Scripture Reading: Psa. 111; Psa. 112; Psa. 113; Psa. 114; Psa. 115; Psa. 116; Psa. 117; Psa. 118
In this message we come to the hardest point in the Bible — Christ as the cornerstone. Who would think that Christ would be the cornerstone? Prior to the Psalms there is not a verse which speaks of Christ as the cornerstone. Then, all of a sudden, Psalm 118:22 says, "The stone which the builders rejected/Has become the head of the corner."
Once again I would call your attention to the arrangement of the Psalms into five books. Book 5 begins with Psalm 107. The main psalms in Book 5 that unveil Christ are Psalm 110 and Psalm 118.
Psalm 110 is on Christ as the exalted One, as the One who in His ascension has been uplifted to the right hand of God in heaven. In this psalm there are two matters which are difficult to understand adequately — "the dew from the womb of the morning" (v. 3) and "the brook by the way" (v. 7). Whereas the brook is for drinking, the dew is for watering. As Christ is on His way to carry out God's economy, He needs to be watered, and He needs something to drink. Christ is watered by those who offer themselves willingly to Him. Whoever volunteers himself to Christ as an offering is a young man likened to the dew conceived in the womb of the morning for watering Christ. When we are thirsty from working or from running a race, dew is not adequate. We need water to drink. Christ also needs something to drink. Thus, in addition to the dew, which is moisture for comforting, Christ needs to drink of the brook flowing by the way.
As we will see, Psalm 119 is on Christ as the cornerstone. When we come to this psalm, we will consider a number of verses related to Christ as the cornerstone for God's building.
After Psalm 119 the revelation concerning Christ in the Psalms is closed. Psalm 119, a particular psalm, is followed by fifteen psalms which are called songs of ascents. After these psalms, we have the last sixteen psalms. In these thirty-one psalms we cannot find anything concerning Christ, for Christ has been revealed to us adequately beginning with Psalm 2 and ending with Psalm 119.
In the next message we will see that Psalm 119 is on Christ's being the reality of the law as the testimony and the word of God. The one hundred seventy-six verses of Psalm 119, arranged in twenty-two sections of eight verses each, are on Christ as the law. Toward the beginning of the Psalms, in Psalm 2, the Spirit turns the reader of the Psalms from the law to Christ. After all the revelations of Christ in Psalms 2 through 118, the Spirit gives us Psalm 119, indicating or implying that Christ is the real, actual, and practical law of God. In the Old Testament, the law was put in the ark, which is a type of Christ. Therefore, the entire law of God is in Christ, making Christ the reality of the law of God.
Psalm 119 speaks directly about the law. In this psalm the word "testimonies" is used twenty-two times, and the word "testimony" is used once. This psalm also speaks many times about the word. It is true to say that the law typifies Christ as a portrait of God. This is why the law is called the testimony of God. The law is a portrait of God, and eventually this portrait is not merely the Ten Commandments but a living person, Christ. Christ is the law of God, the portrait of God. Christ is also the word of God.
After Psalm 119, which closes something and also opens something, there is no further revelation in the Psalms concerning Christ. After we see Christ, we should ascend. Hence, after Psalm 119 we have the psalms of ascents, indicating that the Christian life is a life of ascending.
What kind of interest do you have in knowing the Psalms? Are you interested in coming to the Psalms to learn about godliness or to find comfort? Many Christians love the Psalms because they contain instruction concerning godliness and words of comfort. Sixty years ago I also loved the Psalms in this way, but today my love for the Psalms is different. I love the Psalms because this book is full of revelation concerning Christ which we cannot see in other books of the Bible. The four Gospels give us a fourfold record of what Christ is and of what He has done. However, the Gospels do not reveal Christ as much as the Psalms do. Sometimes the Psalms are quoted in the Gospels. For example, Psalm 118:22-23 is quoted in Matthew 21:42, and Psalm 110:1 is quoted in Matthew 22:44. Without the Psalms we cannot have a clear view concerning Christ. If you consider all the points regarding Christ in the Psalms, you will see that the Psalms present us a particular picture of Christ.
