Never Put to Shame
Peter pulls together three Scripture passages about Jesus Christ as the Living Stone, who either is the foundation of honor and fellowship or the source of tripping and resentment.
For it stands in Scripture (from Isaiah 28:16 bibrefisaiah28 bibrefisaiah28v16): “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, (from Psalm 118:22 bibrefpsalms118 bibrefpsalms118v22) “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
and (from Isaiah 8:14 bibrefisaiah8 bibrefisaiah8v14) “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” (1 Peter 2:6–8 bibref1peter2 bibref1peter2v6 bibref1peter2v7 bibref1peter2v8 ESV)
Believers are being built up as a spiritual house on the Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:5 bibref1peter2 bibref1peter2v5), but unbelievers “stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do” (1 Peter 2:8 bibref1peter2 bibref1peter2v8). “Destined” is assigned, “appointed” (KJV); they are “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (Romans 9:22 bibrefromans9 bibrefromans9v22). Many of these were the religious, those in Israel who did not pursue righteousness by faith (so Isaiah 8:14 bibrefisaiah8 bibrefisaiah8v14 and the “stone of stumbling” is also quoted in Romans 9:33 bibrefromans9 bibrefromans9v33).
All of us who believe have been destined for identity as God’s people. All of us who rest in and on Christ have received mercy. We are “His own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 bibref1peter2 bibref1peter2v9).
Christ is our Cornerstone. Take Him away and we fall apart. Built on Him we will never be put to shame. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes, so let us rejoice and be glad in Him (Psalm 118:23-24 bibrefpsalms118 bibrefpsalms118v23 bibrefpsalms118v24).