A Sure Foundation

So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. – Isaiah 28:16 (NIV)

This verse reminds me of Greg Koukl’s catchphrase, “Never read a Bible verse.” It’s a great verse, to be sure, but in context, it means so much more. The prophet Isaiah is in a dispute with the religious leaders. Earlier in the chapter, they boast about having made a covenant with death to keep them safe from the coming scourge. Assyria’s threat loomed, and Judea’s leaders turned to false gods for protection.

Bad idea.

I don’t normally use the NIV, but I liked its translation, “never be stricken with panic.” The Strong’s Concordance says the word means “not in a hurry” or “not make haste,” but that doesn’t convey the urgency of the situation. The “New Carolyn Paraphrase” might read,

The one who relies on Jesus, the firm foundation, won’t ever run around like a chicken with her head cut off.

 

Jesus is the sure foundation.

In ancient construction, builders laid the cornerstone first, and the integrity of the building hinged on aligning the rest of the structure with the cornerstone. If you want your building to hold up, you’ve got to get the foundation right. Jesus affirmed this principle in The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:24-29.

Peter quotes the verse above and tells us we, the Church, are living stones built on the foundation of Christ. I can’t wait to see the structure of the Church with glorified eyes. What will we look like? A Gothic cathedral? A skyscraper? A glorious Borg?

Building our faith on anything other than Jesus is doomed to failure.

The cornerstone – a place for sacrifice.

The cornerstone has ritual significance, as well. In ancient times, an offering would be placed on or embedded in the cornerstone. This practice continues even today. When we lived in Bolivia, the Witches’ Market did a booming business.

By Dan Lundberg – 20170812_Bolivia_1830 La Paz sRGB, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63812906

You could get your fortune told or get a custom spell or perform an incantation. You could buy all manner of offerings, amulets, and talismans. One of the most popular items was the llama fetus. If you go to their Wikipedia page, you can see a high res image with llama fetuses hanging up for sale. Why? So you can make an offering to the Pachamama, the Earth Mother, when you plant a field or build a home. Few dare build anything without first making an offering to the Pachamama.

What sacrifice does our Lord want? What offering will you lay on the cornerstone? Not a llama fetus.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. – Romans 12:1