“To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me.”
The way the first line of this
psalm is worded makes me chuckle. David
is the author, and as I read verse one, I get this mental picture of David
standing in front of a giant rock, yelling at it to not be deaf. Think about it, David calls God his rock, and
says he calls to Him and asks Him to not be deaf. It seems illogical. All rocks are deaf because all rocks are
non-living things that cannot hear. Out
of all the things David could have compared God to in this line, why a
rock? Why not a concerned listening
father, or a wise elderly man who always has time to listen? Why not a rabbit, dog, or some other animal
that has excellent hearing? Why a rock
when the idea is he wants God to hear him?
Well I cannot know exactly what David is thinking, but the first thought that comes to my mind is because rocks have played a key role in David’s life. David uses a few small stones to kill the giant of Goliath. He was so good with a sling shot because he had used that same weapon and stones as ammunition to fend off wolves while guarding his father’s sheep. David hides in the caves and rocks many times as he is fleeing from King Saul who is determined to kill him. Rocks are a part of the landscape in the Middle East, and David had spent quite a bit of time amongst them, learning to use them as shelter from the weather, as hiding places, as weapons, and I imagine for many other parts of his normal life. So to David, rocks symbolize safety, they symbolize defense, and they bring him comfort and peace.
So David, when trouble seems to find him, when his enemy, whether that be a wolf, Saul, or anyone else, is seeking his life, he heads to the rocks. So why compare a God who is hearing him cry for help to a rock, because the rocks are the best help he has ever had. Rocks are always there; they are always present in the landscape. Rocks will never betray him, and he knows he can depend on rocks to do what they have always done.
This is why I believe David compares the God he is crying out to, to rocks. He knows God is always there, God is always with Him no matter how far he has to flee, and he knows God is His defense. Just as surely as he can find a rock to throw in the middle of his landscape, he knows he can count on God hearing his cries. For me, David comparing God to a rock in the Middle East, would be like someone here in Duluth comparing God to a tree. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a tree. (Yes that was an intended pun). David knows God will always hear him just as surely as the rocks all around him will. So it may be silly to think a rock can hear you, but for David, rocks are dependable, and a sure defense. And so God, who always hears us, is always there with us, and is our most sure defense, is a rock we can cry out to.
Well I cannot know exactly what David is thinking, but the first thought that comes to my mind is because rocks have played a key role in David’s life. David uses a few small stones to kill the giant of Goliath. He was so good with a sling shot because he had used that same weapon and stones as ammunition to fend off wolves while guarding his father’s sheep. David hides in the caves and rocks many times as he is fleeing from King Saul who is determined to kill him. Rocks are a part of the landscape in the Middle East, and David had spent quite a bit of time amongst them, learning to use them as shelter from the weather, as hiding places, as weapons, and I imagine for many other parts of his normal life. So to David, rocks symbolize safety, they symbolize defense, and they bring him comfort and peace.
So David, when trouble seems to find him, when his enemy, whether that be a wolf, Saul, or anyone else, is seeking his life, he heads to the rocks. So why compare a God who is hearing him cry for help to a rock, because the rocks are the best help he has ever had. Rocks are always there; they are always present in the landscape. Rocks will never betray him, and he knows he can depend on rocks to do what they have always done.
This is why I believe David compares the God he is crying out to, to rocks. He knows God is always there, God is always with Him no matter how far he has to flee, and he knows God is His defense. Just as surely as he can find a rock to throw in the middle of his landscape, he knows he can count on God hearing his cries. For me, David comparing God to a rock in the Middle East, would be like someone here in Duluth comparing God to a tree. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a tree. (Yes that was an intended pun). David knows God will always hear him just as surely as the rocks all around him will. So it may be silly to think a rock can hear you, but for David, rocks are dependable, and a sure defense. And so God, who always hears us, is always there with us, and is our most sure defense, is a rock we can cry out to.
