If The Stones
Cried Out
SUNDAY
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)
MONDAY
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)
TUESDAY
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.”
WEDNESDAY
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)
THURSDAY
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)
FRIDAY
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)
SATURDAY
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)
