What are living stones in the Bible?

In 1 Peter 2:5, Peter uses the metaphor “living stones.” Today as we delve into this metaphor, we will answer two questions. First, what do living stones mean in this passage, and second, are you a living stone? We find the living-stones Scripture in 1 Peter 2:5, but before we go there, I want to point back to 1 Peter 1:23 for context. It says, […] you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. He is speaking to people born again through the living Word of God.

 

 

Then in chapter two, he continues with an example of what that looks like lived out in daily life:

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (1 Peter 2:1-2)

 

Because we have been born again, these things should no longer have a place in our lives. Putting off in the Greek is the word used for taking off clothes. It means we are to strip ourselves of these things. Malice means evil thoughts, deceit refers to deceitfulness in all its forms, and hypocrisy is acting like you are something other than you are. In this context, it is about pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that you do not possess. Envy is pretty clear-cut, but what about slander? Here it refers to gossiping. These things dressed us in the past but should be stripped off and set aside when born again.

 

In verse 2, we see how we are to grow in respect to our salvation by feeding on the Word of God. I’m not discounting spiritual experiences, but as exciting andin Ephesians 2:20-22. Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

 

These living stones are the church built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Peter uses the metaphor of living stones to illustrate the secure and intimate relationship believers have with Jesus. It creates an image of how God joins Jesus and his followers into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.

 

If you are a living stone

When talking to my husband about the meaning of living stones, he pointed out that stones are God-made while bricks are man made. The only way to become a living stone is through God's way—Jesus. 

As living stones:

 

You have new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

You are an integral part of the building of God and have security in Christ (John 6:37)

You are placed by God where he wants you to be (1 Corinthians 12:18)

You are connected to others in the body of Christ (Romans 12:5)

Meaning of Psalm 91 prayer

 
I continue in my quest for a prayer life in line with God’s will, and as I write this, Hurricane Ian has just ravaged Florida and is moving north. I lived through Hurricane Charley and decided to relocate after that adventure in terror. In my case, weather experts predicted the storm would land in Tampa. It crawled along the southwest side of the state as a category 2 and changed to category 3 after passing Ft. Myers. I lived in Pt. Charlotte at the time. It was getting close. I had 13 people sheltering in my home since it was boarded up and built to withstand a cat 3. We ate food out of my fridge before we lost power creating a Super Bowl party atmosphere, but instead of a game, we watched radar and weather updates.

We stared in disbelief as the storm upgraded to a 4. In a blink, it wobbled, turned, ready to make landfall, and headed straight toward my neighborhood. The power blinked out. The weather experts were gone. We stood in the twilight of a boarded up house. We had maybe 10 minutes before it hit. I ran to the bedroom and emptied the walk-in closet. The contents turned into a haphazard mountain on my bed with no time to be embarassed. We jammed people and pets inside and prayed as the wind and rain clawed at the roof. Our metal front doors bowed like the wolf was huffing and puffing, and I wondered if they’d blow in.

Hurricane Ian brought back all these memories. With this huge storm the National Weather Service issued warnings of the highest risk of “life-threatening” storm surges between Tampa and Fort Myers and severe flooding to low-lying escape routes. When you live in Florida, you know more people die of the flooding than the wind. The governor ordered mandatory evacuations for large swaths of the state. I lay awake praying for people in the storm's path, including many close friends. As I looked to God’s Word, I came across Psalm 91. It talks of God’s protection and rescue from danger. Could that prayer apply in this circumstance?

Psalm 91 prayer

The Psalm 91 prayer talks of making God our refuge and dwelling and that no harm will overtake you, and no disaster will come near your tent. It’s easy to claim this when disaster looms toward us. But again, I remind you to view God's Word within the context in which it was written. When we don't, it is easy to manipulate it to our circumstances to mean what we want it to mean. So let's take a look at whether or not we should call upon the Lord in this way.

The first verse talks about God as our refuge and dwelling. What does that mean? The Hebrew word for refuge maḥăsê (makh-as-eh') means refuge or shelter from rain or storm, from danger or falsehood. It’s a place of hope and trust. And the word for dwelling means continuance; residence; state of life. So this is more than a place to hide when trouble comes. It’s where we are to live in our relationship with God.

Commentary on Psalm 91

Ancient commentaries on the Hebrew scriptures (Midrash Tehillim and Zohar) explain that Moses wrote Psalm 91 while ascending into the cloud hovering over Mount Sinai. In this instance, God had called him to come up. Ex. 19:16 describes the scene this way: “On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.” To the Israelis below “the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain” (Ex. 24:17). Psalm 91 was Moses's prayer as he obediently climbed into what looked like an active volcano, and he stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights in the presence of God. That is the context for this prayer for safety and protection.

