The OT records that God will lay a rock in the foundation of Zion that will be their hope, a stone previously rejected by the builders but miraculously exalted by the Lord, and a stone over which the houses of Israel will stumble or fall. However in in Exodus 33, the rock is a source of refuge, an escape from destruction that would have been caused by God’s presence, thus our Rock is both a source of provision and a place of protection.
These descriptions are from two Hebrew words whereas a third is used most often as a metaphor or divine name. For instance:
Psalm 73:26. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Isaiah 8:13–14. “But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Deuteronomy 32:4. “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”
This word is in other expressions that reveal the thoughts of His people toward Him:
2 Samuel 22:47. “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation.”
Psalm 31:2. “Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!”
Isaiah 26:4. “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
Psalm 61:2–3. “From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”
Psalm 92:15. “Declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”
In the NT, one word for rock refers to a “messianic” stone:
Mark 12:10. “Have you not read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’ “
1 Peter 2:4–8. “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”
Jesus Christ is described as the “spiritual rock” from which the people of God drank in the wilderness referring to the events of Exodus 17 and the messianic rock over which people will stumble.
1 Corinthians 10:1–6. “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
Romans 9:33. as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. God’s creation glory is all around us and looking at the mountains is a taste of His power and permanence. No wonder people like to come here; the feeling of awe is a small taste of what it is like to worship the One who spoke this place into existence. I am in awe of what I can see, and even more in awe of God who I cannot see. I sense the wonder of who He is in the wonder of what He has made and am utterly grateful that He has given me eyes to see that He is my Rock!
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