The Rock - finding stability & hope for our weary souls

THE ROCK - Psalm 62

1“Truly my soul finds rest in God;

My salvation comes from him.

2Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

He is my fortress, I will never be shaken…

3 How long will you assault me?

Would all of you thrown me down –

This leaning wall, this tottering fence?

4 Surely they intend to topple me

From my lofty place;

They take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

But in their hearts they curse.

5 Yes, my soul, finds rest in God;

My hope comes from him.

6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;

He is my mighty rock, my refuge.

8 Trust in him at all times, you people;

Pour out your hearts to him,

For God is our refuge.”

   This is my absolute favorite Scripture! I am so excited to share it with you & to dig in a little bit into what this Psalm is all about.  It is so linguistically rich. The imagery used by the author, David, is exquisite. People don't use language like this any more (at least not in our everyday vernacular), but isn't it just beautiful?! And it makes sense that this would be in poem form, since it was written to be a song. Most likely, David wrote it and then it was given to the chief musician who would then use the song to lead the Israelites in worship. 

  Okay, let's look at some of the specific imagery David uses here. When we read Psalm 62 and the way in which David uses this term “the Rock”, we can see that he uses it in conjunction with other words or phrases that are almost military sounding. This is interesting because David is giving us an inside glimpse into how he views God. And since the Lord called David “a man after his own heart” (Acts 13:22) I think it would be wise to lean in & listen.

      Since David spent much of his adult life fighting as a soldier, terms of battle and war would second nature. The words that I have highlighted in the passage above show us how David sees the Lord. Take a closer look… rock, fortress, refuge. They are all terms of safety in one sense or another.  A “fortress” is a stronghold or fortification; it would often be located on high ground where the soldiers seeking rest would be easily defended against their enemies. Similarly, a “refuge” (according to Thesaurus.com) is “a sanctuary, shelter, asylum, harbor, retreat, or safe haven.”  I love those words. Sanctuary, retreat, safe haven. Here in this passage, David is crying out to the Lord for protection.  It is almost as if he is preaching to himself in a way…. reminding himself of who God is (the Rock; our safe haven) & that we can trust HIM fully.

      Now let’s look back at that work “rock”.  Rocks have been used since ancient times as a building material because of their strength and durability. Rocks were especially used when building places of protection such as walls surrounding a city, a fortress or a tower. Places of protection. Strongholds. Other building materials like straw or hay can easily be burned up or blown down in a strong storm. Even wood (which can be very strong depending on the variety of tree it came from) can be damaged by water and become soft & rotten, breaking apart over time. And of course, it too can be compromised easily by fire or strong winds from a storm. Living in Oklahoma, we understand storms & the damage they can inflict. And boy, don’t those storms sweep in fast?! The skies are clear blue one minute and hail is pelting down on you the next. Winds bending the trees and rattling the windows. You see, it matters where you run during that storm. If you seek protection & safety in the wrong place, it may just cost you your life. Look at verses 3 & 4 above… would you ever run to a “leaning wall” or a “tottering fence” for protection?  Heck no. You would look for the most secure structure you could find.

      

      If anyone knew what it meant to long for safety & rest it would be David. As a warrior, he fought in countless bloody battles, was on the run for his life, was living in caves and even sought asylum with his enemies so that he would not be killed. From the time he was a very young man (probably 16 or so when he killed Goliath in his very 1^st battle) until he was middle aged, David’s life was dominated by fierce war.

       I don’t know about you, but after running & fighting for 20 years, I think I would be looking for some peace and quiet. When I have a rough day of cranky kids, my washing machine is broken, and my husband & I are at odds; I want to run to my bed, pull the covers over my head, and get away from all the noise, the chaos, and disappointment. And that is nothing compared to the turmoil of David’s life. Just like David – when things get crazy we start looking around us to find something, anything that will bring us stability. We long for something to be constant & unmoving. So much of our lives we can’t control and so we grasp at the things we think we can keep within our control.

      I’m sure David wished he could control his situation too. But instead, we find this warrior humbly putting his hope, his salvation & his very life in the hands of The Almighty God – the Rock. The unchanging LORD who is the same today as He was when David walked this earth before us. David trusted in God, and my friend, so can we.

