Biblical Shadows: No Shadow of Turning with Thee
Biblical Shadows: No Shadow of Turning with Thee.
“Every good gift given, every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, with Whom there is no changing variation or shadow (“aposkiasma”) of turning.” (James 1:17).
Great Is Thy Faithfulness Austin Stone Worship Live from TGC
“Aposkiasma” = The Greek word which means shifting shadow; a faint image cast by a solid object; a temporary shadow caused by the changing positions of the sun; a temporary form of a greater reality; an earthly representation of an eternal truth.
“For I am the LORD, and I do not change.” (Malachi 3:6).
God Don’t Ever Change – YouTube
Almighty God is the only permanent reality in the universe. His character is unchangeable. He is the foundation of all creation. His divine nature remains constant throughout eternity. Our Creator will not ever be a shifting shadow, a whimsical god that can change unpredictably at a moment’s notice. Our biblical God is the only trustworthy reference point for us, because His essential Self will not vary, it will not change. One is tempted to exclaim that God is dependably rock-solid. And there we have it… the title of God that has been embraced throughout history: “The Rock.”
“For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?” (Psalm 18:31).
“ROCK” = There are two Hebrew words for rock: tsuri (zsu’ ree) and sela, both of which mean an enormous boulder, a craggy rock formation made up of huge boulders; a massive, immovable cliff or mountain crag.
God’s Qualities as a Rock: immovable; stable; unshakeable; strong support; impregnable fortress; a dependable shelter and hiding place; a welcome source of shade from the scorching heat; a safe stronghold and refuge; unchangeable; permanent. The character trait ascribed to God is called “immutable,” which means unchanging over time and unable to change.
A Term of Endearment. David, among others in Scripture, used Rock as a sacred name of God: Yahweh-tsuri, “the Lord is my Rock!” (Ps. 18:2). Some biblical scholars even describe “Rock” as a nickname of God. Of course, God is not just any old rock, but The Rock. That title is used about 140 times in the Old Testament, and most often it is used in reference to God. One would think a plain rock would not be a very inspiring description of the Almighty God, but as it turns out, there is a long list of biblical heroes for whom Rock was a favorite way to think about the unchangeable character and steadfast attributes of God. Some classic Rock passages include:
(1.) Jacob: “… because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” (Genesis: 49:24);
(2.) Moses: “I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:3-4); “You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.” (Deut. 32:18); “For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves.” (Deut. 32:31);
(3.) Hannah: “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:1-2);
(4.) David: “The LORD is my Rock, my fortress and my deliverer; My God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the strength of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my Savior.” (2 Samuel 22:2-3); also refer to Psalm 18:1,2,31,46; Ps. 62:2; Ps. 89:26);
(5.) Other Psalmists: “Be to me a Rock of refuge to which I may continually come; You have given me the command to save me, for You are my Rock and my fortress.” (Ps. 71:3); “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing that I desire besides You! My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock of my heart! He is my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26); “He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.” (Ps. 89:26);
(5.) Habakkuk: “O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.” (Habakkuk 1:12);
(6.) Isaiah: “You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.” (Isaiah 17:10); “Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” (Is. 26:4); “Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” (Is. 44:8).
God the Rock – The Parable of the Two Builders.
Please read Matthew 7: 21-29 and/or Luke 6:46-49.
PRELUDE. The opening words of the section in Matthew are actually scary good, and I do mean scary. Evidently one can have a powerful ministry, even prophecy and exorcism, and still not be known by God. Apparently, one can do great things for God but still not truly know God. One’s whole identity could be wrapped up in doing things for the Lord, but not with the Lord. It comes down to working God’s words into your personal life, as Eugene Peterson once said. The bottom line is developing a friendship with the Lord, a relationship in which you really do know each other. External religion is inadequate. Demonstrating piety misses the point. Religious showboating leads nowhere. Mere God-talk is vanity of vanities. The holy-rollers sadly end up being the Great Pretenders, going down the drain.
THE BUILDERS. a. The prudent, sensible, practical, wise builder had the good sense to dig below the surface of the ground until he found the rock. He then built his house on the rock foundation. The Holy Land has rock everywhere. Some rock is just below the surface, and other rock may be ten feet down. Everybody knows that the builder doesn’t stop digging until you hit the rock.
