The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
Psalm 114:3 recalls two great acts by which Jehovah brought Israel from Egypt into the land promised to their fathers. Verse 1 has already named the exodus: “When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language.” Verse 2 declares that Judah became His sanctuary and Israel His dominion. Then creation itself yields before Him. The Red Sea fled at the beginning of Israel’s journey, and Jordan was driven back at the end of it. These events were separated by forty years, but the psalm joins them because the same God ruled both waters. This is praise for Jehovah’s mighty deliverance of His people, calling worshippers to remember that seas and rivers obey the God who brought Israel out and brought Israel in.
“The sea saw it, and fled.” “The sea” is the Red Sea, where Israel stood trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the waters after leaving Egypt. Moses told the people not to fear, but to stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, for the Egyptians they saw that day they would see again no more for ever (Exodus 14:13). The record continues, “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21). Israel passed through upon dry ground, while the Egyptians who followed were overwhelmed when the waters returned (Exodus 14:22-28).
Psalm 114 compresses that great history into the words, “The sea saw it, and fled.” The sea is personified, a figure of speech giving it the action of a living creature that sees and runs away. The supplied word “it,” appearing in italics, looks to the presence of God among His people (vv.1-2,7). Psalm 77 confirms what the sea saw: “The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled” (Psalm 77:16). The water possessed no literal eyes, but it truly withdrew before Jehovah. Moses afterward sang, “And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea” (Exodus 15:8). What terrified Israel fled before Israel’s God.
The sea’s flight therefore magnifies Jehovah, not Israel. Pharaoh saw water as a prison; God made it a road. Israel could neither divide the sea nor defeat Egypt by its own strength. “Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore” (Exodus 14:30). The proper response was the worship Moses gave afterward: “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). The history should also govern the saint’s view of impossible circumstances. Israel had an army behind, water before, and no human road of escape, yet the obstacle itself remained under God’s dominion. No created barrier can defeat what He has appointed.
“Jordan was driven back.” The second wonder occurred a generation later when Israel entered Canaan under Joshua. Jordan overflowed all his banks at harvest (Joshua 3:15), so Israel did not meet a convenient shallow stream. God again placed water between His people and the way He commanded them to go. When the priests bearing the ark reached the river, the waters coming down from above stood in a heap, the waters toward the salt sea failed, and the people crossed over opposite Jericho (Joshua 3:16). The priests stood firm on dry ground until all Israel had passed over (Joshua 3:17).
“Was driven back” is passive. Jordan did not turn itself. The Lord acted upon it, and verse 7 identifies the cause: His presence makes the earth tremble. Another psalm joins the same two events: “He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him” (Psalm 66:6). The Red Sea opened for Israel to leave Egypt; Jordan opened for Israel to enter Canaan. The same Jehovah who began their national deliverance completed their entrance.
God commanded Israel to preserve the memory of Jordan’s crossing. Twelve stones were taken from the river so later generations could be told that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD (Joshua 4:7). Psalm 114 preserves the same memory in song. Yet Israel’s history also warns that seeing great works does not guarantee faithful trust, for the generation that saw the Red Sea later provoked God in the wilderness. Past deliverances are given to be remembered, so that we trust and obey the God who gave them. Forgetfulness turns wonders into old stories; faith remembers who acted and lives accordingly.
Jesus Christ possesses this same divine authority over the waters. When His disciples were in a ship upon the troubled sea, the record says, “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25). When He had come into the ship, “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). The water that fled before Jehovah could not hinder the man, Jesus Christ, for He is God the Creator. Paul also states plainly that Christ was with Israel: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (I Corinthians 10:4). The Lord who brought Israel through sea and wilderness is worthy of the worship His disciples gave Him upon the sea.
Remember what creation did before Jehovah. The sea fled, Jordan was driven back, and Israel passed through because God acted for His people. “Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord” (v.7). Fear Him, praise Him for His mighty works, and trust the God before whom no created obstacle can stand.
