Hide me in the Cleft of the Rock
The Lord is my Rock
Two of the basic needs of a person are to feel secure and significant. The more we understand our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ the more we have these two needs met. I believe when we know the Lord Jesus the more secure we can be in all of our relationships.
Psalms 18 :2 “I love you, Oh Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. My God, my rock in whom I take refuge. My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
In this Psalm there are seven metaphors: My rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold.
“A metaphor is a comparison made between two or more things using figurative or descriptive language. Metaphors serve to make difficult to understand ideas or concepts more tangible.Metaphors also infuse written text with vivid descriptions that make the text more vibrant and enjoyable to read.” 15 Famous Metaphors in The Bible (literarydevices.net)
Jesus used metaphors many times to help the people understand better what he was teaching.We are going to look at some metaphors in God’s Word that hopefully will bring clarity and understanding of the precious relationship we have with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit
I want to look at some of the metaphors that begin with “The Lord is…”
Many times I find that we as Christians don’t know who we are in Christ or where our security lies. We are continuously seeking our significance. Who am I? What am I supposed to do with my life? Why am I important? Am I important???
We find all the answers to these questions when we dig a little deeper into the descriptive or hidden treasures in God’s Word.
1, The Lord is my rock- Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”(NLT)
Rock –a block of stone, boulder- the rock,boulder, block of stone is steady. It is hard to come against. It is secure.
Rock in Strong’s Bible dictionary- the Hebrew word from its origin means “to be lofty”
It is used to describe a stronghold.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10 NASB)
The problem is we read these verses and we see the definitions and our mind understands but often our spirits and our hearts do not let the message in. This is where we must believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and learn to trust Him to “teach you all things,and bring to your remembrance all that I (Jesus) said to you.” John 14:26-28 (NAS) It is the Holy Spirit’s job to help us to understand and apply what is taught in the Word. (2 Timothy 3:16 NAS) “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
When we read in Deuteronomy 32:4 the context is the Song of Moses. Moses has seen God doing many miracles, led them through the wilderness 40 years. He has been the mediator between the people and Jehovah. Now he has come to the end of his journey. He knows he will not see the promise land. He knows the people are a rebellious and stubborn group. He speaks to the assembly one last time. Now He wants heaven and earth to hear. He reminds them of all that God has done for them. Then in verse 18, he tells them, “You neglected the Rock who begot you, And forgot the God who gave you birth.” Moses knew about the Rock, the God of Israel. God had used a rock at times to teach the people of his faithfulness. Moses brought forth water from the Rock by striking it and later disobey when God commanded him to speak to the rock and not allowed to go in the promise land because of his disobedience.
Moses encountered God in the mountain when he ask to see God’s glory. God granted him to see his back and sheltered Moses from all that his glory by placing him in the cleft of the rock. For mortal man cannot survive all that God is in His purest form. God is Spirit and we may someday see him in our glorified bodies but for now we trust and have faith in what he has shown us in His Word. The written Word and the human Word made flesh that came to earth to save man from his sinful state is enough revelation for us here and now. I haven’t a complete revelation of all that means yet.
We may never know how many times God has hidden us in the cleft of the Rock. Hymns have been written about the rock. We have Rock of Ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from the riven side which flowed. Be of sin the double cure Cleanse me from it’s guilt and power. The hymn written by Reverend Augustus Montague Toplady in 1763 when he was caught in a storm and sought shelter in a gap in the gorge of Burrington Combe in England. It is one of the world’s classic hymns.
Burrington Combe in England wikipedia
Our God is our shelter, fortress, deliverer, protector, helper, friend, Father and Savior. He is our shield, our buckler and the horn of our salvation herein lies our defense. The “horn” of animals are their defenses. Without its’ horn the rhinoceros will become prey to predators. Jesus is our defender from satan our predator. He is worthy of our praise and worship. We can place our complete trust in the one who has given his all for us.
Our security lies in the Rock. “I love you, LORD, you are my strength.” Psalm 18:2
Our significance is that the Rock who is omniscient, all knowing,and omnipotent loves us enough to redeem us from the curse of sin and give us life everlasting only by grace, His matchless grace which saves us. (John 3:16)
You are my Rock by Hillsong
Treading in grace filled water
Freda Reynolds
