Onomaticon: Rock, Faithful & True
Rock
There are many references to God as a rock or stone in the Bible. We have already seen that one name for Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. Psalm 118:22 calls Him “the stone which the builders rejected”. It is clear that Jesus Christ is intended to be our foundation (I Corinthians 3:11). Paul expounded on this theme to the Corinthian church:
“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” – I Corinthians 10:1-4
Sorry to disappoint you Greek scholars, but there’s no hidden meaning to the word “rock”. Paul meant what he said, referencing the rock that followed the Israelites through the desert, providing clean water to drink. That physical rock, a type of Christ, became sustenance for physical Israel. Paul makes the point that everyone enjoyed the benefits of that rock, but some of them paid attention to the spiritual side of things and some did not. Everyone had the same basis, but not everyone made it to the promised land.
Likewise, Christians share the same firm foundation of faith, the rock Christ. If we want to remain with Him, we have to take our cues from the parable of the builders in Matthew 7:24-27 — the wise man built his house upon the Rock, willfully choosing the good and solid foundation when he could have gone elsewhere. The message is clear: Christ is perfect and secure, but we must choose to build and continue to build our lives on Him.
Faithful & True
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” – Revelation 19:11-13
The Greek word translated “True” in this passage is alethinos, which literally means “not concealing”. God is open about His nature: He is what He says He is. God is not concealing the truth and does not have anything up His divine sleeve. He is the Truth-Giver and revealer of secrets (Daniel 2:47). So in considering the meaning of “Faithful and True”, we know that God’s faithfulness (or “trustworthiness”) is constant. It’s the full disclosure, the real deal. With a foundation like that, confidence should spring up inside to fill the gaps of our faith: where experience fails, knowledge of the One we trust will take over.
I loved your comments: “God is open about His nature: He is what He says He is. God is not concealing the truth and does not have anything up His divine sleeve.” and “With a foundation like that, confidence should spring up inside to fill the gaps of our faith: where experience fails, knowledge of the One we trust will take over.”
God and his truths are rock solid. Simple and straightforward may not seem complicated enough to impress some, but it impresses me. You can count on it.