CAVE, as you know, is a cleft, or hole, in the rock. The words "rock" and "cave" are used interchangeably in scripture; and when I read of people who "hid themselves in rocks," I understand at once, that they hid themselves in caves. There is no difficulty in that, I think. In the Bible the word "rock" sometimes means an actual rock, and sometimes it is used figuratively, and means a place of strength. In this last sense we must understand it in Deut. 32, where Moses, speaking of the disobedient among the Israelites, says, "Their rock is not as our rock." Their rock was their own strength, his Rock was God (Deut. 32:44He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)); and this just marks the difference in the present day between unbelievers and believers. The rock of the unbeliever is his own strength, the Rock of the believer is God. In a more particular sense, Christ is spoken of as the Christian's Rock; but Christ is God, and so it amounts to much the same thing.
Caves, or rocks, may be said to have three special uses: As Refuges, as Habitations, and as Houses of Defense; and I think I can give you some curious information with regard to each.
First, as Refuges. A very old writer tells us that in the days of king Herod the Great, the country over which he ruled was infested with robbers, who did as great mischief to its inhabitants as a war itself could have done. He succeeded in destroying a number of them, and in scattering the rest; and Galilee, where they existed in greatest numbers, was at length free of them, save for a few who took refuge in caves. These caves were in the precipices of craggy mountains, and could not be reached from any side; for the only ascents to them were by narrow winding paths, which were quite impassable to inexperienced travelers. High up in the rocks these caves could be seen, and here the robbers felt that they were safe; for they were out of reach of the swords and spears of the Roman soldiers, and even their arrows could not pierce to such a height. What then was to be done? At last the king thought of a way of getting to them; and he ordered some wooden chests to be made, each of which would be largo and strong enough to hold four or five of his soldiers. When this had been done, the chests were brought to the various precipices, and the soldiers got finto them, after which they were lowered down to the caves' mouths by mearas of chains. This difficulty overcome, the soldiers soon slew all the wretched people who had taken refuge there, women and children, as well as men; and finished by rolling the dead bodies down the steep precipices. Thus, in spite of their apparent safety, these evil-doers and their families were destroyed in the very rocks which they had chosen for their places of refuge.
But how different it is with the Christian, whose Rock is God! No matter how young or helpless he may be, this Rock is his refuge, and he may fly to it in every time of difficulty and need. None can trouble him there, for God is a strong rock" (Psa. 31:22Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. (Psalm 31:2)), and not only a strong Rock but a "rock of strength" (Psa. 62:77In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. (Psalm 62:7)), from which I learn, that I can not only take refuge in Him, but get strength from Him. Oh, that we might trust in Him at all times! He is a Refuge for the oppressed (Psa. 9:99The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)) a Refuge in the day of trouble (Psa. 59:1616But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. (Psalm 59:16)); and He will be the Strength of our hearts (Psa. 83:26) and of our lives (Psa. 27:11<<A Psalm of David.>> The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)) the whole journey through. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psa. 46:11<<To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.>> God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1).)
But caves and rocks are also used as habitations. A traveler on his way to Gaza, passed some habitations of this kind. He tells us that on his journey he carne to a mountain, on the summit of which he saw, to his surprise, an old man engaged in prayer. On approaching nearer, his surprise increased, for he found that the man was only praying on his own housetop, his dwelling-place being in the rock beneath. On seeing the traveler draw near, the old man rose, and welcomed him, and afterward began to show him the beauties of the scene below, where was the village of his tribe. It was a lovely valley, lying between ranges of broken and overhanging rocks, and looked, to his eye, like a smooth and beautiful table of green, widening into a large meadow at one end. Sheep and goats were feeding in abundance in this valley, together with a herd of cows, but, strange to say, he could see no Signs whatever of a human dwelling-place. Where, he asked himself, were the dwellings of the pastors, where the tents in which dwelt the shepherds of these flocks and herds? In Egypt he had seen the Arabs living in tombs, and among the ruins of temples; in the desert he had seen them dwelling in tents; but he had never yet seen them makings, their habitations in the rude crevices of the rocks. Such, however, were their habitations here. " The rocks in many places were overhanging; in others they were chasms, or fissures; and wherever there was anything that could afford a partial protection from the weather on one side, a low, rough, circular wall of stone was built in front of it, and formed the abode of a largc family.
