Ain’t No Rock
Psalm 61
Good morning,
In 2000, we hired a contractor to pour the foundation for our new home on the five acres we had purchased.
This contractor we hired said he was qualified, licensed, and had experience building homes.
We dug the footings, added the necessary rebar and the contractor built the forms for our new foundation.
The morning to pour the foundation came, the cement trucks arrived, the pumper truck arrived, and we had about six people to help with the process.
After pouring the concrete, we had to wait a few days for the foundation to cure. After waiting, we removed the form boards, only to discover that the foundation was not level.
The foundation was 1½ inches higher on one end. Imagine what would have happened if we had built the house without correcting the foundation.
All through scripture we have pictures of the Rock as a firm foundation.
Jesus said in…Matthew 7:24 whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
Matthew 7:25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
Matthew 7:26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
Matthew 7:27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." NKJV
Please open your Bibles to Psalm 61, as we continue that survey
Most commentators believe King David wrote this Psalm while on the run from his son Absalom. David was King of Israel, and his son wanted to be the heir apparent and he grew impatient.
Absalom gathered support and started a rebellion against his father, David, which forced him to flee Jerusalem.
David had united the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel, but once Absalom rebelled, David became emotionally torn, between restoring his throne and preserving the life of his son.
I. The prayer of the broken.
Read Psalm 61:1
Warren Wiersbe said, “There was an urgency in David’s cry, he was overwhelmed by what was happening and fainting under the pressure.”
The LORD hears our prayers, even when they are spoken from our hearts when we cannot express our feelings with words. The LORD delights in answering prayers of brokenness.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. NKJV
The LORD hears all of the prayers of those who belong to Him, but because He is full of compassion for His children, He is very attentive to us when we are broken and needy.
Jesus spoke a parable in Luke 18:10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
Luke 18:12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
Luke 18:13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
When we have exhausted all other options during a need or a crisis, we should learn to call out to the only One who loves us and can make a way, where there seems to be no way.
2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." NKJV
Jim Cymbala, in his book “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire” said,
“I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him”
The Lord has chosen to work through prayer, in order to teach us to talk and depend fully on Him!
The One who placed the stars in the skies and called them by name is not only able to hear and answer us, but He desires to.
God answers every prayer from His children, no matter what!
The LORD’s answers are given in His time, for His reasons, according to His will and good pleasure. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait!
II. The Rock that is higher.
Read Psalm 61:2
David continues his prayer saying, “From the end of the earth I will cry to You.”
David could not go to the Tabernacle and meet with the Lord, but he did not give up hope in the LORD, instead, he was confident in the LORD’s ability to answer him.
David never traveled much of the world during his life, but he was communicating that there was not a place, in all of creation, that the LORD could not reach.
Psalm 139:8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
Psalm 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Psalm 139:10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. NKJV
When we get to the end of human understanding, strength, and resources, we must go to Someone higher than ourselves.
David went on to say, “When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
David was depressed and exhausted, so he cried out to the LORD as the rock who was higher than himself.
“The rock” symbolizes stability, a strong foundation, a firm footing, wisdom, and power beyond David’s abilities.
When the Children of Israel were freed from Egypt and were in the desert, they began to complain against the Lord and Moses due to lack of water.
Exodus 17:3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
Exodus 17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!"
Exodus 17:5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
Exodus 17:6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink."
Exodus 17:7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" NKJV
You would think after all the miracles they had witnessed, eventually, they would begin to trust the LORD instead of complaining every time there seemed to be an issue.
The Children of Israel rebelled or tempted the LORD by asking in Exodus 17:7 “Is the LORD among us or not?
By saying in Exodus 17:6, “I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb”, the LORD promised He would be present with Israel through their desert experience.
They asked, “Is the LORD among us or not?”, doubting the LORD after He made a promise, and this was their great sin.
Later, when water was in short supply again, the Children of Israel complained against Moses and the LORD again.
In Numbers 20:7 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Numbers 20:8a "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together.
Numbers 20:8b “Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals."
The LORD told Moses to speak to the rock the second time, and there was no need to hit it. But instead of speaking to the rock, Moses in his anger, struck the rock a second time.
The first time, Moses was told to strike the rock and the LORD promised it would produce water for the people.
The second time, Moses was commanded to speak to the rock and it would produce water.
1 Corinthians 10:1, Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
1 Corinthians 10:2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
1 Corinthians 10:3 all ate the same spiritual food,
1 Corinthians 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. NKJV
1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
What Moses did was more than disobeying the Lord, this act misrepresented the LORD, because He was using this situation to illustrate what Jesus was going to provide on the Cross.
The first time Moses struck the rock represented the death of Jesus, by shedding His blood for our sin, because the water from the rock symbolizes Jesus’ blood and the living water.
When the Lord instructed Moses to simply speak to the rock the second time, it showed us that salvation was accomplished by Christ dying once and now we can simply speak to Jesus.
Romans 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Romans 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV
Jesus died once and for all, He is LORD of all. He will never be struck again, because He defeated death and sin on the Cross.
For the person who has received His free gift of salvation, all we need to do is to speak to Him, trusting Him to fulfill His promise
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. NKJV
The LORD wanted Moses to trust, follow, and obey Him. But Moses misrepresented the LORD to the people so, he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land with the Children of Israel.
1 Corinthians 10:5, But with most of them God was not well pleased
All of that generation, except for Joshua and Caleb, the two spies with a good report, were forbidden to enter the Land.
