The Rock: It's Jesus

Yes, Jesus is the Rock. And, “The Rock – His way is perfect” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

I’ve been hinting at it in the two previous articles but there it is in all its complex simplicity. This powerful name – The Rock – links the God of the Old Testament with the Messiah Jesus of the New Testament.

He is the rock of the Old Testament in Psalm 95:1-11. “Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation! Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to Him in song. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. … Today, if you hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness where your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they had seen what I did.” (Psalm 95:1-3, 7-9; Meribah and Massah were the names of the location where God first brought water from the rock in Exodus 17:7.)

He is the rock of the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. “Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:1-5).

He is the Rock of our salvation.

He is the Rock of provision and protection.

The Rock of Salvation

Despite all God did – He gave us life and created a perfect planet on which we might live – we rejected Him. We ignored Him and followed after what we thought was best. Yet because He chose us and cut covenant with us, He provided a way of salvation so we might still spend eternity with Him. Salvation came through the sacrificial death of Jesus.

The Rock of Provision

Jesus is the Rock that provides living water. Jesus even said, “Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again – ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life” (John 4:14).

In Exodus 17, Moses struck the Rock causing water to flow. We, in a sinful state as defined by the Law of Moses, struck Jesus; blood and water flowed from His pierced side. He gave His death that we might live.

In Numbers 20, Moses struck the Rock when God commanded him to only speak to the Rock. How many times do we allow sin to manifest in our lives as we strike Jesus again – repeatedly – with our selfish sin? Jesus died once and for all; we must only speak to Him and living water will flow once again. We come before Him with a humble heart as we present our need. The blessings will flow once again like a river of living water.

The Rock of Protection

Moses couldn’t behold the glorious face of God despite his desire to do so. God hid Moses in the Rock to protect him as God passed by behind him. Likewise, we can’t stand before the glorious presence of God. Yet the righteousness of Christ covers us.

Jesus – The Rock

I stood before a massive cliff at Banias in northern Israel. Ancient ruins remained where people had once carved a temple of idol worship into the side of the massive cliff. The smoke of sacrifices still blackened a cave all these centuries later. At one time, water gushed from the cave although today it only trickles out beneath the bedrock. This was one of many locations where Israelites and Greeks alike had worshiped their little rocks, forsaking the Rock whose way is perfect.

Jesus and His disciples also stood at this location 2,000 years ago. At that time, water probably still gushed out from the cave in the rocky cliff. Jesus asked Peter at that time, “‘who do you say that I am?’

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!’

“And Jesus responded, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:16-18).

I believe Jesus stood there with Peter and took in all the activities of idol worship under the crags of the rocky cliff. He started with general questions but quickly made it personal. He point blank asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” In other words, am I one of these little rocks?

Peter, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, recognized Jesus wasn’t a little rock; He was the Rock. He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God.

What better place for Jesus, after Peter’s confession of belief, to point to him and say, “You are Peter (petros, a rock or a stone).” To then point to Himself and continue, “and upon this rock (petra, a rock, cliff, or ledge) I will build my church.” Finally, to sweep His arm toward the temple and finish by saying, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18 NIV).

Jesus was declaring, I am the Rock and My way is perfect. I am your salvation. I am your protection. I am your provision. The forces of Hades will not overpower Me. The gates of hell will not prevail against Me.

The Rock: Finding protection and provision in God

The last article began a look at Deuteronomy 32; a key point to this chapter is Moses’ introduction of a new name for God.

He spoke, “For I will proclaim Yahweh’s name…”

• “The Rock – His work is perfect” (verse 4)
• The Rock of salvation (verse 15)
• “The Rock who gave you birth” (verse 18)
• The Rock who fought for you (verse 30)
• The Rock above all other rocks (verse 31)

Moses didn’t randomly choose an aspect of nature to create a word picture for the people. I think he had some pretty powerful memories going through his head as he declared “The Rock” as a name for Yahweh. Moses had spent the last 40+ years leading the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. During that time, he had some powerful encounters with rocks; each one taught him a little more about God’s provision and protection.

The Rock – Our Provider

Moses was about to die. A past sin in his life would keep him from entering the Promised Land with the people. The sin? He exalted himself in an encounter with the Rock.

Exodus 17 & Numbers 20 – Read both of these chapters if you want the whole stories. Twice during their forty years of wandering the people settled in new regions that had no water. Both times, the people became a little – ok, a lot – gripey.

