Preached in INVERNESS CHURCH on MAY 23RD, 1950,
By REV. M. MACSWEEN, M.A.
Text—Isaiah xxviii, 16: “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”
No subjects are so worthy of our consideration as those which relate to the Lord Jesus Christ, and no others can be meditated on with greater advantage.
The various figures applied to the Lord Jesus Christ in Scripture well represent His majesty, excellency and glory.
When Isaiah wrote these words the Jews were sunk in a shocking state of pride and drunkenness, as we see in verse one: “Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim . . .”; and again in verse seven: “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way . . .” Indeed so strong was their depravity and infidelity that they defied death and hell and judgment, as in verse fifteen: “Because ye have said, we have made a covenant with death, and with hell we are in agreement: when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us . . .”
Such a state was sufficient to cause God to consume them immediately with the breath of His mouth, yet He in our text makes them, as it were, another offer of mercy, that they might escape impending wrath.
So it is in our day. Our state nationally is shocking through pride, drunkenness and other sins, yet the Lord continues to follow us with His word and offers of mercy.
On the basis of our text we may consider, as the Lord may enable us—
I. The Need of such a Foundation as is here described.
II. The Description given of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Foundation.
“Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation.”
III. The Description given of Believers.
“He that believeth shall not make haste.”
I. The Need of such a Foundation as is here described.
This foundation was necessary because of the Fall of Man in Adam. God created man holy and gave him His holy law, which man broke by sinning against God. Now we are all fallen in Adam. “The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity; all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him and fell with him in that first transgression,” (Catechism). “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” (Rom. iii, 23). Man as a sinner is called before the bar of divine justice. He is there examined, found guilty and condemned to suffer the penalty due to all transgressors of God’s holy law. If he die without the condemnation removed, the sentence already declared will be executed upon him by divine justice, for “the soul that sinneth, it shall die,” (Ezek. xviii, 4). “All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse and so made liable to all miseries of this life, to death itself and to the pains of hell for ever,” (Catechism).
But man is not only guilty, but his nature is also totally depraved by sin. “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores . . .” (Isaiah i, 6). “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies,” (Matt. xv, 19).
Man cannot justify himself. The Ceremonial Law cannot justify him. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins,” (Heb. x, 4). Neither can the Moral Law justify him. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight,” (Romans iii, 20). The Moral Law requires perfect personal obedience which all men have been utterly unable to give since the Fall.
The sentence pronounced by the Moral Law is irrevocable because of the infinitely holy and righteous nature of the Great Lawgiver. How then can a foundation be laid for the salvation of elect sinners, lost and ruined in the Fall?
This leads us to consider:—
II. The Lord Jesus Christ as the Foundation.
What neither man nor angel could do was planned in the counsels of God from all eternity, and this is emphatically brought before us in our text as a matter of attention and wonderment: “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone . . .”
In the Covenant of Grace the Infinite Jehovah devised the obedience and death of His Son in human nature as the foundation of His Church. The Lord Jesus Christ in His mediatorial work is the foundation laid. This is very evident from the definition the Apostle Peter gives of this text, from which he quotes in I Peter ii, 6: “Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
The first promise proclaimed that God had ordained His Son as the “seed of the woman” to become the foundation of the faith and hope of His people. The same truth was precious to the patriarchs and was proclaimed throughout the Old Testament ceremonial dispensation. The ancient prophets proclaimed it, and “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons,” (Gal. iv, 4, 5). Then the foundation was laid when the Lord Jesus Christ by His active and passive obedience fully satisfied all the demands of law and justice for all given Him by the Father.
Now, in our text the Lord Jesus Christ as the foundation is called:—
1. A Stone. This indicates strength.
When we think of the many He was to save; of the dangers from which He was to deliver them; of the trials under which He was to support them; then we may see the absolute necessity of a strong foundation.
But the Lord Jesus Christ is a strong foundation. “I have laid help upon one that is mighty . . .” (Psalm lxxxix, 19). He is “the mighty God,” (Isaiah ix, 6); “Mighty to save,” (Isaiah lxiii, 1). He has “all power . . . in heaven and in earth,” (Matt. xxviii, 18). In the porch of Solomon’s Temple two pillars of brass were set up. They were called Jachin, i.e., Establisher, and Boaz, i.e., Strengthener (I Kings vii, 21). The priesthood and government of the Lord Jesus Christ are the two pillars which support His Church. Solomon’s pillars were visible, but those of the Church are invisible. The Lord Jesus Christ has the government of the whole Church on His shoulder (Isaiah ix, 6). Hence the security of all who rest upon Him alone. “They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever,” (Psalm cxxv, 1).
