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May 27
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DISOBEDIENCE TO THE WORD CAUSES STUMBLING
6 For this is contained in Scripture: “BEHOLD, I AM LAYING IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE, AND THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.” 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers, “A STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE,” 8 and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also appointed. – 1 Peter 2:6-7
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In this letter, Peter addresses the sin of disobedience and rejection of the Lord and His word. Peter quotes an Old Testament verse from Isaiah 28:16. In the prophecy of Isaiah, the whole of chapter 28:14-29 is talking about a cornerstone in Zion.
Matthew Henry comments on Isaiah 28 from verse 16 and says: “Here is a promise of Christ, as the only foundation of hope for escaping the wrath to come. This foundation was laid in Zion, in the eternal counsels of God. This foundation is a stone, firm and able to support his church. It is a tried stone, a chosen stone, approved of God, and never failed any who made trial of it. A corner stone, binding together the whole building, and bearing the whole weight; precious in the sight of the Lord, and of every believer; a sure foundation on which to build. And he who in any age or nation shall believe this testimony, and rest all his hopes, and his never-dying soul on this foundation, shall never be confounded.”
Peter reiterates Isaiah by admonishing believers of the importance of believing in the cornerstone that the builders rejected. In Isaiah’s prophecy, he addresses scoffers who made a covenant with death and Sheol and God’s response to this is the foundation he laid in Zion, a stone, a tested stone. In this letter, Peter addresses and warns the believers to ensure that they are not disobeying or rejecting the cornerstone that the Lord God has provided to all believers.
Peter was emphasizing the importance of such focus on the foundation that is eternal and can only be found in Christ Jesus. He shows them the aftermath of rejecting Jesus Christ and the Word. It will lead them to stumble. Why is disobedience to the Word of God a grave sin? Note that in 1 Samuel 15:23, the great prophet warns us that disobedience or rebellion is a sin of witchcraft. When we reject the truth that only comes from God’s word, we are actually acting like we want to be like God, just like our first parent’s disobeyed..
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REFLECTION
• What have you disobeyed from God’s word that caused you to stumble?