The title of this message on Psalms 111 through 118 is "The Praise of God's Elect Consummating in the Particular Position of Christ." This group of psalms may be called "psalms of hallelujahs." Psalms 111, 112, and 113 all begin with the word "Hallelujah." These psalms, therefore, are psalms of praises to God, and these praises consummate in a particular position of Christ. This means that Psalm 118 does not come out of nothing but is the issue of the praises of God's elect. As we consider these psalms, we will see that the praises in them are different from the praises in the foregoing psalms.
In Psalm 111 we have the praise of God's elect for God's great works according to His covenant which He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In verse 2 the psalmist declares, "Great are the works of Jehovah,/And sought out by all who delight in them." Verse 4 says, "He has caused His wondrous deeds to be remembered;/Jehovah is gracious and compassionate." In verse 5b we are told that He remembers His covenant forever, and in verse 9, that He has commanded His covenant forever.
Psalm 112 is the praise of God's elect for God's blessing due to their fear of Him (vv. 1-2) and their virtues thereof, mainly in giving to the poor (vv. 4-5, 9; cf. 2 Cor. 9:6-11).
Psalm 113 is the praise of God's elect for God's exaltation and humility in taking care of the lowly and needy ones. Verses 4 through 6 say, "Jehovah is high above all the nations, /And His glory is above the heavens./Who is like Jehovah our God,/Who has set His throne on high,/Who humbles Himself to behold/The heavens and the earth?" This is a praise both of God's exaltation and His humility. His humility was manifested in His incarnation. If we compare these verses with Philippians 2:7-11, we will see that Christ humbled Himself and, due to His humility, He was exalted.
Psalm 114 is the praise of God's elect for God's marvelous deeds to them in Egypt and in the wilderness and their becoming God's sanctuary and dominion. God did many things to make the rebellious people of Israel His sanctuary and His dominion under His rule. Concerning this, verse 2 says, "Judah became His sanctuary,/Israel, His dominion."
Psalm 115 is the praise of God's elect for God's being real, trustworthy, and full of blessing to His elect and to all those who fear Him, unlike the idols. This psalm says that the idols made of silver and gold are not real but false. We should not put our trust in them. "They have mouths, but they do not speak;/They have eyes, but they do not see./They have ears, but they do not hear;/They have noses, but they do not smell. /They have hands, but they do not feel;/They have feet, but they do not walk;/They make no sound in their throat" (vv. 5-7). In actuality, idols are not real and can do nothing. Thus, they are not trustworthy, and they have no blessing to give. But our God is real. He can speak, and He can give blessing. "Jehovah has been mindful of us; He will bless us;/He will bless the house of Israel;/He will bless the house of Aaron;/He will bless those who fear Jehovah,/Both small and great" (vv. 12-13).
Psalm 116 is not only the praise but also the thanksgiving of God's elect. They praised and thanked God in the presence of all God's people, in the courts of His house, and in the midst of Jerusalem. They praised and thanked Him for His salvation, deliverance, preservation, bountiful dealing, and abundant benefits.
Psalm 117 is the exhortation of God's elect to all the nations to praise Jehovah for His great lovingkindness and everlasting faithfulness. The two verses of this psalm say, "Praise Jehovah, all you nations;/Laud Him, all you peoples. /For His lovingkindness is great toward us,/And the faithfulness of Jehovah is forever./Hallelujah."
In Psalm 118 we have the thanksgiving of God's elect for God's bountiful goodness and everlasting lovingkindness leading to Christ as the cornerstone for God's building.
