Jesus is our ROCK

Jesus is our Rock.

I grew up in farm country where the soil was soft and rich. There were no rocks. None at all. (I didn’t realize what a blessing that was until every yard I’ve had in my adult life was full of rocks.) So as a child I was fascinated by rocks. I looked for rocks and collected rocks. OK, I still pick up and keep a “pretty rock” when I find one.

In a way it is a continuation of last week’s blog about Jesus being our Cornerstone. This week we see Jesus as our ROCK.

The study of Jesus as my Rock has expanded many different Bible passages for me. But I’ll never look at rocks the same way, after the research I did to write this blog.

Like most Hebrew / Greek words in Scripture, there are nuances of meaning in the original language that do not translate into English.

To understand Jesus as our Rock in the New Testament, we must begin in the Old Testament.

When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and were in the wilderness, they came to a location, Mt. Horeb, that had no water. God called it the rock at Horeb.

The word rock here is Strong’s Hebrew word #6697 which means a cliff. The word can mean boulder. It also carried the connotation of strength.

In the Scripture we are looking at today, the word clearly means cliff. See photo below.

Image of Horeb. Photo in public domain.

This image of Horeb shows us that the mountain was solid rock cliffs with crevices, or fissures, on the sides.

When the Israelites arrived at Horeb, they were thirsty. But they were exactly where God wanted them. He had led them to this dry mountain by His pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of fire by night.

God spoke to Moses and said:

“’Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.’ And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Exodus 17:6.

Notice what God tells Moses: Behold (Wow, look and consider, Shazam!) I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb.

In other words, God (the trinity) was present at the rock at Mt. Horeb. God Himself would miraculously supply their need for water out of the solid rock. The people would have no doubt that it was God Himself that brought water from the mountain of rock. God provided fresh, moving, living water to provide for their thirst. But this event wasn’t just about providing for their physical need for water. Even more importantly, it was about supplying their deeper SPIRITUAL needs.

This imagery continues throughout the Bible. The Word of God seamlessly connects the Old and New Testaments on this issue.

Paul tells us in the New Testament that Jesus was that ROCK.

Writing to the Corinthians, Paul teaches them that their forefathers passed through the sea, were under the pillar of cloud, and ate the spiritual food of manna. Everything they went through physically had a spiritual implication.

Then Paul writes:

“And all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.” I Corinthians 10:4.

Yes, Jesus Christ, the preincarnate Son of God, was the rock at Horeb that gave the Israelites the life sustaining Living Water.

Jesus taught this same truth over and over during His ministry.

“Now on the last day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me as the Scripture said, from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38.

When talking to the Samaritan woman at the well:

“Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink’, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10.

“Jesus answered and said to her, everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14.

See this beautiful connection. Jesus provided Spiritual Living Water at Horeb. Jesus provides the gift of Spiritual Living Water to anyone and everyone who will drink it. Those who drink of the Living Water Jesus provides will have eternal life.

Then finally, the imagery continues as we get a glimpse into the future. In the new heaven and new earth, the Living Water of eternal life still flows from Jesus:

“And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1.

Carla Killough McClafferty