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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD - INTRO 4

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD - INTRO 4
 

The solidity of the God of the Bible called forth the figurative expression, "Rock," to depict His absoluteness. By means of this image-bearing word, God is placed as an absolute. Elsewhere He is referred to as the "God of truth" [Amen-Heb.], meaning firm, stable, absolute (Isa. 65:16; Rev. 3:14). Even in that day, the darkened intellects of men and the pagan reasoning of false reli­gion ran in the area of the relative. An ever shifting and changing evaluation produced frustration and despair. But for the children of Israel and the saints of the Church there was a Rock, an Absolute which imparted its solidity, its stability, its sturdiness, its strength to all other areas of reality. The pagans beholding this people in their worship and behavior had to admit that "their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges" (Deut. 32:31).

The moral qualities of God as a Rock, solid, stable, sturdy, strong, are sounded forth in the praises of the saints. Moses proclaims His performance perfect, "for all his ways are justice: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is He" (Deut. 32:4 ASV). In parenthood as a Rock, God provided for all that Israel needed (Deut. 32:15, 18). In demonstrations of power for Israel as a Rock, God came to the defense of Israel (Deut. 32:30-31). And upon numerous occasions the protection of the Rock was experienced by the nation of Israel (2 Sam. 22:2-3, 30-33, 47; Psa. 62:2, 6, 7).

Without a doubt the constant reference to God as the Rock of salvation means more than just physical and material deliverance. In many of these instances it rises to heights of spiritual deliverance from sin. In the song of Moses, the lawgiver was concerned about Israel as begotten and made by God, and in return lightly esteemed by Israel (Deut. 32:15, 18). David, in many of the Psalms, ascends to the point of his spiritual relationship with the Lord when he makes reference to God as a Rock (Psa. 28:1; 62:2, 6, 7).

When Moses made reference to God as the Rock in his song, we do not learn until we reach the New Testament that that Rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4).

But Isaiah does point forward to a coming king who will reign in righteousness, who will be to the people "as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (Isa. 32:1-2). This one is the rock upon which the Church will be built (Matt.16:18), and the rock foundation upon which lives may be erected (Matt. 7:24, 25; 1 Cor. 3:10-11). Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to the unbelieving (Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8), but to those who come to Him in faith, He imparts to them the qualities of character found in the Rock, as for instance in the case of Peter (John 1:42).

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