Living Stones

Written by Diane Jones.

Father, you are precious to us, as is your Word. So many times you present concepts in the New Testament which are vague to us, at least to me. Thankfully, the Old Testament gives us insight into what you are trying to convey to us. Praise your name. Enable us to fulfill our royal priest responsibilities and be living stones for you.
Amen

March 2020 ushered in like a lion. This date is a catalyst to change every believer worldwide. We are called to be living stones.

“And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.” 1 Peter 2:5 ESV

How can a stone, which has no power to hurl itself be living? A tombstone is a testimony that a person lived. If scripture is engraved on it, it will be a testimony that they loved Jesus. The dead stone becomes living. In the Old Testament stones were used to “testify” to contracts or agreements. They became a visual reminder for more than one party to prove that a transaction had occurred. For example: Jacob and Laban made an agreement in Genesis 31:44-51 regarding peace between them. Another reference to stones is when the Israelites were blocked by an overflowing Jordan river from entering the promised land. The scriptures, while lengthy, speak better than any paraphrase I could write.

“Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.” So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest, the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.” Joshua 3:5-17 ESV

Then come the stones, a living memorial.

“When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste.” Joshua 4:1-10 ESV

We are the royal priests. We carry the living hope. We place our living stones wherever we go as testaments to the Glorious Savior!

These scriptures paint a picture for us to be living stones. We are the royal priests. We carry the living hope. We place our living stones wherever we go as testaments to the Glorious Savior! The agreement that warrants stones to be piled together is the New Covenant Christ made with the church. Together, just as the twelve tribes became a Holy Nation, we become a Holy Nation – The Church.

“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. 1 Peter 2:9 ESV

Father, we cannot praise you enough for choosing us to belong to you as a possession. Thank you for allowing us to testify to a dark world of the gospel. Enable us to be living stones, carrying the gospel everywhere you lead us.
Amen

Diane Jones is a member of Peoria Nazarene Church. She and her husband Doyle have faithfully served the church for many years. Diane has led prayer groups, written devotionals, and has brought encouragement to many people.

Living Stones

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Living Stones

Apr 22