THE ROCK
David Martin
I would like to speak as to the Rock. We see stability in the Rock in these scriptures; we can receive salvation from the Rock and also receive satisfaction.
The first scripture speaks of “the rock of ages”; a term we often use and a phrase in a hymn we often sing. We can see the need for stability and certainty particularly at the present time. We know that there are times which we pass through where circumstances shake us, whether it is persons taken suddenly to be with their Saviour, or other specific circumstances in our own lives. There are times when, in a particular way, we feel the need of stability, the need of a rock.
If we look at man’s world, we could say there has never been a more unstable time. Consider the relationships between the nations; think of the uprising of terrorism and the awful effects of it; even consider the things that man sees as progress. We are in an age where man is developing technology far beyond his ability to control; the robotic age they are beginning to call it. The effects will be profound; man is consciously building for himself an unstable world.
The scriptures that we will talk through this afternoon contrast for us man’s world with the One who is absolutely stable. How can we say that? By bringing in the One who is “the rock of ages”, the One who alone was “in the beginning”, John 1: 1. He is the One who has observed the actions of man throughout the history of time, the One who repented that He had made man, and the One who today, as we can read of in the Scriptures, even “frustrateth the counsel of the nations”, Ps 33: 10. He is the One who is above all this instability and observes the actions of man. He will even allow things to witness to us the instability and insecurity of a world in man’s hands. He is the God who continues. He is the God who in years to come will still be the same, even through the terrible things that will transpire on the face of the earth after believers are taken. We can read in the Revelation of the things that will happen in a profound degree of detail, and they will happen. How do we know? Because He is unchangeable, He remains the same and He is eternal. We think of that God who, when all has been overthrown that is opposed to Him, will eternally remain the same. He is the God of love. He will have an answer in myriads of persons whom He has secured through His only begotten Son, and they will be His, the answer to His perfect love. Why? Because He remains the same; He is that God of love. He is the One who provided the answer for sin, and He is the One who, having overthrown sin and its power, can bind Satan and his angels. Having removed all that is contrary, He will have a universe of bliss. We have to do in the gospel with “the rock of ages”, unchangeable, ever the same and eternal.
He is the One who we can read of in the Psalms. I was struck here by the references to salvation, particularly verse 3,
Be to me a rock of habitation,
whereunto I may continually resort:
thou hast given commandment to save me;
for thou art my rock and my fortress.
What an affecting word that is:
thou hast given commandment to save me.
Consider the actions of the Lord Jesus, and His movements coming into manhood. We think of the desires of God that it should be so. Think of the obedience of the Lord Jesus as coming into this scene in order to save you, and that pathway of the Lord Jesus here. Those words were uttered at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, “thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins”, Matt 1: 21. You see in the certainty of that statement the purpose of God that the Lord Jesus should come into this world as a Man, walk amongst men, and provide the very basis of salvation. There was no doubt from God’s side. Those who heard those words in faith would have no doubt themselves that this One would provide salvation; “the rock of our salvation”, Ps 95: 1.
Let us contemplate for a moment the features of the Rock seen in the Lord Jesus when He was here amongst men. I am often struck by the time, as He came out into public service, when they were seeking to cast Him over the precipice. For me this is an illustration of the perfection and certainty of who the Lord Jesus was as Man. As they sought to do their worst to the Lord Jesus, who was in a position of apparent weakness, He passed through the midst of the opposition, He passed through the midst of those who sought to remove Him. This was the One who in the face of everything that was changing, everything that was marked by evil and hatred was able to pass through the midst of that very power. You might say He would have appeared untouched by the effects of it, but we know His feelings in relation to what was evil and sinful.
We think of the Lord Jesus as He was by the well at Sychar, John 4, the contrast of One so lowly, “wearied with the way he had come” (v 6), and yet able and present to deal with the needs of that woman in a way that none other could. There was absolute certainty in the way that He would deal with this woman’s needs, because of who He was. He knew all about her; He knew her needs and her weaknesses. He knew the resources that she needed, and He was able to provide it all; there was no question as to the purposes and the desires, the actions and outcomes of what the Lord Jesus did there because He was the Rock. He was “wearied with the way he had come”, a Man feeling, more so than we feel, conditions of humanity. He was there and He was able to provide because He was the Saviour Lord.