The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
Psalm 114:3 recalls two great acts by which Jehovah brought Israel from Egypt into the land promised to their fathers. Verse 1 has already named the exodus: “When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language.” Verse 2 declares that Judah became His sanctuary and Israel His dominion. Then creation itself yields before Him. The Red Sea fled at the beginning of Israel’s journey, and Jordan was driven back at the end of it. These events were separated by forty years, but the psalm joins them because the same God ruled both waters. This is praise for Jehovah’s mighty deliverance of His people, calling worshippers to remember that seas and rivers obey the God who brought Israel out and brought Israel in.
“The sea saw it, and fled.” “The sea” is the Red Sea, where Israel stood trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the waters after leaving Egypt. Moses told the people not to fear, but to stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, for the Egyptians they saw that day they would see again no more for ever (Exodus 14:13). The record continues, “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21). Israel passed through upon dry ground, while the Egyptians who followed were overwhelmed when the waters returned (Exodus 14:22-28).
Psalm 114 compresses that great history into the words, “The sea saw it, and fled.” The sea is personified, a figure of speech giving it the action of a living creature that sees and runs away. The supplied word “it,” appearing in italics, looks to the presence of God among His people (vv.1-2,7). Psalm 77 confirms what the sea saw: “The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled” (Psalm 77:16). The water possessed no literal eyes, but it truly withdrew before Jehovah. Moses afterward sang, “And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea” (Exodus 15:8). What terrified Israel fled before Israel’s God.
The sea’s flight therefore magnifies Jehovah, not Israel. Pharaoh saw water as a prison; God made it a road. Israel could neither divide the sea nor defeat Egypt by its own strength. “Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore” (Exodus 14:30). The proper response was the worship Moses gave afterward: “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). The history should also govern the saint’s view of impossible circumstances. Israel had an army behind, water before, and no human road of escape, yet the obstacle itself remained under God’s dominion. No created barrier can defeat what He has appointed.
“Jordan was driven back.” The second wonder occurred a generation later when Israel entered Canaan under Joshua. Jordan overflowed all his banks at harvest (Joshua 3:15), so Israel did not meet a convenient shallow stream. God again placed water between His people and the way He commanded them to go. When the priests bearing the ark reached the river, the waters coming down from above stood in a heap, the waters toward the salt sea failed, and the people crossed over opposite Jericho (Joshua 3:16). The priests stood firm on dry ground until all Israel had passed over (Joshua 3:17).
“Was driven back” is passive. Jordan did not turn itself. The Lord acted upon it, and verse 7 identifies the cause: His presence makes the earth tremble. Another psalm joins the same two events: “He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him” (Psalm 66:6). The Red Sea opened for Israel to leave Egypt; Jordan opened for Israel to enter Canaan. The same Jehovah who began their national deliverance completed their entrance.
God commanded Israel to preserve the memory of Jordan’s crossing. Twelve stones were taken from the river so later generations could be told that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD (Joshua 4:7). Psalm 114 preserves the same memory in song. Yet Israel’s history also warns that seeing great works does not guarantee faithful trust, for the generation that saw the Red Sea later provoked God in the wilderness. Past deliverances are given to be remembered, so that we trust and obey the God who gave them. Forgetfulness turns wonders into old stories; faith remembers who acted and lives accordingly.
Jesus Christ possesses this same divine authority over the waters. When His disciples were in a ship upon the troubled sea, the record says, “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25). When He had come into the ship, “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). The water that fled before Jehovah could not hinder the man, Jesus Christ, for He is God the Creator. Paul also states plainly that Christ was with Israel: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (I Corinthians 10:4). The Lord who brought Israel through sea and wilderness is worthy of the worship His disciples gave Him upon the sea.
Remember what creation did before Jehovah. The sea fled, Jordan was driven back, and Israel passed through because God acted for His people. “Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord” (v.7). Fear Him, praise Him for His mighty works, and trust the God before whom no created obstacle can stand.