Verses 1 through 21 and 27 through 29 are the thanksgiving of God's elect. In verse 1a the psalmist says, "Give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good." This word is repeated in verse 29a. Only God is good, as indicated by the word of the Lord Jesus to the young man in Mark 10, who had addressed Him as "Good Teacher." The Lord Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One — God" (v. 18). We may think that others are good, but actually besides God no one is good. Because God is good, the psalmist said repeatedly, "His lovingkindness is forever" (118:1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, 29b).
According to verses 22 through 26, thanksgiving of God's elect for God's bountiful goodness and everlasting lovingkindness leads to Christ as the cornerstone for God's building.
In verse 22a the psalmist speaks of "the stone which the builders rejected." Verse 26 indicates that the psalmist was referring not to himself but to someone else. In His interpretation of verses 22 and 23, the Lord Jesus revealed that He was the cornerstone rejected by the Jewish leaders as the builders of God, who, in a sense, were building something for God. Although Christ was the stone given to them by God, they rejected Him to such an extent that they put Him on the cross.
Psalm 118:22b tells us that the stone which the builders rejected has become "the head of the corner." The Hebrew for "head of the corner" can also be translated "chief cornerstone." Although Christ was rejected by Israel as the builders of God, in resurrection God made Him the cornerstone for God's building. In Isaiah 28:16 Christ is unveiled as the foundation stone; in Zechariah 4:7, as the topstone; and in Psalm 118:22, as the cornerstone. Of these three kinds of stones, the cornerstone is the most crucial, for it joins together the two walls and thus enables God's building to stand.
Concerning Christ as the cornerstone, Acts 4:10-12 says, "Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead, in this name this man stands before you in good health. This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved." The word in verse 12 about there not being another name in which we must be saved is often quoted by evangelists, but who ever points out that the Savior is the cornerstone? If Christ had not been made the cornerstone, He could not be the Savior.
In Ephesians 2:19-22 we have Paul's word regarding Christ as the cornerstone. "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone; in whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit." All the revelations, truths, and teachings concerning Christ that we have passed on to you from the Word have been about Christ as the cornerstone. Without Christ's being the cornerstone, we could not have been crucified with Him and resurrected with Him. Without Christ's being the cornerstone, we could not have been made alive with Him and seated with Him in the heavenlies. As the cornerstone Christ is everything; He is all-inclusive. Do you know what we are doing in all our meetings? We are building up God's building by Christ as the cornerstone.
The Psalms unveil Christ to us in a complete way. If we did not have Psalm 118, the revelation concerning Christ in the Psalms would not have been completed. Christ is unveiled from Psalm 2 through Psalm 110, which is the highest revelation of Christ. Nevertheless, we still need to see from Psalm 118 that Christ is the stone rejected by the builders but honored by God as the cornerstone. If Christ were not the cornerstone, He could not have died for us and for our sins, and He could not have died with us. If He were not the cornerstone, He could do nothing. Everything He is, everything He has done, and everything He is doing is due to the fact that He is the cornerstone. In Acts 4 we see that as the cornerstone He is the Savior, and in Ephesians 2 we see that as the cornerstone He is the building factor. Without Christ as the cornerstone, we cannot be built up together to be God's dwelling place, God's habitation, which is the unique temple in the universe. This temple is built up through Christ, by Christ, and with Christ as the cornerstone.
In 1 Peter 2:4-7 we have another word about Christ as the cornerstone. "Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious, you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it is contained in Scripture: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious; and he who believes on Him shall by no means be put to shame.' To you therefore who believe is the preciousness; but to the unbelieving, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner.'" How can we who are lifeless clay become living stones? We can become living stones only through Christ's being the cornerstone. Christ as the cornerstone is the factor for many things. We have been saved because Christ is the cornerstone. Now we are being transformed and built up also because Christ is the cornerstone.
This revelation concerning Christ as the cornerstone is unveiled in the praises of the psalmist. Often, while the psalmists were expressing their complex sentiments, something suddenly came forth as a revelation concerning Christ. This is the way the revelations of Christ are presented to us in the Psalms.
