Throughout history the people of Israel have been threatened and mistreated. Attacked and enslaved by other nations, singled out by maniacal leaders with genocidal intentions, the Jewish people have faced thousands of years of insecurity.
So when we read that the great King David on his deathbed called God Tsur Yisrael, “the Rock of Israel,” the words should make us all sit up and pay attention. (When wise people are facing their own mortality, they often have great clarity and are able to put things in amazing perspective.)
In effect, David was saying Israel would never be saved or sustained by great political leadership or military might. Their security wouldn’t be found in alliances with other nations. Ultimately, it was God who was Israel’s rock, Israel’s foundation.
What mattered? What could give security? David saw the truth clearly. There is just one rock. One place of security. One safe haven. One God.
Others have glimpsed this truth too.
When the thief on the cross next to Jesus realized that death was imminent, he no longer relied upon his criminal wits or delusional justifications. With everything stripped away, he poured out his honest thoughts and desperate need to Jesus.
When Job lost his wealth and, more importantly, all his children, he no longer cared about possessions. He focused on finding meaning in God. When Jeremiah was threatened with death and escape seemed impossible, the prophet refocused his life on God, on finding fulfillment only in Him.
You may not be Jewish, and you may not be in the shadow of the valley of death. Even so, the Rock of Israel is your Rock. He’s the only sure foundation in life.
In what specific ways does God as your Rock give you security?
