“When the Israelites escaped from Egypt— when the family of Jacob left that foreign land— the land of Judah became God’s sanctuary, and Israel became his kingdom. The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan River turned away. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs! What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way? What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock.”
Psalms 114:1-8 NLT
The premise of this psalm is simple. It asks a question about the earth’s reaction to the presence of God. The question is what makes the earth tremble and alter its course. The answer is God’s ability. This seems like an obvious truth, yet it is not. The ancient world viewed mankind as lesser than nature. Nature was controlled by a system of pantheistic dirties comprising a council that was responsible for all the various elements of the natural world. Exodus, in particular, is notable for the ten plagues that were faced before the Pharaoh let the Israelites leave. Each of these plagues were a direct result on the pantheon of Egypt. They each correspond to an ancient power. They each were overthrown by God’s power. This is a truth that Israel constantly had to learn. Scripture eludes to the idea that, in contrast, God’s power is innate to the elements. The gospel notes that if the people didn’t shout Hosanna at the triumphal entry, the rocks would’ve done so. This psalm explicitly calls this truth to the forefront. Why does nature tremble? Because it belongs to God. He can do with it what he wills. He can make it more than the sum of its parts. He can bring a river from a dry rock. He is the God of all creation, not just humans.
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