Psalm 114 is a beautiful and poetic reminder of God’s mighty power in the Exodus. It celebrates how He brought His people out of Egypt and led them through the wilderness into His dwelling place. Along the way, there were two great obstacles of water, the Red Sea and the Jordan River, that marked important milestones in the journey.

Verse 3 says, “The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back.” The Red Sea represents the first generation of Israelites. Trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the sea, they had no way out, but God opened the waters, and they walked through on dry land. The Jordan River represents the second generation, forty years later. Standing at the edge of the Promised Land, the river was in flood stage, impossible to cross, yet God once again stopped the waters, and they passed over safely.

The circumstances were different, and the way the waters were stopped was not the same. At the Red Sea, God parted the waters with a strong east wind; at the Jordan, He piled the waters up far upstream. Yet the source of both mighty acts was the same: the hand of the Lord, the God of Jacob. This reminds us that while God’s methods may vary, His power and faithfulness do not. We may not always know how He will work in our situation, but we can trust that it is the same God who delivers, the same God who leads, and the same God who brings His people safely through the waters.

Psalm 114 also recalls God’s faithful provision in the wilderness. Verse 8 celebrates how the Lord “turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.” This happened twice in Israel’s journey, once for the first generation, and once for the second. At Rephidim (Exodus 17), early in the wilderness wanderings, when the people’s water had run out and they quarrelled with Moses, God commanded him to strike the rock at Horeb. Before the elders of Israel, water flowed out and became a pool for the thirsty people. Decades later, at Meribah (Numbers 20), near the end of the 40 years, the second generation faced the same need. Again they grumbled, and again God provided—this time commanding Moses to speak to the rock. However, in frustration Moses struck it instead. Still, water gushed out abundantly, enough for the people and their livestock.

Two different generations, forty years apart, and two very different circumstances. Yet both experienced the same God of provision. His methods varied, but His faithfulness and power never changed. From beginning to end of their journey, God gave His people water in the desert.

This is a reminder for us today: God’s faithfulness is not bound to one moment, one method, or one generation. The same God who helped us yesterday will help us tomorrow. As we are reminded in our recent study of Revelation, our Lord God, Jesus Christ, is the Alpha and the Omega—who is, who was, and who is to come. His power and mercy remain the same, no matter what changes around us.

How then should we respond? Tremble at the presence of the Lord! Tremble at the presence of the God of Jacob! Worship Him with reverent fear, acknowledging His unchanging power and faithfulness in every generation. Indeed, He is One God, with One Power, for Every Generation.

Prayer:

Lord God, we thank You that You are faithful across every generation. You deliver, provide, and guide Your people, no matter the circumstances. Help us to trust in Your unchanging power and mercy, even when we cannot see the way ahead. Teach us to rely on You daily, to follow where You lead, and to worship You with reverent awe. May we remember that the same God who worked miracles in the past is at work in our lives today and will continue to be with us tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.