Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining our discussion about a topic that “called” me after I heard a New Testament verse read in church last Sunday. Written by St. Paul, the verse referenced a miraculous incident that occurred when Moses led the people of Israel through the desert after they fled their Egyptian oppressors:
“They [Israelites] were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 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” (1 Corinthians 10:2-4).
The word “rock” prompts me to write about its meaning in the Old Testament and next week in the New. Regarding the 1 Corinthians passage, I was intrigued by the phrase “that rock was Christ,” as explained in my NIV Study Bible:
“The rock, from which the water came, and the manna were symbolic of supernatural sustenance through Christ, the bread of life and the water of life.” For more details, refer to my Bible studies on the “bread” and “water” of life in Vols. 34, 62, and 63.
Before we delve into rock-related Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) verses that mainly focus on Moses, let’s establish the meaning of “rock,” which appears frequently in Scripture with numerous meanings. Note that the word “rock” is used 128 times in the King James Version of the Bible, while “stone” is mentioned 367 times.
In the Old Testament, the term “rock” is not only a physical object but also a symbol of God’s character and relationship with His chosen people. Moreover, “Rock” often refers to God Himself with His everlasting strength, reliability, and stability. Rock can also mean a place of refuge. Below is a verse from Psalm 18 that neatly summarizes those definitions:
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“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).
Let’s turn now to the Old Testament, starting with Exodus, where “rock” first appears. The passage below was referenced in the previously cited 1 Corinthians 10:2-4. But first, some context. After wandering in the desert, Moses’s flock is thirsty, angry, rebellious, and questioning his leadership. Moses cried out to God, and He answered:
“‘Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.’ And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:5-6).
This symbolically significant event illustrates how God can provide for us in our time of need and sometimes by performing miracles.
Then, in the book of Numbers, there is a “rockier” companion incident. Again, the Israelites were thirsty and angry. Moses needed help, so God intervened. However, this time, Moses neglected to follow God’s exact instructions:
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes, and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink’” (Numbers 20:7-8).
God’s operative phrase was “speak to that rock.” Instead, Moses STRUCK the rock with his staff. God was furious and severely punished Moses, denying him entry into the Promised Land:
“‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them’” (Numbers 20:1-13). Read more in Vol. 86.
The “rock” in these passages is more than a physical object. Through the rock, God demonstrates His power and glory, and why the Israelites then and all of us now must trust, love, and fear the Lord.
Our rock discussion continues in Deuteronomy chapter 32. Moses, near death, gives a farewell address known as the “Song of Moses” before “the whole assembly of Israel.” Moses begins by saying: “For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God!”
Moses proceeds to beautifully summarize the history of God’s chosen people and their often “rocky” relationship with the Almighty. You might read his “farewell address” for insight into Moses’s faithfulness, struggles, and warnings.
In the Song of Moses, “the Rock” is a recurring theme. Moses describes its meaning, and we see his influence on future Old Testament writers. Then, because the New Testament fulfills the Old, Moses’s rock-related events, which channel God’s greatness, are frequently referenced in the gospels and throughout the New Testament. (For example, our study that began with 1 Corinthians 10:2-4.)
In order, let’s review the Rock verses from the “Song of Moses”:
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
What God did for His people:
“He [God] made him [the people of Israel] ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock” (Deuteronomy 32:13).
But despite all those blessings, Moses complained that the people abandoned God. He used the name “Jeshurun” — meaning a token of affection to convey “ the dear upright people.” Moses proclaimed:
“But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations, they provoked him to anger” (Deuteronomy 32:15-16).
For that, Moses chastised His people:
“You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth” (Deuteronomy 32:18).
The passages that follow (and are too long to include) cite examples of sin and its consequences. Then Moses speaks about His power and mercy, describing how other idol-worshipping nations don’t understand “our Rock”:
“For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves” (Deuteronomy 32:31).
Moses warns that the Lord will judge Israel and other nations for their faithlessness:
"For the Lord will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free. He will say: 'Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge?’” (Deuteronomy 32:36-37).
I conclude with a “takeaway” verse from the prophet Isaiah:
“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:4). Amen!
Tune in next week for our study of “Rock” in the New Testament.
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer with numerous national credits. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” with the same title, reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
She is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, dedicated to building a future permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. Join our effort! In July, the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit hosted a four-day exhibit (with a “Chosen” VIP guest) at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN. Some new news. Contact: <MyraAdams01@gmail.com>
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