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16: 33)

and then

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4: 4)

Notice that in the New Covenant, you have overcome! The devil's only trick left is to deceived believers into thinking that they have to achieve victory in their own strength!

This victory has nothing to do with us, but with Christ in us (Colossians 1: 27)

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." (1 John 5: 4)

This is not some faith in anything, but faith in Christ and Him Crucified, that we believe on Him who the Father sent for us (John 6: 29)

We do not overcome anything in and of ourselves, but we rest in Christ Jesus, and God our Father makes all our enemies our footstool (Psalm 110)

This year, in 2014, watch your troubles flee before the Salvation of the Lord Jesus:

"And they overcame him [Satan, the Accuser] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Revelation 12: 11)

Psalm 114: Watch Your Troubles Flee

Psalm 114

When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

2Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

4The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

5What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

8Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

 

The Psalmist refers to God's parting of the Red Sea in verse three, as well as the dividing of the river Jordan when the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land.

 

"3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

 

Three speaks of divinity, and speaks of God's Almighty power, even when our circumstances appearing impossible, insurmountable, and unmanageable.

 

The Israelites faced the Red Sea as they were fleeing from Egypt. When they say the undivided sea in front of them, and the furious Pharoah and his minions pursuing them from behind, the Israelites cried out:

 

"10And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 11And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." (Exodus 14: 10-12)

 

The LORD God had worked amazing miracles in the midst of His people, and yet they were fearful and angry, believing that they would die at the hands of their former masters.

 

God did not punish the Israelites or leave them to die, but instead:

 

"13And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14: 13-14)

 

The LORD directs us to see His salvation: Jesus! Just as God saved His people from the Egyptians, so too we can receive from Jesus our Savior help every day.

 

About the Jordan River, the Israelites were not fearful. They walked in faith:

 

"1And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 3And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. 4Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore." (Joshua 3: 1-4)

 

The second time, the Israelites had been purged of the unbelieving generation which refused to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14). Without enemies behind them, the Israelites saw the ark of the Covenant before them. This altar, with its mercy seat, covered the major sins of man: rejection of God's supply (manna in jars), rejection of God's authority (the budded rod of Aaron), and the rejection of God's standard (the Ten Commandments).

 

Joshua instructed the Israelites to stand back and see the Salvation of the Lord once again, and as the priests stepped into the Jordan, the river was divided, just like that!

 

Just as Israel fled from Egypt and then entered into the Promised Land, so too we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, who takes out of our dead lives and wrong beliefs, and brings us into greater glory, granting us power and strength to walk in victory and live as hyper-victors in Christ.

Psalm 114: It's All About Praising the Prince With God

"Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion." (Psalm 114: 2)

Notice that Judah is mentioned first.

Jesus is the Lion of Judah.

Jesus came out of the tribe of David.

He is priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, not after Aaron, a priesthood which blesses only, not curses.

Judah also means "praise".

We praise God because He is our sanctuary.

Yet the original Hebrew reads for sanctuary "qodesh" or holy.

We can just as well read the verse "Judah was holy" or "Judah was holiness".

We praise God because in Christ we receive His righteousness, and as we see more of Him, we are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3: 18).

Israel his dominion: that speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven.

In Christ, we receive His righteousness, and He is made unto us sanctification, too (1 Corinthians 1: 30)

By His stripes, we are healed, and we enter into this holy dominion of His governance.

Let us rest assured as we enter into 2014 that God is interested not just in taking us out of Egypt, but that He is bringing us with certainty into a better kingdom, a perfected life in which He has provided all things for us.

He just asks that we believe on Him (John 6: 29)

This year, see how perfectly Jesus has taken you from dead in trespasses to alive and seated in heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 2: 4-6), recognize that you are now a new citizen in the Kingdom of God's dear Son (Colossians 1: 13) and praise the Prince of Peace, who is with God and is God (John 1: 1)

Psalm 114: We Are Going Where We Have Always Been

1When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

2Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

4The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

5What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

8Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

The first two verses of this wonderful psalm seem strange, not just for the reference of Israel leaving Egypt, a land of strange language, but for the following strange repetition

"When Israel went out of Egypt. . .Israel [was] his dominion]"

Israel is going to Israel. . .

That's exactly the life of grace and peace which we live and receive in Christ Jesus!

We are granted every spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus when we are born again.

Yet many Christians just sit and stare at life, contenting themselves with "I am born again."

