EVERYONE WILL STUMBLE
It is a hard fact to accept, but scripture clearly tells us that God has established this system of difficult, hard to understand symbols that lead to stumbling so that we will be disobedient and stumble.
1 Peter 2:4-10: Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; 5 and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe, “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner,” 8 and “A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall”; for they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.
Romans 11:30-32: Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
That we are all disobedient is confirmed when God says that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, thus proving that we have all been disobedient and stumbled. That is the bad news. They good news is that God has provided that we can see behind the letter of the law to the spirit of the law. When we do, we will then be able to offer true spiritual sacrifices and offerings.
Romans 12:1-2: I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
COMMENTARY: The reason people stumble is that their minds have not been transformed. What they see is the literal law — not the spiritual meaning behind the written law. Transformation comes when the mind is renewed so that people can read, understand and apply the spirit meaning.
People who are still in an Old/First Covenant relationship with God have not had their minds transformed. They are still children who see through a glass darkly and know God in part. They are satisfied with knowing only the good and acceptable parts of God’s will.
On the other hand, people who are in a New Covenant relationship with God see the spiritual meaning of scripture clearly and perfectly. They know God’s will perfectly because God reveals it to them directly by his spirit — not through a human teacher.
The mystery in this scripture is in knowing how to offer the body as a living sacrifice. Obviously, God does not want his people to give up their physical lives on an altar. So what it means to be a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God is important to know.
Several well known scriptures warn about stumbling into sin. There are also several scriptures that directly discuss or allude to The Law as a stumbling block that God places before people that are not so well known. It is this second group of scriptures that we will discuss in this page. However, bbefore we explore them in depth, we will introduce three scriptures that give context to the topic:
Isaiah 8:11-18 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people call conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary, and a stone of offense, and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble thereon; they shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
COMMENTARY: It is surprising to read that the Lord of Hosts (i.e. God or the Messiah) will be a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling, a snare and trap. That he would do that seems to contradict the concept of a loving God — until we remember that God disciplines those he loves. Christians who think this prophecy does not apply to them because it is addressed to Jerusalem should not pridefully dismiss it. If the Lord of Hosts is considered to be the Messiah, it definitely affects Christians. Therefore, the warning that “many” will stumble, fall and be broken should be taken seriously by everyone even though it is not clear what will cause the stumbling or when.
Romans 9:30-33 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued the righteousness which is based on law did not succeed in fulfilling that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it through faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
COMMENTARY: At first, Christians might take pride in their righteousness that comes through faith while condemning Jews who pursue righteousness through legalistic adherence to The Law. Reading further, however, we see that God laid a stone in Zion (i.e. Jerusalem or the church) a stone that will potentially make all men stumble. Thus Christians and the Jews are warned about whatever it is that God has placed before them that will make them stumble and fall.
We get a hint here that the stone has something to do with pursuit of righteousness through either faith or works. That suggests that it is important to know the difference between faith and works.
1-Peter 2:4-8 Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; 5 and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe, “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner,” 8 and “A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall”; for they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
COMMENTARY: The picture of the stone becomes a little clearer here. But not too clear because the stone that causes stumbling is Jesus. Thus we wonder how something that is good for us can also be a cause for stumbling.
We also read here that the stone (Jesus) will make all men stumble because of disobedience to the “word,” and that those who stumble are destined to do so because of disobedience. Since this scripture appears in a letter to Christians, we now know that the warnings in Isaiah 8:11-18 are not exclusively for Jews. This strongly suggests that it is important to know what the “word” is so that we can avoid that destiny for ourselves.