The Rejected Stone
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Jewish Meditation Literature
Jewish Meditation Literature
We have been going through some Psalms for the last month or so, and will wrap it up next Sunday. We are exploring some of the texts of the Psalms, learning how to read them as personal prayers. Even though some may not seem relevant, given many were penned during times of war, we can still find relevance to our lives today.
Today is Palm Sunday, and we are going to look at how the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem on his last journey is written in the eyes of the Psalmist. That said, the Psalmist did not know it was going to be Jesus. Rather, they were able to see that a future king would come that would remain loyal to God throughout their lifetime. The scriptures point to a future person who would establish God’s kingdom forever.
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Question: If you heard there was a God who was interested in building a kingdom, a house for himself on earth, what would you expect that house to look like? What would you expect the king to look like?
In order to get a full sense of how this would have gone for the people in Israel and Jerusalem, we need to put ourselves in their world for a bit, to see things from their perspective. To do that, we need to go back to David, who wants to build a house for God. It is described in 2 Samuel 7:1-3.
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Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
David has recognized that he is living in opulence, while the Ark of God is sitting out there in a tent. His conscious is getting to him. God has made this exceptional provision for David. And David wants to return the favor. Let’s keep reading and see what God’s response is to David, as found in 2 Samuel 7:4-7.
SLIDE:
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’
The challenge here is to grasp the tone of the words of God back to David. Is it delight or disgust?
SLIDE:
David’s heart is in the right place, but his head is not
Here is what I think is going on: David’s heart is in the right place, his heart is for God. But the action David wants to take may not be God is seeking. What is the job of the king? To ensure justice, care for the orphan and widow, free those who are oppressed. How is a building going to accomplish that? God goes on in 2 Samuel 7:8-11.
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Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.
David wants to build a house, a palace for God. God want’s to build a house for David. Notice what God describes: I will make you famous (David and Goliath, who does not know that?); I will give you a secure homeland (A place or all to live in peace); and I will give you rest from all your enemies (seen and unseen).
This is pretty good news for David. Can you imagine receiving this message from God? Look, eventually the descendants of David will build a temple, but this is pretty amazing! But wait, there is more!
SLIDE:
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”
After you die…yes David, not in your lifetime, I will establish a kingdom through one of your children. And that person (“He”) will build a house for “my name” (ha-shem), and I will establish his throne forever.
I shall be his Father and he shall be to me a Son. And yes, when your sons disobey me, I will discipline them by allowing other kingdoms to conquer, and by allowing other humans to be humans.
But notice this part, this house, kingdom and throne will be established forever. If you heard that, what what you think? There will forever be the City of Jerusalem, there will forever be a place for the Ark. We will win any fight we enter against another evil nation.
What happened? Solomon builds the temple, but after he dies the nation of Israel spirals out of control, such that God does discipline his children using other kingdoms of the world. Fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the exile of Israel, and fourteen generations from the exile to Jesus.
It would appear the promise of God has failed, since Israel has been unfaithful. Here is where our Poet enters the stage. This Psalm was written after the exile of Israel. It is looking back and looking forward at the same time. It looks back on this promise of God to build an everlasting house for Israel. Keep in mind, when we read Psalm 118, the people are thinking back and looking forward at the same time.
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The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts,
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
They have been rescued from the exile, they are grateful for this, so they sing songs of praise to the God of Salvation. It continues...
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I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
They are looking back on their exile, I am certain thinking this promise was dead, that God had abandoned them to death. But now, they have hope in life. They have been disciplined severely for their sins, but God had not left them for dead. He goes on...
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Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
What gates? For them, the gates of the temple. This is looking back on that promise from God who will build a house, and looking forward to the day that house is built. And the poet draws this allusion to a stone the builders rejected that has become a cornerstone. That is interesting. It is the LORD that has chosen this stone to build his house, and the poet sees it and is rejoicing. He continues...
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Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
If you are a student of the Gospels, or attended Palm Sunday services for a while, you should recognize these two verses. When Jesus is entering Jerusalem for the last time, before he is crucified, this is what the people cry out to him.
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And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
I like that last part of Luke, where Jesus says the stones will cry out. Especially since the Psalm speaks of a cornerstone. For twenty-eight generations, Israel has been waiting for the eternal king, for the eternal kingdom, for this house that God will build that will last forever. And some of the people have become convinced that Jesus is this cornerstone.
Here is the problem, they are still thinking about building a kingdom. They are still thinking physical, someone who will put an actual throne in Jerusalem, sit on it and rule the world, bring Israel’s enemies to justice, make Israel great again.
Like most of us who just pluck out the verses we like, they needed to keep reading the Psalm.
SLIDE:
The Lord is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
The Poet is writing about what happens during an annual feast in Israel, where the animal was sacrificed on the altar. He is looking forward to this day when they can honor, worship and follow God, bringing their sacrifices into the Sacred Space.
The writer of the Psalm, the readers and those welcoming Jesus have no idea they are waving palm branches, spreading their cloaks on the road and shouting Hosanna to the festal sacrifice that will soon be on the altar.
Preparing every human heart as Sacred Space so that anyone who would believe, will be welcomed into the presence of God.
Yeah, but where is this house that God promised to build David? Peter answers that question for us.
SLIDE:
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
As it turns out, those who believe, who follow Jesus are the long awaited house that God promised to build, that would be an everlasting kingdom. But they were looking for a physical structure, something so large and secure that no storm or army could destroy.
They never thought it would be built on the death and resurrection of their king, and each piece would be comprised of a human heart that is loyal to Jesus.
SLIDE:
People were looking for rocks, not people
The people made their concentration the building of a temple for God. Just as we have from the opening stories of Genesis. We have been seeking to fashion what was created into a suitable dwelling for the creator.
What they failed to recognize is the house that God was trying to build for us.
Just as he has been doing since the first page of the bible, God has been building a house for himself and invited us to be with him in this house. We have constantly refused to accept the house build by God, seeking instead to find a place of our own.
Today is the day that you should decide to become a part of the family of God and live in His house.