Europeans who first discovered these cliff dwellings in the above photo dubbed them Montezuma’s Castle, and the name stuck. However, these homes made of rock and mortar were built by the Sinagua tribe around the year 1100 A.D. and had nothing to do with the Aztec people that Montezuma led. But they are worth seeing and doubly worth thinking about.
Guarded by Rock
The buildings begin about 90 feet off the floor of the valley and more resemble a multi-story apartment building than a castle. The walls of the dwelling are made out of limestone, and they rise up from their base more than five stories high. Historians estimate that the ruins were once occupied by about 35 families, and for some unknown reason they were deserted about 1500 A.D.
People have speculated why the tribe went to the trouble of building the dwellings high up in a rock wall. Several reasons seem plausible. First, if you have ever experienced summertime weather in Arizona, you might guess they built their homes in the rock to escape the heat. The dwellings were built in an alcove of the rock that provided shade. Historians also guess that they built their homes high up on the rock wall because of severe floods in the nearby Beaver River. A third reason, and the one that seems most obvious, is that these homes would be easily defended against raiders. By just pulling up the ladders, the homes would have been all but impregnable.
These are some of the reasons why the Sinagua tribe may have decided to build their houses in the rock face of a cliff.
Christ the Rock
Do you know Christ is the Rock, and through faith and repentance we should all build our lives on Him?
The reasons we should come to Christ are very similar to the main reasons the Sinagua tribe built their homes in the rock. First of all, they probably built their homes to escape the scorching Arizona heat. No matter where we live, whether in a cold or hot climate, we have all experienced the “sweltering oppression” of sin. Sin has scorched our lives: our families, our hearts, our health, and all we hold dear. Sin will also bring us into the scorching fires of hell unless something is done about it.
To save lost sinners, the Son of God came and gave His life at Calvary. He was not only a man, but also God. The blood He shed on the cross has the power to wash away the sins of every person who has ever lived.
When sinners believe in Christ, He gives them His forgiveness of sins and comes to live in their hearts. His grace enables them, strengthens them and keeps them from being scorched by sin. We get a sense of this in what King David wrote long ago: “The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.” Only by coming to Christ will any of us find a refuge for our souls from the blasting heat of sin.
Safe From the Flood
The second reason we need to come to Christ and build our lives on Him is because of floods.
“Whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-2724Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24‑27)).
The floods which threaten to sweep us away are not limited to the ones caused by excessive rainfall. They include every trouble in life that may hit us in overwhelming power like the death of loved ones, the loss of income, health issues, our own death, political upheavals, and so forth. These floods have the power to sweep everything before them to destruction. The only way to avoid their destructive power is to build your house upon the rock, and that rock is Christ.
Safe From Enemies
The third reason the Sinagua tribe built their homes in the rock was likely for protection against hostile neighboring tribes. Did you know that each one of us has a deadly enemy who seeks our ruin?
That enemy is called Satan. Both he and the fallen angels under him are at war with mankind. They know that every soul who dies apart from Christ will experience the everlasting destruction of hell. Because of the fallen angel’s hatred of God, they want to destroy everything God loves, and that includes every member of the human race. Only by coming to the One who died on the cross and arose from the grave can any of us be delivered from the power of sin, death and Satan.
The Sinagua tribe had good reasons to build their dwellings in the rock. And each one of us has good reasons to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ too. Will you believe in the Lord Jesus? Only then will you be saved from the scorching effects of sin, withstand the floods of life, and find protection from the enemy of our souls.
“The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation” (2 Samuel 22:47).
We can also find refuge from the deception around us as explained in Lies, Lies, All Lies.