We think of the Lord Jesus as He was in Gethsemane. The opposition moved against Him; Satan did His worst, and yet we see the lowliness of the Lord Jesus as He was there alone, the intensity of His feelings as a man, and Satan working forcefully against Him; yet He remained as the Rock: “if it be possible let this cup pass from me” (Matt 26: 39), the feelings of a perfect Man facing what it was to be made sin. He was to be made sin; and yet it was sin that was behind the intense opposition against Him. He faced what was before Him there; He faced it alone, and He remains as a Rock. God has “given commandment to save me”. There could be no alteration, of course, no other way. This was God’s desire, God’s plan, and the Lord Jesus in His absolute and perfect obedience fulfilled it; He remained as the Rock. We think of Him later on having that cross laid upon Him. We see the foolishness of His accusers: here was One who had all power under His hand, and yet was caused to bear His cross. Yet still He remained the same. Think of Him being nailed to the cross, man in his hatred doing his worst, driving those nails through His hands and His feet. The Lord Jesus remained silent, He uttered not a word of protest. There was nothing in what He said, nothing in what He did that was like any reaction that you or I might have had; He remained absolutely the same, unchangeable; commanded to save us.
We think of the Lord Jesus upon the cross and of those hours when darkness came upon the face of the earth (Matt 27: 45), and He was made sin. God Himself forsook Him. Again we see another aspect of the command that He fulfilled. The full weight of sin being borne by Him for His own, yet He remained the same, the Rock, unchangeable. He was the One alone who was able to bear that burden. Was there any other who could withstand those forces of evil? No. Was there any other who was morally perfect and therefore able to be made the perfect sacrifice for sin? No, there was not. The Rock was unique, “the rock of ages”. We think of persons looking on who would have wondered at Him. Their own world so unstable, their own world so uncertain, their own lives marked by sin and suffering; and yet they looked at the One who was unchangeable and perfect and full of love for them. The eyes of so many were blind to His Person. He remained there upon that cross in love for them. In those hours of darkness, as He went into the very depth of what it was to be made sin, He suffered in ways which we will never fathom. We so easily become accustomed to sin and the effects of it. He knew it not, but was made sin, and yet through all that He remained unchanged, the Rock. We read of Him committing His spirit to the Father; the perfect obedience and sacrifice culminating there on the cross as He entered into death itself to complete the work.
Dear friend, how wonderful that we can speak with absolute certainty and, too, with joy in our own hearts as to “the rock of ages”; “the rock of our salvation”. We can make this very personal to ourselves because all I have spoken of He did for those who trust in Him.
The psalmist speaks of it in a very personal way -
thou hast given commandment to save me;
for thou art my rock and my fortress.
I would ask as you look upon that cross, as you see what the Lord Jesus has done, whether you see Him as unchangeable and perfect, the answer to sin itself? I would ask if you are able to say those acts of love were for you? How wonderful, if you are able to answer to those words, that the commandment was given for Him to save you. It is true, in the ways of God, as He looked upon you in your sin and your need, He gave commandment that the One who is the Rock should be smitten for you, for your salvation. The psalm gives us what I might call a personal instruction from God, giving the basis for your sins to be removed forever.
We would all be quite impressed if we had a letter from someone very important. If we get an instruction at work from a senior manager, or if the head teacher speaks to us at school, we feel something of their importance; there is something special about it. Here we are speaking of the Creator God who gave commandment that the sacrifice should be made for your personal and eternal salvation, for the absolute removal of your sins, that you should have to do with Him eternally. There is no greater act or commandment that has ever been given. The psalmist made it personal for himself; he saw that it was for him. Have you owned it for yourself; not just acknowledging the general outgoing of the glad tidings to millions of persons across the world, but that God gave this commandment in relation to you? This is personal, your Rock, your salvation.
