IMAGES IN ISAIAH'S POETRY | A ROCK & STONE

1. Images In Isaiah's Poetry

a) The New Testament writers Peter and Paul, draw on the words of Isaiah the prophet when they are teaching about the relationship of Christ to the church. The apostles draw our attention to three images in Isaiah's poetry which evoke a heightened understanding and appreciation of Christ’s preeminence in the church. 

b) Here is one of the images in Isaiah's poetry.

2. A Rock And Stone

Isaiah 8:14 
14 He will be as a sanctuary,
But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 28:16
A Cornerstone in Zion
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.

a) These two passages in Isaiah (Isaiah 8:14, 28:16,) are linked together by Peter and Paul as noted below. But first some comments on the imagery of rock and stone.

i) The image of a rock or stone represents Christ. This stone is meant to be regarded as "an expensive corner stone", a carefully hew stone block, which is accurately laid down as the chief reference point in a building’s foundation. The building is the temple of God, the church. However for many this stone is rejected for what it is meant to be. So for them it becomes a "stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." A rock or stone can protect you or it can injure you. As a foundation for a house, it makes the house withstand the elements (Matthew 7:24-25). On the other hand, you can stumble over and fall upon a rock, or a rock can fall down upon you, resulting in injury and even death. This imagery is used to illustrate the two ways in which people can react to Christ.

b) Peter

i) Peter used these passages from Isaiah (1 Peter 2:4-8). along with a passage from the Psalms (Psalms 118:22). I suppose this image of a stone was very special to Peter, because he would remember his confession of faith in Christ as the Son of God, and Jesus’s blessing upon him in response. Jesus made a play on words with Peter’s name Πετρος Petros, which means a stone, and is related to πετρα petra, which means a rock (Matthew 16:15-18). Jesus there spoke of the rock on which he would build his church. Jesus, in his teaching, also linked the passages in Isaiah and Psalms (Matthew 21:42-44).

ii) It was the work of apostles such as Peter and Paul to lay down the foundation of the church. They understood, as Paul says, that "No man can lay a foundation other than the one that is laid, which is Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). The church, "God’s house", is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:19-22).

c) Paul

i) Paul, like Peter, links the two passages in Isaiah (Romans 9:30-33). It is interesting, incidentally, to note how Paul edits the passages. As we would say today, he does a "cut-and-paste", omitting the words in Isaiah 28:16, "a choice stone, a precious corner stone", and inserting in their place the words of Isaiah 8:14, "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence". It is nonsense to suggest that Paul made a mistake here, getting the two passages mixed up in his head, resulting in a misquote. Paul was simply melding the two passages skilfully to bring out his point. So long as we do not distort the scriptures, it is legitimate to quote them in this manner when appropriate.  

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