God is described with the name "Rock" in numerous passages of scripture, a few of which we quote below:
1. Deut. 32:4, "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.
2.  Deut. 32:15, "...then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
3.  Deut. 32:18, "Of the Rock that begot thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
4.  1 Cor. 10:4, "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: And that Rock was Christ."

    Several key points about God the Rock can be made of the verses quoted above:
1.  Jesus Christ is the Rock.
2.  The work of Christ is perfect.
3.  Christ ways are judgment.
4.  Christ is a God of truth.
5.  Christ is just and right.
6.  Christ has made us.
7.  Christ is the God of our salvation.
8.  Christ has begotten us and formed us.
9.  Christ is the Spiritual Rock that we spiritually drink of.
10. Christ is without iniquity.

    The connotation of the use of the name "Rock" in reference to God is not that of a small stone, but of a giant boulder.  The characteristics of a giant rock or boulder are descriptive of some of the aspects of God's nature.  First, a rock is generally thought of as a good foundation on which to build.  In Matt. 16:18 the Lord said, "And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."  The foundation or Rock upon which the Lord's church is built is upon Jesus Christ.  There are three aspects of Christ upon which the church is built.  First it is built upon the person of Jesus Christ, i.e., who he is.  Second it is built upon the work of Jesus Christ, i.e., what he has and will do.  Third, it is built upon the word of Jesus Christ, i.e., what the scriptures teach us concerning the church, its composition, offices, ordinances, government, etc.

    Also the word of our Rock (Christ) is the foundation each of us should strive to build our lives upon.  Matt. 7:24-27 reads, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rains descended, and the floods came, and winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

    A second characteristic of a giant rock is that it can serve as a fortress of protection or advantage against an advancing enemy.  Ps. 31:2, 3 describes our God in this manner: "Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me.  For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me."  Also Ps. 94:22 reads, "But the Lord is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge."  Additionally Ps. 62:6, 7 says, "He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.  In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."

    A third characteristic of a giant rock is that in a weary land it can provide a shadow from the wilting heat of the sun.  Is. 32:2 describes Christ as follows: "And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."  Life and its trials, afflictions, tribulations and troubles sometimes becomes very weary to us.  Christ is that shadow of a giant rock who gives us rest and renewal and comfort in our oft weary lives.

    While we may not normally think of rock providing sustenance, yet there are rocks out of which water flows, and there are rocks in which the honey bees make nests, and there are flinty rock out of which oil does come.  Christ as our Rock provides all of the spiritual equivalent of these things to us:
1.  Deut. 32:13, "He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock..."
2.  1 Cor. 10:4, "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."  See also Ex. 17:6 and Num 20:8.

    Finally in II Sam. 23:1-7 Christ is described as the Rock upon which the covenant of redemption rests.  He is the sure foundation and from that covenant Rock we drink the pure waters of salvation which are so refreshing for our souls and we find refuge from the storms of life and he provides us a shade from the weary trials of life.  The gospel of that salvation is sweeter than honey.  Because of that Rock of salvation we are anointed with the oil of gladness.  We also find that the Rock of our salvation has destroyed for us the enemies of sin, death, hell, Satan, and the grave.  What a Rock we are made to stand upon!

In our next essay we will consider God's name "I AM."

Elder Vernon Denton is the pastor of Denton Primitive Baptist Church, Denton, Texas.