THE LORD SPOKE (March 05)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Numbers 24-25

Phinehas was the opposite of his uncles, Nadab and Abihu. Whereas they decided to improvise and go beyond God’s instructions in offering “unauthorized fire” (Lev. 10:1-3), Phinehas was as zealous for truth as God Himself. God told Moses “he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them” (Num. 25:11).

Did you catch that? As zealous as God Himself to uphold and promote the honor of God among the people. That’s quite a statement! For there is nothing for which God is more zealous than His own character and honor. Were it any different, God would not be God.

Webster defines “zeal” as, “eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something”. It involves something that so captures our attention and imagination that we can think of little else. It becomes a consuming fire within us. Other things pale to insignificance because we are so taken up with that object of our passion.

Several people in Scripture were characterized by this pursuit:

• David wrote, “Zeal for your house consumes me” (Ps. 69:9) and those prophetic words were applicable to none other than the Lord Jesus Himself (Jn. 2:17.
• Elijah followed in that train when he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty (I Ki. 19:10).
• Jehu was able to say to others, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord” (II Ki. 10:16).

Can you say that? Is your zeal for the Lord noticeable? Is it a characteristic for which you are known by others? Can you honestly say to someone, “copy me” in this matter?

• Paul stated it in very plain language when he told us, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Rom. 12:11).

Do you have a passion for God? Does it amount to something that could be called zeal?


New Testament: Luke 20

“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” Psalm 118:22 (quoted in Luke 20:17)

Many older translations had “cornerstone” and that was, indeed an appropriate picture for the foundational importance of Jesus Christ. Just as that important stone ties together a building’s structure and provides the solid foundation upon which it is built, so He is the cornerstone of His Church.

But is that what the original term means? In Hebrew it’s called the even rosh pinnah, the “stone of the head of the corner (or turning)”. The word rosh means top, peak, head, chief, or first. For example, a prime minister is the rosh hamemshalah, or “head of the government”. The term is used for the papa or “head of the household”, for the top of your head, for the first day of a month, and for the beginning of anything. For example, the Hebrew name for Genesis is Bereshit, which includes the word rosh, “beginning”. It refers to being of primary importance or at the top or the list or first in line.

The term pinnah is related to the verb “to turn”. Thus, “corner” is an obvious English expression that fits. If we take it as “the stone of turning” it’s easy to see why the term “cornerstone” seems like a good translation. But we need to look for imagery that is apropos to building with stones and we need to maintain the basic meaning of rosh, “top”. So, the best connection is “keystone” - the most important stone at the top turn of an arch (see illustration).

The keystone, because it bears the full weight and holds the building in place, is the most important stone of the entire structure. Standing, as it does, at the very top of the arch it is must be well-chosen for the job. In ancient Israel, the roof tops of better buildings were domes - which are simply arches coming from all directions. The central keystone which held everything together at the very top is the best picture for rosh even pinnah, “the stone at the peak of the turning”.

That also explains better the next verse in Luke: “he on whom it falls will be crushed” (Lk. 20:18b). The meaning, in context, was that those Jewish leaders who rejected Jesus as Messiah, who did not recognize Him as the fulfillment of God’s promise, and who eventually “threw him out of the vineyard and killed him” (Lk. 20:16) would be crushed.

You too must make the appropriate application to your life. Is He something you’ve casually set aside or is He the crowning piece, the very keystone, of your life?