     David is not the only person in the Bible to place his faith in the Rock. Moses, one of the great giants of the Christian faith, who “talked with the LORD as one talks to a friend” had two amazing experiences that can add to our understanding of the Rock. In order to do this, we have to go back in time & also back in our Bibles to the book of Exodus and the story of the Israelites wandering in the desert after their exodus from Egypt. Look with me for a moment at Exodus 17 – all of the Israelites are wandering in the desert from place to place, wherever the Lord told them to go. Exodus 12:37 tells us that there were “six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children…. And also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds”. Okay, so we know there are a 600,000 PLUS women, children, and animals. This is no small camp. So, when in chapter 17 it says that they started grumbling to Moses that they have no water, this is a BIG problem. A little trickle of water isn’t going to cut it. They need a large water source, or they will die. *Enter the rock. * God tells Moses to take a few of the elders (probably leaders of the Israelite tribes) and go to “the rock at Horeb”.  God says Moses is supposed to strike the rock with his staff and water will pour out of the rock. So, Moses obeys. He strikes the rock with his staff, and water immediately gushes out. I like how this story is retold in Deuteronomy 8, verse 15 “He (the LORD) led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of the hard rock.”  Water means life. Without it, the Israelites would have died in the desert. But God provided a way when it seemed hopeless. People talk about the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 by miraculously multiplying a few loaves of unleavened bread (think pita bread) and a couple of small fish. It is definitely amazing, and I don’t mean to down play it by any means. But here, we have at the very least 600,000+ people… quite possibly close to 1.5 million, although this number is debated. And also, they have “large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds”. This is truly astounding. Our God is a provider. He is the source of life & of life giving water.

Later, we see Moses again with the Rock, but this time the situation is a bit different. Moses is now on the top of Mount Sinai, and the LORD is hovering in a great cloud (see Exodus 19:9). God is about to give Moses the stone tablets with the 10 commandments, but before He does this, He allows Moses to experience His presence in a way that no other human had before. The Lord shows Moses his glory.

                Exodus 33:19-23 “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence… But you must not see my face, for no one may see me and live. Then the LORD said, ‘there is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.’”

      Did you catch it? The reference to the rock?  God would allow Moses to stand on a rock and hide him in the cleft of a rock (like a crevice or opening) and then God himself would pass by. Moses was in the presence of very glory of the LORD Almighty, hidden within the rock - the safe haven where he would be able to see God’s glory and live to tell about it.

When we are seeking a place of refuge, a safe place to run to – we can run to The Rock.  Your world may seem to be crumbling around you & you might be grasping for something solid. Take heart, my friend. There is a SOLID ROCK that can be your stability. A safe haven for your soul.  Our hearts long for rest, for a sense that we are full, we are satisfied, we are at peace, we are calm, we are okay, we are refreshed, and we are confident. Is this how you feel?  Are you full, satisfied, at peace, calm, okay, refreshed, & confident?  Or do you feel empty, dissatisfied, unsettled, maybe even under attack and desperately trying to preserve your life? Maybe you need the living water that flows from the Rock to full up your dry cup. Come close, dear one. Lean in. Bring your weary soul to the One who can both protect & sustain you - Our LORD, the Rock.

      We all have times or seasons in our lives when we need a safe place – some stability outside of ourselves. We need a fortress to protect us. We need a safe place where we can be refreshed & recover our strength. So, tell me, friend… Where do you run to? Where is your safe place? To what are you looking for your salvation?

      For David, the answer was found in YAWEH, the Almighty God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob – the spiritual giants of his age. They worshiped the LORD Most High. The Creator of heaven & earth.  Our ROCK and our safe place of refuge.  In the same way that you seek protection from a fierce storm in a heavy-duty storm shelter, it is just as important to seek out the Almighty God as your salvation from the chaos of this world. My friend, you will not find shelter in money (your bank account could be drained tomorrow). You will not find stability for your soul in relationships (all people are bent toward evil until the Lord Jesus changes your desires). Those things are like leaning walls and tottering fences. Bottom line - The peace your spirit longs for can only be found in the Lord.  And let me assure you, He can be trusted. He is I AM. The unchanging one. So, if your soul is in need of a safe place – a place where you can let your guard down & find true, lasting peace – The Rock is waiting to be the sure foundation for your life.

       Look back at Psalm 62 - do you see where David says “I will not be shaken”? He actually says this twice. Once, “I will NEVER be shaken” and then later he says again, “He (God) is my fortress, I will not be shaken”. Such confidence. David is so sure of God’s power and ability to be his protector that he is literally putting his life in God’s hands (“He is my salvation”).  Fear is a natural human response to danger or loss. But you do not have to overwhelmed by it. Fear does not have to consume you. If the LORD God is your Rock, you can leave your fear in His hands. He created the universe, I think His hands are big enough to handle it.  But now comes the hard part…. Are you ready? You must actively give up the fighting and decide that you cannot weather the storm on your own before you GO. It takes action on your part. Go. Run. Seek protection. Hide yourself in the shelter of The Rock. And when you do, you will find solid ground & the same confidence our man David has – confidence that we can not be shaken by this world because our lives are anchored in the Lord.

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