Psa 114:7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.

Psalm 114 calls on all people to tremble at the presence of God. The Psalmist looks back at the events from the days when God delivered Israel from the Egyptian bondage and led them into the Promised Land. Three miracles were mentioned to demonstrate the awesomeness of God and that He is worthy of our fear - the parting of the Red Sea and River Jordan, and the waters from the rocks. The Psalmist desires to show us that Nature trembles at the presence of God: “The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs” (v.3, 4). Men cannot defeat Nature. Men fear when Nature is angry. Men fear when the sea roars. Men fear the mountains. Yet, the mountains tremble at the presence of God. We see this in Exodus 19:18 when Moses was called up to the mountain of God. The Scripture says: “And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.” It clearly shows how awesome our God is. Therefore, as seas, rivers, mountains, and hills, recognise that God is awesome and terrifying and tremble at His presence, surely, all the people of the earth should tremble at His presence: “Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob” (v.7). Sadly, the human being is the last to recognise the reality of this truth – God is awesome and greatly to be feared. Psalm 89:7 commands us: “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.” How did Nature response to the fear of the LORD? They obeyed His command. The Red Sea parted at His command: “The sea saw it, and fled” (v.3a). Likewise, the Jordan River: “Jordan was driven back” (v.3b). We read from Joshua 3:16-17 that as soon as the legs of the priests touched the water of the Jordan River, the waters which came down from upstream stood still and created a wall of standing water. What about rocks? Rocks obeyed His command and brought forth waters: “Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters” (v.8). You can read the two miracles about rocks producing waters in Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:8. What about us? Surely God's people should fear Him above any people. Therefore, the questions: 1. Does our worship show that we tremble at His presence? “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20). 2. Are we obedient to His commandments? God warns: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2). And, “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32) To fear God is to keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). To fear God is to reverend Him in our worship. Solomon warns: “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil” (Ecclesiastes 5:1). Nature trembles before God. Nature obeys at Good commands. Let us follow the examples of Nature – Fear God and Keep His commandments. “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?” (Malachi 1:6). Do you fear God?