Psalm 114:3 Study Bible: The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back.

◄ Psalm 114:3 ►

The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back;

The sea observed and fled;
This phrase refers to the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, an event recorded in Exodus 14:21-22. This event is a pivotal moment in Israel's history, symbolizing God's deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. The "sea" here is the Red Sea, which God parted to allow the Israelites to escape Pharaoh's pursuing army. This act demonstrated God's power over nature and His commitment to His covenant people. The sea "observing" and "fleeing" personifies the waters, emphasizing the divine intervention that caused them to part. This event is often seen as a type of Christ's deliverance of believers from the bondage of sin, as referenced in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, where Paul draws a parallel between the Israelites' passage through the sea and Christian baptism.

the Jordan turned back;
This phrase refers to the crossing of the Jordan River by the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land, recorded in Joshua 3:14-17. Just as the Red Sea parted for the Israelites' escape from Egypt, the Jordan River stopped flowing to allow them to enter Canaan. The river "turning back" signifies God's continued presence and guidance as the Israelites transitioned from wandering in the wilderness to claiming their inheritance. This event occurred during the harvest season when the Jordan was at flood stage, making the miracle even more remarkable. The crossing of the Jordan is also seen as a type of entering into the promises of God, symbolizing the believer's journey into the fullness of life in Christ. The Ark of the Covenant, which led the way, represents God's presence and foreshadows Christ as the mediator of the New Covenant.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Sea
Refers to the Red Sea, which God parted to allow the Israelites to escape from the Egyptians during the Exodus.

2. The Jordan
Refers to the Jordan River, which God stopped to allow the Israelites to cross into the Promised Land.

3. The Exodus
The event where God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, leading them through the Red Sea.

4. The Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which God promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

5. Israelites
The chosen people of God, descendants of Abraham, who experienced these miraculous events.

Teaching Points

God's Sovereignty Over Nature
The parting of the Red Sea and the stopping of the Jordan River demonstrate God's absolute control over creation. Believers can trust in God's power to intervene in seemingly impossible situations.

Faith in God's Deliverance
Just as the Israelites witnessed God's deliverance through miraculous events, Christians are called to have faith in God's ability to deliver them from their own trials and challenges.

Remembrance of God's Past Faithfulness
Reflecting on God's past acts of deliverance encourages believers to trust Him in the present and future. Remembering these events strengthens faith and reliance on God.

God's Fulfillment of Promises
The crossing of the Jordan into the Promised Land signifies God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. Believers can be assured that God will fulfill His promises to them as well.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the imagery of the sea fleeing and the Jordan turning back enhance your understanding of God's power?

2. In what ways can you apply the lessons of God's deliverance in the Exodus to your current life situations?

3. How do the events of the Red Sea and the Jordan River crossings encourage you to trust in God's promises?

4. What are some personal "Red Sea" or "Jordan River" moments in your life where you have seen God's intervention?

5. How can reflecting on God's past faithfulness help you face future uncertainties with confidence?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Exodus 14
Describes the parting of the Red Sea, where God miraculously delivered the Israelites from the pursuing Egyptian army.

Joshua 3
Details the crossing of the Jordan River, where God stopped the river's flow to allow the Israelites to enter the Promised Land.

Psalm 77:16-20
Reflects on God's power over the waters, similar to Psalm 114:3, emphasizing His control over creation.

Isaiah 43:16-17
Speaks of God making a way through the sea, highlighting His ability to deliver His people.

Sermons

The Soul's Exodus	S. Conway	Psalm 114:1-8
The Spiritual Exodus	C. Short	Psalm 114:1-8
The Workings of the Eternal Will	Homilist	Psalm 114:1-8
Nature Made to Serve God's Purposes	R. Tuck	Psalm 114:3, 4
The Removal of Obstacles	J. W. Burn.	Psalm 114:3-4

People

Jacob, Psalmist

Places

Egypt

Topics

Backward, Driven, Fled, Fleeth, Flight, Jordan, Turneth

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Psalm 114:1-4

7223 exodus, significance

Library

February the Third Transforming the Hard Heart
The Lord "turned the flint into a fountain of waters." --PSALM cxiv. What a violent conjunction, the flint becoming the birthplace of a spring! And yet this is happening every day. Men who are as "hard as flint," whose hearts are "like the nether millstone," become springs of gentleness and fountains of exquisite compassion. Beautiful graces, like lovely ferns, grow in the home of severities, and transform the grim, stern soul into a garden of fragrant friendships. This is what Zacchaeus was like …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Rhapsody
This has been explained in the Introduction (pages xii-xiii) as a term applied to a highly characteristic form of prophetic literature, amounting to spiritual drama: actual dramatic dialogue and action being combined with other literary modes of expression to produce the general effect of dramatic realisation and movement. Some of the examples (I-III) are complete rhapsodies; IV is a discourse that becomes rhapsodic at its conclusion; V is a rhapsodic morceau, a single thought cast in this literary …
Various—Select Masterpieces of Biblical Literature

To Pastors and Teachers
To Pastors and Teachers If all who laboured for the conversion of others were to introduce them immediately into Prayer and the Interior Life, and make it their main design to gain and win over the heart, numberless as well as permanent conversions would certainly ensue. On the contrary, few and transient fruits must attend that labour which is confined to outward matters; such as burdening the disciple with a thousand precepts for external exercises, instead of leaving the soul to Christ by the …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Exegetic.
(i) As of the De Spiritu Sancto, so of the Hexæmeron, no further account need be given here. It may, however, be noted that the Ninth Homily ends abruptly, and the latter, and apparently more important, portion of the subject is treated of at less length than the former. Jerome [472] and Cassiodorus [473] speak of nine homilies only on the creation. Socrates [474] says the Hexæmeron was completed by Gregory of Nyssa. Three orations are published among Basil's works, two on the creation …
Basil—Basil: Letters and Select Works

The Acceptable Sacrifice;
OR, THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART: SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT. BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN LONDON. London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George Cokayn, will inform the reader of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Effectual Calling
THE second qualification of the persons to whom this privilege in the text belongs, is, They are the called of God. All things work for good "to them who are called." Though this word called is placed in order after loving of God, yet in nature it goes before it. Love is first named, but not first wrought; we must be called of God, before we can love God. Calling is made (Rom. viii. 30) the middle link of the golden chain of salvation. It is placed between predestination and glorification; and if …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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