We know that, having died upon the cross, His side was pierced and blood and water came out, John 19: 34. How that displays the One who was unchangeable; even in death His blood was able to flow forth. The power and the witness to salvation was there; there was an act beyond the natural power of any man, an act of “the rock of ages”. How wondrous that we have to do with the Rock; your Rock.
It speaks to us here of a habitation, and in that too I see the salvation that we have in the Rock; “Be to me a rock of habitation”. Consider this, that the Lord Jesus, as He was upon the cross, had that call from the malefactor next to him, “Remember me, Lord, when thou comest in thy kingdom”. The answer was, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”, Luke 23: 42, 43. That malefactor had seen the witness of the glory of the One, “the rock of ages”. He made it personal, and he made the Lord his own. He claimed the Rock for himself; he acknowledged the glory of the Person, and he had the desire to have a habitation with Him. How wonderful! Moments later he himself went into death, not death to suffer judgment, not death at a distance from God, not consigned to a place which has been set for the judgment of those who turn their backs upon God; no, he entered into the place where Christ was. He entered into, “a place by me”, Exod 33: 21. How personal that God should have marked out a place for that malefactor to enter into and to enter into it that day. It was for eternity. There would be no need for correction, no need for any development from man’s side or from God’s side. Why? Because God had granted him that place. It is true and perfect for the ages; and Christ is there, His work complete. “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise”; the malefactor had his habitation of glory with Christ immediately and forever.
How powerful is the work of the Saviour with whom we have to do. I would ask you where your habitation is. We are here for a little time and the psalmist speaks here of his confidence and hope in Jehovah from his youth. The psalmist had proved what God was in every circumstance, and he had his habitation in the rock, in the fortress, and in the strong tower. We pass through a world that is changing. There are subtle and unsubtle influences that we face as we pass through school and work, and that we see all around us, especially through technology and communication. There is much that Satan is doing to bombard us with information to influence the way we think. The psalmist here found his habitation in Jehovah from his youth. That is the place that he would resort to and reside in to get away from the things of this world. He could reside in a place of safety, stay in a place characterised by the Rock who is immoveable, “the rock of ages” who is unchanged forever, the One who was able and prepared to suffer and to die for you. The psalmist found safety and comfort and certainty in the environment where Jesus was. When the forces against you are strong and powerful, there is a habitation, with Christ, which is a shelter from the storm.
The hymn we know as ‘Rock of Ages’ (No 396), was written by somebody who found himself in a storm. God showed him a cleft in the rock, and he remained safe. There may be times when uncertainties come and you feel there is a storm; it may be something you feel uncomfortable about that you have heard or a situation you are in. The Rock is always there; the Rock never changes. How wonderful and powerful the habitation that is available to you right now in the Rock, “the rock of ages”.
Psalm 81 would show that not only is the Rock available as our salvation and our habitation, but too we can draw satisfaction from it. The world will do its best to tell you that satisfaction can only be derived from things in the world. There is, however, perfect satisfaction and supply for the journey from the Rock. We have the reference in the psalm,
with the honey out of the rock would I have satisfied thee.
We know naturally that honey provides sweetness. Honey too, in biblical times, was used for medication and healing and it also provides us with energy. These are three things which we would find as we rest in the habitation of “the rock of ages” - sweetness, healing and energy.
First of all, we should taste the sweetness of the One who is the Rock. Think of those in the Scriptures who took the time to rest in the presence of Jesus. What did they see? They saw One who was lowly, One who demonstrated love for them. The woman that we referred to at the well found that Jesus understood her and was able to converse with her about her circumstances. He knew what she had need of and the nourishment she was lacking; they had a very personal, simple and profound conversation.
