Thou art the Rock everlasting

Taking Christ as the Cornerstone

Ephesians 2:20b says, “Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. ” Christ is not only the foundation but also the cornerstone. The foundation and the cornerstone have different functions. The foundation holds up the entire house and bears its weight. The cornerstone is a stone at the corner of two walls that joins them together. Christ is not only the foundation upon which all who are part of the church are built; He is also the cornerstone that joins together the two originally separated walls, the Jews and the Gentiles. Without this cornerstone the Jews and Gentiles simply could not be joined together. Now Christ has joined them together. Without Him the two would be separate and different, but with Him the two become one and are being built into a dwelling place of God in spirit. In Christ there is no distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles. Outside of Christ there is no way to experience Him as the cornerstone.

The Bible speaks many times of Christ as the stone. First, Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:8-11 speak of Christ as the spiritual rock that flows out living water ( 1 Cor. 10:4b ). The Bible also speaks of Christ as the cornerstone, or the head of the corner. Psalm 118:22 speaks of the stone which the builders rejected becoming the head of the corner. Isaiah 28:16 says, “Indeed I lay a stone in Zion as a foundation, / A tested stone, / A precious cornerstone as a foundation firmly established; / He who believes will not hasten away. ” Daniel 2:34 says that a stone cut out without hands struck the great human image at its feet. The stone that crushed the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth ( v. 35 ).

Revelations in Ephesians:

Seeing the Blessings and Position
of the Church in Christ
Chapter 19 CWWL, 1953, vol. 2
(LSM)

Christ Being the Spiritual Rock That Follows God’s People

The Lord Jesus is also our spiritual Rock in our journey, constantly flowing out as living water to supply us and quench our thirst.

Christ Being the One Who Prays for God’s People and the One Who Fights for Them

In our journey of following God, the Lord Jesus is the Intercessor and the Fighter for God’s people. In Exodus 17 , as Moses was praying on the hill, Joshua was fighting in the plains. In this way they defeated Amalek, the enemy of God’s people. This tells us that as we follow God in our journey forward, the Lord Jesus is our Intercessor on the one hand, and on the other hand, He is our Fighter, who overcomes the enemies for us, especially overcoming our flesh.

Ten Lines in the Bible
Chapter 2 CWWL, 1959, vol. 3
(LSM)

The Spiritual Rock

In 1 Corinthians 10:4 Paul goes on to say, “All drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ. ” As the spiritual rock, Christ follows the believers to give them the spiritual drink. The spiritual drink in verse 4 refers to the living water that flowed out of the cleft rock ( Exo. 17:6 ), typifying the Spirit, who flowed out of the crucified and resurrected Christ, as our all-inclusive drink ( John 7:37-39 ; 1 Cor. 12:13 ). In His crucifixion Christ, as the living, spiritual rock, was smitten by the authority of God’s law in order that the water of life in resurrection could flow out of Him into His redeemed people for them to drink. The water of life flowing out of the smitten rock signifies the Spirit ( John 7:37-39 ). We should all drink the same spiritual drink and should not drink anything other than the all-inclusive Spirit.

The rock that was smitten and cleft to flow out the living water for God’s chosen people was a physical rock. Yet the apostle called it a spiritual rock because it typified Christ, who was smitten and cleft by God to flow out the water of life ( John 19:34 ) to satisfy the thirst of His believers. Hence, the apostle said that the rock was Christ. Since it was a spiritual rock signifying Christ, it was able to follow the children of Israel. This indicates that Christ as the real rock is following His believers.

The Conclusion of the New Testament:

Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ,

Message 310 Volume 1 (LSM)

Lord, how we treasure Thy value as the sure, safe and everlasting foundation stone, the cornerstone of God’s eternal building joining all manner of precious stones and the Topstone brought forth with shouts of Grace, Grace to it!

Christ is the stone that was struck & cleft for us. Out came water to satisfy our thirst. When we build the church on this rock our thirst is satisfied. Praise the Lord for this Living Stone that is precious to God & dear to us.

Amen!

While here in loving remembrance at Your tab, we share Thy wealth glorious.

Thank you Lord Jesus!

... This is the word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says Jehovah of hosts. (Zech. 6)

.. and he will bring forth the topstone with shouts of Grace, grace to it. (Zech4:7)

Lord grant us to be part of This marvelous Topstone ! Hallelujah! Praise You Lord ! by Your Spirit, By Your Grace, One with You , We will build up Your Body!!

For God's building Christ is a stone in three aspects. Christ is the foundation stone to uphold God's building (Isa. 28:16; 1 Cor. 3:11), the cornerstone to join together the Gentile and Jewish members of His Body (Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6), and the topstone to consummate everything of God's building.

Praise the Lord. Christ as the Stone is for God's building. He is the Living Stone. Hallelujah!