Jesus is a Rock

When we read the Bible, we sometimes miss the soft messages and symbolism found in its passages; consequentially, we may miss lessons that will enlighten us. While I was writing ILLUMINATED, I stumbled upon a powerful symbol in the Bible that I used as a motif in the novel. God and Jesus are referred to as rocks in hundreds of verses, and the Bible uses many synonyms to differentiate how we should understand our Heavenly Father and His Son as the rocks they are in our lives.

Why a Rock? A rock or a stone connotes a firm foundation, immovability, safety and steadfastness. A rock is unchangeable and can be a defense position. It is eternal—no matter the changing circumstances in one’s life. It is no wonder that our Biblical forefathers used rocks and stones as metaphors and similes. Figurative language can be shorthand for concepts that need contemplation. I took advantage of that same figurative language to add depth to ILLUMINATED.

The concept starts in Deuteronomy when Moses calls God “the Rock that begat thee” and “the Rock of Salvation” (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 18). Well, those phrases say all the important things about Christianity. God the Rock is at the beginning of our lives, and He is the Rock that saves us for all eternity. There is a lot of need for God as a Rock throughout our lives, as well. The Bible also says, “The lord is my Rock and my fortress” (Psalm 18:2), and that shows the nature of God as our place to seek shelter when life becomes difficult.

Peter calls Jesus the “living Stone” that is rejected, yet chosen (1 Peter 2:4-8). Even Jesus uses the symbolism when he calls Himself the Cornerstone—“the stone that the builders rejected” that eventually became the most important stone (Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11).

One could do an entire Bible study on the words and phrases that refer to God and Jesus as rocks and stones:

·       “The Lord is my Rock”

“The Rock of Ages”

·       “The tested Stone”

       "My mighty Rock”

·       “The Rock of my strength”

·       “The Rock of Israel”

·       “The Stone of Stumbling”

·       “My God is my Rock”

·       “The Rock eternal”

·       “The Everlasting Rock”

·       “Our Rock of Salvation”

·       “The Rock of Offence”

·       “The Living Stone”

The list of words and phrases for God our Rock goes on, and I have used many in the novel, but I have two favorite words that I used over and over. Tsur is the name for “The Lord is my Rock” in the Bible. In the novel, I have used the imagery of Tsur as the mountain where God resides—where everyone desires to be because there is celebration and worship on that Eternal Rock. Yahweh Tsuri (Tsur) is the Hebrew name that refers to God as the ultimate source of power and salvation.

Another of my favorite names for God the Rock is Sela’—the Hebrew name for “The cleft of the Rock” (II Samuel 22:2). I thought deeply upon this name for God. A cleft in a large rock can be used for shelter and protection when one experiences fear. I have taken refuge in Sela’ many times during my life. I have hidden in the protection of the cleft of the Rock when I didn’t know where to turn. The little baby lights in ILLUMINATED seek refuge and protection in Sela’ when they are feeling vulnerable.

As you return to God’s word for enlightenment and guidance, I challenge you to absorb how the scriptures highlight God and Jesus as Rocks of our Salvation and the eternal sources of unwavering strength to survive the storms of this life.