The Stone the Builders Rejected has Astounding Value
By Jeremy Bell
God gives so much freedom to people, the expressions of honoring Him are endlessly creative. Because of the broken relationship with Him in this existence, there is often disagreement about those expressions. It is important to remember that there are many agreements about God among all believers. While expressions of teaching, reproof, correction, training, and application may vary, the fundamental truths are agreed on. When believers remember Jesus as their source of truth and the fundamentals of what this means, they are more easily united in celebrating their diverse expressions. Teaching, reproof, correction, and training can be administered in love.
In Psalm 118 there is support that if a person believes and has faith in Jesus, that person is and will be saved. His loving kindness endures forever. The mission of the church involves evangelism, edification, and exhortation. The church is made up of individual believers. The preached gospel is the means to salvation and every believer is under the commission to do it. Of these things all Christians agree.
Infinite Value, Rejection Allowed
Psalm 118 also supports that Christ’s work on the cross has infinite value. There is no limit to the payment of sin. However, this does not apply to everyone. Some accept this payment towards salvation and give thanks. This payment was the blood of Jesus, who is the cornerstone of Life and salvation. Many deny the stone the builders rejected that has become the cornerstone. This rejection of God’s salvation earns just judgement and penalty. Jesus frequently speaks of division between righteous and unrighteous, good from evil. Following are excerpts from my motif analysis from my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization, on Psalm 118 that support Christian agreements.
Remembering that all Christians from any denomination, country, or language unite in these principles. Praise the Lord for this large community of support. Here is the Psalm in context.
[ Psalm 118 ]
Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Let Israel now say
that his loving kindness endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron now say
that his loving kindness endures forever.
Now let those who fear Yahweh say
that his loving kindness endures forever.
Out of my distress, I called on Yah.
Yah answered me with freedom.
Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Yahweh is on my side among those who help me.
Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in Yahweh,
than to put confidence in man.
It is better to take refuge in Yahweh,
than to put confidence in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,
but in Yahweh’s name, I cut them off.
They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.
In Yahweh’s name I indeed cut them off.
They surrounded me like bees.
They are quenched like the burning thorns.
In Yahweh’s name I cut them off.
You pushed me back hard, to make me fall,
but Yahweh helped me.
Yah is my strength and song.
He has become my salvation.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous.
“The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
The right hand of Yahweh is exalted!
The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!”
I will not die, but live,
and declare Yah’s works.
Yah has punished me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness.
I will enter into them.
I will give thanks to Yah.
This is the gate of Yahweh;
the righteous will enter into it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me,
and have become my salvation.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is Yahweh’s doing.
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that Yahweh has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Save us now, we beg you, Yahweh!
Yahweh, we beg you, send prosperity now.
Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name!
We have blessed you out of Yahweh’s house.
Yahweh is God, and he has given us light.
Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you.
You are my God, I will exalt you.
Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
[ 1 Peter 2: 5 – 10 ]
You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Because it is contained in Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious:
He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”
For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone,”
and,
“a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.”
For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
[ Matthew 21: 42 – 45 ]
Jesus said, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘The stone which the builders rejected
was made the head of the corner.
This was from the Lord.
It is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.
God Works, Jesus is the Stone
The work of Jesus, the stone the builders rejected, has infinite value. There is no crime He has not paid for, no multitude of sins His blood does not cover. The payment, the value, the expense of His blood cannot be calculated or imagined. And though there is no limit, this payment is not applied to everyone. This payment is crucial to limitless, abundant life in peace, with God forever, yet many refuse this gift. Salvation is by grace alone and not works. The heart that limits what Jesus has done refuses His payment altogether.
Not all of God’s appointed priests accepted the payment. They were the people referred to when John says Jesus is the stone the builders rejected. Many stumble over Jesus, like one who stumbles over a rock. Don’t let the conversation of free will confuse the foundational truth. God did the work, God gifts by His grace alone, and it is faith in Jesus and no other that one is saved from eternal death and God’s wrath. God has a plan to magnify His glory in and among His people throughout His good creation. All that was necessary to bring about this plan was accomplished through the work of Jesus, the stone the builders rejected. Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, and the Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Reliable Fundamentals for Healthy Discipleship Ministries.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.