A popular restaurant named Tidal Raves sits on the highest peak of a sheer, vertical cliff overlooking the sea north of Depot Bay.
Oregon does have gorgeous sandy beaches where children build sand castles and search for unbroken sea shells. Couples stroll hand in hand, families fly kites, and barefoot teens play beach volley ball on the sand. But not here. There is no sandy beach here. This is a deep, very rugged stretch of Oregon’s coastline.
Here, the ebb and flow of multiple tides over centuries of time have eroded, molded and shaped the landform that bumps up against the sea. Our sovereign God of all creation has deemed the gravitational pull of the moon to be in control of the tides. The result is indeed worth raving about! Here, a rocky cove below the highest peak curls around to form a semi-circular wall of vertical cliffs and crags jutting out into the Pacific Ocean.
The tables at Tidal Raves are laid out over three levels so that all diners can enjoy a spectacular view. Some bring binoculars and cameras. They all watch row after row of blue-green waves roll in, their breakers slamming in foaming white splendor against the rock wall of the cove. Huge boulders thrown into the cove by previous violent storms signify the phenomenal power of angry ocean waves. However, Psalm 89:9 [ESV] declares, “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.”
So today, seagulls float gracefully on ocean breezes in the calm shelter of the cove. A pair of eagles can occasionally be seen playing tag—suggesting that their nest is perched in a crevice high on an adjacent cliff. Sometimes a whale spout is spotted out at sea, bringing out the binoculars at Tidal Raves! During the day tall cargo and cruise ships ply the waves at sea; and owners of fishing boats cast their nets. As dusk approaches, fishermen bring the day’s catch into the harbor, carefully steering their boats under the bridge through the narrow mouth of Depot Bay. Safe behind a protective railing above the weathered board docks, spectators look down to watch fishermen empty their nets and unload their fish, sorting them into slippery piles.
Back on the high cliff at Tidal Raves, dinner guests enjoy their delectable desserts at the close of day. They savor the view as well. A long arm of rippling orange light waves a friendly farewell across the expanse as symbolically the sun seems to slip silently into the undulating Pacific Ocean. It is comforting to remember that God has set the boundaries of the seas. “You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.” [Psalms 104:9 NIV] This truth is confirmed in Prov. 8:29 [KJB].
In sharp contrast on another continent halfway around the world, another kind of cliff demonstrates the mighty power of God in an entirely different way. Flanked by the Atlantic and Indian oceans on either side, the African subcontinent offers a perfect example of the culture of a desert cliff. Psalm 104:24 [ESV] declares, “O Lord how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”
A desert cliff is home to many different kinds of creatures. One of them—the hyrax, also called a coney or rock badger—is most interesting. Known for its adaptability, it is an example of a small, furry animal which although physically feeble and defenseless, knows how to make the best its environment. Looking somewhat like a rabbit, but without the long ears, it makes its home in the cliffs in order to survive according to Proverbs 30:26 [ESV] Another creature at home in desert mountain cliffs is the hind, which is another name for a female deer. In her classic allegorical novel, “Hinds’ Feet on High Places,” Hannah Hurnard marvels at how it maneuvers the rough, rocky crags with remarkable grace and skill. Once again God demonstrates His glorious attributes through the creation of creatures like these.
“May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works— he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to God while I have my being.”