I can’t help but notice that Satan quoted this Psalm to Jesus when he tempted Him in the wilderness (vs. 9-12). He told Jesus to throw Himself 450 feet straight down from the pinnacle of the temple. If Jesus fell for this, it would result in a double sin. First, it would show that He wasn’t trusting God the right way. His actions would create danger and test God. This would result in the sin of presumption, daring God to prove Himself and catch Him. Jesus answered Satan with Scripture, Deuteronomy 6:16, "Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, Thou shalt not put the Lord, thy God, to the test.’"

Jesus was "led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil" following His baptism. He was led there by the Spirit of God. (Just like Moses was following what God called him to do.) Both were faced with difficult circumstances but followed God’s will in those difficult circumstances. At other times God called people out of danger. Like Lot and his family when called to leave Sodom. 

 

Jesus knew never to use God's power to test God. We don't go against what we know is God's will, to force Him to take care of us. We are not to live recklessly on purpose and then expect God to get us out of the mess. Taking risks to be obedient to Him is one thing, but unnecessary risks are another matter. The point is to listen to God. Seek His will. When we surrender our lives to God's grace through faith in Jesus, He sends His Holy Spirit to live within us. If He is not your refuge and dwelling place every day, that’s the first order of business to take care of. Talk to God about this. Know that he loves you.

There is a place we can live in safety, peace, and joy in Jesus. As believers, we experience God’s protection and goodness spiritually, but we cannot always expect it in the physical realm. Keep your eyes trained on your eternal destination as you find yourself facing dangers in this world. Meditate on His Word. He offers peace, not as the world knows peace. Once you are His, you are His forever. You are safe eternally. But if you are not one of His sheep, He is not your Shepherd, but He wants to be. It's up to you.

Meditate on God’s Word: Psalm 59:16

Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.” Memorizing Scripture is as an excellent tool for spiritual growth. Once memorized the Word lives on and works on within you. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 tells us to bind God's law on our foreheads, teach it to our children, talk about it wherever we go, and make it an integral part of our lives.” Memorizing Scripture make that possible and Psalm 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Meditating on God’s Word renews our mind and transforms our thinking so we may discern God’s will. 

 

With that said, I have to admit I’m not as diligent about memorizing Scripture as I’d like to be, but I’m working on it. Currently, as I seek to grow in my prayer life, I figured memorizing Scripture would be the perfect way to meditate on God’s Word and incorporate it in my prayers and so in searching out bible verses to memorize, I looked for those I could incorporate in my prayers.

My current memory verse

My current memory verse is Psalm 59:16, written by King David. This Psalm is filled with his complaints about his life at the time, and includes imprecatory prayers calling for the judgement of his enemies, but also includes prayers depicting his confidence in God. I chose verse 16 as my memory verse.

I’ve learned much as I’ve meditated and memorized this verse and truthfully, I think I’ll memorize verse 17 too. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me just share a few snippets of things God has taught me with these few words that I took the time to memorize and meditate upon.

But as for me: David transitions from talking about his enemies in the fist eight verses to the faithfulness of God. He knows his enemy is strong but he trains his eyes on God, his stronghold. He opens this verse with “But as for me….” With all that is going on, he has a plan of action. I mean he had a lot going on! And he had a plan that included God. The next part of the verse explain it.

I will sing of your strength. First of all, I was reminded of the hard life David was living as I meditated on this phrase. His plan starts with singing of God’s strength. I thought, “What songs do I know that sing of God’s strength. Nothing came to mind, so I started looking. Everything current spoke about how He is my strength. Hmmm. Not what I was looking for. As I pondered it, I thought of the song Miriam sang after the Israelites crossed through the Red Sea and God closed it over Pharoah and his army. Many of the Psalms sung speak of God’s strength, but I was looking for songs I could sing as part of my prayer life. As I lay on the massage bed at the Chiropractor office, this past week, I meditated on this part of the verse and asked God to help me learn to sing of his strength. “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” came to mind. This started me down a path of (for me) long forgotten songs: Give to the Winds thy Fears, God Is a Strong Salvation, Eternal Father Strong to Save, and then I remembered a praise song from the 80s, called Ah Lord God, based on Jeremiah 32:17, ‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You. This song was my go-to song for a decade or more as I prayed for a wayward loved one.

The more I meditated the more my thoughts brought me to songs I did know, and the same held true for the next part of the verse, Yes, I will joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning. This not only renewed by thinking about his lovingkindness but note the word “joyfully” and the word “morning.” Wow! That called for an attitude adjustment in my morning mood!

My meditation takeaways from this short verse

Even with enemies surrounding him, David kept his eyes on the Lord. He had a plan to do that. He focused on God's strength and lovingkindness and looked to God as his stronghold.

Scripture meditation is easier when you memorize it. Even if you don’t, take time to meditate on God’s Word. You’ll be amazed at what God will do with it in your heart.