The first time – in Exodus 17 – God told Moses to strike a rock with his staff and water would flow from the rock for the people to drink. Moses obeyed and all was well.

The second time – in Numbers 20 – God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would flow. Moses decided he knew better than God, however. He spoke to the people instead of the rock before striking the rock twice with his staff. Not only did he speak to the people, but he did so arrogantly as he presented himself as part of the worker of the miracle. He said to the people, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” (Numbers 20:10). We? No, God is the One who brought forth the water. No we, just an All-Powerful Me.

Rather than recognize God’s sufficient provision, Moses took matters into his own hands. He then tried to take credit for the act. Moses’ pride reared its ugly head as he positioned himself as God against the people who angered him.

Regardless of our situation, we provide nothing. Our pride makes us think we have done so much but we read in the New Testament, “Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

The Rock – Our Protector

Exodus 33:12-23 – Again, read the passage for the whole story but, in short, Moses had another encounter with the Rock. He was getting a little unsure, a little demanding. One request led to another climaxing in the request, “Please, let me see Your glory” (Exodus 33:18).

God answered, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you” but “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” He continued, “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by” (Exodus 33:19-22).

God couldn’t allow Moses to see the glory of His face so He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock while He passed by behind him. The rock surrounded and protected Moses.

We also can’t behold the glory of God; we’re entirely too sinful and spiritually filthy to behold His glory. And yet, we will stand in His presence because the Rock protects us as well. The Rock covers us with His righteousness to protect us from the wrath of God.

Moses’ view of the Rock

Experience taught Moses that God was the Rock that provides our every need and protects us in our most dire moment. As the end of his life neared and the people would enter the Promised Land without him, he could confidently stand before them and declare, “The Rock – His work is perfect!”

The Rock: Rejecting the truth to follow a lie

“Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words of my mouth.

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants.

“For I will proclaim Yahweh’s name.

“Declare the greatness of our God!

“The Rock – His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Gentleness and tenderness build to a dramatic proclamation as Moses declares to the people a new name for Holy God.

The chapter continues with powerful words to the people as they have allowed corruption and deceit to permeate their lives. They did so despite all that God had done for them. He created them as God but He also sustained them as would a Father (verse 6). He pulled them out of desolation to make them His chosen people (verses 9-10). He was God to them – Most High over all other gods (verse 12). He blessed them in abundance (verses 13-14).

And yet…, 

I shake my head as I see myself and our culture in their response.

Despite all God did for His people, they gorged themselves on the provision rather than the Provider. They became fat and bloated on it (verses 15). They ignored the God of their fathers as they followed after foreign gods and deceptive demons (verses 16-17).

“They ignored the Rock who gave them birth; they forgot the God who gave birth to them” (Deuteronomy 32:18 paraphrased).

They ignored the Rock – and the response didn’t go well for the people of Israel (verses 19-27). They never realized weak earthly attacks couldn’t come against them “unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up” (Deuteronomy 32:30).

They followed their little idols not realizing that “their ‘rock’ is not like our Rock” (Deuteronomy 32:31).

And yet, despite all their gorging selfishness and their love affair with the idols of Satan, “the Lord will indeed vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants” (Deuteronomy 32:36).

Why on earth would He do such a thing?

God’s mercy and grace pour out on His people because they are just that – His people. Their sin is ugly – horrifying, really – but Holy God cut covenant with them. If He went back on His word and didn’t provide for them, then He would be an untrustworthy liar. That’s not going to happen. Not only that, but if He doesn’t protect them, then those who brought down His people would take credit for their destruction. Or, in other words, Satan would get the glory for bringing the defeat of God’s people. Again, not going to happen. (See verses 26-27. Did you notice the italics on provide and protect? Remember those words because they’ll be important in the next part of this series.)

“See now that I alone am He; there is no God but Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from My hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39).

Why do we care?

We care because we see ourselves in the Israelite people. God didn’t only create them – He created us. He didn’t only sustain them as would a Father – He sustains us. He pulled us out of desolation and chose us as His people – adopted in as children of Abraham. He is our Most High God with abundant blessings.

And we said, “Screw it. I don’t care. I want my own way. I want to pour my passion into the ‘rocks’ because I know better than the Rock does.”

Even still, He has compassion on us. Even still, He provides with the Rock of living water in the desert. He protects us in the cleft of the Rock. This is going to get good…please continue on for the next part.