If The Stones Cried Out
1. Will The Stones Have To Cry Out For You?
2. Why Would The Stones Praise The Lord?
3. Some Stones Are precious And Valuable
4. Stones For A Pillow
5. A Pillar And A Witness
6. Stones For A Memorial To Bear
7. Stones To Remember The Great Miracle Of God
8. Stone Tables Of Testimony
9. A Precious Corner Stone And A Sure Foundation
10. A House Upon A Rock
11. Royal Sapphire Stones
12. Stones Can Be Weapons
13. A Place For A Tomb
14. He Hideth My Soul In The Cleft Of The Rock
15. Stones Can Be Landmarks To Guide Us
1. Will The Stones Have To Cry Out For You?
Pastor Byerly had a great sermon from Luke 19. The people shouted and praised the Lord! He said that praising the Lord is voicing the thankfulness of the heart. The Pharisees didn’t like it that the people were praising Jesus. How did Jesus respond?
“38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:38-40)
2. Why Would The Stones Praise The Lord?
I enjoyed the sermon from Luke 19:38-40, especially verse 40. “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” Preacher Byerly asked a question I had never thought of. “If the stones cried out, why would they praise the Lord?” They are just rocks. What could stones be thankful for, enough to praise the Lord? He gave two answers. First, they would praise the Lord for creating them. Everything that God created is good. Next, they would praise the Lord for using them. He closed his sermon with ways that God can use stones. My mind started going to the different scriptures in the Bible that tell us how God used stones. Let’s look at some of these verses. We can think about what these stones would say to us if they could cry out.
3. Some Stones Are Precious And Valuable
We have to go back all the way to the Garden Of Eden to find the first mention of stones, and they were precious stones. If these stones cried out to us I believe that they would tell us we are precious in the sight of the Lord. He gave His life for us and we are precious and valuable to Him.
“10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.” (Genesis 2:10-12)
King David and King Solomon wore crowns of gold with precious stones. Several verses in the Old Testament pair gold with precious stones. The foundation of heaven is garnished with precious stones.
“18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.” (Revelation 21:18-20)
How can we relate precious stones to our Christian life? We are to build upon our foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones.
“11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (I Corinthians 3:11-15)
4. Stones For A Pillow
As we continue in the book of Genesis, we find another use for stones. You may be familiar with the story of Jacob and how he fled from Esau, his brother, whom he had cheated. That night he slept and had a dream of angels going up and down a ladder. We find in this story that Jacob used stones for his pillow. I am fortunate that I have never had to use a stone for a pillow. God has blessed me with a good place to sleep. I have a bed, with a roof over my head, and the comforts of home. Jesus left His beautiful home in heaven to come give His life for my sin. We see this contrasted in Luke 9:57-58. Our Lord left His heavenly home to be on earth without a home. He had no place to lay His head. “And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” I believe that these stones would tell us to be thankful for all God has given us.
“10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Genesis 28:10-15)
5. A Pillar And A Witness
Yesterday, we saw that Jacob used stones for a pillow. After his dream of the angels going up and down the ladder, Jacob set up the stones for a pillar. Jacob said, “Surely the LORD is in this place…” This stone pillar would tell us that the Lord is with us always! If we are leaving home, or going back home, the Lord has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.
“16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” (Genesis 28:16-22)
After serving Laban twenty years Jacob returned back home. On the way he made another stone pillar. They used it as a table to eat on, and as a witness between them.
“44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day…
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
52 This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. (a portion of Genesis 31)
Joshua also set up a stone to be a witness between the people and the Lord as a covenant that they said they would serve the Lord. “And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.” (Joshua 24:26-27)
6. Stones For A Memorial To Bear
When God instructed Moses how to make the clothing for the priest, He told him to engrave the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on onyx stones and he would bear them upon his shoulders as a memorial. I know that with modern equipment, jewelers can engrave on small areas. I’m not sure how small the engravers could make the names back then, so these may have been a weight to bear upon their shoulders. The priest was also to wear a breastplate that had 12 different precious stones, as an emerald and a diamond, with the twelve names. I believe these stones would tell us what Paul tells us in Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” We may not carry their names in stone on our shoulders, but we can remember them in prayer and help bear their burdens.
“9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.” (Exodus 28:9-21)
7. Stones To Remember The Great Miracle Of God
When God opened up the Jordan River for the Israelites to pass over into the Promised Land, He told Joshua to take a man from each of the twelve tribes to carry a stone on his shoulders from the midst of Jordan and put it on the other side. If these stones could talk to us today they would tell us to remember how God opened up a path for us when we saw no way through our wilderness. These stones would tell us to let our children know all the good that God has done for us along our journey!
6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.” (Portions of Joshua 4)
8. Stone Tables Of Testimony
God called for Moses to come up on Mount Sinai and He wrote His law on two tables of stone. These stone tablets were written with the finger of God! “And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18) Moses broke the Ten Commandments of stone when he saw the sin of the people. God wrote them again, but we don’t have the Ten Commandments on tables of stone today. God has given us His Word in the Holy Bible. And the Holy Ghost has written the covenant in our heart and mind. These tables of stone would tell us that we don’t have to have tables of stone because we have a new covenant written in our hearts and minds.
“Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” (Proverbs 7:2-3)
“Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;” (Hebrews 10:15-16)
“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” (II Corinthians 3:2-3)
9. A Precious Corner Stone And A Sure Foundation
Jesus is our Corner Stone, the sure foundation for everything that Christians believe. Isaiah 28:16 foretold of His coming. “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16) Jesus is the reason I go to church on Sunday and worship. Jesus is the reason I have peace and joy and assurance of a heavenly home. Jesus is the reason I am saved and I don’t have to worry about eternity, or the wages of my sin. One songwriter said, “All that I am, all that I need, all that I plead is Jesus!” Peter made sure the people knew that Isaiah was speaking of Jesus. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:11) This stone would cry out for us to come “out of darkness into his marvelous light!” (I Peter 2:9)
“3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 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.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (I Peter 2:3-10)
10. A House Upon A Rock
When I was young we sang a song about a house upon the sand and a house upon a rock. Maybe that’s why I remember the story so well. Jesus is our Rock and our foundation. If these stones cried out I believe they would tell us to make sure our lives are built on Jesus, and give all our praise to the Rock of our salvation! “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” Psalms 62:7) “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1)
“21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 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:
25 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.
26 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:
27 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.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:21-29)
11. Royal Sapphire Stones
Of all the birthstones I have seen, I like the blue sapphire stones of September the best. There are nine verses in the Bible about these beautiful stones. The first incidence is found as a “paved work” under the feet of God in Exodus 24:9-11. We can surely see how sapphires became known for loyalty, wisdom and royalty and were worn by kings.
“9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.” (Exodus 24:9-11)
We also find Ezekiel’s description of the throne is described with sapphires. “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” (Ezekiel 1:26) He saw the vision of the throne and sapphire again in chapter ten. John saw precious stones in his vision in Revelation 21, in the foundation of the wall. It is rare to own such a precious stone on earth but we will see them in the beauties of heaven.
“18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.” (Revelation 21:18-20)
If these stones cried out I believe they would praise the King of Kings, as we read in Revelation 19:5-7.
“5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
12. Stones Can Be Weapons
My Grandpa Hancock had an old shoebox with a layer of stones he had gathered from his many years of gardening. As a child I thought the stones were amazing. They were arrow heads. I asked him for some when I got older, but I was so sad to hear that he had given them away. Stones were probably used as weapons from the beginning of time. At some point in history man learned to make the stones pointed to use on spears, and then arrows. David was a shepherd and he used a stone from the brook to prevail over the giant. “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine… And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.” (I Samuel 17:40 & 49) After King Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle, David wanted the Israelites to know how to use bow and arrows. “(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)” (II Samuel 1:18) If the weapons of stones cried out to us today I believe they would tell us to go to Ephesians 6 and “Put on the whole armour of God…”
“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:10-18)
13. A Place For A Tomb
Our graves are usually dug in the ground, but in the Bible we read of tombs that were hewn out in rock, and a great stone was rolled in the entrance after burial. When I began these thoughts and Bible verses on stones I mentioned the words of Jesus in Luke 19:40. “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” Those stones would have cried out in praise to Jesus. The following scriptures tell of the burial of Jesus Christ. Jesus was laid in the tomb and Pilate commanded that it be made as sure as they could. If any stones ever were to cry out in praise to Jesus, it would be these stones. They would praise the Lord that the stone was rolled away and the tomb could not hold Him! Praise the Lord, He rose from the dead!
“57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” (Matthew 27:57-66)
“1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.” (Matthew 28:1-9)
14. He Hideth My Soul In The Cleft Of The Rock
Moses was up on Mount Sinai and God was giving him the law. Aaron and the Israelites made a golden calf and were worshiping it. Moses saw their sin and threw the Ten Commandments to the ground. I am so touched by this conversation between God and Moses. I feel like this rock would say, “Trust God. He never fails to keep His promises. He will be with you always.” God tells us two things in these scriptures. “… thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.” And “... Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:”
“11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 33:11-23)
15. Stones Can Be Landmarks To Guide Us
The largest stone landmark I am familiar with is Pilot Knob in North Carolina. “The rocky knob of Pilot Mountain, rising 2,400 feet in the Yadkin Valley, was the “Great Guide” for the Saura tribe.” (Online article by Jane Borden) I can remember climbing the rickety steps to the top, before they were condemned and torn down in the 1970’s. There are also stones in the Bible that were landmarks and used for travel. “And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:” (Joshua 15:6) “And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.” (I Samuel 20:19) Before I had the help of GPS I used landmarks for guidance. I am still more comfortable driving when I recognize landmarks. God gives us His Word to guide us. I think these stones would praise the Lord that they are useful in helping people find their way.
I have enjoyed searching the scriptures for stones in the Bible and asking the Lord to lead me through this devotional series. In closing, I would like to share a few more verses I found about stones.
“42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” (Matthew 21:42-44)
“All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.
And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.” (I Kings 7:9-10) (Ten cubits would be about 15 feet and 8 cubits would be about 12 feet.)
“And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:” (Deuteronomy 27:5-6)
“And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.” (John 2:6)
“But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” (Exodus 17:12)
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” (Revelation 2:17)
