Bible Walking
  • Blog Morning Minute
  • PAUL FERGUSON THE FIGHTER
  • Lordship Salvation - Dr. Robert L. Sumner
  • Blog: The Encourager
  • Links
  • How to be Saved
  • Contact Us
    • About
  • Bible Verses
    • Verses on Prayer
    • Why/How to Memorize
    • All Verses
    • The Packet 22
  • Sermons/Devotions
    • From the Desk of Pastor Bill Compton >
      • Bill's Audios
      • Bill's Biography
      • Contact Me
      • Bill's Desk Archives
      • Bill's Potpourri
      • BillSermons
      • Bill's Witty Bits
    • From the Desk of Pastor Kent Kelly
  • Books/Pamphlets
    • Whose Is the Land?
    • Be Filled With the Spirit - Lee Roberson
    • Life of Elijah by A.W. Pink
    • How to Get More Out of Your Bible - Wiersbe
    • History 2nd Amendment
    • How I Know God Answers Prayer - Rosalind Goforth
    • Biography-Charles G. Finney
    • Fundamentalism Then and Now - Greg Barkman
    • What Does It Mean (to Me) John MacArthur
  • Books/Pamphlets

the stone...

12/31/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
      The Stone…
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1Peter 2:4-5).

To be a rough, smelly fisherman with no pedigree or diploma of higher learning, Peter suddenly becomes an architect of the highest order. He’s a master of the Hebrew and Greek and a solemn authority. I suspect it’s because God is sitting close behind him and whispering to him what to say.

THE BIBLE SOMETIMES USES FIGURES OF SPEECH to increase the reader’s understanding of a subject at hand. We must be careful in discerning if it is a figure of speech or a literal statement. Jesus said He was the door of the sheep (John 10:7,9). He did not mean that he was a wooden barricade or one of our doors today with hinges and a door knob. He simply meant that He was the one means of access.

HE CALLED US HIS SHEEP ND HIMSELF A SHEPHERD. This does not mean that saved people are all covered with wool and equipped with sheep-looking ears. It does mean that we are sheep-like in how dumb we are at times and how dependent we are on a caring and all-wise shepherd to take care of us These figures of speech are obvious.


IN OUR RELATIONSHIP TO HIM, we have been called sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.  (Galatiansl 4:6-7) This is not a figure of speech. We ARE the sons of God and the Spirit of God has cried through us to the Father, calling Him, Abba (Daddy!).

IN TODAY'S TEXT WE ARE COMING TO AN UNUSUAL STONE, a metaphor (figure of speech). It is a living (lively) stone. The living stone is Christ. It is in the context of a stone building. Christ is a stone and then the writer says: “ye also.” Christ is a living stone. We (also) are stones, built into a spiritual house. JESUS IS FLESH AND BLOOD, (Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.  (Luke 24:39)  AND JESUS IS A STONE. We are flesh and blood, and we are stones. Our flesh and blood are literal. Our being stones and a living house is a figure of speech.
​

I DON'T WANT TO GO OVERBOARD ON EXPLAINING THIS, since the use of a figure of speech is to reduce the number of words as well as to increase the power of the phrase. However, I have observed much confusion among Christians who have not sorted out the use of figures of speech in the Bible. For example, the rich man in Hell (Luke 16) is considered by some as being a parable and not literal. You can get him out of Hell and keep from going to Hell yourself by simply making that into a parable instead of a literal reference to Hell. (That is not my subject today.)

THE BIBLE BURDENS ITSELF TO SHOW US THE STRENGTH, security, and permanence of who God is and our relationship to Him, now and in eternity. It is characteristic of the Bible to explain it one way and in case we missed the point, to explain it in different terms so we are sure to get it. God wants us to know things. You will find this purposeful practice scattered throughout the Bible.

“A LIVING STONE - The allusion in this passage is to Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16) That is, the stone is so solid and secure that the one standing upon it will feel no dread or fear and no inward impulse to run someplace else for safety in the time of trouble. A prophecy of the coming Jewish Messiah.

 We are also drawn to: “The stone which the builders disallowed is become the headstone of the corner.”Psalm 118:22 “The reference is to Christ as the foundation on which the church is reared. He occupies the same place as a foundation-stone does to the edifice that is reared upon it.” (Barnes) (It appears that the presence and properties of the foundation stone and the corner stone are run together, here.)

Jesus continues the reference to the stone: Therefore, 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.  (Matthew 7:24-25)

PAUL PICKS UP THE STONE LANGUAGE: As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed (Romans 9:33).

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians.2:19-20).
 
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians. 2:21-22).
 

A DIFFERENT KIND OF TEMPLE: This is not a temple made of stone, overlaid with gold, enhanced with expensive timbers and impressive doors. It is a temple of redeemed people that is built to be inhabited by the Spirit of God. “…a habitation of God through the Spirit.”
It is awesome that the Spirit of God should dwell in our bodies! But that is exactly what these verses say. Not only so, but we are told that He gives us “living water” (John 4:10). 

CHRIST IS THE FOUNDATION STONE,
 we are the upper stone structure of God’s Temple, and Christ imparts life to the whole spiritual temple. (The commentaries are word-rich about these verses because the Word of God is word-rich about the stone and the cornerstone rejected of men.) Are you part of God’s Temple?

This old hymn is appropriate here: “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but firmly lean on Jesus’ name. (Chorus) On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.” (Edward Mote – 1834) Please play it below. Ω
 
Read Through the Bible in a Year

 JANUARY 1, 2018 - MONDAY
 A.M. Genesis 1-2   P.M. Matthew 1
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Song for Today:
The Solid Rock (4:04) (United Meth. Ch. Winfield, Iowa)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IdAZmwQ2xY (4:04)
Note: I went through about 15 versions of this song to find this best version.
(You may have to adjust the volume and delete an ad.
 
 
 
 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Dan Carr is a "retired" pastor, writer, teacher and continues to write at this website. This blog and other articles are e-mailed free to anyone who wants them. Go to: 
    http://www.biblewalking.com/
    contact-us.html.  


    Dan and Barbara live 
    at Flat Rock, AL between Chattanooga, TN and Huntsville, AL. on Sand Mtn.
    We enjoy gardening, reading, church, family and friends.

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    May 2016

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Abomination
    Beauty
    Bible
    Brokenness
    Christmas
    Church
    Comfort
    Creation
    Crucifixion
    Death
    Depression
    Easter
    Encouragement
    Faith
    Fire
    Gifts
    God
    Gospel
    Growing
    Hear
    Heaven
    Hope
    Hunger
    Jerusalem
    Jesus
    Joy
    Judgment
    Lie
    Love
    Love God
    Meditation
    Messiah
    Persistence
    Poor
    Praise
    Praise Of Men
    Prayer
    Promises
    Prophecy
    Rest
    Resurrection
    Rich
    Sin
    Sinners
    Thanksgiving
    Tragedy
    Truth
    Unbelief
    Word
    Worship