The Rock: God is Faithful and True

Moses is about to die. God has told him that when they are in the promised land the Israelites are going to rebel and come under His discipline. The song that is written in Deuteronomy 32 serves as Moses’ parting words to the leaders and people of Israel. His goal is to remind the Israelites that God is faithful and true, even when they are not. In our time together this morning I want to anchor our sermon in the first few verses of the passage, Deuteronomy 32:1-4… but we will refer to much of the song to undergird the truths that we examine together.

Deuteronomy 32:1–43 (CSB)

Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words from my mouth. 2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants. 3 For I will proclaim the Lord’s name. Declare the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.

The Word of God is life giving and refreshing.

Moses writes in verse 2, “2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants.”

Moses knew that the people needed to hear what he was saying. He also knew from the Lord that Israel would rebel and fall away in the Promised Land. They were younger and he knew they would need these words when they had fallen.

The life they had came from God, and Moses knew that any renewal would be grounded in the refreshing Word of God.

Psalm 119:25–32 (CSB) says,

25 My life is down in the dust; give me life through your word. 26 I told you about my life, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. 27 Help me understand the meaning of your precepts so that I can meditate on your wonders. 28 I am weary from grief; strengthen me through your word. 29 Keep me from the way of deceit and graciously give me your instruction. 30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set your ordinances before me. 31 I cling to your decrees; Lord, do not put me to shame. 32 I pursue the way of your commands, for you broaden my understanding.

Dust refers to the human condition, the brokenness that stems from Adam’s fall. The Psalmist cries out in the midst of his own struggle with sin for God to give him life through the Word.

Moses knew that in the midst of their future rebellion, in their brokenness, that God’s Word could refresh and renew the people of Israel.

Like the Psalmist said in verse 28, strength comes through God’s Word. When God’s people are weak and struggling, life comes from the Word and renewal comes through the Gospel.

The Word corrects, refreshes, encourages, comforts, instructs, and even rebukes. That’s why Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (CSB), “16 All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

God is the Rock

Deuteronomy 32:3, “3 For I will proclaim the Lord’s name. Declare the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.”

The Rock is a description of God’s character and His relationship with His people. Moses is reminding Israel that God is who they build their lives on and who they run too in their time of distress and sin.

The rock reminds them of the rock that brought them water in the desert. God instructed to Moses to strike the rock with his staff. When he did that water came from the rock and the people of Israel were able to drink.

God as the Rock symbolizes who God is and reminds them of what God has done.

God is the Rock: He is the foundation of all things and the fortress where we seek refuge.

Psalm 31:3 (CSB) 3 For you are my rock and my fortress; you lead and guide me for your name’s sake.

Psalm 71:3 (CSB) 3 Be a rock of refuge for me, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and fortress.

God is perfect and everything He does is upright and true.

Everything that God does is good and true because He is perfect. His perfection isn’t the result of his actions or words. His words and His actions are perfect because in His nature He is perfectly good.

God is dependable and without an hint of immorality, impurity, or injustice in who He is and what He does.

God is unbiased in his judgments and His actions. He judges all sin and rewards all obedience. This means that God will not show favoritism and excuse the sins of His people. When they rebel and fall away from Him in the wilderness there will be consequences. But, He is also dependable and will keep His covenant and Word that He has made with Israel.

His actions are pure and just, and He will be faithful to do all that He has commanded.

We will forget and sin against God

Moses writes what will happen later in the Promised Land:

Deuteronomy 32:15-21 (CSB) says, “15 Then Jeshurun, became fat and rebelled—you became fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation. 16 They provoked his jealousy with different gods; they enraged him with detestable practices. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods they had not known, new gods that had just arrived, which your ancestors did not fear. 18 You ignored the Rock who gave you birth; you forgot the God who gave birth to you. 19 When the Lord saw this, he despised them, angered by his sons and daughters. 20 He said, “I will hide my face from them; I will see what will become of them, for they are a perverse generation—unfaithful children. 21 They have provoked my jealousy with what is not a god; they have enraged me with their worthless idols. So I will provoke their jealousy with what is not a people; I will enrage them with a foolish nation.”

This is the reality of our brokenness and sinful condition. Even when we are redeemed and can testify to all the ways that God has worked in our lives sin is right there waiting for us.

Genesis 4:7 (CSB) says, "7 If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

We sin because we are sinners. You don’t become a sinner the first time you sin, you sin because you are a sinner. And, the Bible teaches us over and over again that we are living in a spiritual battle and that our sin is fighting against the Word and the Spirit of God.

Sin is crouching at the door of your mind and heart all the time. You must cling to the Word and obey the Word. The way that you rule over sin and your flesh is through obedience and with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Moses reminds us here that God is not the problem, He is the solution. God doesn’t wander from us, we wander from Him. And, when we wander we put ourselves closer to temptation and in a more exposed position to sin.

