Gracious Rock

My son-in-law opened his own business.  He calls it Rock Solid.  He wants people to have confidence in his product.  The name “rock solid” rather does that.  People trust something or someone who is rock solid.  Jesus has that name as well.  He is the Rock. 

Edward Mote wrote the hymn “The Solid Rock”.  This hymn extols various features of Christ that are rock solid for believers.  There is His blood, His righteousness and His name all listed in the first verse.  The second and third verses list His oath, His covenant, and His grace.  The refrain then lifts high His designation as the solid rock. “On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand – all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.” 

William Cushing wrote another hymn setting Christ forth as the Rock, “Hiding in Thee”.  He saw Christ as the Rock of Ages, the Refuge, the High Rock of safety.  Refuge in this secure Rock was the theme of His refrain: “Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee, Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.” 

The hymnists found Christ to be a solid foundation and a sure refuge.  He is the security and salvation of His people.  This is a constant theme in Scripture.  But there is another thing we find from the Rock, Jesus Christ. 

In Exodus 17 the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt and had arrived at a place in the wilderness with no water.  They needed something to drink or they would perish.  God told Moses to strike the Rock and water would come out.  It would be enough water for the roughly three million Israelites and all their livestock.  How much water is enough to sustain one cow for one day?  It is about 40 gallons.  They had tens of thousands of cows and tens of thousands of sheep and goats.  They had a daily need for the people alone of over one million gallons on top of the livestock needs.  The Rock that provided all that water was Jesus. 

In I Corinthians 10:4 it tells us something else about that Rock.  That rock followed them in the wilderness to provide water whenever needed.  “And [they]all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”  (I Cor. 10:4) Where can the believer go without Christ?  No where!  That Rock that provided for the children of Israel is still with His children today providing for them.  Each day He provides for us His righteousness, His blood, His grace and His oath.  Each day He provides for us sustenance, safety and shelter.  Blest be the Rock of our salvation. 

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net