Jehovah Rophe meaning for us today

We have one true God known by many names. These names, scattered throughout the Old Testament, reveal various facets of God's nature. Knowing and understanding these names personalizes communication with Him. Think about how relationships grow closer as you learn more about one another. Learning more about God through His names does the same for those who have a relationship with Him. For today’s post, we will take a closer look the name Jehovah Rophe (Jehovah Rapha) found in Exodus 15:26.

And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer (Exodus 15:26).

 

Jehovah Rophe meaning

In past posts, we've seen facets of God's eternal character starting with "Jehovah" which means “becoming one. ” We also looked at the times when Jehovah revealed himself as The Lord will provide (Jehovah Jireh) and the Lord my banner (Jehovah Nissi) to Abraham, and as Jehovah Raah  the Lord is my Shepherd to David in Psalm 23. With each name comes new understanding of God. 

 

Today, we look into the meaning of Jehovah Rophe. The word rophe in the Hebrew means “heal, cure, restore, or make whole.” When combined with Jehovah, the name can be translated as Jehovah Who Heals and reveals Him as the Great Physician.

 

This sounds great but breeds questions. What does this mean for us today? If we call on Jehovah Rophe to heal someone, will they get well? Can we pray for our own healing? These are good questions, especially in light of the many faith healers sowing confusion with different messages. Let me say, if someone tells you that healing depends on your faith, or something else you must do, that means being healed depends on you and not God. Don't fall for that superstition.

 

Instead of looking at what other people say about it, let's take a closer look at the context of this verse within the rest of the chapter. This allows us to gain our understanding from God’s Word. To start, I'll offer a little background of what happened before chapter 15 so you know where we are in the account of God's leading His children through the wilderness. 

Exodus 15 background

 

When Pharaoh finally let the people leave Egypt, God didn’t take them the direct route. If they had traveled through the land of the Philistines, they would have arrived at the Promised Land in a week or so, but God knew they weren’t prepared to face the Philistines in war. Their faith was not strong enough, and He knew they’d be overcome with fear, change their minds, and be ready to head back to Egypt. So, he led them in the way that provided the experiences needed to learn to trust in Him, grow their faith, and come to understand the power of God. This way, once they reached the Promised Land and faced the enemy, they’d have faith enough to deliver the land into their hands. God used this route to teach the Israelites (and also the Egyptians that He is God).

 

Jehovah Rophe context in Exodus 15:26

Exodus 15 opens with Moses and the sons of Israel singing and celebrating the defeat of Pharaoh with singing and dancing. What a huge miracle that was, walking on dry ground through the Red Sea and then having the enemy drowned trying to do the same thing!

 

“Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (Ex. 15:22-24)

 

Even with the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, it didn’t take long for the Israelites to take their eyes off God. Three days into the Desert of Shur they needed water, and when they found it, it wasn’t fit to drink. The people named it Marah which means bitter and they started griping against Moses. This offers a clue as to where the Israelites were spiritually and emotionally. They totally forgot God was leading them in the way they should go, and they where complaining. They had already forgotten the great victory at the Red Sea!

 

They focused on their circumstances, forgot the power of God, and  blamed Moses for their situation. Poor Moses! He cried out to the Lord, and God showed him a tree. He took a branch and threw it into the water. It became sweet and drinkable. Another lesson. They were learning how God can take the bitter things of life and make sweetness out of them.

 

This brings us to the verse on which this post is centered along with the verse that precedes it:

 

There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.” (Exodus 15:25-26)

 

This is a test. It's conditional. God is bringing them into an even deeper relationship. He’s making a covenant with them. If they heed his voice, do what is right in His sight, and give ear to his commandments AND keep all His statues, THEN He will put none of the diseases on them which he had place on the Egyptians. How does this reflect on the Lord your healer?

 

First, it is worth mentioning that all of the Bible is written for us, but not all of the Bible is written to us. This covenant is with the Israelites. To get a better understanding of Exodus 15:26 I point to a book written decades ago by a doctor by the name of S. I. McMillan called, None of These Diseases. It explains how the early Jewish people were taught basic sanitation, medical procedures, and hygiene from God’s word; without any actual knowledge of bacteria or germs. The people stayed healthy by practicing God’s commandments and statues. The promise here is that if they keep His commandments and statues, he will keep them from these diseases. Healing is often through preventative measures like diet and sanitation, though this was not known in the ancient world.

 

 

When it comes to healing there are many verses in the Bible. We see examples in Scripture where people are healed, others where they treat their conditions, and others where they endure.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

 

God’s Word includes the Old and New Testament and the incomprehensible truth of Jehovah Rophe is that His healing touch spans the physical, spiritual and eternal. That means He is the healer of spirit, soul, and body.

 

While we pray for healing, we must not presume that God must heal. That is not a lack of faith. That is trusting His will be done. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, he is teaching us as we go through all of our life experiences. Don’t forget, our eternal healing took place at the cross. If physical healing is withheld, there is a reason that God knows. His grace is always sufficient.

 

Photo credits: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay, Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

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