DAILY STRENGTH FOR MEN
February 10 (day 1)
THE ROCK
The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4 NRSV
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "rock"? If you were a Jew at the time of Jesus, then you might answer: "foundation." Jesus certainly associated "rock" with "foundation. Here are two examples:
* When Jesus renamed Simon, the son of Jonah, he gave him the name Peter, which means "rock," and said, "on this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18).
* In the parable of the wise and foolish builders, the wise man builds his house on a rock, and the foolish man builds his house on sand (7:24-27)
In the Middle East during and before the time of Jesus, houses were built in the dry summer, when the clay soil is extremely hard. An unwise builder might get tired of digging for rock and just use the rock-hard soil as his foundation. But when winter arrived, so did steady rain, and that rain could give the formerly hard soil the consistency of chocolate pudding.
When the Israelites of the Old Testament referred to God as a rock or "the Rock," however, they saw much more than a solid foundation. In Deuteronomy 32:4, "the Rock" is described as perfect, just, faithful, sinless, and upright. Here are some other references to God as "the Rock":
* "The Rock that bore you ... the God who gave you birth." (Deuteronomy 32:18)
* "The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock ... the rock of my salvation." (2 Samuel 22:47)
* "They remembered that God was their rock ... their redeemer." (Psalm 78:35)
* "You have forgotten the God of your salvation ... the Rock of your refuge." (Isaiah 17:10)
God offered the people of Israel and us life, salvation, redemption, strength, refuge ... everything we need. The Rock. Why build on anything else?
February 10 (day 1)
THE ROCK
The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4 NRSV
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "rock"? If you were a Jew at the time of Jesus, then you might answer: "foundation." Jesus certainly associated "rock" with "foundation. Here are two examples:
* When Jesus renamed Simon, the son of Jonah, he gave him the name Peter, which means "rock," and said, "on this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18).
* In the parable of the wise and foolish builders, the wise man builds his house on a rock, and the foolish man builds his house on sand (7:24-27)
In the Middle East during and before the time of Jesus, houses were built in the dry summer, when the clay soil is extremely hard. An unwise builder might get tired of digging for rock and just use the rock-hard soil as his foundation. But when winter arrived, so did steady rain, and that rain could give the formerly hard soil the consistency of chocolate pudding.
When the Israelites of the Old Testament referred to God as a rock or "the Rock," however, they saw much more than a solid foundation. In Deuteronomy 32:4, "the Rock" is described as perfect, just, faithful, sinless, and upright. Here are some other references to God as "the Rock":
* "The Rock that bore you ... the God who gave you birth." (Deuteronomy 32:18)
* "The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock ... the rock of my salvation." (2 Samuel 22:47)
* "They remembered that God was their rock ... their redeemer." (Psalm 78:35)
* "You have forgotten the God of your salvation ... the Rock of your refuge." (Isaiah 17:10)
God offered the people of Israel and us life, salvation, redemption, strength, refuge ... everything we need. The Rock. Why build on anything else?
DAILY STRENGTH FOR MEN
February 10 (day 1)
THE ROCK
The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4 NRSV
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "rock"? If you were a Jew at the time of Jesus, then you might answer: "foundation." Jesus certainly associated "rock" with "foundation. Here are two examples:
* When Jesus renamed Simon, the son of Jonah, he gave him the name Peter, which means "rock," and said, "on this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18).
* In the parable of the wise and foolish builders, the wise man builds his house on a rock, and the foolish man builds his house on sand (7:24-27)
In the Middle East during and before the time of Jesus, houses were built in the dry summer, when the clay soil is extremely hard. An unwise builder might get tired of digging for rock and just use the rock-hard soil as his foundation. But when winter arrived, so did steady rain, and that rain could give the formerly hard soil the consistency of chocolate pudding.
When the Israelites of the Old Testament referred to God as a rock or "the Rock," however, they saw much more than a solid foundation. In Deuteronomy 32:4, "the Rock" is described as perfect, just, faithful, sinless, and upright. Here are some other references to God as "the Rock":
* "The Rock that bore you ... the God who gave you birth." (Deuteronomy 32:18)
* "The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock ... the rock of my salvation." (2 Samuel 22:47)
* "They remembered that God was their rock ... their redeemer." (Psalm 78:35)
* "You have forgotten the God of your salvation ... the Rock of your refuge." (Isaiah 17:10)
God offered the people of Israel and us life, salvation, redemption, strength, refuge ... everything we need. The Rock. Why build on anything else?
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