“The Stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes,” Psalm 118:22-23
About 1000 years before Christ, King Solomon built the Temple to the Lord in Jerusalem. All the stones were prepared in a quarry and shipped to the site according to the word of the Lord. You can read about it in 1 Kings 5-6. One day, a shipment arrived that included a large stone with an odd shape. The foreman, the architect and the priest in charge all wondered what they were supposed to do with this strange stone. Perhaps they made a mistake at the quarry. So the builders had the stone tossed over the side of the temple mount unto the rubbish heap below.
They went on with the work until it became time to finish the lintel over the Holy Place. The work was supported by scaffolding, but once the lintel was done, the scaffolding could be removed and the building would stand by itself. The workmen searched for the capstone, but couldn’t find it! Then someone said, “Perhaps it’s that odd-shaped stone in the rubbish pit. Would that fit there?” So they hauled it back and sure enough, it was an exact fit! The stone the builders rejected turned out to be the CAPSTONE of the Temple!
All the people from King Solomon on down to the lowliest slave recognized what the Lord had done! The builders meant well, but they had their own ideas on how the Temple was to be built. After they acknowledged their mistake, the temple was completed and there was great joy at the dedication. You can read about that in 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 7.
Psalm 118 was written to commemorate the Temple’s completion. With shouts of joy and victory, the people sang “O Lord, save us (Hosanna), blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” 118:25-56. Year after year they sang the song about the stone the builders rejected. Decade after decade, whenever God’s people went up to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, they sang of Him who would come in the name of the Lord. Century after century passed, until one year, just before Passover, their King did come! Jesus presented Himself, riding on a donkey’s colt to the people He had come to rule. His followers knew what that meant, He was fulfilling an ancient prophecy and declaring Himself to be Israel’s King. His followers shouted “Hosanna” and spread their coats on the road before Him.
But, not everyone was happy! The Pharisees and religious leaders were looking for a different kind of King, not a lowly carpenter. The leaders were like the builders, they wanted a Messiah, but one of their own choosing and failed to recognize the Person God had sent. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” Paul is not just talking about Greeks and Jews of ancient times. We all fall into one of those categories. Which kind of person are you? A true believer who recognizes Jesus as the Son of God? Or are you depending on a tradition or church denomination to save you? Or do you consider yourself a scientist and a risen Savior is well beyond your power to reason? The preaching of the cross may be foolishness to the world, but to those who are saved, it is the power of God!
Your friend, Jean