- The stupid, lazy, foolish, impractical builder didn’t bother digging at all. He just built his house on the sand or clay at the surface of the ground. What an idiot.
BUILDING THE HOUSE. Since everything was built by hand, including the digging and the construction, house-building was only accomplished by rigorous work, strenuous effort. Building a home was very difficult, and even dangerous. Much building was done in the summer, although the hardened ground was like iron to dig. Home builders wanted to get the job done before the winter rains. If the foundation was not on a rock foundation, then the rain would soften the ground, the walls would weaken, and the house would collapse. Only an extremely foolish person would build right on the ground with no rock foundation.
JESUS. According to Kenneth Bailey, Jesus, the master teacher and Old Testament scholar, combined two prophetic references when designing this story. On the recommendation of another Bible scholar, Sheridan Larson, I am adding a third prophetic stream. The third is a remarkable piece of scripture, and obviously all three portions are major aspects of Jesus’ references in the parable. All the Jewish listeners would immediately be aware of all this.
- Isaiah 28:14-18refers to a time when God would build in Zion on a “tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He who believes in it will not be shaken.” Every Jew knew that at this time there was a sacred rock, called “the Foundation,” slightly elevated off the ground, sitting in the center of the Holy of Holies, which is in the center of the Temple, which is in the center of the world. With this parable, Jesus is boldly claiming to in fact be the Holy Rock, the Foundation, the fulfillment of Isaiah’s precious cornerstone. He is saying that if you build on Him as the true foundation, by both listening to and acting upon His words, nothing will shake you. You will be unshakeable through life’s storms. Jesus is asserting that the Foundation Rock, built by God, is Himself. His body is the new Temple, the Third Temple, so don’t forget to build your life on Him, through hearing, believing, obeying His word.
- Ezekiel 33:29-33is another prophetic stream Jesus refers to in this parable. Ezekiel talks directly to his Jewish hearers, warning them that they won’t hear God’s love song, since they are those who hear God’s words, but do not put them into practice. They are listening, but they don’t act on God’s words. This is the context of the parable, and every Jew in the audience would immediately remember Ezekiel’s words of warning.
- Zechariah 4:6-10is the third prophetic word that Jesus references in this story. Again, every Jew would immediately think of this reference when hearing Jesus speak the parable. Let these amazing words of scripture speak for themselves: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit – said the Lord of Hosts. Whoever you are, O great mountain in the path of Zerubbabel, turn into level ground! For he shall produce that excellent stone; it shall be greeted with shouts of ‘Beautiful! Beautiful!’” And the word of the Lord came to me: “Zerubbabel’s hands have founded this House and Zerubbabel’s hands shall complete it. Then you shall know that it was the Lord of Hosts who sent me to you. Does anyone scorn a day of small beginnings? When they see the stone of distinction in the hand of Zerubbabel, they shall rejoice.” What a stunning description of Jesus!
I AM THEY – My Feet Are on the Rock (Official Music Video) – YouTube
More Thoughts on the Parable:
- Both houses were hit by storms. Both experienced challenges and difficulties. Following Jesus doesn’t mean we are magically protected from life’s storms. One home was unshakeable, the other wasn’t. Build your life on the true Rock, the spiritual Foundation, and you will be left standing strong.
- There’s a reason this parable was spoken by Jesus at a crucial time in his teaching, after His big sermons in Matthew(on the Mount) and in Luke(on the Plain). It’s a summing up of what He wants the audience to take away after all those words in those sermons. Hear and do. Listen and practice. Believe and obey. Build on the Living Stone.
- There was no doubt in the Early Church’s mind that Jesus fulfilled the messianic prophecies of Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 118:22, and Zechariah 10:4, that Christ came out of Zion to be the Foundation Rock upon which to build one’s life and salvation. Jesus Himself claimed to be the Living Stone, the Cornerstone that the builders rejected in Matthew 21:42.Paul says so in Ephesians 2:20and 1 Corinthians 3:11. Peter says so too, in 1 Peter 2:4,6. And Luke repeats all that in Acts 4:11. Many who were in Jesus’ audience in this parable of the two builders, believed the story to be messianic, fulfilled in Jesus, that He is the Foundation Stone upon which the wise builder built his house. And true to His Word, when we build on Him, we are unshakeable. Let us dig deep till we find this Foundation. Then let us build our house, through God’s strength, through thought, word and deed.