Peter invites us to learn of the treasures that we have in Christ:

"Grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord." (2 Peter 3: 18)

Paul would write to the Corinthians (and by extension, to all of us):

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (2 Corinthians 4: 7)

Jesus shared during His earthly ministry:

"Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." (Matthew 13: 52)

Instead of trying to get something, the life of every believer in Christ is to learn more about all the great things which we have received because of Christ and Him Crucified:

"17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." (Ephesians 1: 16-19)

It's one thing to know that we have been seated with the Prince of His People (Psalm 113)

In this year of greater glory, let Jesus take you into the Promised Land of His rest (Hebrews 4: 11), where you will find that He is freely giving you all things with Himself (Romans 8: 31-32)

Psalm 114: Greater Victory in Christ Jesus

1When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

2Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

4The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

5What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

8Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

 

Look at that first verse:

 

1When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

 

In Christ, we are all Israel:

 

"15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:15-17)

 

We have received the blesses Spirit of Adoption, and now we can call God "Daddy", because we have received His Son's standing, that "As He is, so are we in this world!" (1 John 4: 17)

We are now in Israel, and we can read every promise for Israel as a promise for us, too.

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." (Galatians 3: 16)

and then

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3: 29)

We are in Christ, therefore we can receive every triumph recorded in the Word of God regarding Israel as regarding us, too!

The first word should give automatic comfort of victory. "When" not "if" is the word. When Israel left Egypt, the world, the land of strife and struggle, the land of oppression and depression, the land where the rulers break you, and the rules break you all the more, where nothing makes sense, and where no one is willing to help.

For many, such as myself, the Bible was a closed book, a book which I read for tips on how to live. Now that I have learned that the Bible is not about me, but about Jesus, He who brings us by adoption to become Israel, then the book is no longer closed to me.

Because I am of Israel, not of Egypt, the ways of the world, the life of living by my efforts instead of resting in His grace and truth (John 1: 17) will never make sense to me.

Conversely, a life of grace and peace granted to us as a never-ending gift through Christ Jesus (Romans 5: 17) will be a stumbling-block for the world and for Christians still living under law (1 Corinthians 1: 23)

We have the greater victory, the greater glory in Christ Jesus, and so let us leave Egypt, cease identifying and practicing the ways of the world, the counsel of the ungodly, and the seats of the scornful, and the ways of sinners who do not know or care how good God is!

 

 

2014: The Year of Greater Glory

Jesus in Center Place -- Graces you and me
With Greater Glory!
(Source: Richard Croft)

Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church spoke over the year 2013 a year of great provision and  victory. Citing unprecedented rain and snowfall in Israel, he declared a year of open doors for the Body of Christ.

In prior sermons, he shared that every Psalm speaks of a year, from Psalm One which corresponds to 1901.

Psalm 113 corresponds, then, with 2013.

In that Psalm, the singer speaks of the great graciousness and goodness of God, who takes the poor out of the dust, the needy out of the dunghill, to set them with princes, even the princes of His people.

This wonderful declaration speaks to every person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes us from dead in our trespasses to alive and seated in heavenly places.

To be seated with princes? We are seated with the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace!

The  last verse of Psalm  113 speaks of a barren woman keeping house, becoming a merry mother of children.

This wonderful miracle corresponds to these prophesied wonders:

"1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54: 1)

Paul references this wonderful promise to the Galatians:

"27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

"28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." (Galatians 4: 27-29)

 

When we realize the fullness of our new standing in Christ, that we receive His righteousness, that we receive His perfect standing before God the Father, we find that His grace can flow fully in our lives.

 

I submit that in my life, the year 2013 was the year of being established in righteousness, learning that my true identity is in Christ, with Christ, not with myself, and certainly having nothing to do with what I do or say or have. Everything that we have, we have because of Jesus.

 

When we know who we are, or rather whose we are, then we can look forward to Christ causing us to triumph in all things (2 Corinthians 2: 14), that in Christ we are more than conquerors in all things (Romans 8: 37), that concerning all things we can prosper and be in health (3 John 2).

 

We are Christ's, and Christ is God's (1 Corinthians 3: 23)

 

With this powerful revelation established for us, let us look to 2014, and the banner Psalm for this year of Greater Glory: Psalm 114!

Live In Praise -- Rest in the Prince

The next verse for the Psalm of the year, Psalm 114, tells us where we live.

היתה יהודה לקדשו ישראל ממשלותיו׃

"Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion." (Psalm 114: 2)

Even before the nation of Israel left Egypt, God promised to these people through Abraham a land flowing with milk and honey:

"13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." (Genesis 15: 13-16)

When God revealed the Promised Land to Abraham, He also told them that the Israelites would be prisoners for four hundred years, but would leave the land with great substance:

"And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians." (Exodus 12: 36)

Without shedding any blood or sweat and tears, the Israelites got all the back pay and more for the slavery they had endured

היתה יהודה לקדשו ישראל ממשלותיו׃

God wants us to live in Praise -- the meaning of Judah, for He inhabits our praises, and we raise our awareness to our Perfect King, who reigns in us, with us, and for us in all things.

Israel means "prince with God", and today we are princes with Christ Jesus, for we reign in life with Him:

'"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)

and also

"4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: " (Ephesians 2: 4-6)
We live in praise, and we rest in the Prince of Peace!