And the Christian has a Rock for his habitation—the Lord Jesus Christ. David prayed to the Lord, "Be thou my strong habitation [or ‘rock of habitation’] whereunto I may continually resort" (Psa. 71:33Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. (Psalm 71:3)); but a Christian has no need for such a prayer. It is his privilege and duty to be always dwelling in the Rock. "ABIDE in me" are the very words of Jesus.
And, moreover, there is a wonderful promise for all who thus abide in Him. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:77If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7).) What a happy condition to be in! What a mine of wealth is opened up to the poorest child of God in these words, "Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." I need not say, of course, that this does not imply asking for worldly riches. If you think, for instance, of asking for a thousand pounds, or a grand house, or anything of that sort, you must expect to be disappointed. Indeed, it is a proof that you are not abiding in Jesus; for those who are abiding in Him forget themselves, and think about their neighbors. They seek to do as Christ did when He was walking about this world, and He never thought about Himself. Ah, no! He "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant," and went about assisting others. And so it should be with us. "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." It is within the power of the youngest believer to abide in Him, for we do not get into that state by great efforts, or by doing great things, but by walking in love, as He walked. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love DWELLETH IN GOD, and God in him." (1 John 4:1616And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16).)
But caves and rocks are used also as houses of defense. A house of defense may, of course, be a dwelling house, but it is something more; and so I read, that he who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, shall not only dwell on heights (that is, on high rocks or mountains), but "his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks." (Isa. 33:1616He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. (Isaiah 33:16).) It is not at all an infrequent thing to use a cave for a house of defense; from the earliest ages this has been the case, and it is so now. Here is an instance. A certain Grand Seignior, having been greatly displeased by the conduct of his emir, ordered the pasha to go and seize his person. But the emir retreated to the village of Gesin, on the slope of Mount Lebanon, and, in company with a few officers, shut himself up in the cleft of a great rock, which was called among the Arabs the cavern of Gesin. The pasha carne to the cave to execute his orders, but the place of defense was so strong, that though he besieged it for several months together, he could never get possession of the emir's person. At last he ordered his men to dig a mine under the cave, and was going to destroy it by means of gunpowder, when the emir discovered what was going on beneath his retreat, and gave himself up to save being blown to pieces. His house of defense, strong as he had thought it, was no longer safe, and in the end he was glad enough to get out of it.
But oh! what a strong Rock of defense the believer has in Christ. Resting in Him he can say, "Thou art my rock and my fortress;" and who is able to undermine that Rock? It was on that Rock the wise man of Matt. 7 built his house, and when the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house, it did not fall, because it was founded upon a Rock. It is on that Rock, too, that the church of God is built-the whole assembly of believers from the day of Pentecost-and because it is thus built, even the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. What a strong Rock of defense is Jesus!
Oh, then, dear young believer, cling close to Him-abide in Him. There alone you are safe, there alone you can be happy. Do not be like Jeshurun of old, who "forsook God... and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation" (Deut. 32:1515But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. (Deuteronomy 32:15)); but rather be like Hannah, the mother of little Samuel, who cried, "There is none holy as the Lord: there is none beside thee neither is there any rock like our God." (1 Sam. 2:22There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2).)
"Rock of ages! cleft for me,
Grace hath hid me safe in Thee!
Where the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flow'd,
Are of sin the double cure,
Cleansing from its guilt and power.
“Found by Thee before I sought,
Unto Thee in mercy brought,
I have Thee for righteousness,
From Thy fullness grave for grave;
Thou hast wash'd me in Thy blood,
Made me live and live to God.
“While I draw this fleeting breath,
If mine eyelids close in death;
When I soar to worlds unknown,
Still of Thee I’ll sing alone.
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
All my boast and joy's in Thee.”