Midras Habakuk 3:8: Midrash Tehillim, Bereshit Rabbah & Yalkut Shimoni

He rode on a cherub. When Pharaoh went out to chase after Israel, he said, "Give me a male horse to ride on, as it is light." What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He presented an image of one before him. Just as Pharaoh had brought a male horse, so did the Holy One, blessed be He, bring a male horse and rode on it, as it is said, "When you ride on your horses, your chariots will come to life" (Habakkuk 3:8). Pharaoh then said, "Give me a female horse that can stand in battle, as when a male horse needs to urinate, it stops and delays, but a female horse walks and changes direction and is good in battle." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I too will liken Myself to you," as it is said, "To my mare among Pharaoh's chariots, I compare you, my love" (Song of Songs 1:9). Pharaoh then took arrows and threw them at Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, brought fiery arrows and threw them at him, as it is said, "He shot his arrows and scattered them" (Psalm 18:15). Pharaoh then brought iron spits, and the Holy One, blessed be He, also brought lightning bolts that were sharp, as it is said, "And with great lightning and thunder" (Exodus 9:23). They confused each other and did not know what to do. The cloud pillar descended and made them mud and various kinds of refuse. The pillar of fire boiled, and their horses' hooves fell off. Pharaoh then brought metal spears, and the Holy One, blessed be He, brought hail and fiery coals, as it is said, "With hailstones and flaming coals" (Psalm 18:13). Pharaoh then brought sulfur, and the Holy One, blessed be He, brought fiery coals, and His voice was in the midst of it, as it is said, "The Lord thundered from heaven" (Psalm 18:14). Once Pharaoh had exhausted everything he had and had nothing left in his hand, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "You wicked one, you have been fighting against Me." Rabbi Berachiah said in the name of Rabbi Elazar that the Holy One, blessed be He, began to fly, as it is said, "He rode on a cherub and flew" (Psalm 18:11). Pharaoh said to Him, "Perhaps You can fly." The Holy One, blessed be He, began to measure from wing to wing, as it is said, "And He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him" (Psalm 18:12).

“He encountered the place and spent the night there because the sun had set; he took from the stones of the place, which he placed beneath his head, and lay down in that place” (Genesis 28:11).
“He encountered [vayifga] the place” – Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ami: Why do they change the name of the Holy One blessed be He and call Him the Omnipresent [hamakom]? It is because He is the place [mekomo] of the world, and His world is not His place. From what is written: “Behold, there is a place [makom] with Me” (Exodus 33:21) – the Holy One blessed be He is the place of the world, and His world is not His place.¹¹God is not contained in the world, he does not "live" there. He is the "place" of the world. The world exists because of Him.
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is written: “An abode of the God of eternity” (Deuteronomy 33:27). We do not know whether the Holy One blessed be He is the abode of the world, or whether the world is His abode. From what is written: “You are an abode for us” (Psalms 90:1) – that is, the Holy One blessed be He is the abode of the world, but His world is not His abode.
Rabbi Abba bar Yudan said: This is analogous to a warrior who was riding on a horse, and his garments were flowing to both sides. The horse is secondary to the rider, but the rider is not secondary to the horse, as it is stated: “You will ride on Your horses” (Habakkuk 3:8).
Another matter, what is vayifga? He prayed. “In the place” – he prayed in the Temple. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The early patriarchs instituted three prayers: Abraham instituted the morning prayer, as it is stated: “Abraham arose early in the morning to go to the place where he stood…” (Genesis 19:27), and standing is nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “Pinḥas stood and prayed” (Psalms 106:30). Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is stated: “Isaac went out walking [lasuaḥ] in the field” (Genesis 24:63), and siḥa is nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “I will pour out [eshpoḥ] my woe before Him” (Psalms 142:3). Jacob instituted the evening prayer, as it is stated: “He encountered [vayifga] the place,” and pegia is nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “You, do not raise a cry [or a prayer] on their behalf, and do not plead with [tifga] Me” (Jeremiah 7:16). Likewise it says: “If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, please, let them plead [yifge’u] with the Lord of hosts” (Jeremiah 27:18). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It is corresponding to the three times that the day changes. In the evening, a person must say: ‘May it be Your will, Lord my God, to take me out from darkness to light.’ In the morning, he must say: ‘I give thanks before You, Lord my God, that You have taken me from darkness to light.’ In the afternoon, a person must say: ‘May it be Your will, Lord my God, that just as you accorded me the privilege of seeing the sun in its rising, so You will accord me the privilege to see it in its setting.’
Another matter, “he encountered the place” – the Rabbis say: It is corresponding to the daily offerings.¹²The midrash is giving an alternative source for the three daily prayers. The morning prayer, corresponding to the daily morning offering; the afternoon prayer, corresponding to the daily afternoon offering; the evening prayer is not obligatory. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Even the evening prayer is obligatory – corresponding to the limbs and fats that were consumed in the fire on the altar.¹³The limbs and fats were also consumed in the fire at night.

And he arrived at the place – Why do we use a pseudonym and call the Holy One ‘place’ (makom)? Because He is the place of the world and the world is not His place. R’ Yosi ben Halifta said ‘we don’t know whether the Holy One is the place of the world or if the world is His place. From that which is written “…Behold, there is a place with Me…” (Shemot 33:21) it appears that He is the place of the world and the world is not His place.’ R’ Yitzchak said ‘from that which is written “…which are the abode for the God Who precedes all…” (Devarim 33:21) we cannot know whether the Holy One is the abode of the world or whether the world is His abode. From that which is written “O Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” (Tehillim 90:1) we see that the Holy One is the abode of the world and the world is not His abode. This is like a mighty mounted warrior, whose armor and garments hang down around his steed. The horse is secondary to the rider, the rider is not secondary to the horse. This is that which is written “Only that You rode on Your steeds with Your chariots of salvation.” (Habakuk 3:8)