Despite all the blessings and spiritual privileges, the Israelites did not trust the LORD, and He was not pleased with them.
Why wasn’t the LORD pleased with them?
Hebrews 11:6 without faith (trust) it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. NKJV
Faith is weighing the evidence of what God has said would happen and then believing Him, especially when we cannot see the evidence with our physical eyes!
In light of all those blessings, they should have been grateful, but instead, they complained and did not trust the Lord.
Again, David was depressed and exhausted.
Psalm 61 shows us that Jesus is the rock that gives stability, a strong foundation, a firm footing, wisdom, and power beyond his own abilities.
III. A shelter and a strong tower.
Read Psalm 61:3-4
Ancient cities had walls all around them that usually had a tower as a lookout place. The assurance we have, along with the safety we enjoy from the LORD, is a shelter or a strong tower.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. NKJV
When Sandra and I visited Southern Germany a few years ago, we toured a walled city called Ladenburg that also had a tower.
Michael Jakes “A strong tower is an elevated tower, so elevated, as to be high, or inaccessible for capture. One of the uses for towers in the OT is they were used as fortresses in times of war.”
Judges 9:51 There was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women — all the people of the city — fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower.
David trusted in the LORD to be his strong tower, where he could flee and find strength and safety in his time of need.
David also said, “I will abide in Your tabernacle forever”.
When we hear the word, “Tabernacle” we often think of the Tabernacle where God’s shekinah glory dwelt out in the desert.
But there is a double meaning here. Yes, it is speaking of the Tabernacle of God, but David was also speaking of a tent.
A tent for the people of David’s time would have represented shelter from the weather, a place of rest for the weary, and a place of hospitality for an honored guest.
Then notice, “I will trust in the shelter of Your wings”
Again, there may be one of two ideas for wings.
David Guzik said, “Wings as the near and protected place that a mother bird gives to her offspring, protecting her chicks under the shelter of her wings.” (Guzik)
“Wings as that which marked and surrounded the interior of God’s tabernacle of meeting and the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant, which included cherubim and their wings.”
No other images express the greatness of God, like a shelter, a strong tower, the Tabernacle, and the shelter of Your wings.
IV. The answer to prayer.
Read Psalm 61:5-8
David said, “You, O God, have heard my vows.”
David made a vow to the LORD, which basically was saying he wanted to serve the LORD with his whole heart.
“You will prolong the king’s life”
VanGemeren said, “Long ‘life’ (literally, ‘days’) is an idiom for the prosperity of the reigning monarch as well as preservation of his dynasty, similar to the British ‘God save the queen.’”
vs. 6 is a reference of Messiah. The king’s life, “His years as many generations”. He shall abide before God forever.
Adam Clarke said, “He shall abide before God forever.” “Literally, ‘He shall sit forever before the faces of God.’ He shall ever appear in the presence of God for us.”
David believed the LORD, when the LORD promised to make David’s kingdom an everlasting Kingdom.
2 Samuel 7:16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever." NKJV
David’s physical kingdom would last longer than King Saul’s kingdom, but David also knew Messiah was to come through his lineage and His Kingdom would last forever.
The LORD promised David that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah and the Messiah would establish an eternal kingdom.
“Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him”
David needed mercy and truth, but he also knew that the promised Messiah would provide God’s mercy and truth.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. NKJV
And notice the response of King David for the LORD’s answered prayer…re-read Psalm 61:8
C. H. Spurgeon said, “God daily performs His promises, let us daily perform our vows; He keeps his covenant, let us not forget ours.”
David began Psalm 61 crying out to the LORD with depression and desperation but ended the Psalm by honoring the LORD with praise and dedicating himself to the LORD God.
Praise is the way we express our amazement and thankfulness to the LORD for His mighty acts.
Praise also recognizes the LORD abundant goodness, righteousness, His grace, mercy, and patience.
We should praise the LORD because He is worthy of all praise, glory, and honor because of Who He is and His faithfulness.
V. Practical Application.
What are you going to do with Jesus?
Matthew 21:44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." NKJV
David was broken, depressed, and exhausted, so he cried out to the LORD, Who is the rock that was higher than himself.
“The rock” symbolizes stability, a strong foundation, a firm footing, wisdom, and power beyond David’s abilities.
In the Palm Sunday narrative, Luke 19:37 as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,
Luke 19:38 saying: "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Luke 19:39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."
Luke 19:40 But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." NKJV
In the song, “Ain’t No Rock”, it says, “Ain't no rock, Gonna cry in my place as long as I'm alive I'll glorify His holy Name.
Ain't no rock, Gonna cry in my place as long as I'm alive I'll glorify His holy Name. Praise His holy Name As long as I'm alive I'll glorify his holy name.”
Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. NKJV
The LORD wants a relationship with you, that starts with redemption through Christ’s death and atonement on the Cross.
It is not our works, education, or talents which qualify us; it is strictly an inheritance, because of the death of Jesus Christ.
You are qualified to receive every blessing from the LORD, not because of what you have done, but based on what Jesus did.
Then the LORD hears our prayers, especially when they are spoken from hearts that cannot express feelings with words.
Warren Wiersbe said, “There was an urgency in David’s cry because he was overwhelmed by what was happening and fainting under the pressure.”
These are the prayers of brokenness, and the LORD delights in answering these types of prayers from His people.
Go to the Rock for water, which is life, and He will always meet you in your brokenness.
Jesus is our Rock, our shelter, our strong tower, and our firm foundation. If you trust in Him, you will be secure.
