Psalm 118
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. . . .
I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
The Lord taketh my part with them that help me. . . .
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. . . .
The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. . . .
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
The concluding line of this psalm introduces what will become one of the most powerful and pervasive images of Christ running throughout all of scripture—Jesus as “the stone” who was rejected by His own, but who became “the head stone of the corner.”
As with so many things Messianic, Isaiah took this image into majestic prophetic realms when he wrote:
“For the Lord spake thus to me. . . .
“Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
“And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
“And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
“Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. . . .
“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.”237
Paul uses this image extensively in such passages as 1 Corinthians 1:1:22–24:
“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
“But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”
Consider, also, Ephesians 2:19–22:
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens 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;
“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
“In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
However, none of the Apostles developed this scriptural metaphor more thoroughly than did Peter. He who would himself be called a “rock” knew firsthand the strength of Christ as the “stone of the corner” for the Church. In his majestic response to those who took him and his fellow Apostle John captive and who asked him, “By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?” (“this” being the healing of a lame man at the temple, bracketed by teachings which brought 3,000 and 5,000 souls, respectively, to the faith!), Peter, “filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
“If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”238
Later, in his own canonized writings, Peter used this imagery again in testifying of Christ:
“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.
“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.
“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,
“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.”239
But of course the most authoritative of all references to this image came from the Master Himself, the Great Stone of Israel. Following one of the most powerful of all parables about His coming—and His rejection—Christ made reference to Psalm 118 and said to those who opposed Him:
“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?
“Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
“And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
“And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
“But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.”240
Truly Christ is the great “Rock of Heaven.”241 Not only did others say these things of Christ, but in His modesty and humility He said them of Himself. “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. 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: 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.”242
In our own lives, when the rains descend and the floods come and the winds blow, we can be more certain of this than of any other thing in the universe: Our faith in Christ, our foundation in Christ, our building on the rock of Christ will be a sure foundation that will withstand every grievance and every pain. He is the foundation whereon if we build, we cannot fall.
Notes