The Gospel of Isaiah: Ch. 26, Waiting for the Rock

The Gospel of Isaiah: Ch. 26, Waiting for the Rock.

WANTED: An imaginative scribe who can write exquisite poetry. A faithful, articulate believer in Yahweh who can switch from one extreme to another at the Lord’s command… from a sublime vision of God’s glory, to a ridiculous demonstration of shameful nakedness; from confronting the people over their sinfulness, to comforting people with hopefulness; from being an outspoken messenger one minute, to a living object lesson the next; from having one foot in the immediate surroundings one minute, to one foot in the future messianic realm the next. Must be adaptable, thick-skinned, and extraordinarily brave. Person who answers, “Here I am. Send me!” will be especially considered. (from The Jerusalem Post, 740 BC).

• “Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” (26:4).

“ROCK” = Hebrew, Tsuri (zsu’ ree): An enormous boulder, or a rock formation made up of huge boulders; can also mean a large immovable cliff or mountain crag. Other Isaiah references to the Rock…. “You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.” (17:10); “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’s qualities as a Rock: immovable; stable; unshakeable; strong support; impregnable defense; shelter and hiding place; safe stronghold and refuge; unchangeable; permanent. The character trait ascribed to God is called “immutable,” which means unchanging over time and unable to change.

One common title used to describe God in the Hebrew Bible is Rock. Some even call it a nickname of God. Of course, God is not just any 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 character and attributes of God. Some classic Rock passages include:

(1.) Jacob (Genesis 49:24): “… because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” 

(2.) Moses (Deuteronomy 32:3-4): “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.”  (Deut. 32:18): “You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.” 

(3.) Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-2): “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.”

(4.) David (2 Samuel 22:2-3): “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.” [also refer to Psalm 18:1,2,31; Ps. 62:2; Ps 71:3; Ps. 89:26]

(5.) Habakkuk (Hab. 1:12): “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.” 

• “The path of the righteous is level; O Just and Righteous One, you make a clear path for them. Yes, we will follow your ways, Lord Yahweh, and wait for you, for the fame of your name is all that we desire. At night I yearn for you with all my heart, and in the morning my spirit reaches out to you.” (26:7-9).

WAIT. The Hebrew term in Scripture for “wait” has a literal meaning and a figurative meaning. We get a fuller understanding of what it means to “wait” in the biblical sense, when we combine the literal with the figurative:

Literal Meaning of Wait: the process of weaving together separate strands into one; braiding together what is needed for wholeness; binding together by twisting and entwining tightly. Examples of this root word for wait would be braiding hair, twining rope, twisting strands together for a cord. To wait in this sense is not passive, but active; not a waste of time, but a useful time; not something to avoid at all costs but instead to redeem as fully as possible; not the time for seeking distractions from potential boredom, but a time to recognize it as an opportunity.

Figurative Meaning of Wait: to actively hope with patience; to maintain a persistent faith; to peacefully trust in God; to be content in the midst of delay; to live in eager anticipation; to engage in the spiritual activity of listening for/to God; to alertly watch for God in the midst of uncertainty; to look for God’s guidance and presence; to have a faithful expectation of what has been promised by God; to prepare oneself for whatever comes next; to “collect oneself,” to actively “get it together.”

The Purposes of Waiting: to gain and renew strength; to learn dependence on God; to flesh out one’s submission to God; to grow spiritually; to make progress in spiritual discipline; to gain wisdom and understanding; to keep from making rash or unwise decisions; to cooperate with God in His transformation of us; to continue securing one’s intimate union with God; to grow in patience and hopefulness; to develop creative responses with  unexpected delays. Waiting can also be an opportunity to prayerfully seek God’s healing of shame, guilt, fear, trauma; to grow in “being content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13).”