The Gospel of Isaiah: Highlights of Chapter Twenty-Six

The Gospel of Isaiah: Highlights of Chapter Twenty-Six.

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); “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).

“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.

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 a 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.”