#DailyDevotion Ancient Israel Is The Shadow Of Christ’s Church
Psalm 114 114 When Israel came out of Egypt and Jacob’s family left a people who talk a strange language, 2Judah became His holy place and Israel His kingdom.
The psalmist hearkens back to the Exodus when the LORD delivered Israel from the Egyptians. It is a popular theme in the Psalms and why not? It was the establishing act of the nation. The word for Egypt in the Hebrew is mitsrayim. It means misery, for the land was a land of misery for the Israelites. It is interesting that he calls them, a people who talk a strange language. We know Joseph’s brothers did not know Egyptian when they got to Joseph. He spoke to them through an interpreter. Certainly, after four hundred or four hundred fifty years, it wouldn’t be strange to them at this point. But you know, sometimes you speak with the people of the world who aren’t Christians. You’re both speaking English but you don’t seem to be speaking the same language.
This world and age is our Egypt. It is a place of misery for us as we wait for the new heavens and new earth. The people of the world seem to speak a strange language to us. Good is evil and evil is good. The freedom we have in Christ seems like bondage to them and their licentiousness seems like bondage to us.
It was in Judah the LORD settled His tabernacle and then allowed for Solomon to build a temple for Him there. Jerusalem, Mt. Zion, is the holy place where the LORD placed His name. The other tribes settled in Canaan were to be His kingdom, the kingdom of God. He became Israel’s King in Deuteronomy, at least that is where it is reported.
The Church is now the LORD’s holy place and kingdom. Where two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, there He is in the midst of us. Our hearts He has made His holy place. Our bodies are His temple. We live primarily as citizens of His Kingdom which shall have no end.
3The sea saw it and fled; the Jordan turned back.
The two great crossings of Israel on dry land where there was supposed to be water are referenced here. The first, the Red Sea, was their baptism. They died to their old lives in Egypt. The second, the crossing of the Jordan into Canaan, was also a sort of baptism. They were getting new lives there. When we are baptized into Christ, we experience the death of our old life. We also experience a spiritual resurrection into a new life in Christ. Nevertheless, we await from the LORD to be ushered into the new Promised Land, Mt. Zion, the New Jerusalem, the New Heavens and New Earth, where righteousness reigns.
4The mountains danced like rams; the hills like lambs. 5Why have you fled, O sea? And Jordan, what made you turn back 6O mountains, what made you dance like rams, O hills, like lambs? 7O earth, tremble before the Lord, before Jacob’s God He changed the rock into a pool of water and the flint into springs of water.
In Exodus, the LORD, through Moses, twice caused living water (water that runs, like a river, stream or creek) to flow from a large Rock. Jesus said, 38“If you believe in Me, streams of living water will flow from you, as the Bible has said.” (John 7) Jesus causes living water to flow from our hearts of stone, giving us the Holy Spirit, so we may always have our spiritual thirst filled by Him. The Living Water, the Holy Spirit, gives eternal life to us and He transforms us into His Holy People, who offer to Him spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.
Heavenly Father, may we remember Your great work of Salvation You wrought in Jesus as the ancient Israelites remembered the Passover, to the praise of Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.