Stones...

Dear Jesus - We understand that You use many symbols in the Bible.  Please send us Your Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth so we can understand You more...

To the right there are links to a solid source for Biblical symbols.  However, what do you notice as you review the list?  It is the Bible itself that is to explain itself.  As we have noted before, we must always approach the Bible with prayer for it is a Book like no other.  It is the Word of God.  Spiritual things are spiritually discerned and God in His great mercy promises us the Holy Spirit to guide us in our study. 

The next most important safeguard to keep in mind is that the Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1).  We must measure all we discover against the picture of God's character that it reveals.  We do this by comparing verse with verse. 

The topic of Bible symbols is a beautiful one - and therefore the enemy attacks it particularly vigorously.  But we are determined not only to pick up the gems lying on the surface, but to dig for buried treasure as well!  Our safeguard?  The Bible defines the symbols it uses.  How awesome is that?

Let's give this a go... 

We'll pick a subject:  Stones.

Next question - should we confine ourselves to a search based on the Old Testament or the New Testament?  Luke 24:27 tells us of the Bible study Jesus gave on the road to Emmaus.  He began with Moses - or the beginning and went systematically over time to the point He was on the road.  So for us - that points to the Old + the New books - don't you think?  Good safeguard...

Word Search:
The old king (KJV) is where we'll start.  We may move among other translations as we dig in the results and to better understand certain passages. 

158 verses in the Bible where this word 'stones' is found. 

Now - a rather quick 'eyeball' of the results to see if a definition quickly appears:

Zechariah 9:16 (KJV)

¹⁶ And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.

1 Peter 2:5 (KJV)

⁵ Ye also, as lively (NKJV says 'living') stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

From these texts, we can reasonably define 'stones' to be a symbol for God's people.  However - from our catalog of 158 verses, let's look at a few to see if that symbol fits: 

Exodus 28:21 (NKJV)

²¹ And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.

Deuteronomy 27:8 (NKJV)

⁸ And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law.”

Doesn't this verse remind you of the language in Hebrews?

Hebrews 8:10 (NASB)

¹⁰ “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.

Joshua 4:4-7, 20-24 (NKJV)

⁴ Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; ⁵ and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, ⁶ that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ⁷ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

²⁰ And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. ²¹ Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ ²² then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; ²³ for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, ²⁴ that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Revelation 21:12-14 (KJV)

¹² And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
¹³ On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

What did you come away with from the above scripture concerning 'stones'?  Here are a few of my thoughts...

- 'Stones' are a symbol of God's people
- The verses in the Old Testament concerning 'stones' have sprung to life.  For just as Joshua was commanded to write the names of the 12 tribes on the stones,  Jesus promises to write His law on my heart and in my mind.
- Those 12 stones used as a memorial were a foreshadowing of that great day when we see the New Jerusalem and realize that its foundation IS the 12 tribes!  Glorious thought - that we are included in that!
- There are so many more amazing truths for me to discover if I go back over these verses!

Oh dear Jesus!  I give You all the praise, all the glory for being willing to reveal Yourself to us in any way possible with the end goal of drawing us to Yourself.  That we may be healed...  Thank You!