In the book of Nahum, the scripture does not refer to God as our strength and shield in those words. It does however say, Adonai is good, a STRONGHOLD in time of trouble; but he takes care of those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7 What is a stronghold? In the time of the ancient Hebrews, it was a strong, fortified structure that shielded the people from their enemies. What was the stronghold built of? Rock.
There are so many times in scripture that God is referenced with the word rock. Rocks are strong, they are steadfast. They create the foundation of structures, the walls that shield us from danger. They are powerful enough to take down giants yet have voices that will call out in worship (Luke 19:40). Deuteronomy 32:3-4 reads: 3 For I will proclaim the name of Adonai. Come, declare the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock! His work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A trustworthy God who does no wrong, he is righteous and straight.
David, shepherd, giant killer and king knew of the strength and protection of rocks. They were a mighty weapon that saved not only his flock of sheep, but his people as well. In 2 Samuel 22:2-4, he described the Lord saying, 2 Adonai is my Rock, my fortress and deliverer, 3 the God who is my Rock, in whom I find shelter, my shield, the power that saves me, my stronghold and my refuge. 4 I will call on Adonai, who is worthy of praise; and I am saved from my enemies.
Isaiah 26:4 reads: Trust in Adonai forever, because in Yah Adonai is a Rock of Ages. I love the book of Isaiah, so much of it points to Jesus. My love affair with the book happened the first time I read 40:31: But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they will rise up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint.
In the New Testament, Jesus even continued showing how He is our Rock. In Matthew 21:42 He recounted prophecy from Psalm 118, saying: “The very rock which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone! This has come from Adonai, and in our eyes, it is amazing.” In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus had a discussion with his disciples, and asked “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God.” Jesus replied saying “How blessed you are! For no human being revealed this to you, no, it was my Father in heaven. I also tell you this: you are Peter, (Which means rock) and on this rock I will build my Community, and the gates of Sh’ol will not overcome it.” Too many times, this scripture is misinterpreted. We have been taught that Peter is the rock on which the church would be built. This is not true. Peter or Petros in Greek means a piece of rock, where the rock Jesus referred to is Petra, which means a mass of rock. Jesus is the Petra, the chief cornerstone. The foundation on which His church is built. He also made this point clear when He told the parable of the house built on the sand, and that because it had no foundation it was washed away and destroyed. But the one who built his house upon the rock, the petra, when the floods came, that house could not be shaken.
We are all going to spend time in the valley or the wilderness. We are all going to go through times when we feel that God does not hear us, that He is far away from us and that His silence is deafening. What we need to remember is that it is in the wilderness that He is trying to get us still so that we can really hear Him. It is in the wilderness that He strengthens us and teaches us to stand. It is in the wilderness that we learn to use our shield of faith. It is in the wilderness that we really learn who God is. It is up to us; do we still draw near when we can’t feel Him with our emotions? Do we still cry out like the psalmist, But Adonai has become my stronghold, my God is my rock of refuge. Come, let’s sing to Adonai! Let’s shout to joy to the Rock of our salvation! (Psalm 94:22 and 95:1) Do we trust Him to be our strength and our shield? Now, more than ever, we need to stand and declare as David did, My soul, wait in silence for God alone, because my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I WON’T BE MOVED. (Psalm 62:5-6)
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