Have you ever thanked the Lord for being the cornerstone or praised Him for His being the cornerstone? I doubt that many among us have done this. We need to pray, saying, "Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are the cornerstone as my Savior and as my salvation. I praise You that You are the cornerstone for God's building. Without You we do not have any element or factor to be built up as God's temple."
I am concerned that even after you have heard that Christ is the cornerstone, you may have no interest in thanking and praising Him for this. Instead, you may prefer to pray in an old way regarding the Lord's mercy and lovingkindness. I would encourage you to pray like this: "Lord, I thank You for unveiling to me that You are the cornerstone to be my salvation and to be the element and factor for me to be transformed and built up into Your habitation."
The most striking point of Christ being made the cornerstone is that the New Testament unveils to us that Christ as the cornerstone is for the building up of the church in the New Testament age (Matt. 21:42-43). In God's New Testament economy, Christ, in His salvation, firstly makes us living stones for the building up of God's spiritual house (Acts 4:10-12; 1 Pet. 2:5-6), and then, in the process of His transformation, builds us up into a dwelling place of God (Rom. 12:2a; Eph. 2:20-22), that He may carry out God's eternal economy for God's good pleasure (Eph. 1:9).
Psalm 118:23 says, "This is from Jehovah,/And it is wonderful in our sight." Here we are told that Christ's becoming the cornerstone was from Jehovah and that it is wonderful in our eyes.
Verse 24a goes on to say, "This is the day that Jehovah has made." This day is the day of Christ's resurrection. On the day of His resurrection, on the Lord's Day (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10), the Lord Jesus was made the cornerstone by God. This is why we like to meet together on the Lord's Day, a very particular day.
Psalm 118:24b continues, "Let us exult and rejoice in it." Here we are charged to exult and rejoice in this day. This indicates that we should come to the meetings with rejoicing, praising the Lord. However, when many come to the meetings, they are silent, as if they do not have a spirit and a mouth. In the meetings, let us exercise our spirit and open our mouth to rejoice in the Lord and to praise Him for His being made the cornerstone.
Verse 25 says, "O Jehovah, do save, we pray!/O Jehovah, do send prosperity, we pray!" In Hebrew the words "do save" are hoshiah-na, the source for hosanna in the New Testament (Matt. 21:9; Mark 11:9-10; John 12:13). The prosperity mentioned in Psalm 118:25 is not material; rather, it refers to rich blessings that are heavenly, spiritual, and divine. This is the kind of prosperity described in Ephesians 1, which speaks of the heavenly, spiritual, and divine blessings given to us by the Triune God. Verse 3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ." According to Ephesians 1, the first portion of these blessings is of God the Father (vv. 3-6); the second portion is of God the Son (vv. 7-12); and the third portion is of God the Spirit (vv. 13-14). If we are interested in these blessings, we will be brought into the enjoyment of the prosperity sent to us by God because of Christ's being the cornerstone.
Psalms 118:26a declares, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of Jehovah." This indicates that Christ will come in the name of God, in the name of Jehovah. In fact, He will come two times in the name of Jehovah.
The first time is mentioned in Matthew 21:5-11. That was the time when Christ was warmly welcomed by the people in Jerusalem who said, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" (v. 9).
After Christ came in the name of Jehovah the first time, He was rejected by the Jews, and today they still will not welcome Him. However, when He comes back, the Jews will give Him a warm welcome and say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (Matt. 23:39).
The Lord Jesus quoted Psalm 118 in Matthew 21:42 and in 23:39, each time applying the words of the psalm to Himself and thereby interpreting them. Without His interpretation, we could not understand that the cornerstone in Psalm 118:22 refers to Christ and that the word in verse 26 about "He who comes in the name of Jehovah" also refers to Christ.
Finally, Psalm 118:26b says, "We bless you from the house of Jehovah." Here we have the psalmists blessing Israel with all the nations from the praising house of Jehovah.
