As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and the one believing on Him will not be put to shame."
Truth to Learn
To the Jews Jesus is merely a stumbling stone in the pathway of life. To Christians He is a solid rock of salvation.
Behind the Words
“Lay” is from the Greek word tithēmi, meaning “to set in place” or “to lay something down.”
The word “stone” is from lithos, which refers to a stone (anything from the size of a pebble to the size of a millstone or a block of a building).
“Rock,” on the other hand, is from petra, which refers to “a huge mass of rock like a rock outcropping of a mountain.”
Meaning Explained
The Apostle Paul was very well versed in the Law and the Prophets. He studied them under Gamaliel, one of the greatest rabbinical teachers of his day. As a result, he had a thorough understanding of what we now call the Old Testament. Here’s what he told the Israelites of his time (after He was saved):
I am indeed a man, a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. (Acts 22:3)
In the current verse Paul not only demonstrates his knowledge of what is written in the Old Testament but also what is meant by these writings. He does this by quoting two separate verses and combining them in a manner that reveals the intent of both passages. The first verse quoted is Isaiah 8:14, which reads:
He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The second verse quoted is Isaiah 28:16, which reads:
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; he who believes will not act hastily.”
The stone which Isaiah referred to is the Messiah, the Christ. He is the chief cornerstone upon which the church is built. But the Israelites rejected their Messiah and, as a result, He has become a stumbling stone to them and a huge rock of offence. To the Jews of Paul’s day (and the Jews of our day) Jesus was an imposter who was executed for His crimes. To them He was simply a pebble or a small rock, but to God He is a huge, massive, solid rock of salvation. So, instead of believing on the rock of salvation and receiving God’s imputed righteousness, they continue to try to earn their own righteousness by obeying all the precepts and commandments in the Law and, as a result, miss out on righteousness completely.
Application
Are you righteous, my friend? If so, was that righteousness granted to you by God’s choice alone or do you believe that you earned it by doing something? Careful! This is a trick question.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved
