Spiritual Rocks

"...ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32: 3, 4)

"He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved." (Psalm 62: 2, 6)

Rock and Stone are fit emblems of God, for he alone is stedfast and unmoveable, of infinite strength, eternal and immutable. God is like Rock and like Stone for he is foundation for everything.

Rock and Stone signify strength, permanence and stability. Job asks - "Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?" (Job 6: 12) The "strength of stones" is a fitting image of God Almighty, and of his permanence and durability.

"Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end." (Psalm 102: 25-27)

Christ is Rock

"They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ." (I Corinthians 1: 3, 4 NIV)

"To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded." (I Peter 2: 4-6)

"For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." (Zechariah 3: 9)

These verses declare Christ Jesus also as "Rock" and "Stone." In the Old Testament, God gave types and prophecies of Messiah, and the symbol of "Stone" and "Rock" figure prominently in them. He is the antitype of the "rock" that Moses "smote" with his "rod" and which brought forth water for the Israelites and which sustained them in their journey through the desert. The "smiting" of that "Rock" and the salvation coming from it were pictures of Christ and of his salvation on the cross, where Jesus was "smitten for the transgression of the Lord's people" (Isaiah 53: 8).

He is the "One Stone" in the prophecy of Zechariah that God would "lay" before Joshua the High Priest, and upon which were "seven eyes," descriptive of the infinite wisdom and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Isaiah's "Tried Stone" (Isaiah 28: 16), the Rock that would be the beginning and chief part of the foundation of the spiritual temple, the "chief corner stone" of it. Said Jesus:

"And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (Matthew 21: 44)

Salvation and condemnation are connected with Christ, God's Rock. To "fall on" Christ, God's "tried stone," is to come to him in humility and penitence, with contrition, to come to his feet, to believe in him and commit one's life to him.

A person who has "fallen on the stone" is one who has "cast all care" (I Peter 5: 7) upon Christ, has transferred all burdens to the shoulders of Christ, who is able to bear them for us. Those who do not "fall on" this Stone, who do not believe in Christ, will find this same Stone to "fall upon" them in terrible judgment.

Disciples Are Rocks

"And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone." (John 1: 42)

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter ("Rock"), and upon this (very) rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail (withstand) against it." (Matthew 16: 15-18)

Jesus gave Simon a new name when he called him and placed him into the office of an apostle; that name is "Cephas" (or "Kepha" in Aramaic) or Peter (Greek). This name of Peter ("petros") means "rock," and so we might, with propriety, call him "Rocky." Why was Peter especially called "Rock"?

Certainly it was not because he was Christ! If Peter were in any way spiritually a "rock" or "stone," it was because Christ lived in Peter and communicated to his soul his own "rockiness." Peter exemplified this "rock strength" in his firm confession of Jesus. Of course, Peter, though specifically surnamed "Rock," is not alone possessed of this quality, for it was also a quality possessed by the other apostles, who likewise were "rock" and "stone" in their faith and allegiance to Christ. Yea, every believer is a little "Rocky" also.

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2: 19-22)

Every member of the saved community is a "stone" in God's building. There is only one "chief stone," only one "corner stone," and there are only twelve apostles, who with Christ, make up the "foundation" of this new citizenry and this new society. Every believer has the strength and firmness of Christ's faith and obedience communicated to him in his birth in the Spirit.

"Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." (Isaiah 51: 1, 2)

In doing as the prophet here commanded, Christians look first to God himself as "The Rock." We also look to Christ Jesus our Lord, who is also "The Rock," for he is the Son of God and the "express image" of his Father's person (Hebrews 1: 3), the "rock from whence" all believers are "hewn." Peter was rock and stone because he was hewn from God, from Abraham, from Christ. Christians can add to this, saying that we are now also hewn from Peter and the other apostles.

Friend, have you "fallen on the stone"? Do you not realize that this stone will fall on you in awful judgment one day, if you reject him and refuse now to fall at his feet?