Connect Psalm 136:14 with Exodus 14:21-22. What similarities do you observe? Setting the Scene Psalm 136 is a call-and-response song celebrating the LORD’s mighty acts, each line ending with the refrain, “His loving devotion endures forever.” Exodus 14 recounts one of those acts in real time—the parting of the Red Sea. Two Verses, One Miracle • Psalm 136:14: “and led Israel through the midst, His loving devotion endures forever.” • Exodus 14:21-22: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that blew all night, turning the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.” Key Similarities • Same event, two vantage points – Exodus gives the historical narrative. – Psalm 136 offers the worshipful reflection. • Divine initiative – Exodus: “the LORD drove back the sea.” – Psalm: “He … led Israel.” • Physical miracle – Waters literally divide, producing “dry ground” (Exodus 14:22). – Psalm assumes the same physical reality, praising God for it. • Covenant faithfulness on display – Exodus shows God keeping His promise to deliver (Genesis 15:13-14). – Psalm sums it up with the refrain “His loving devotion endures forever.” • Complete deliverance – Israel passes “through the midst” safely (both texts). – Enemies are excluded (Exodus 14:23-28; echoed in Psalm 136:15). • Same power, same Person – Exodus calls Him “the LORD” (YHWH). – Psalm sings to the same covenant Name. Compare Isaiah 51:10; Psalm 78:13. Theological Takeaways • History fuels worship—what God did in Exodus becomes Israel’s hymn in Psalms. • God’s love is not abstract; it acts in space and time. • The miracle is literal: real water, real dry ground, real rescue. Hebrews 11:29 confirms the event as fact, not metaphor. • Salvation is God-initiated; His people simply walk the path He opens (Ephesians 2:8-9 parallels that grace principle). Living It Out Today • Recall specific moments of God’s deliverance in your own life; turn them into praise like Psalm 136. • Let Scripture interpret Scripture: narrations (Exodus) and doxologies (Psalms) together give a fuller picture of God’s character. • Rest in the unchanging love that parted the sea—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). |
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