Our Mighty Rock

 

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:5-8 ESV).

 

The Rock of Gibraltar, or simply 'The Rock', is a monolithic limestone promontory in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Today, a large proportion of the upper area of the Rock is a nature reserve and is famed for its Barbary macaques. In antiquity, it was called one of the Pillars of Hercules but the Romans called it Mons Calpe. The other Pillar of Hercules, Mons Abyla or Jebel Musa, is located on the African side of the Straits of Gibraltar. These two points once marked the limit of the known world. “The Rock” is the site of an old Moorish Castle which stands as a relic of their former 700-year rule of Gibraltar and Spain in general. The castle was built around 711 AD. Gibraltar was famously ceded to the United Kingdom in 1704 during the war of the Spanish Succession. Spain would try and fail to retake the territory for many years to come. It is still, today, a place of major strategic importance for Britain.

 

There is an interesting difference between a rock and a stone. To geologists, who study the earth, as well as to builders and rock collectors, a rock is any mass of mineral matter that has not been changed by human hands. So it can be a huge chunk or a tiny pebble. A rock becomes a stone when it is cut and shaped to build something or to function in some way, like part of a building or roadway. Now, we can’t impose those definitions on the ancient text of the Bible, but it’s interesting that more than 40 times in Scripture, God is referred to as “the Rock” or as “my rock.” This is especially true in the Psalms. Jesus is also referred to as a rock, and he is called the capstone and cornerstone in references to the building of God’s church and kingdom.

 

Our reading today references God as “a refuge” and “a mighty fortress” (v. 6). When I think of a fortress, I think of something like the Rock of Gibraltar. It is the epitome of sturdy, powerful, and unshakable. God is all of those things. And in God, through the saving work of Jesus, we are secure, protected, and safe. The power of God’s unfailing love is infinitely greater than any attacks trying to threaten us. We can “trust in him at all times.” Anything else will fail. But “God is our refuge”; in him our destiny is secure. In God our souls find rest and salvation. That’s something to truly celebrate!