The Hardness of God
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:2 ESV
My rock – Other human beings may idolize the Man of Steel, but David looks to the God of Rock. The Hebrew text (as you must have guessed by now) does not contain the verb “is.” The Hebrew text simply says, “He! My rock.” Notice that the ‘ak shows up again. You’ll remember it from the first line of this poem. The exclamation point follows “he.” Shout it! YHWH!!!
Who is this God YHWH!? My rock. Remove the granite faithfulness of God and you no longer have this God. Extract the basalt of His goodness and He is no longer YHWH. Wear away the limestone of His compassion and He disappears. He is rock, in all of its forms. As soon as I begin to think otherwise, I have lost sight of the One God of Israel. Remember, in Hebrew there is no substance and accidents (per Aristotle). In Hebrew there are only concrete instances. There is only this red car or that yellow car. There is only this God of Israel; YHWH is His name. Any rearrangement of His supposed “attributes” or relationships means that He is no longer this God. (You might consider what this means for the Christian God who no longer maintains the relationship with Israel but has rather chosen the Church.) The theology of the God of the Tanakh is the theology of the God of Israel. Any claim otherwise is no longer a theology of this God of Israel.
David knows this God. This is the rock God, the salvation God, the fortress God. These are not adjectives about God. They are expressions of God’s impenetrable faithfulness and truth. Standing on this rock, I will never be shaken. This is what the God of David and Israel is. There can be no other like Him.
Perhaps we need David’s unmovable faithfulness. Perhaps today the earth is moving under your feet. But not the rock God. Stand on Him and prevail.
By the way, even the smallest rock serves as a reminder of the great rock YHWH. There are plenty of stones in this world, and therefore, plenty of examples of His hardness. As you walk today, look for some rocks. Remember the Hebrew imagery and give glory to Him.
Topical Index: rock, tsur, Psalm 62:2
Reminds me of the verse in Luke 20:17-18. He looked at them and said “What then is this that has been written, The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone? Everyone who falls on that stone shall be broken, but on whomever it falls shall be pulverised.” I fell on this stone but because I was broken I am able to live!
Any rearrangement of his supposed attributes or relationships means that he is no longer this God. My last day in the church I used to attend,is when they brought in a missionary who told the congregation that we follow the same God as the muslims.He said we both believe in the God of Abraham.I objected but to no avail.If you take out Jacob or Isreal, the relationship God had with him,then you are not standing on this rock.
This is why the altar could be built only of unhewn stones. Men cannot make rocks, or stones. Only YHVH can make rocks and stones. The best men can do is make bricks, which are a poor (but uniformly so) substitute for what YHVH has made.
Seems I recall one writer saying that “you are living stones, being fitly framed together into an habitation for YHVH”. Stones (little rocks). Not bricks.
“On YHVH the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.”
(With apologies to Edward Mote and William Batchelder Bradbury)
So interesting Rodney. These are the verses I immediately thought of as well. Avinu has had me contemplating these living stones for awhile now.
Solomon had the stones hewn for the temple off sight. We are being hewn off sight.
Torah is the foundation of the faith and bares the weight of the entire building. Torah keepers, I’m beginning to understand, are the foundation stones for this Temple YHVH is currently building with Yeshua Messiah as the chief cornerstone. I think that’s why there are so few of us.
I see each little torah pursuant congregation as a foundation stone in the making. The building will go up very quickly once the foundation stones are brought in and fit together. We need to become very strong in our love for one another and the rest of Israel and the church because we are the ones who will bare the weight of the rest of the building not to mention being constantly walked on!!! 😀
Well said Rodney.What is youre take,or where does Peter fit into this.Catholasisim claims him as the rock.
You mean, “…upon this rock, I will build…”? That statement was made at a specific place and time standing in front of a very specific rock (and it wasn’t Peter). I think Skip may have previously written about this, or it may even have been covered in the “Lessons from Israel” series.
“This is the rock God, the salvation God, the fortress God.” YES!
So many verses referring to YHWH Elohim as our Rock- Rock of refuge and deliverance, strength, and defence.
Deut 32:4 The Rock, his work perfect: for all His ways judgment: an Elohim of truth and without unrighteousness, just and upright He.
Psa 62:7 In Elohim my salvation and my esteem: the Rock of my strength, my refuge, in God.
Psa 78:35 And they remembered that Elohim their rock, and the Most High EL their redeemer.
1Cr 10:4 And all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Meshiach.
Clearly from these verses, Elohim and Meshiach is the same Rock, that we and Israel bless/bow the knee to. So, Israel has received redemption/”salvation”, when The Rock/Meshiach led them out of Egypt.