There were others too who spoke to the Lord and saw there was something in the spirit of this Person which was different. The centurion saw that; “Truly this man was Son of God”, Mark 15: 39. There were those who wondered at His words of wisdom. There was that demonstration of love as He touched the leper, Mark 1: 41. There was the spitting and touching the eyes of the one who could not see, and providing sight, Mark 8: 23. In your circumstances, as you bring them before the Lord Jesus, you too can taste the sweetness of having to do with a Man who not only understands, but has the answer; not just One who sympathises, but One who provides answers; not only One who you can talk to about your past, but One who absolutely knows the future. What greater sense could there be of being in a habitation with One who you know is unchangeable; the One who provides the sweetness of a friend, who understands all and can provide all.
In our pathways here there are often times when healing is needed, when there are times of sorrow. There are times when we just do not quite know which way to turn or what the next chapter will look like. There are those who we know of today who are suffering in those ways. We think too, across the face of the earth, of the immense number of persons who are suffering, in a sense unjustly, in what they are passing through. We think of persons who are in prison because of their faith; we think of young children growing up in war-torn lands; we think of persons who are under governments where there is intense oppression. Whilst we feel the injustice and sorrow of all those in these circumstances, what is available to each is a habitation, the sweetness of a relationship with Christ and the healing power that He can pour in. I feel tested by speaking of this as we can identify with these things only to a limited degree. We feel them naturally; we feel them in our affections for others. We are all tested, however, in measure in our own pathways. We can have the certainty, as the psalmist did, that in those circumstances there can be provided that which is perfect for the healing of the faithful saint. How wonderful the provision and resource of the One with whom we have to do.
We are also brought to know the power of the Holy Spirit, One who the Father has given to indwell those who believe, in order that the reality of this habitation and our relationship with “the rock of ages” may be real and living. How can it be that honey can come from a rock? How can it be that in other scriptures the water can flow forth from the rock? It is because of the perfect power of God in the Holy Spirit. The resource from God’s side is not constrained by anything that is natural; He is the provider of all. Whilst He provides stability in the absolute sense, as the Rock, it does not constrain Him from providing nourishment through the free flowing water. God is perfect in all His ways.
Finally, the honey would provide energy. I would ask whether you are partaking of all the resources that He would provide for you. In your circumstances of need, does receiving healing and strength also provide you with the energy to serve, the energy to be here in testimony? We are tested by this; I am tested by it. The time that is left here is short. There are those that we meet with at school, at work, and those we commute with, who may not have found that habitation for themselves: if they never find the certainty of that Rock, the judgment that will be theirs is terrible. We referred to it earlier; I will not dwell on it but it says elsewhere that from the rock came forth fire, Judg 6: 21. God is able and will absolutely act in judgment over all that is contrary to Him.
In relation to my testimony, is my energy focused where it should be? Am I partaking of the resources that will give me focus and energy to serve Christ as He would have me do? Am I growing in my understanding of the greatness of all that we have in the Scriptures, all that we are able to enter into in our understanding of divine Persons and all that is to come? Where is my energy and focus in entering into them? Do you have dependence upon the Holy Spirit to understand them, dependence upon the Holy Spirit and the power of the Lord Jesus to put that understanding into expression in your pathway, and to form you in substance? These things are testing and challenging; which is why God provides the honey. He did not provide it just that there should be an enjoyable and easy time. He provided it because it is needed, needed by us, but also needed for the testimony. Therefore, each of us must look to see if we are partaking of it and using it.
I leave these words with us. We are passing through a world that is unstable and uncertain and increasingly so. Man is doing his utmost to improve it, but making it more unstable as he does. We will pass through a world in our own personal circumstances where sorrows and trials come in. Through all of this you must have to do with the Rock, the One who is absolutely and perfectly stable. He is eternal; He has commanded and provided salvation. He has provided a habitation and in that habitation He has given the resources of sweetness and appreciation of the Person and work of our Lord Jesus. He has provided everything that is required for salvation and for healing, and He has provided us with the resource for energy to pursue in the testimony. Everything from God’s side is perfect and strong. May we take something from this to the end that our pathway may be one which is found to be in the habitation of Christ, based upon “the rock of ages”, and marked by energy to serve Him; in some reflection of the perfect and glorious way He has served us.
May it be so, for His Name’s sake.
Colchester
29th November 2015