Introduction
As believers, we need to gather together in fellowship and worship the Trinity of God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, as Christians, we attend church and often sing, which is a beautiful form of worship that the Lord commands us to practice. However, some songs sung in church today can be confusing, as we may be unsure to whom they are addressed. It might be said that since we are in church, any song we sing is directed towards the Lord. Nonetheless, it is crucial for us to choose songs that are rooted in the Word of God—songs that promote the truth of His teachings—and to eliminate any meaningless songs from our repertoire. Our target of worship in song should always be the Trinity of God and the Scriptures, and we should never hesitate to glorify the name the Lord Jesus when we sing. Some songs may be inspired by psalms or other passages of Scripture, and these can be particularly beautiful and meaningful, as the Word of God is alive and active. For instance, consider the old hymn “The Rock That Is Higher Than I,” which is based on Psalm 61. This hymn resonates deeply with us, especially during intense spiritual attacks from the enemy, reminding us to seek refuge in the “Rock that is higher than I.” Throughout our Christian journey, we often identify with the sentiments expressed in this hymn. But who is that “Rock that is higher than I” for us? How can we find that Rock? Where should we turn when our souls feel troubled and weary?
Who Is the Rock that Is Higher Than I?
We begin this section by listing the first five verses of Psalm 61, which served as the inspiration for the hymn, “The Rock That Is Higher Than I.”
Psalm 61:1-5. “Hear my cry, O God; Attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I call to Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For Thou has been a refuge for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will dwell in Thy tabernacle forever: I will take refuge in the covert of Thy wings. Selah! For Thou, O God, has heard my vows: Thou has given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name.”
For an unbeliever in the Lord Jesus, or even for many believers, the “Rock” mentioned in the hymn and Psalm 61 may be unknown. However, everyone should understand that the precious “Rock” referred to in this hymn and psalm is the beloved Son of God, the Lord Jesus. He came to Earth to bring salvation to the world, and He is the sole refuge for all souls. The Lord Jesus won the victory over the enemy, and He is the only hope for us. He is the King of kings and the Lord of all, and He is our only refuge and shelter (Hebrews 2:14-15, Colossians 1:15-16).
In the Gospel of Matthew 7:24-27, the Lord Jesus encourages us to build our lives on a solid foundation, particularly on His teachings.
24 Everyone therefore, whoever hears these words of Mine, and does them, will be likened to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock;
“House” refers to faith. Build your faith and keep your faith strong by reading, meditating, and practicing the Word of God. A house without the Bible cannot be a house.
“Rock” refers to the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He rose in the body, not in the spirit. It is a material body that is risen (the same flesh that was crucified rose from the grave).
25 and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; but it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.
“And the rain …” “Rain” and “winds” refer to general earthly troubles. “Floods” refers to attacks that are directed at one’s faith.
“But it did not fall, …” The best weapon to fight against all troubles is the Bible. The Word of God must grow roots in our hearts.
26 And everyone hearing these words of Mine, and does them not, will be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand;
“Foolish man” refers to non-Christians, the ones who know about the Lord but do not believe.
“Sand” in this verse refers to false doctrines; false doctrines are produced by those who use their own understanding to teach others in the wrong way.
27 and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and struck against that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
Our faith should be built on solid rock. In Matthew 16:15-18, we find who the true “Rock” of our faith is.
15 He says to them, But who do you say Me to be?
16 Now Simon Peter answering said, Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
The true light about Christ has been revealed starting with one disciple, and that light will be shared to others. Because of his heart, the truth was revealed to Peter. And that is what the Father is looking for: a clean heart that is willing to obey and glorify God, which is a gift. By the mercy of the Father, the knowledge and understanding about Christ have been given at this time to only one of the disciples; because of his heart, the truth has been revealed to Peter.
17 Then, Jesus answering said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but My Father in the heavens.
This verse is for us to link Peter with the prophet Jonah. As Jonah, in the belly of the fish, has experienced rebirth to save his life, Peter has also experienced a new birth at this time. Peter has been reborn by the living Word of the Lord. This new birth is the starting point to reveal the kingdom of heaven to humans when the Father revealed the Son Jesus through the human mind. It is a sign to show believers that the Father’s mercy came down and humans will be blessed with the Holy Spirit. This blessing is proof and confirmation of how much the Father loves humans. Simon Bar-Jonah refers to those who know and recognize their sins by the spirit of the person, not by the flesh. Simon Bar-Jonah refers to the spiritual world; as Jonah was in the dark, but his spirit saw the light, Peter did the same. Peter was darkened in the mind, but by the Lord’s mercy, he received the true light. To understand by the spirit, you do not see what you are doing, but you know in the heart what you are doing; use the heart to justify, not the eye.
18 Moreover, I also say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
This verse refers to the believer’s faith.
“You are Peter, and upon this rock,” indicates that Peter is the first one to whom the Father revealed who the Lord Jesus is, and on this rock of knowledge, the church will be built. After the Lord Jesus fulfilled the Father’s will, this knowledge will continue to build more people’s faith in the Son of God, the Holy One. At this time, Peter’s faith has been established; he can die for what he believes.
“Upon this rock” refers to the truth that Peter received. The rock is the truth about the Lord Jesus that He is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
“I will build My church” means that the Lord Jesus will build His church on the truth that Peter received, which is the rock, the foundation of the church.
“And the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” means that the gates of hell have no power to stop the Lord Jesus from building His church. The Lord Jesus opened the gate of the heavens (see Matthew 3:16) and put the seal of His blood on the gates of hell when He was there (at the gates) during the three days (see 1 Peter 3:18-20). The Lord put the seal on the gates, which is the blood of the Lord Jesus, and it is a forbidden seal; no evil can touch this seal or remove it (see Exodus 12:13). All His children have the salvation seal of the Lamb on them. The gates of Hades will never open for those who have the salvation seal of the Lamb on them. The salvation seal is put on a believer’s heart when the person believes and gives his heart to the Lord Jesus and then goes and baptizes in the water (complete baptism, heart, and water, meaning soul and body). The believer’s responsibility is to keep this seal by staying in faith, studying the Word of God, and keeping the Word in the heart until the end of life on this earth. If you have the Word in your heart, you have a shield of protection.
We encourage all readers to explore our other blog article titled, “Am I a Simon Bar-Jonah and What Does It Mean for Me?”
Conclusion
In 1 John 3:8, the Holy Spirit, speaking through John, tells us that, “the one practicing sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
If you feel troubled or tormented in spirit or body by the attacks of the enemy, know that victory is found in the cross of Calvary. The Lord Jesus forever defeated the enemy through His blood shed on the cross. We must put the seal of the blood of the Lord Jesus on our hearts by declaring Him as the King of our hearts and claiming victory in His name. When we have faith in the work of the cross and love the Lord Jesus with our minds and hearts, it is as if His blood is spread on our doorposts—the enemy flees when he sees the blood. As His children, we are set apart, but we need to remember that He won the victory over the enemy. We must believe that all power over both the seen and unseen worlds belongs to Him. There is a spiritual battle for souls that we cannot see with our human eyes. Therefore, we must pray that the blood of the Lord Jesus is truly red on our hearts and claim, in faith, victory over spiritual attacks in the name of the Lord Jesus—for ourselves and our families.
Meditation Tasks
- Visit our blog article, “The God We Serve,” and make the Lord Jesus the foundation of your faith.