2. A Tried Stone.
The Lord Jesus Christ was tried by poverty, reproach, temptation. He was tried by cruel treatment at the hands of His enemies; by the desertion of friends. He was tried in Gethsemane. He was tried on the Cross of Calvary. There He destroyed the works of the devil and redeemed His people from everlasting destruction. There He was tried by God Himself, and this is most important of all. “Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones,” (Zech. xiii, 7).
There He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Psalm xxii, 1). There He cried out, “It is finished,” (John xix, 30).
He has been tried by His people in every age, and He has never failed them yet, and never shall. “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed: but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee,” (Isaiah liv, 10).
Have you tried Him yourself?
“… And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it,” (Mal. iii, 10).
3. A Precious Corner Stone.
The corner stone here referred to is that of olden time. It was a massive stone, cut to a right angle and laid in the building so that its two sides lay along the two walls which met at a corner. The corner stone thus bound the walls together against force and weather. The expression “a precious corner stone” denotes:—
(1) Union.
Take away the corner stone and the wall cannot stand. The Lord Jesus Christ unites His people to Himself by regeneration. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you,” (John xvi, 14). His people receive and rest upon Him by faith, which is the gift of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ also unites His people to one another. Whether they be rich or poor, He makes them partakers of the same grace by His Word and Spirit, “that they all may be one,” (John xvii, 21). He unites the church militant with the church triumphant.
(2) Beauty.
Much art was anciently bestowed upon the corner stones. “… that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace,” (Psalm cxlv, 12). The whole building appeared beautiful because of the corner stones. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the beauty of all God’s building. “Thou art fairer than the children of men,” (Psalm xlv, 2). His people have no comeliness but what He puts on them. “I am black, but comely…” (Song of Solomon i, 5).
Corner stones were often very costly. The Lord Jesus Christ was the most costly foundation ever laid. His people and all their blessings were dearly bought by Him alone at the price of His precious blood. He gave “His life a ransom for many,” (Matt. xx, 28).
(3) Direction.
All other stones in the building were squared with the corner stone. The Lord Jesus Christ is the believer’s rule or example, and to this He directs our attention. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest to your souls,” (Matt. xi, 29). “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,” (Isaiah viii, 20).
4. A Sure Foundation.
This shows the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ over all other foundations. All other foundations are deceitful, but this is sure: all others are unsafe, but this is secure: all others have failed and shall fail, but this has never failed and never shall.
The sinner ready to perish, the backslider returning to God, the tempted, afflicted and persecuted soul, has found it ever sure. It has never failed them in a dying hour. It will be found sure when the heavens shall pass away and the earth melt. In the solemnities of the Day of Judgment it will be found sure. It will be found sure to all eternity.
III. The Description given of Believers. “He that believeth shall not make haste.”
We have two things here:—
1. The Character of Believers. “He that believeth.”
The Holy Spirit through the Word of God brings believers to feel their great need of this foundation. He brings them to abandon all other foundations and refuges, such as self-righteousness. He gives them a saving knowledge of this foundation as the only one for them, guilty, hell-deserving sinners, to save them from perdition. He makes them able and willing to cast themselves by faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, and builds them as lively stones upon Him, the living stone. “To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ,” (I Peter ii, 4, 5).
Believers build on the Lord Jesus Christ in His Word, especially the promises. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust,” (II Peter i, 4).
Now, the Word of God has been precious to God’s people in all ages. It was precious to the fathers of our own Church and to the Lord’s people who followed them in raising a testimony for the Word of God against insidious error in 1893. May grace be given us to keep us faithful to God’s Word and to the testimony of our Church in witnessing for it against Romanism, Rationalism, Materialism, Arminianism, Modernism and against all sin.
2. Their Safety. “Shall not make haste.”
Many are surprised by conscience, afflictions and death, but believers shall not be put to shame. There is no peace unto the wicked, but in the Lord Jesus Christ there is abundant peace. His people can say, “He is our peace,” no matter how distressed they may be in this world.
The Holy Spirit causes believers to make haste in time from sin and with all their sins to the Lord Jesus Christ. Such as do not make haste in this way in time shall surely make haste at the Last Day when many shall say to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come: and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev. vi, 16, 17).
But believers shall not make haste: they shall not be put to shame, neither shall they be confounded. They shall be in peace in the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom they fled in time as guilty, perishing sinners, and their peace shall be perfect to all eternity.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength,” (Isaiah xxvi, 3, 4).
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die,” (John xi, 25, 26).