Today’s reading: Deut 31:30–32:52, 2 Cor 8:8–15, Ps 45:1–17
Today’s theme: The Rock
God is the only true Rock seen most clearly in Jesus. We can put all our trust in God as our rock, the one and only Sovereign.
Deuteronomy 31:30–32:52
The Rock
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV)
God calls Himself The Rock. This name tells us so much about God’s character and who He is. Some of this is expounded in the same verse, God is just, faithful and holy. As the true Rock, God shows Himself to be dependable, without sin and the source / foundation of all integrity and justice.
This reality gives the charge against His people context. If God is the Rock, then how can they possibly forsake Him. We should take confidence today that our God is the Rock, our firm foundation that will not be moved. Matthew 6:24-25.
The Creator and Father
Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you? Deuteronomy 32:6 (ESV)
God is not only The Rock, He is their Creator and Father. Israel’s sin is not only that they fail to rely on and emulate His character as the dependable Rock. Rather that they also fail to recognise His relationship with them and all He has done for them.
Jesus always referred to God as His Father. We should speak the same way and think of God as this also. It will remind us of our relationship with Him as his children which will help us act accordingly in recognition of his due love and respect. Matthew 6:9.
Idols and demons
“But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. Deuteronomy 32:15–17 (ESV)
False gods are demons, the false gods of the religions of the world are all in fact demons. Our culture wants us to laugh at the Rock and forsake our Father to instead pay homage to the false god’s of human reasoning, chance/nothing (the big bang etc), comfort and convenience (the abortion rationale etc). These false gods are more subtle than the idols of the past but they are no less demonic.
The true rock
For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. Deuteronomy 32:31 (ESV)
No false or substitute rock can ever replace or compare to the true Rock, our God. The very revealed truth that Jesus is The Christ, The Son of The Living God was said by Jesus to be the Rock on which the church would be built. It has been built on this core truth and stands until this day. Matthew 16:16.
The One Sovereign God
“ ‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. Deuteronomy 32:39 (ESV)
God Majestically declares His own glory and sovereign rule. He alone is God and there is no other. God affirms that life, health and victory are in His hands alone. At the same time God affirms that death, sickness and defeat are in His hands too.
This boldly declared truth would have helped the Israelites form their sound theology about there being only one God. That God is sovereign over everything that happens to His people both good and bad. This would help them understand that some of their actions were worthy of God’s judgement rather than seeing bad times as God losing control.
An important lesson is seen here. When God’s blessing appears to be withdrawn, we should not question God’s ability but need to examine our relationship with God.
God’s living word
For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32:47 (ESV)
God’s words to us are not just empty words they are our very life. John 6:68 and Matthew 4:4.
2 Corinthians 8:8–15
The Incarnation
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV)
This is one of the key places in the Bible which speaks about the incarnation of the Son of God and His eternal pre-existence. “Being rich” in the Greek indicates Christ’s un-begun pre-existence. “Became poor” points to the historic act of the incarnation.
Jesus gave up His position and equality with God in heaven (richness) when he made the pre-incarnate choice to surrender His riches and glory to live, die and be resurrected as a man. He became poor so that we might be saved by becoming “rich” through His “poverty” (salvation).
Jesus’ example shows us that the ‘grace’ expressed in love is the willingness to give up our own rights for the sake of meeting the needs of others. The riches we now have in Christ are not economic but include forgiveness (2 Cor 5:19), reconciliation with God (2 Cor 5:18), and the gift of the Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5).
Psalm 45:1–17
The Trinity in the Psalms
you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; Psalm 45:7 (ESV)
This great king is Jesus. Notice God speaking to God because Jesus and the Father are both God. This is the doctrine of the Trinity in the Old Testament. One God in three distinct persons. This is referenced to Jesus in Hebrews 1:8-9.
Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.
Additional resources
Desiring God on 2 Corinthians 8