Series: Renewal
I Peter 2:9 ESV
I Peter 2:4-5 (Living Stone rejected)
Mark 16:15 ESV
I Peter 2:6-8 ESV
Psalm 118:22 ESV
Isaiah 8:14 ESV
Daniel 2:12-13 (no interpretation meant death; Daniel 2:17-18 (Daniel prayed and waited for an interpretation); Daniel 2:36-45 Daniel interprets the King’s dream)
Numbers 20:7-11 ESV
I Peter 2:4-8 The Message
One of the goals when studying scripture is to make connections that help us understand God’s intent and purpose for His children.
In I Peter 2:9 Peter identified the children, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
In this section of Peter’s letter to the new believers he outlines who God has called them to “be”.
In I Peter 2:4 Peter told his readers they are a living stone, rejected by men but precious to God. In I Peter 2:5 he wrote they are spiritually being built up to be a royal priesthood. The living stones are believers in Jesus. In a sense Peter is comparing the chosen of Israel to the new believers who are chosen. The use of the word ‘priests’ gives us sense of holy leadership. Peter’s original audience was written to believers in the first century who were forging new paths for God in Christ.
The Apostles well understood the task Jesus set before them in Mark 16:15, “And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
They knew that was their goal.
In I Peter 2:6-8 he refers to several passages from Old Testament scripture.
He wrote:
“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,”
and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.“
In this descriptive section Peter is quoting Psalm 118:22, “The stone that the builders rejected: has become the cornerstone.”
Isaiah 8:14 prophesied, “And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Biblical scholars reference several passages in Daniel that relate to I Peter 2:6-8. We remember Israel had been conquered by the Babylonians (King Nebuchadnezzer) and the brightest and best of Israel had been captured and taken to Babylon. As Daniel 1 opens, King Nebuchadnezzer had a dream and his wisemen had been unable to interpret the dream. The price for not being able to interpret a dream was death (Daniel 2:12-13). When Daniel heard of the dream he went to the king and asked if he could have time to interpret the dream. Of course, Daniel had a different way of interpreting dreams. He did not study them and determine a meaning. Daniel prayed and waited (Daniel 2:17-18).
Daniel asked the king to spare his wisemen from death and in Daniel 2:36-45 Daniel interprets the dream. Most scholars agree the empires in the dream referred to The Babylonian Empire, The Medo-Persian Empire, The Grecian Empire, and the Roman Empire.
Scholars believe the rock referenced in I Peter 2:8 refers to the rock that spewed out water in the wilderness in Numbers 20:7-11 when Israel had no water. We are reminded, “and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.”
In other words, God is God and God can do anything.
I Peter 2:4-8 from The Message offers clarification:
“Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:
Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor.Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it.
To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,
The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone.
For the untrusting it’s. . . a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way.
They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.”
The stone is the source of life. In I Peter 2:8 those who stumble refuse to obey the Word. We choose. Ultimately God gives us the right to choose.
Spiritual Practice: Pray
Pray and listen for what God has for you from I Peter 2:6, ““Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
In God, Deborah
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