God is faithful to watch over us and help us. He never goes back on His Word no matter how many times we go back on ours. When we repent of our sin and return to God He is faithful to receive us.

God remains faithful and will vindicate His name

Moses concludes His song with the reminder of the end.

Deuteronomy 32:39–42 (CSB)

39 See now that I alone am he; there is no God but me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my power. 40 I raise my hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever, 41 when I sharpen my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold of judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. 42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood while my sword devours flesh—the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders.”

God is faithful in the midst of all of our unfaithfulness. God is the Rock that is ruling over all creation and all nations.

God is the one who gives life and death. He is the one who judges and rewards. God promises that those who overtake the rebellious Israel will not have victory in the end.

God declares that in the end He will have the victory. Even those who were used as instruments of judgment and discipline on the people of Israel will not reign over Him. In fact, they only win over Israel and reign over Israel because it comes from God.

And this song points us to the ultimate truth of God’s victory over His adversaries. God declares His vengeance on all of His enemies, including Satan and death. And, it is through Christ that God fully demonstrates His faithfulness to His Word and vindicates His name.

Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to the people of Israel. He is the rock.

1 Corinthians 10:1–4 (CSB) says, “Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.”

This means that the faith of Abraham, Moses, and David was in the rock that was to come. The one that followed them. God did not call His people to trust in the rock of the desert, but the one who would be tempted in the desert and not sin.

Like God gave the Israel water to drink and preserve their lives in the desert He gives us Christ to save us and preserve us for all eternity.

Jesus is the Rock that everything and everyone is pointing forward too. He is the rock of our salvation.

Isaiah 8:14 (CSB) says, 14 He will be a sanctuary; but for the two houses of Israel, he will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Jesus is the Rock, the refuge and salvation for all who believe… but as Isaiah says the messiah will be stone of stumbling and a rock to trip over for the people of Israel.

And Jesus was exactly that. They struggled with how He came and what He did to save them. They looked for a king that would free them from Rome. Instead they received a King who died to save them from their sin. In the same way that the Israelites stumbled and rejected Christ, people do the same thing today.

Salvation comes by believing and trusting in the Rock. As Peter says in 1 Peter 2:7–8 (CSB), “7 So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected— this one has become the cornerstone,, 8 and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.”

Jesus is the cornerstone that God builds His church and your life on.

Jesus is the rock of salvation that was crucified for the forgiveness of your sins.

He is pure, just, righteous, etc.

Jesus is the refuge for you in the struggles and temptations that you face.

So, what about you? Have you forgotten God in the way that you live your life?

Forgetting God is evidenced in a life of unwise and bad decisions

Deuteronomy 32:28 says, “28 Israel is a nation lacking sense with no understanding at all. 29 If only they were wise, they would comprehend this; they would understand their fate.”

Unwise and bad decisions are defined as disobedient to the Word and distrusting of the Lord.

You may think you are making the wise decision, but if it isn’t grounded in the Word then it is unwise.

Proverbs 11:14 (CSB), 14 Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.

Too many people are making unwise and bad decisions because they are walking closely through this life with unwise and foolish people.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (CSB), 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

This is just how it is. Who you spend time with influences who you become.

Faithfulness to God is demonstrated in wise and good decisions

When you are faced with a decision or a temptation you should ask what does the Bible say about this?

Is there a decision that can bring me closer to God? Is there a decision I can make in this moment that causes tension between me and God?

What can I do that will honor God in this situation? If I do _____, will that dishonor the name of the Lord and serve as a poor witness of what He is about?

Everything that you do, you do for Him and representing Him.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (CSB), 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

Being faithful to God requires that you carefully consider the company you keep and the partnerships you make.

2 Corinthians 6:14 (CSB), 14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

This applies to dating and then marriage

This applies to business relationships

This applies to friendships

This applies to every area of relationship and partnership that you have. It’s true that bad company corrupts good morals, therefore it is paramount that Christians prioritize building strong and meaningful relationships with other Christians. I would actually take that a step further and say that it means that Christians need to build meaningful relationships with other Christians who are striving to be faithful to God too.

Even in the church you can fall in with the crowd that goes to church but doesn’t live like the church.

How you live is a demonstration of your faith in God. Do you trust Him and obey? Do you believe the Word is true and rest your hope and future in the promises of God?

Jesus is the cornerstone that God builds His church and your life on.

Is God calling and nudging you in your heart to trust Him and be saved today?

Is God calling you today to repent from your forgetful and sinful ways and return to Christ?

Is God calling right now you to commit to knowing the Word of life so that you be faithful?

Is God calling you in this moment to step and serve or lead in the body of Christ to help others to be faithful?