A Rock Like No Other
For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. Deuteronomy 32:31 (ESV)
I’ve been reading through the Bible chronologically and this verse struck me. Here, the word “rock” (tsur) means rock or cliff, a figurative of God as support and defense of his people.
Other Bible translations state that even enemies “concede,” “recognize” or “judge” that no God is like the one true God. They saw the power, protection, and presence of the Rock.
Moses was getting ready to pass his leadership on to Joshua to lead them into the promised land. This verse is part of a song God gave Moses to teach the Israelites to remind them of God’s faithfulness in the midst of their past (and future) fickleness.
They saw God’s great works to free them from Egypt, but they grew impatient and prideful, turning to complaining and idolatry. Because of their disobedience, the generation that was freed was not permitted to enter the promised land, but their children would.
Moses’s song served as a warning and a reminder. Be faithful to your Rock, who is so powerful, merciful and different from other gods that even their enemies recognized it.
The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.
The God of the exodus is the same Christ we celebrate this Easter weekend (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). Through his life, death and resurrection, Christ frees us from sin, provides and protects, and will deliver us to the promised land.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:1-2
Do we recognize our Rock’s difference from the world’s? Our risen Savior comes to us in our captivity and is with us in the desert. Let’s stay faithful to Jesus who paid it all and build our foundation on the One True Rock.
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