God the Rock – “God Don’t Never Change”
This gospel blues classic was recorded by the legendary Blind Willie Johnson in 1929. No one else has ever claimed credit for the song, so it is assumed that he was the original composer and writer. Blind Willie was born around 1900 in Texas. He was not born blind, but was blinded when he was 7 years old in an unfortunate domestic incident when lye water was accidentally splashed into his eyes. He was largely unschooled, but he faithfully attended his Missionary Baptist church every Sunday as he grew up. He must have absorbed a lot of Scripture and details about the Faith, because all his songs show an extensive knowledge of the Bible.
His father gave him a homemade cigar box guitar when Willie was quite young, and he developed a reputation as a prodigious player of the slide guitar. He felt called as a young adult to be an evangelist and preacher, using his original songs as a way of spreading the Faith. Willie traveled throughout the South, singing and preaching, and was often homeless during his travels. His rough lifestyle took its toll on his body, and Willie died in his 40’s.
Blind Willie’s song “God Don’t Never Change” was largely ignored after it was recorded. Then, in the 1990’s, it was rediscovered and embraced as an outstanding example of early gospel blues, as well as a fascinating theological lesson. This song has since been covered by numerous guitarists and singers, and is now appreciated by a new generation of fans and musicians. Because of his humble background being raised in poverty, Willie is usually underestimated when it comes to the content of his songs. Though unschooled, Blind Willie decided in this song to, in a simple and direct way, tackle some important theological topics regarding the qualities of God.
LYRICS
Refrain: Yes God, God don’t never change. He’s God, always will be God.
- God in the middle of the ocean, God in the middle of the sea. The help of the great Creator, Truly been a God to me.
Refrain
- God in creation, God when Adam fell. God way up in heaven. God way down in hell.
Refrain
- Spoke to the mountain, said how great I Am. Want you to get up this mornin’, and skip around like a lamb.
Refrain
- God in the time of sickness, God in the doctor too. In the time of the influenza, He truly was God to you.
Refrain
- God in the pulpit. God way down at the door. He’s God in the amen corner, and God all over the floor.
Refrain
Willie alludes to scripture throughout this song, including:
- Verse 2 = Psalm 139:7-8, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; If I make my bed in hell (Sheol), behold you are there.” (NKJV).
- Verse 3 = Psalm 114:3-4, “Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.” (NIV).
Willie is singing here about something important concerning the nature of God. For one thing, he sings the fact that God is unchangeable, immovable, immutable. God is the Rock that can’t be budged or moved into changing His faithful character of justice and mercy. God is eternally solid and is the one stable element in the universe.
Ecclesiastes 3:14, “I know that everything God does will endure for ever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.”
Isaiah 26:4, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.”
Psalm 102:27, You remain the same, and your years will never end.”
Malachi 3:6, “I the Lord do not change.”
James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Blind Willie Johnson sings about two other eternal qualities of God in this song:
God knows everything, even “the time of the influenza.” Willie here is referring to the devastating years of the Spanish flu during 1918-1920. Willie says that God is near us even in the time of sickness, and that God can even be alive in the doctors caring for the victims. Willie suggests that God is still a God with us and for us, even during a plague. God knows when each of us is sick, and has promised his presence. “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.” (Ps. 147:5).
God exists everywhere, even “all over the floor.” Willie was a faithful life-long member of the Baptist church, and he sees God being present everywhere during worship… in the pulpit, near the door, in the amen corner where the more verbal worshippers would congregate, and even on the floor. There is no place where God isn’t. His church is full of God, and so is the world. His presence is everywhere. “Am I only a God nearby, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? declares the Lord. Can anyone hide in secret places, so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:23-24).
In this one simple but profound song, Blind Willie Johnson declares that God is unchangeable, that He is everywhere, and that He knows everything. What a song. King David would have been proud.
Blind Willie Johnson – God Don’t Never Change – YouTube