The Rock of Seperation

When  we read the Holy Bible through the lens of Who Jesus Christ is and all that He has accomplished and is accomplishing in our lives we can see Jesus all over the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation Jesus is there for He is that Living Word of God John:1:1

Jesus is Always Present in Scripture

  

We can  see the Holy Spirit always directing us toward our Lord Jesus Christ in so many ways , this is what the God Holy Spirit  does,  He speaks to us about Jesus, about Who He is, not just what He does.

 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me." John:15:26

The Bible in so many ways is just that, God the Holy Spirit speaking to humanity about Jesus, for all Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, regardless as to who the "human author" many be.

David's Life

We can see Jesus in the Scripture accounts of  David's life overtly and subtly.  There was time before David sat on throne that he was an outlaw  in Israel. King Saul who was driven by jealousy, mental and emotional instability and hatred perused David relentlessly,  and  those men who had  joined  with David. In one such time of being perused,  David fled  to an area in Israel call  Horesh then he would flee Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon to elude King Saul. This area had  caves , hills and  a large out cropping of  rock. It was a place that seemed designed to conceal someone who needed shelter.

" in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?" 1Samuel:23:19

David Discovered

In this rocky country  , David and his men found a period of short lived safety until an agents of King Saul  became aware of  their location and sent informants to the King.

^"19 Then Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to do so; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” ²¹  1Samuel:23:19-21

Saul hopeful that he might finely overtake and destroy  his "perceived rival" David  welcomes the report and then, request more information from the spies sending then to obtain more information about David' movements and location  in the area.

Saul said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. ²² Go now, make more sure, and investigate and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. ²³ So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

²⁴ Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon" 1Samuel:23:21-24

Saul Pursues

Saul upon receiving the information assembles his men and moves to chase  David and his men,

  
 ²⁵ When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon". 1Samuel:23:25

Shelter Behind The Rock

As David and his men see they are being hunted by Saul and the army David leads his men to an area that places  a massive outcropping of rock between, which separates  them and their pursuers, as Saul moves around the rock on one side  David and his men reposition themselves,  all the while  being careful , keeping the rock between them , sheltering  them hiding them from Saul's  sight in spite of his knowing that,  here, in this place was  David , yet out of his grasp. The rock separates and hides  David and his men from those who pursued them to destroy them.

 ²⁶ Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them. ²⁷  1Samuel:23:26-27

Saul is Drawn Away

 

It is then when Saul believes  that he might finely capture and destroy David,   that events elsewhere  draw Saul away .   David and his men are saved from death. To commemorate their deliverance from their pursuers they name   call this great outcropping of rock "the Rock of Separation"

"But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.” ²⁸ So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Separation. ²⁹ David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi" . 1Samuel:23:26

The Rock of Separation

This event in the life of David speaks of what our lord Jesus Christ  has and is doing in the lives of Christians, He is there to Separate  us from our pursuers, you see,  Jesus is that Rock of Separation  for each us. As we pass through  the wilderness of this life there are many things  that will pursue us. What ever pursues you and I , we can take shelter in our Lord Jesus Christ, he is that Great Rock- "and that rock was Christ." 1Corinthians:10:4

Jesus has places Himself  between us and our pursuers,  and in Him we are hid from them. "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" Colossians:3:3  You and I are  all safe in Jesus Christ, what ever pursues you and I,   we are sheltered in Jesus,  safe  , separated from them. We are out of  their sight so to speak.  They can not really touch us in Jesus, no matter how dogged they pursue us.

We are separated  from the accusatory voice of condemnation,
 "there is now no more condemnation, to those who are in Christ" Romans:8:1 .

Not even sin has the power to destroy us, we are separated from it by our Lord , again,
"Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."  Romans:4:8 


"that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them" 2Corinthians:5:19

We are even separated from the the full extent of satan's power to do harm to the people of God

"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him." 1John:5:18

Separated from  power of  temptation Jesus is there to stand as that Rock for us. "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James:4:7

In Christ we are separated even from death "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1Corinthians:15:55

Never From Jesus

In Christ we have been given victory over all which would pursue us, what ever it is that dogs us in this life's wilderness we have a Savior Who is always there, Who interposed Himself between us and they that pursue us always keeping Himself there sheltering us keeping us hid in His own life and being. He has separated  us, even as the massive rock separated David and his men from Saul, from all who seek to destroy us. The only thing Jesus will never separate us from  Himself and His love from us,  He will not let you go.

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews:13:5

 "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans:8:39

Jesus Christ is that Rock of Separation that we see standing forth from the pages of the word of God , always there to shelter us protect us and separate us from all that would pursue us , He is that Rock of Separation.....Amen

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

Fountain of Life Church

Washington, Pa 

Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP Radio 1710 & 1670 in Washington, Pa.

And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com