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Psalm 114 reads as follows from the NIV version of the Bible: 1 When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, 2 Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 3 The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; 4 the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, 6 you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. * The theme of this psalm revolves around one major event, which is described in the final verse, which is where the rock was turned into flowing streams of waters. While this is what is actually happening, the earlier verses of the psalm are described an approach of the Lord or his coming to change the rock into water as a mounting or building crescendo of power. As he approaches to bring about the turn, even high profile symbols of nature and power, cower in the other direction. With the actual event that affects the people, isolated to the final verse, the prior verses operate as a picture of a crescendo of power. The prior verses all operate as a crescendo or building or buildup to the finale, which is turning the rock into flowing streams. This is in a sense, although a wonder a straightforward event in its effect, now those that are thirsty in the parched land, have water before them. The shakeup of this happening, gives a mounting presence to the appearance of the Lord in this event or answer, as a show of might and power in the approach or towards the event as it will soon unfold. As the Lord is coming, even the seas tremble, the mountains get out of his way, and the mightiest rivers flow in the opposite of their normal direction. The mention of the Nile here is the mightiest of all the great rivers in the known world then. Sometimes in seeking the answers to prayer, the behind the scenes elements aren’t really contemplated in their possible aweseonesxs and power. Those who witnessed the turning of the rock into streams of water in the desert may not have seen the majestic approach of the Lord. There was not a full view of the overall happening. There is more than meets with the eye. In first Kings Chapter 19 it says,” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The approach of the Lord can be majestic, overwhelming and powerful. While it may be otherwise as in the case of Elijah where he expected the Lord in the whirlwind, and found his presence in the whisper, he was actually on track in how he thought the initial approach might be. He was a great prophet of the times and he knew what this psalm is saying, that there can be majestic proportions to how the Lord may approach but it would never be known in advance as to how this might be in a given case, this time the surprise was that the Lord did approach in the manner of a whisper. Elijah did not know what it would be, but he had ideas of what it could be, but the ways of the Lord know no limits. Even if the Lord shows up to an individual in the whisper, the reality is the still the approach of the Almighty and everybody and everything we make room and get out the way, even the stars in the heavens. There are some visions of this in the Bible, passages that refer to legions of angels approaching with the chariots of the Lord. This psalm gives pause to consideration and a second look as to what is really happening with the point blank presence of the Lord and the appearance of a wondrous answer or help. In the case of Daniel and his answered prayer 21 days later, there were mighty angels behind the scenes of the impending answer. Daniel did not know of these behind the scenes happenings, with regards to his prayer, He was only made aware of them when the angel informed him directly of these behind the scenes events all precipitated by his prayers. It is good also to be aware that is often unknown what has been generated by a prayer, especially with regards to the prayer of intercession. But behind the scenes, something majestic may be happening as is depicted in this psalm. With an answered prayer there will often be accessories to the event or things that go along with it. These accessories can be clearly seen and known, there only needs to be a sensitivity and awareness to all that is happening in its totality and in its manifold parts. The Lord may give accessories to what he is doing within a given answer that surround as representations of power. Accessories could include a song, clear days, angels, additional signs, witness of others and so on. A given answer can have more than one characteristic and this will often be the case as several aspects present into the situation. With healing, there may be a word that goes with the healing; there may be the physical feelings of special warmth that flows with the presence of healing. Whatever this great gift is, it is something that goes along with the great gift, accompanies it, revolves around it and with it and this could be several things. The wondrous sights may be several in the moment, but the sky and sea, may both bring forth wonders at the beachside. But whatever they are, they should be seen as part of the total package in the crescendo of power.
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