He is Awesome!
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
The above passage is taken from psalm 66, which was probably sung as they worshipped Passover. The theme of the chapter takes on a backward look at the powerful works of God, as well has a forward look of a prayer of commitment toward God. The writer (Moses?) recalls the crossing of the Red Sea as his way of exalting God. Note how Moses does the same right after the Red Sea crossing:
4 “Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them;
they went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,
your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
This powerful act of parting the sea so that the nation of Israel could escape the pursuing armies of Egypt, shows us just how awesome God is. We have to remember that to get to the Red Sea for this miracle to happen, we have to also celebrate the ten miracles God did for Israel in Egypt to get them to the shores of the Red Sea. God wanted to show the leaders of Egypt, the surrounding nations and the people of Israel His power. He wanted them to see that He was awesome. The word for “awesome” in this text is the Hebrew word yârê. It is pronounced, “yaw-ray.” It actually means “to fear” in the Hebrew. It is used almost 400 times in the O.T. Of those about 15 times it is translated in the context of “reverence.” It is translated about 25 times as “awesome” as here in this Psalm. The remainder of the times it is used in the OT it is translated in the context of “fear.” We ought to be taken aback by the miracles of God that it causes us to see His awesomeness and tremble at the thought of His great work in the power of His miracles.
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