The Hebrew term (tsuwr) used in Deut. 32 for references to God as The Rock appears 78 times in the OT, half of them being references to God and His attributes. Since this name of God is revealed in the Song of Moses which God gave to Moses, I tend to think that when it is used as a name elsewhere the writer is thinking of that song. Sometimes the connection is obvious, as you will see, as we meditate on this name and what God intended for His people to understand from it.
·
1 Sam. 2:2: Hannah offered this prayer when she
brought Samuel to serve in the tabernacle.
Her view of God is reminiscent of Deut. 32:31. No one is holy like the
LORD, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.
·
2 Sam. 22:3,32,47 (Ps. 18:2,31,46): This hymn of
David’s is recorded twice.
o
In 22:2 he says the LORD is my rock (using
cela). In 22:3 He is the God
of my strength, where he uses the Hebrew tsuwr. Literally he says, the God of my rock. David has a rock, a great strength, but only
because of the LORD.
o
In 22:32 David says, who is God, except the
LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? In 22:47 David uses tsuwr twice: The
LORD Lives! Blessed by my Rock! Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation!
Meditate!
·
Psalm 19:14: Let the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength (Rock,
tsuwr) and my Redeemer.
·
Psalm 27:5: Think of this: For in the time of
trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. We are seeing that the name “Rock” speaks a
lot about God being a refuge for His people.
See this also in Ps. 31:2; 61:2; 71:3; 94:22.
·
Here are some passages that sound very much like
Deut. 32:
o
Ps. 81:16: He would have fed them also with
the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you
(Dt. 32:13).
o
Ps. 89:26: The Davidic king shall cry to Me, ‘You
are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation’ (Dt. 32:15).
o
Ps. 92:15: He is my rock, and there is no
unrighteousness in Him (Dt. 32:4).
o
Ps. 95:1: Let us shout joyfully to the Rock
of our salvation (Dt. 32:15).
o
Isa. 51:1: You who seek the LORD: Look to the
rock from which you were hewn (Dt. 32:15).
·
Habakkuk 1:12: The prophet’s plea with the LORD
concerning the use of the fierce Babylonians to chasten Israel is based in God’s
promise in Dt. 32 not to completely destroy Israel: We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment;
O Rock, You have marked them for correction.
Other passages worthy of meditation include
Ps. 62:2,6,7; 73:26; 78:15,20,35; 144:1; Isa. 26:4 (For in YAH, the LORD, is
everlasting strength); 30:29 (Mighty One in NKJV is Rock);
44:8; and 47:10. What does it mean that
God is your Rock?
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