Cornerstone

Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers,

who rule this people in Jerusalem!

Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,

and with Sheol we have an agreement,

when the overwhelming whip passes through

it will not come to us,

for we have made lies our refuge,

and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;

therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,

a stone, a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:

‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’

And I will make justice the line,

and righteousness the plumb line;

and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,

and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”

Then your covenant with death will be annulled,

and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;

when the overwhelming scourge passes through,

you will be beaten down by it.

As often as it passes through it will take you;

for morning by morning it will pass through,

by day and by night;

and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.

For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on,

and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.

For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim;

as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused;

to do his deed—strange is his deed!

and to work his work—alien is his work!

Now therefore do not scoff,

lest your bonds be made strong;

for I have heard a decree of destruction

from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land.

(Isaiah 28:14-22 ESV)

I read this today and was utterly amazed at how amazing it is that God is both just and merciful. So clearly like the Israelites of old I have put my trust time and time again in the promises of the world, making "lies my refuge" and "taken shelter with falsehood." And how justly God is angry with my sin and how deserving I am of the same judgement He promises to heap on an adulterous Israel. And yet at the same time, God provides a way out through grace by faith. He sets the precious cornerstone that is a sure foundation where believers won't be in haste. Instead of haste, the faithful patiently trust in God to provide and protect them. And He provides that route through Christ, the stumbling stone and precious cornerstone who absorbs on my behalf all the wrath of God that I deserve. Amazing.

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.”

(1 Peter 2:4-6 ESV)