What Rock? This Rock?

Another light on the Most High being a rock.

produced by static force llc sometimes things don't change.

Transcript

What Rock? This Rock? 

(You've Got to be Kidding!)

Another light on the Most High being our Rock.

by Eric Engelmann

All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC

When are we?

Near the end of Moses' life. These are his last words recorded in the Old Testament.

Where are we?

Mount Nebo, not far from the promised land. Mount Nebo is on the east side of the Jordan river -- currently in Jordan.

Why are we here now?

Moses will mention rocks a lot in his last sermon. The people he's been leading to the promised land have seen a lot of things, including a lot of rocks.

A friend and I were talking early in 2025 about Deut 32, and he commented that he saw how "Jesus lived out Deuteronomy."

His perception had grown. I want to share that growth with my audience.

By Way Of Background

Moses has been leading the nation of Israel for more than forty years. He's about to hand over leadership to Joshua (in Hebrew Yehoshua). He's given some background to the history of the new nation, and he's about to finish speaking by telling what will be called the Song of Moses.

In DEUTERONOMY 31, Moses prophesied that the generations of Israel to come will backslide. He said, "I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt".

In the passage, listen for the word "father".

Scripture Passage

Moses speaking in Deuteronomy 32.

Verse 3: I proclaim the name of the Lord:

Ascribe greatness to our God.

4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect;

For all His ways are justice,

A God of truth and without injustice;

Righteous and upright is He.

NOTE: This is the first occurrence of the word "Rock" in this song.

Verse 5 “They have corrupted themselves;

They are not His children,

Because of their blemish:

A perverse and crooked generation.

NOTE: Moses is foretelling the faithlessness of future generations, but in this song he's using the past tense to do it. "They have corrupted themselves".

Verse 6 Do you thus deal with the Lord,

O foolish and unwise people?

Is He not your Father, who bought you?

Has He not made you and established you?

NOTE: This is one of the occasions where the Most High is called Father.

Skipping to Verse 13 (Talking about Jacob or Israel) “He made him ride in the heights of the earth,

That he might eat the produce of the fields;

He made him draw honey from the rock,

And oil from the flinty rock;

NOTE: Two more references to rocks. I think these depict a fertile place where bees make honey even in crags of rocks and olive trees grow easily.

Verse 16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;

With abominations they provoked Him to anger.

Skipping to Verse 18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,

And have forgotten the God who fathered you.

NOTE: Here we have Rock and Father together in one verse. Listen, Israel, If the Rock begot you, then the Rock is your father. The short lesson from these verses is that misplacing faith and worshipping foreign gods upsets the Most High.

END OF THE PASSAGE

In the Future

The Song of Moses will be included in its own reading. Most Jews in Jesus' day will hear the Song of Moses at least every seven years. The Hebrew name for the reading will be called Haazinu (in Hebrew) meaning Listen. In our time, It's often read near the celebration of the Jewish feast of Tabernacles.

FURTHER IN THE FUTURE, Jesus will call a disciple named Simon (which means "hearing"). I think that meaning indicates that if you've heard, you've listened. Jesus will tell Simon he's fulfilling the Song of Moses. Jesus will say 

“Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." (Matthew 16:17-18)

One of the things Jesus will mean is this: "Hey, Peter! You and I are both hearing from my Father. He's the Most High!"

FURTHER IN THE FUTURE, Maybe there will be more people who hear the Father in our day.

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