MIF 13:5 (Sept-Oct 1981)
The Solid Rock
“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2).
Of the 272 different names applied to our Lord in the Bible, none better expresses His steadfastness than the Rock. He is the foundation on which His Church is built, and so strong is that foundation that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
The symbol of the solid rock is the ultimate in strength and stability. Since it is the foundation on which. His Church is built, it is also the foundation on which each of his believers rests his faith. Our hearts are sometimes cold and indifferent toward Him, and our Christian commitments and responsibilities are often treated lightly. But how blessed is the assurance that our salvation is founded on the Rock which never moves, never changes, and never fails. Peter referred to our Lord as a Living Stone, chosen of God, and this should warm our hearts and help us to “make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1).
In spite of the grumblings of His people Israel, God told Moses to smite the rock, and water gushed forth to satisfy the thirst of the people. This is a lovely picture of our Lord who was once smitten for our sins, and when He was glorified He sent forth the Holy Spirit to strengthen and sustain us with courage and endurance for every need.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that “our forefathers drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). He is not only our Rock, but also our rest, our refuge, and our fortress. Edward Mote expressed this thought in his hymn:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
—Arthur F. Wilder