If The Rocks Cried Out
“As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’” (Luke 19:37-40, ESV).
Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. When I read, I try to do more than just scan the words. I try to picture what is happening in my mind. When I read God’s Word, I do the same. While I try not to get carried away, I do use my imagination. Years ago, when I was a kid, I heard an evangelist preach from this text. I don’t remember what his points were, because I was imagining the rocks crying out. I have thought about this many times. If the rocks cried out, what would they say?
Abraham was to kill his son, the son that he loved, and burn his body as an offering to the Lord.
In Genesis 17, God told Abraham that his wife Sara, ninety-years old, was going to bear a son to be named Isaac. God promised that he would establish a covenant with Isaac and his descendants, making them a great people, and a lineage of kings. Isaac was born, and some years later God instructed Abraham to take him to the region of Moriah and to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. In other words, Abraham was to kill his son, the son that he loved, and burn his body as an offering to the Lord. Abraham set off with Isaac and two servants the very next morning. On the third day Abraham and Isaac continued on alone, taking with them the wood, fire, and knife. Isaac asked where the sacrifice was, and Abraham answered that God would provide. When they reached the place that God told them about, Abraham gathered rocks, built an altar, bound his son and drew back the knife to slay him. If those rocks could speak, they would proclaim that God keeps his promises. A voice came from heaven and stopped Abraham; a ram was provided as a sacrifice, and Isaac was spared so that God's promise would be fulfilled. God keeps His promises (1 Kings 8:56). He is not slow in keeping His promises (2 Peter 3:9). God’s Word is filled with promises to His people and He can deliver on every one of them (Romans 4:21). As He kept His promises to Abraham, so He will to us.
Isaac grew up and had a son, Jacob. When he came of age, Jacob was sent to choose a wife from among his own people. Along the way, after the sun had set, Jacob decided to stop for the night and rest. He took a rock, placed it under his head and went to sleep. That night Jacob dreamed of a stairway reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. Above it stood the Lord and he said to Jacob, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go” (Genesis 28:15). Early the next morning Jacob took the rock he’d used as a pillow, set it up as an altar to the Lord, and anointed it with oil. If that rock were to speak it would proclaim, “God is with you!” We know that God keeps his promises and, in His Word, He has promised to be with us. Psalm 48:14 says, “For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.” In Isaiah 43:2, God said, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you...” Psalm 73:23 reminds us, “Yet I am always with you, you hold me by the right hand.” Jesus Christ himself was called Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). His promise is, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
The narrative continues in Exodus 17, where we find the children of Israel (Jacob’s offspring), having just left Egypt, traveling in the desert regions as the Lord had led them. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. They quarreled, grumbled, and were thirsty. The Lord told Moses to take some of the Elders of Israel and to walk ahead of the people. He was to take his staff and to strike the rock at Horeb. God said that when Moses would strike the rock, water would come out of it for the people to drink. If that rock were here, and could speak, it would tell you that God provides for His people. He still provides for his people today. God meets all of our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus our Lord (Philippians 4:19). Matthew 6:31-33 tells us to seek his kingdom and his righteousness and we’ll need to give no thought to what we will eat, drink or wear. He is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides.
God meets all of our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus our Lord (Philippians 4:19).
Many times in the Bible, God's chosen people turned their backs on the Lord and pursued false gods and idols. In 1st Kings 18, we find the story of the prophet Elijah and how he determined in his heart to do something about it. He had the people of Israel gather around a mountain along with 850 false prophets of the idols Baal and Asherah. He challenged the false priests to call on their gods, and then he would call on the true God. The one who answered by fire would be proven. The prophets of Baal set up their sacrifice. They prayed, danced, cut themselves and shouted all to no avail. Elijah, when evening had come and the false prophets had exhausted themselves, took twelve stones, built an altar, put his wood and sacrifice on it and dug a trench around it. He had four large jars of water poured on top of it all, then four more, and then four more, so that even the trench was filled. Elijah then prayed a simple prayer, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord; answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” If the rocks could cry out, they would proclaim that the fire fell from heaven. The bull was consumed, the wood, and stones were consumed, the water was burned up, and even the dust around the altar was burned up. The people fell prostrate before the Lord and the false prophets were put to the sword. God heard and answered the prayers of his servant. If the rocks cried out today, they would declare that He is still answering prayer. “He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer thee” (Isaiah 30:19).
If it could speak, the stone that David slung at Goliath would declare, “God protects His people” (1 Samuel 17).
If it had a voice, the stone that the demon-possessed man from Gadara used to cut himself would shout, “God delivers from the power of Satan” (Mark 5).
If they cried out because of our silence, the stones carried by the religious hypocrites who hoped to take the life of the woman caught in adultery (John 8), would speak forth, “God is a forgiving God.” It was true then; it is true now. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to earth. Truly God, truly man, He took our place on the cross and gave Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. He was beaten, abused, mocked, and spit upon. He suffered and gave His life to appease God’s wrath against us. His body was given to Joseph of Arimathea. It was prepared for burial and laid in a brand new tomb. Scripture says that a great stone was rolled across the entrance of the tomb. If that rock that sealed the entrance to the tomb could cry out today, it would echo the words of the angel who sat on it. “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen!” (Matthew 28:25-26).
We have much to be thankful for. Let's not hold our tongues. Let's not force the rocks to cry for us. Let's praise the Lord. He still keeps his promises. He is with us, even now. He still provides. He still answers prayer. He still protects. He still delivers. He still forgives. Because He is risen! To God and God alone be all glory, honor, power and praise! Jesus is risen!
Things to Do:
Think about your testimony of forgiveness and salvation. Think about times God provided, delivered, protected, and answered prayer for you. Please don’t hold your tongue. Tell somebody!
Find a rock, even if it is a small one, and put it somewhere in your house, or maybe in a flower bed outside, as a testimony of God’s faithfulness. When people ask why it is there, don’t hold your tongue. Share the goodness of the Lord.
For family worship, how about “Before the Rocks Cry Out”? I like the version by the Speer family.
