The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.
the Jordan turned back;
the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.
Psalm 114:3, 4,7, 8 (read Psalm 114) – NIV
This psalm describes in a poetic way what happened
when the people Israel left Egypt to go on an impossible journey of that
presented great obstacles between them and a "Promised Land".
As we face impasses in life there can be a song of
hope for us also. Our logic can look at a situation and say “There is no way through”,
but the heart can face the situation hoping for the best. The 114th Psalm
cites two impossible situations in the Hebrew tradition: the Red Sea blocking
the Exodus from Egypt and the flooded Jordan River that prevented the entry
into the Promised Land. To really live is to face the obstacles before us and
risk of failure. To die would be to retreat in fear and embrace failure. We can
really live only when we face our fears.
The sea that fled and the river that turned back are
metaphors that describe the obstacles we encounter along the way. Although
huge, they are not invincible. They can be crossed. The leaping mountains and
hills represent the vibrant life force that supports us and that makes life
worthwhile.
We are People of God to the extent that we move in the
direction that makes the creation jump for joy! The Lord's purpose is to help
overcome obstacles and seek to bring about changes that turn “rocks into
springs of water”. The rich symbolism of this psalm shows a power beyond us as
we have courage face obstacles.
Our Egypt is not a geographical state with drawn boundaries,
but a social and economic world without clear divisions. It is a system of
values and priorities that enslaves us. There is a privileged minority of
powerful capitalists, militarists and politicians who live by the exploitation
of the majority for personal gain. The supreme value is economic. Earnings and
asset accumulation are above the common good. The unbridled exploitation of
natural resources is upsetting the ecological system and future generations are
threatened. If this keeps up, the human race itself may go into extinction. Our
Egypt is the State of Self Destructive Exploitation.
To live is to see beyond the present obstacles and
have a vision of how the world could be better, a vision of a "land of
promise". It is to engage in activities that promote social, environmental
and physical health. It is to be transformed and to act to promote transformation
in the world around us.
The head says that all this would be only a drop in
the ocean and would make no difference. We would be sacrificing ourselves for
nothing. But the heart can enter with actions of faith and hope, remembering
that small seeds can produce large trees. To live is to journey toward a
vision. Life force can overcome the obstacles of the seas and rivers on our
path. Only then mountains and hills can jump for joy.
PSALM 114 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
When Israel came out of Egypt,
Jacob from a
people of foreign tongue,
Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his
dominion.
The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan
turned back;
the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills
like lambs.
Why was it, sea, that you fled?
Why, Jordan,
did you turn back?
Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills,
like lambs?
Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the
presence of the God of Jacob,
who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard
rock into springs of water.
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